ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC FOOTBALL APPROVES CHANGE TO 8-PLAYER
WISCONSIN RAPIDS - Assumption Catholic High School has notified the WIAA of its intent to change its varsity football format to 8-player beginning in 2026. The delay to 2026 allows the team, under WIAA conference change rules, to remain playoff eligible in 2024 and 2025.
Currently, the Assumption Royals field an 11-player varsity football program and have gone without a junior varsity team since 2014.
Football coach Jeff Sullivan says the change is to help the program be competitive on the gridiron. “I’ve had between 14 and 16 kids able to suit up this season, that’s tough to compete with that on a yearly basis. Without enough student/athletes in the program for a JV team, it can lead to underclassmen being thrust onto the field before they’re ready to compete against seniors from the opposing side. “Without the JV numbers, that means you’re always playing younger kids”, said Sullivan.
Central Wisconsin conference standings show Assumption at 0-4 and needing to win its last three games to be considered for post season play in 2024. The Royals face Pittsville (1-3) on the road Friday before a pair of home games vs Auburndale (3-1) and Rosholt (0-4). The Rosholt school district also is moving to 8-player format with the Hornets making the move effective for 2025.
A pair of 8-player football conferences in central Wisconsin will be looked at for the home of Assumption in 2026. The Central Wisconsin-8 includes Almond/Bancroft, Bowler/Gresham, Marion/Tigerton, Menominee Indian, Newman Catholic, Port Edwards, Tri-County, and Wild Rose. The North Central-East features; Alma Center Lincoln, Cornell, Gilman, Lake Holcombe, McDonell Central, Owen-Withee, and Thorp. Rosholt will also be included in a local conference and McDonell Central will be leaving the NCE for 11-player in 2026.
The Marawood/CWC, which is in its first year of existence, will almost certainly be retooled for 2026. Current members Abbotsford, Auburndale, Edgar, Iola/Scandinavia, Pacelli, and Pittsville are losing Assumption and Rosholt. The six remaining teams will be left with just five conference games, an inadequate number for playoff eligibility. One solution that will be talked about is merging with the CWC Large (Amherst, Colby, Loyal/Greenwood, Marathon, Spencer/Columbus, Stratford, Weyauwega/Fremont, Wittenberg/Birnamwood). Whether that means moving the smallest school from the CWC Large to the Marawood/CWC or creating two divisions within a completely merged conference will likely be the debate.