Division 7 will crown a new WIAA State Football Champion on Thursday (10am) when Gilman faces Eleva Strum in the first of seven championships to be played over two days at Camp Randall Stadium. Stevens Point Pacelli defeated Gilman 46-20 last year and the Pirates are back to try and win the title this year.
Gilman is making its third overall appearance in the title game. In the Pirates' first appearance, they won the Division 6 championship in 1986 when head coach Robin Rosemeyer was a senior in the program. The Pirates placed third in the Small Division of the Cloverbelt Conference this season. They defeated Hilbert 29-15 in the semifinal to advance to the title game.
Eleva-Strum will make its first-ever appearance in the State final. The Cardinals finished second in the Dairyland Conference and earned the right to play for the title by defeating Seneca 34-28 in the semifinal. The Cardinals are averaging 38 points per game this season.