The four area football teams playing postseason games on Friday at 7 p.m. hold the same objective: how can we find a way to play for another week?

Below is a preview of the four contests.

Division 4, Level 1: eighth-seeded Edgerton at top-seeded Lake Mills

For the first time in school history, the L-Cats are a No. 1 seed in the playoffs. They face a familiar foe, having beaten their Capitol Conference rivals the Crimson Tide at home 49-14 on Sept. 25 while also earning a home Level 1 victory last season, 42-0.

Lake Mills (8-1), the fifth-ranked team in the Coaches Poll and winners of eight straight, knows slowing down Edgerton's passing attack will be key.

Crimson Tide (4-5) senior quarterback Brayden Doerr has 2,015 passing yards and 24 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, posting a completion percentage of 60 percent. Edgerton, which enters on a four-game losing skid, gets 77 percent of its offense through the air.

Senior Eli Kittleson, a University of St. Thomas recruit, leads the team in receptions (39), receiving yards (771) and touchdowns (10). Seniors Taydem Schaefer (19 catches for 406 yards and eight TDs) and Holden Howard (20 catches for 359 yards and five TDs) add to the Crimson Tide's bonified pass-catching corps.

After a 40-0 road loss to Freedom, the state's top-ranked team and No. 1 overall seed in D4, to start the season, the L-Cats have found their stride, outscoring their final eight opponents by an average margin of 27.6 points en route to the program's first outright Capitol Conference title since 2019.

That was a big goal checked on Lake Mills' season to-do list, but so is making a deep postseason run. The L-Cats are seeking a playoff win for the fourth year in a row and seventh time in the past eight seasons.

The senior-heavy L-Cats, 14 in total, are guided offensively by quarterback Tyler Wollin, the state's all-time passing touchdowns leader with 107 after having broken Patrick Greisen's record of 103 on Oct. 9.

Wollin completes 62 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,025 yards while logging 31 touchdowns throws against just three picks. He has no shortage of legit pass-catching options, led by senior breakout star Blake Bohlman who leads the team in catches (30) and yards (652) and is second in TD grabs (eight). Bohlman had only nine grabs for 102 yards in 2025.

Seniors Dylan Brinkmann (28 catches for 477 yards and 10 TDs), Jackson Roberts (11 catches for 328 yards and five TDs) and Collin Christian (14 catches for 279 yards and four TDs) are a big reason why the L-Cats average 19.3 yards per reception and are seemingly a threat to score on every play.

Sophomore Jaden McFarlane (83 carries for 588 yards and nine TDs) and senior Kamden Tande-Habich (48 carries for 241 yards and five TDs) pace a ground attack that averages 5.9 yards per attempt and has racked up 1,038 yards behind an offensive line that has steadily improved each week.

Roberts, from his safety spot, has a team-high 50 tackles and Bohlman has made 40 tackles, including seven for a loss. Brinkmann has five of the team's 13 interceptions.

With a win, Lake Mills hosts fourth-seeded Platteville or fifth-seeded Evansville in Level 2 on Oct. 30.

Division 4, Level 1: fifth-seeded Berlin at fourth-seeded Lakeside Lutheran

After a tough-luck two-year stint in the Badger Small where they missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons, Lakeside is back in the postseason.

Eight of the Warriors' last 10 postseason appearances dating to 2010 have netted at least one victory, including their most recent run to Level 3 in 2023 before losing a down-to-the-wire game at Catholic Memorial.

Lakeside (6-3) is still the run-heavy, veer team of the past, churning out 2,274 rushing yards on 7.5 yards per carry with 31 touchdowns. But with a twist: senior quarterback Oliver Povich has demonstrated, especially over the past two weeks when he's thrown seven of his 10 touchdowns, an ability to stretch the field and complete big-time throws. He has accounted for 742 passing yards while completing 56 percent of his throws, also adding 634 rushing yards and eight ground scores.

Senior Mathias Schmidt (76 carries for 710 yards and 11 TDs), junior Kiptyn Smillie (43 carries for 369 yards and eight TDs) and senior Will Bode (37 carries for 362 yards and two TDs) give the Warriors a slew of quality ballcarriers on a team that averages 33.3 points per game.

Junior Tyler Gerth (13 catches for 257 yards and six TDs), senior Jack Thiele (22 catches for 218 yards and one TD) and senior Billy Gibson (14 catches for 183 yards and two TDs) are the team's go-to pass-catchers.

Defensively, Smillie, from his middle linebacker spot, has a team-best 58 tackles while 15 of Gibson's 43 tackles have resulted in a loss. Gerth (four) and Schmidt (three) have combined to make seven of the team's 11 interceptions for the Warriors, who enter having won five of their last six games.

Berlin (6-3) has won two in a row and six of its last seven, having only dropped a 6-0 road game to Wisconsin Dells on Oct. 2. The Indians, making their sixth straight playoff appearance, get virtually all their offensive production on the ground, led by the two-horse backfield of junior Zander Beck (140 carries for 932 yards with nine TDs) and senior Ben Green (168 carries for 878 yards and 15 TDs).

