New sectional format may make regionals tougher

By Dan Larson, Sauk Prairie Eagle

Given the fact Sauk Prairie returns 13 of 20 letterwinners — including unanimous first-team all-Badger North midfielder Garrett Schwarz — to a team that fell a game short of making the WIAA Division 1 state tournament last season, it's not a stretch to think they could be in the same position this year.

But to get back to the sectional final, where the Eagles were beaten by Middleton, 3-0, last season, the Sauk Prairie boys' soccer team may face stiffer competition along the way.

That's because the WIAA decided at its Board of Control meeting Jan. 30 — on a recommendation by coaches — to seed entire sectionals in Division 1, rather than each regional separately like it did in the past, according to WIAA Director of Communications Todd Clark. Teams in the Northwest part of the state, where travel is more of a factor will continue to seed each regional seperately.

Since Sauk Prairie moved from Division 2 to Division 1 in 2004, the sectional champion has come out of the regional opposite the Eagles every year except 2005, when Madison Memorial did it.

Middleton (state tournament participant last year and in 2004) and Madison Memorial (state champion in 2006) won the sectional the other three years.

 The Eagles were the No. 1 seed in their regional last year, but in the new format achieving a top seed will be harder. Teams that were usually in the opposite regional, such as Middleton, Madison Memorial and Madison West, are typically stronger than teams that were usually in Sauk Prairie's regional.

That means, depending on seeding, the Eagles may have to face one of those teams before the sectional championship.

"It's going to be a lot harder to get to the sectional final, for sure," said Mike Rauls, who's entering his 12th year as the Eagles' head coach and 17th year with the program.

Still, Rauls said he's not too concerned.

"I don't worry too much about where we're at (in the sectional)," he said. "You've (still) got to win four games to get to state."

Sauk Prairie began its season Aug. 26 vs. Milton, but results from that match weren't available as of press time. Its next match is Aug. 28 at Monroe.