Spring Valley, River Falls and Elmwood/Plum City are headed to the football playoffs. Here is everything to know about their opening round opponents.

No. 3 Spring Valley vs. No. 6 Whitehall

Spring Valley finished the year with three consecutive wins after dropping a game to Boyceville. The Cardinals beat Glenwood City 28-14 on the road to kick off the streak, which allowed the two to tie for the top conference spot with a 6-1 league record. Spring Valley finished with a 7-2 overall record.

“I don’t think we’ve been as sharp as we were in the Glenwood game, but we’re finding ways to come away with the win. We’ve had some moments where we’ve played well, but some inconsistency that I’m trying to fully get corrected before we go into the playoffs,” Spring Valley Head Coach Ryan Kapping said.

Many of the players from last year’s Cardinal squad returned this year, and they have put in the work to be an even better form of themselves.

“The kids sort of embraced this family type of a feel. They’re trying to create that in what they do and how they treat each other,” Kapping said. “Defensively, we’ve been playing pretty well. Offensively, when we’re running the football well it helps our defense.”

He said no one is concerned about stats; they are worried about helping make the job of the guy next to them easier.

Spring Valley beat Whitehall 42-7 in round one of a run to the Sectional Championship game.  Kapping said some of that talent that got them to the playoffs in 2024 is now leading the team in 2026.

“They look to be a physical team, have got some size up front on both sides of the ball. Their tailback is a very strong player, and they have another wing who’s a really good athlete. Both of those guys started as sophomores for them when we played them two years ago,” Kapping said.

Whitehall finished the year 6-4, led by senior runner Bo Killian with 7.2 yards per carry for 641 yards and 12 total touchdowns.

The two teams do not have a shared opponent to compare, but the Norse have four wins of four scores or more this season.

No. 6 River Falls at No. 3 Holmen

After facing some of the area’s best in the middle of the regular season, including 9-0 New Richmond and 8-1 Hudson, the Wildcats closed the year with back-to-back wins 24-8 over Rice Lake and 35-7 over Menomonie. The wins improved River Falls to 5-4 overall and 5-2 in the Big Rivers Conference.

“Just making gradual improvements and continuing to play hard. As we get more experience and we see more stuff, we’re handling it better,” River Falls Head Coach Ryan Scherz said. “It just speaks to the overall culture of the program. Kids don’t want the standard to drop, and as coaches we want to put them in position to try to win some games. The kids respond well to that.”

Scherz said staying competitive against those great teams made the Wildcats themselves a better squad. River Falls took what they learned and used it to finish third in the Big Rivers Conference.

“Toughest teams in the state really. Those are going to force you to get better when you get into those games,” Scherz said. “We showed we can compete, and that’s paying dividends.”

Holmen, River Falls’ playoff opponent, is no slouch themselves. The Vikings started 7-0 but dropped games to La Crosse Central and La Crosse Logan teams to end the year. Holmen’s defense is formidable, going on a three-week stretch where they allowed just 13 total points. The Vikings take a balanced approach to running the football, as 2,000 total rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns are spread across many student-athletes.

“They are a physical team from down in the Mississippi Valley. They like to run the ball,” Scherz said. “For a while there they were ranked in the top 10 of the state, so it will be a challenge.”

No. 7 Elmwood/Plum City at No. 2 River Ridge

Elmwood/Plum City is making a return to the playoffs after finishing the season 3-6 overall and 2-5 in the Dunn-St. Croix.

“It was a good feeling, and it’s one of those things that that’s one of your goals to start the season,” EPC Head Coach Mike Birtzer said. “The thing I love about the playoffs is you get to see somebody new. I wish it wasn't three and a half hours away, but at least it’s somebody new.”

This season has been a special one for the Wolves because of the work that has gone in. Birtzer emphasized execution all season long, and during the back half of the year that started to pay dividends.

“A lot of it had to do with the fact that we had a lot of guys that had to be put into different roles, and they accepted it. We had to make sacrifices because of how small and how young we are. That’s the other part, and they just don’t quit. They’ve got phenomenal attitudes, and I enjoy being around them,” Birtzer said.

River Ridge runs a spread offense that is absolutely lethal. They run the option frequently, but they are also willing to throw the ball. Either way, they know how to put points on the board in a hurry.

The Timberwolves are 8-1 this season, scoring 39 or more points in six of those games and 51 or more four separate times. Nothing is going to come easy against one of the best teams in Division 7.

Prescott and Ellsworth

At 1-8 and 0-9 this season, Prescott and Ellsworth did not qualify for playoff spots. Both teams say goodbye to senior classes that the respective coaching staffs have praised for hard work during the year. The two teams will look to bring that hard-working mentality into the offseason to get back into the playoffs.