A brief look into all of this week’s WIAA football openers, with some predictions thrown in.

Monticello at Highland (8-Player Football), Thursday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.

The Ponies begin their second season as an 8-Player football team. Monticello did not win a game last season. Highland won last year’s meeting, 50-0. Highland is coming off a 10-1 season which saw the Cardinals reach the 8-Player football state semifinal, but lost to eventual state champion Owen-Withee. Monticello will win a game this season, but probably not in Week One.

Lodi at Monroe, Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

This will be the second year in a row the Cheesemakers open the season against the Blue Devils. Lodi won last year’s meeting, 7-6. This time, the Cheese get the Devils at T.R. Holyoke Field. The Cheesemakers are playing their last home opener at T.R. Holyoke Field and will want to close out their era at their longstanding home stadium with a very successful season. A Cheese win over the Blue Devils would be a good place to start.

Darlington at Platteville, Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

These two teams used to play against each other every year as Southern-8 Conference opponents. Now, Platteville plays in the SWC and Darlington in the SWAL. Still, this is the sixth straight year Darlington is playing a non-conference game against Platteville, with the Redbirds winning last year’s game 28-0. Zeke Zuberbuhler and Calum Crist return to lead the Redbirds while The Hillmen, have a new head coach this year in Isaiah Altfillisch, who has five letterwinners on this year’s squad. Darlington hasn’t lost many games with Travis Winkers as head coach and probably won’t lose this one, either.

Brodhead-Juda at Edgerton, Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

This will be the first game for Tim Cerjak as the head coach of the Brodhead-Juda Cardinals. The Cardinals were a disappointing 2-7 last year while Edgerton qualified for the playoffs last year with a 7-3 record. The Cardinals face an uphill battle in the SWC with Prairie du Chien, Lancaster, and Platteville as conference opponents. Grayson Arn and Nolan Bump give the Cardinals a couple of weapons to improve on last year. But, Edgerton will be a tough out in Week One.

New Glarus at Pecatonica-Argyle, Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

The Glarner Knights are coming off a winning season while the Vikings were 3-6 last year and did not make the playoffs. Both teams have exciting players like QB Matt Roth and RB Milo Johnson for the Glarner Knights and QB Martin Anderson and RB Ashton McNett for Pecatonica-Argyle. The Knights beat the Vikings in Week One last year, 41-22, and will looking to win two in a row over Pecatonica-Argyle.

Belleville at Lancaster, Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

Belleville went on the road and beat Lancaster 35-32 in a Level 3 playoff game last year, on their way to becoming just the second No. 8 seed to advance to a state semifinal. As a junior, Cooper Nemec returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown in last year’s game which boosted the Wildcats confidence. The Flying Arrows will be looking to avenge last year’s playoff loss. Give the Arrows the edge as they don’t want to fall short to the Wildcats a second straight time.

Black Hawk-Warren at Southwestern-East Dubuque, Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

How the Warriors ended up with a No. 6 seed in the playoffs last year is anybody’s guess, but BHW did stumble in the first game of the season against Southwestern, 28-20. Had Black Hawk-Warren won that game, it’s hard to say if they would have had a better seed, considering all the other weird seedings last year across the state. The Warriors will want to make an opening week statement against the WarCats and prevent any upset losses to wreck their playoff fortunes.

River Ridge at Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg, Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

River Ridge last year was the best team in the Six Rivers Conference not named Potosi-Cassville or Black Hawk-Warren. The Timberwolves were 9-3 overall. They averaged nearly 36 points per game last year and if they can maintain that same pace, it could be a long night for Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg. The Knights were shut out last year against the Timberwolves in the season opener, 39-0. The Knights suffered through a 1-9 season with their only win coming in a forfeit by Abundant Life/St. Ambrose. Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg should get a couple of wins this season and not have to rely on a forfeit to avoid a win-less season.