With a victory, Lakeside would face eighth-seeded Black River Falls or top-seeded Freedom in Level 2 on Oct. 30.

Division 6, Level 1: sixth-seeded Marathon at third-seeded Cambridge

Cambridge, making its fourth straight playoff appearance, will attempt to get the monkey off its back of three straight Level 1 exits. 

The Blue Jays (7-2) enter riding a six-game win streak and last week blanked Marshall to win a share of the Eastern Suburban Conference title, the program's second league crown in three seasons.

Cambridge, which last won a postseason game in 2020, gets 69 percent of its offensive production through the air and junior signal caller Ian Nelles has 2,018 passing yards with a completion percentage of 64 percent and 23 touchdowns along with 10 picks. He's also scored seven of the team's 12 rushing TDs.

Senior wideout J'Kari Crawford and junior tight end Evan Harbort have combined to make 57 percent of the team's catches. Crawford has 49 grabs for 734 yards with 13 TDs and Harbort has 40 receptions for 581 yards and four TDs.

Junior running back Cash Cunningham has 612 rushing yards, averaging 4.3 yards per carry, with four TDs and has caught 27 passes for 206 yards with one TD. Senior Trevor Polster, junior Oscar Brown, who returned last week from a midseason injury, and sophomore Hawkins Olson are other reliable targets.

Senior defensive lineman Jack Baker leads the team in tackles (92), tackles for loss (eight) and sacks (2.5). Junior defensive lineman Dalton Johnson has come on as the season has progressed, tallying 62 tackles including eight for a loss and two sacks. Senior linebacker Ali Melendez has 50 tackles.

The Blue Jays have intercepted a whopping 17 passes, including five by Brown who has two pick-6s. Crawford (four), Harbort (three) and Polster (two) also have multiple interceptions.

Marathon (6-3), which lost in Level 1 in 2023 and 2025 and has not won a playoff game since 2017, enters Friday on a two-game win streak. The Red Raiders' losses were all to respected programs, a 50-18 setback to Amherst on Sept. 11, a 24-6 defeat to Weyauwega-Fremont on Sept. 25 and a 10-7 loss to Stratford on Oct. 2.

The Red Raiders are led by sophomore quarterback Brayson Schneider, who has thrown for 1,533 yards with a completion percentage of 53 percent, totaling 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's also ran it for 348 yards with two scores.

Senior receiver Garrett Bracewell has caught more than half of the team's passes, hauling in 63 receptions for 882 yards and 11 TDs. Senior wideout Sawyer Berens (23 catches for 374 yards and three TDs) is the only other Marathon player with double-digit catches. Senior tailback Fred Tylinski (506 rushing yards on 102 attempt with six TDs) is the team's leading rusher.

With a win, Cambridge faces second-seeded Lomira or seventh-seeded Fall River/Rio in Level 2 on Oct. 30.

8-player, Level 2: fourth-seeded Palmyra-Eagle at top-seeded Belmont

The Panthers broke through last week in their first-ever 8-player campaign, routing Almond-Bancroft 42-0 in Level 1 to claim the program's first playoff win since 2005.

PE now turns its attention to winning multiple playoff games for the first time since making a Level 4 D5 appearance in 2002.

The Braves have been a machine to date, with their closest result to date a 22-0 shut out of North Crawford on Sept. 25. Belmont, which joined the 8-player ranks in 2019, won the program's first playoff game since 2011 last week by thrashing Wild Rose, 74-12.

Coaches Poll second-ranked Belmont has gaudy offensive stats across the board. Junior quarterback Wyatt Temperly has thrown for 1,428 yards with a completion percentage of 73 percent, logging 26 touchdowns against just one interceptions. He's also ran it for a team-high 667 yards and 10 scores for a team which averages 11.3 yards per carry.

Junior Oliver Harcus (650 yards on 82 attempts and nine TDs) and sophomore Ayden Olson (494 yards on 38 carries and eight TDs) also pack a punch on the ground. Junior Boone Havens (25 catches for 643 yards and 13 TDs) and junior Griffin McNett (33 catches for 414 yards and four TDs) are the team's leading receivers.

The Panthers have scored 35 or more points in all but one game (their lone loss to Abundant Life/St. Ambrose, 28-23, on Oct. 9).

PE junior quarterback Jake Rohda has accounted for 65 percent of the team's offense, throwing 17 touchdowns and running for 15 more. He's had a hand in 32 of the team's 45 offensive TDs.

The Panthers' defense has forced 14 fumbles and intercepted 13 passes. Junior Nate Brodzik has six picks, plus two fumbles recoveries and one forced fumble. He's also a weapon on special teams, having scored a punt return touchdown along with his five offensive TDs.

With a victory, PE faces sixth-seeded Oakfield or second-seeded De Soto in Level 3 on Oct. 30.