Dennis Semrau covers prep sports for 100.5 ESPN Madison and ESPNWisconsin.com

MADISON, Wisc. - Madison Memorial and McFarland are in, but who will be next to qualify for the WIAA football playoffs?

Memorial (5-0) clinched a playoff berth and remained in the driver’s seat for the Big Eight Conference championship with a 35-13 victory over Madison West (1-4) last week. Meanwhile, McFarland (5-0) also punched its playoff ticket and remained in control of the Rock Valley Conference title with a 45-6 rout of Whitewater.

In the Big Eight, Janesville Craig (4-1) and Sun Prairie (4-1) will qualify with victories on Friday. Craig will play Madison East (1-4), while Sun Prairie hosts Madison La Follette (3-2).

Rock Valley foes Beloit Turner (4-1), East Troy (4-1) and Edgerton (4-1) are also one victory shy of guaranteeing a conference record of better than .500 which would secure a playoff berth.

In Badger Conference play, Waunakee in the North and Monona Grove, Stoughton and Watertown in the South become ‘playoff eligible’ with a victory that would ensure at least a .500 finish in league play.

PLAYOFF QUALIFIERS

Big Eight: Madison Memorial (5-0 overall/conference).

Rock Valley: McFarland (5-0, 5-0).

ON DECK

Big Eight: Janesville Craig (4-1, 4-1); Sun Prairie (4-1, 4-1)

Rock Valley: Beloit Turner (4-1, 4-1); East Troy (4-1, 4-1); Edgerton (4-1, 4-1).

NEARLY PLAYOFF ELIGIBLE

Badger North: Waunakee (5-0, 3-0).

Badger South: Monona Grove (5-0, 3-0); Stoughton (5-0, 3-0); Watertown (4-1, 3-0).

PREP MANIA ‘GAME OF THE WEEK’

BIG EIGHT

MADISON LA FOLLETTE (3-2, 3-2) at SUN PRAIRIE (4-1), 4-1, 7 P.M.

Last week: Madison La Follette was held to 173 yards on offense in a 17-10 loss to visiting Janesville Craig … Sun Prairie amassed 522 yards of total offense in a 43-35 win at Verona.

La Follette is in the midst of a tough, three-game stretch that includes a game at home with Verona next week. Senior running back Kayvion James-Ragland has rushed for 387 yards and four touchdowns and caught a TD pass for the Lancers, who have gotten production at quarterback from both junior Ben Probst (437 yards, 7 TDs passing) and senior Ray Broughton (147 yards, 2 TDs passing, 3 TDs rushing). Senior defensive back Jaden Nix is a playmaker on defense and has also caught a TD pass. La Follette’s balanced offense is averaging 23.8 points, 121.8 yards rushing and 116.8 yards passing per game.

Sun Prairie has shored up its defense since losing to Madison Memorial 32-26 in the season opener. The Cardinals defense has given up just 138.4 yards per game, including 39.2 yards rushing, and forced 13 turnovers, including 12 in the last four games. Senior linebackers Adam Rademacher (31 tackles, 3 sacks), Ethan Ackley (30 tackles), Hakeem McCullers (25 tackles, 3 forced fumbles) and Jacob Powley (23 tackles, 2 interceptions) lead the way. A victory would clinch Sun Prairie’s 28th postseason appearance overall and 15th in a row. … Senior quarterback Richie Gilles (853 yards, 13 TDs), junior running back Nathan Schauer (327 yards, 6 TDs) and senior wide receiver Cooper Nelson (505 yards, 7 TDs) pace the offense, which is averaging 174.6 yards passing and 138 yards rushing per game. … Sun Prairie defeated La Follette 33-6 last year, but the Lancers prevailed over the Cardinals in the first round of 2016 playoffs.

MADISON MEMORIAL (5-0, 5-0 Big Eight) at VERONA (3-2, 3-2), 7 P.M.

Last week: Memorial secured the City title and clinched a playoff berth with a 35-14 victory over Madison West … Jackson Acker returned a kickoff for a touchdown and ran for another score but Verona lost a 43-35 shootout with Sun Prairie.

Memorial needs a victory to remain a game ahead of Janesville Craig and Sun Prairie in the conference race. Junior quarterback Jason Ceniti (753 yards, 12 TDs passing), junior running back Kam Marshall (483 yards, 4 TDs rushing), senior wide receiver Cade Ellingson (3 TDs) and senior tight end Dryden Schaefer (3 TDs) lead the Spartans’ offense, which is averaging 35.0 points and 315 yards per game (160.6 rushing and 154.4 passing). Senior linebackers Sam Jessup (46 tackles) and Jeremiah Jordan (42 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 interception return for a TD) anchor a defense that has allowed 19.8 points and 206.6 yards (85.4 passing) per game.

