The halfway point approaches in the 2025 high school football season and things are starting to truly take shape around the greater Milwaukee area.
With Week 4 approaching, here’s a look at five games around the area to keep tabs on, starting in the Greater Metro Conference with two teams jockeying for position atop the standings.
All games are at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 unless noted.
Brookfield East (3-0, 1-0) at Germantown (2-1, 1-0)
Two Greater Metro Conference programs coming off huge victories in different ways will square off in a vital midseason clash as Brookfield East heads to Germantown to face off with the Warhawks. The Spartans knocked Sussex Hamilton starting quarterback Jacob Osmanski out of the game and then proceeded to knock off the Chargers for a 3-0 start, while the Warhawks dominated West Allis Hale by 27 points last week, 41-14. East has allowed only 26 total points in three games this season with five interceptions of backup Hamilton quarterback Cody Berlin last week, while the Warhawks offense has scored 40-plus points in back-to-back weeks since a 43-15 loss to Homestead in Week 1. Germantown quarterback Vinny Inga has completed 61.4% of his 44 pass attempts this season for a 7-to-1 touchdown-interception ratio, but the Spartans defense has tallied 11 interceptions in three games. Something’s got to give when the Warhawks have the football.
Homestead (3-0, 1-0) at Whitefish Bay (2-1, 1-0)
The Highlanders have been a total wrecking ball in the first third of the regular season as they head to Whitefish Bay this week. Homestead has scored 43, 56 and 49 points offensively in its first three contests against Germantown, Kettle Moraine and Nicolet. Lead back Connor Pangallo has 609 yards and eight scores on the ground on 52 carries this season for an absurd 11.7 yards per attempt. The Blue Dukes rebounded from a 17-14 Week 2 defeat to Wisconsin Lutheran with a 47-0 shutout of West Bend East last week. Mace Miskel has been a monster out wide for the Blue Dukes, averaging 20.4 yards per catch with four touchdowns this season on 12 catches, but the Highlanders defense has been fairly stern early on. Outside of allowing 28 points in Week 2 — in a game they won by 28 points — the Highlanders haven’t given up much defensively as well. It’ll be an uphill battle for the Blue Dukes against the high-octane Highlanders, but it could be a fun one in the North Shore Conference.
Lake Country Lutheran (3-0, 1-0) at Racine St. Catherine’s (2-1, 0-1)
This game could go a long way in determining the champion of the Metro Classic Conference this season. The two teams that have either won or shared the last two titles will do battle in Week 4 as Lake Country Lutheran heads to Racine to face a St. Catherine’s side coming off a nightmarish game in Week 3. The Angels weren’t at full strength in a 48-6 beatdown by Brown Deer after a brawl during Week 2’s 38-0 victory over Milwaukee Academy of Science that presumably resulted in the suspensions of several key players for the defending Division 4 state champions from the previous week’s fallout. This is a vital matchup for both programs with the Lightning rolling out of the gate at 3-0 and the Angels looking to get back on track after last week’s loss, the first for the program since Oct. 20, 2023.
Mukwonago (2-1, 1-0) at Oconomowoc (3-0, 1-0)
A key Classic 8 Conference duel sees Mukwonago head to Oconomowoc to face the Raccoons in what could be a revenge game of sorts for the home side. Not only did Mukwonago’s 28-6 victory over Oconomowoc last year end the Raccoons’ bid for a perfect regular season, the win also ended Oconomowoc’s bid for an outright Classic 8 Conference title. After a struggle-filled 21-6 loss in the opener against Appleton North, Mukwonago is back on track with dominant victories over Sun Prairie East and Menomonee Falls in its “conference crossover” with the Greater Metro Conference. Oconomowoc blitzed Pulaski and Kettle Moraine with a hard-fought 13-7 win at Verona sandwiched in between. This game could move rather quickly because both teams will want to establish strong running games. Jerrell Anderson and Colton Lynch have combined for 551 yards and seven scores on the ground for Mukwonago, while Oconomowoc’s Alex Seraphine has 404 yards and seven touchdowns leading the Raccoons backfield. This could be a fun, physical, hard-hitting affair that the other programs in the Classic 8 will have their eyes on.
Slinger (2-1, 1-0) at West Bend West (3-0, 1-0)
For the first time since 2006, the West Bend West Spartans are 3-0. Next up for the home side is the defending Division 2 state champions. After a shocking 56-17 destruction by Lake Geneva Badger in Week 2, the Owls righted the ship and kept possession of the Wilkinson/Redders/Jacklin Trophy with a 28-21 victory over rival Hartford last week. West Bend West has dominated out of the gate, allowing just 16 points in its three victories, including a 26-3 win last week in its North Shore Conference opener over Cedarburg. The Spartans defense will have to continue its hot streak against a Slinger side trying to find its groove offensively. Both teams have relied on senior leadership in the backfield offensively with Kobe Hendricks (457 rushing yards, 5 TD) of Slinger and Noah Reinhart (488 rushing yards, 3 TD) of West Bend West powering their offenses. Homestead appears to be the outright favorite to win the North Shore through three weeks, but one of these two teams could have something to say about that.
Week 4 Milwaukee area high school football schedule
Thursday, Sept. 11 (all games 7 p.m. unless noted)
West Allis Central at Catholic Memorial (4:30 p.m.), Milwaukee Lutheran at Greenfield (6 p.m.), Milwaukee Marshall vs. Milwaukee North/Lifelong at Vincent (6 p.m.), Milwaukee South at Milwaukee Washington/Fuller (6 p.m.), Obama SCTE vs. Milwaukee Bay View at South Stadium (6 p.m.), Wisconsin Lutheran at Grafton, Waukesha North at New Berlin West, Whitnall at South Milwaukee, Wauwatosa East at Waukesha South, New Berlin Eisenhower at Wauwatosa West.
Friday, Sept. 12 (all games 7 p.m. unless noted)
Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Arts vs. Milwaukee Reagan at South Stadium (4:30 p.m.), Kenosha Indian Trail at Kenosha Bradford (6 p.m.), Greenfield at Milwaukee Lutheran (6 p.m.), Pewaukee at Arrowhead, Beloit Memorial at Badger, Reedsville at Brookfield Academy, Union Grove at Burlington, Kingdom Prep Lutheran at Cudahy, Palmyra-Eagle at Dodgeland, Kettle Moraine Lutheran at Edgewood, Brookfield East at Germantown, Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic at Greendale, West Bend East at Hartford, Brookfield Central at Kettle Moraine, Plymouth at Lakeside Lutheran, Kenosha Christian Life at Living Word Lutheran, Marquette University at Menomonee Falls, Racine Lutheran at Milwaukee Academy of Science, Milwaukee Riverside at Milwaukee Hamilton, Milwaukee Pulaski at Milwaukee King, Waukesha West at Muskego, Cedarburg at Nicolet, Racine Horlick at Oak Creek, Mukwonago at Oconomowoc, Saint Francis at Pius XI Catholic, Port Washington at Portage, Kenosha Tremper at Racine Case, Franklin at Racine Park, Lake Country Lutheran at Racine St. Catherine’s, Brown Deer at Saint Thomas More, Shoreland Lutheran at University School of Milwaukee, Martin Luther at Watertown Luther Prep, Sussex Hamilton at West Allis Hale, Slinger at West Bend West, Elkhorn at Westosha Central, Homestead at Whitefish Bay, Waterford at Wilmot.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: High school football: Five area games to keep tabs on during Week 4
