Greenfield, Other Patch Football Teams Await Playoff Fate

UPDATE: According to Wissports.net, the WIAA has ruled that Shorewood/Messmer is eligible for the WIAA playoffs.

Greenfield and several other Patch-area high school football teams are still in the dark when it comes to the WIAA postseason as they await a judge's ruling in regards to the eligibility of the Shorewood/Messmer co-op.

The teams were supposed to find out Saturday, the day the WIAA was to announce its postseason pairings for all seven divisions.

But on Friday, against the WIAA, keeping them from releasing the Division 1 and 2 brackets until the co-op's fate is decided.

On Monday, a judge allowed the release of Divisions 3-7, but several Patch teams have qualified for either Division 1 or 2 and still do not know if they are playing Friday or Saturday. They also don't know who their opponent will be.

The teams are: Waukesha West, Greendale, , Muskego, Brookfield East, Brookfield Central, Sussex Hamilton, Whitefish Bay, and of course, Shorewood/Messmer.

"The WIAA sent just emailed me the field, it has Shorewood in and Milwaukee South out," Greenfield coach Scott Otto said early this afternoon. "We have Waterford, tentatively.

"We would have known (earlier) and it lets you break them down a little bit further and if you see a wrinkle in their defense you can exploit, it might give you time to see it. ... The teams that are here are here for a reason because they have been successful. It doesn't change anything in the big scheme of things."

The disagreement between the co-op and WIAA hinges on the team’s playoff eligibility. It voluntarily left the Woodland Conference following the 2007 season to become an independent, then joined the Midwest Classic Conference in 2011. Per WIAA rules, teams that leave a conference are not eligible for the playoffs for four years.

Messmer/Shorewood played a six-game schedule in the Midwest, wrapping up the regular season with a 48-21 rout of Wayland Academy on Friday and 4-2 conference record.

The schools contend their new affiliation overrides the rule and they should be eligible to join the 224-team field.

Shorewood Patch editor Adam McCoy contributed to this story.