Verona needs to win out to remain in the conference title chase. The Wildcats prevailed over Memorial 35-6 last year. Junior quarterback Adam Bekx (954 yards, 5 TDs passing) directs an offense that is averaging 31.4 points and 350.4 yards per game (159.6 rushing, 190.8 passing). Junior flanker/running back Haakon Anderson (551 yards, 10 TDs rushing and receiving) and Acker, a sophomore running back, are key playmakers to watch. Senior middle linebacker Dylan Bourne (74 tackles, 5 TFLs) and junior defensive back Cale Rufenacht (43 tackles) lead a defense that has allowed 315.0 yards (219.2 yards rushing) and 18.6 points per game.

BADGER NORTH

MT. HOREB/BARNEVELD (4-1, 2-1 Badger North) at REEDSBURG (4-1, 2-1), 7 P.M.

Last week: Junior quarterback Ethan Post tossed three TD passes to help MH/B rally past Baraboo 24-14 after trailing 14-7 at halftime … Reedsburg used its relentless ground attack to rush for five touchdowns in a 38-0 victory over host Beaver Dam.

Mount Horeb/Barneveld senior running back Malik Winston caught a 71-yard TD pass from Post to break the game open against Baraboo. … Post has completed 80 of 117 passes (68.4 percent) for 1,317 yards and 16 TDs. Winston (387 yards, 4 TDs rushing) and wide receiver Caden Lee (23 catches for 559 yards, 9 TDs) help power a potent offense that is averaging 430.0 yards per game, including 276.4 yards in the air. … Senior linebacker Tyler Denu (49 tackles, 5 TFLs) and junior linebacker Josh Ratke (48 tackles, 5 TFLs) lead a Vikings’ defense that is allowing 203 yards rushing per game and will be tested by Reedsburg’s triple option.

Reedsburg remains in the playoff hunt behind a defense that has recorded two shutouts and allowed just 10.8 points per game. The Beavers have given up only 54 points – 40 which came in a loss at DeForest – and haven’t allowed a passing TD all season. That will be tested by the Vikings’ vaunted air attack. The Beavers’ defense has allowed 213.6 yards per game, just 57.2 yards through the air. … Running backs RBs Derek Pawlak, Jason Walls and Casey Campbell have combined for 819 yards and 7 TDs. The Beavers experimented with a pistol alignment but returned to their traditional flexbone attack last week and ran for 300 yards at Beaver Dam.

BADGER SOUTH

STOUGHTON (5-0, 3-0 Badger South) at OREGON (3-2, 2-1), 7 P.M.

Last week: Stoughton needed a fourth quarter touchdown to hold off upset-minded and winless Monroe 13-7 … Oregon rallied from an early deficit to pounce on Milton 38-13.

Stoughton is led by junior quarterback Adam Hobson, who has passed for 726 yards and 10 TDs and rushed for 445 yards and four scores, and junior wide receiver Nathan Hutcherson (301 yards, 5 TDs). The Vikings are averaging 30.4 points and 364.2 yards per game (212.8 rushing, 151.4 passing). … Stoughton has won the last two games in the series – 30-27 last year and 10-7 in 2016. … Senior linebackers Drew Pasold and Cade Spilde lead a defense that has allowed 11.6 points and 193.2 yards per game (59.0 yards passing). This is a must-win game for the Vikings with back-to-back games at home vs. Watertown and at Monona Grove on deck.

Oregon has a two-game winning streak after back-to-back losses to Mount Horeb/Barneveld and Monona Grove, which are a combined 9-1 to date. The Panthers have allowed just 20 points combined in their three wins but 62 points in their two losses. … Junior quarterback Nolan Look (460 yards, 6 TDs passing) and junior running backs Keion Szudy (471 yards, 2 TDs) and Dylan DiMaggio (643 yards, 7 TDs rushing/receiving) power an offense averaging 26.4 points and 337.2 yards, including 234.0 rushing, per game. … Oregon’s defense has allowed 16.4 points and 341 yards per game. Junior linebacker John Klus has a team-best 92 tackles. The Panthers last defeated Stoughton in 2015, surviving a 41-33 shootout.