By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
GREEN BAY – As a reminder, a group of 20 high schools from four different central and eastern Wisconsin conferences have joined to form the Fox Valley Classic Football Conference this spring and are ready to hit the gridiron.
This is for local schools not playing their football last fall.
Practice began March 9, with the first games being played March 25 or March 26.
The Fox Valley Association, Wisconsin Valley Conference and both divisions of the Fox River Classic Conference will be split into four groups and play a five-game regular season followed by a two-game playoff format.
The four groups were created based on a combination of enrollment and past success to provide competitive matchups, while still maintaining some traditional rivalries.
Each school will play the other four teams in its group and one crossover game with a team from another group during the five-game regular season.
Playoffs will be held during the final two weeks on April 30 and May 7, with every school guaranteed two games.
The top two teams each from groups A and B will compete in a four-team playoff, while the top two teams each from groups C and D will do the same, with semifinals followed by consolation and championship games.
The third and fourth place teams from groups A and B will comprise another four-team bracket, and the third and fourth place teams from groups C and D will also play against one another.
The fifth-place teams from all four divisions will play two games against each other in the final two weeks.
Junior varsity and freshmen games will be held the following Monday between the same opponents as the Friday night varsity contests.
Junior varsity games will be held at the opposite sites from the varsity games and freshmen games will be played at the same locations.
Divisions
Group A:Â Bay Port, Fond du Lac, Green Bay Preble, Neenah, Stevens Point.
Group B:Â Appleton East, Appleton North, Ashwaubenon, Kimberly, Pulaski.
Group C:Â Appleton West, De Pere, Green Bay Southwest, Manitowoc, Oshkosh West.
Group D:Â Green Bay East, Green Bay West, Oshkosh North, Sheboygan North, Sheboygan South.
Friday, March 26
Green Bay Preble @ Bay Port
Ashwaubenon @ Pulaski
Green Bay Southwest @ De Pere
Sheboygan North @ Green Bay East
Oshkosh North @ Green Bay West
Thursday, April 1
Green Bay Southwest @ Green Bay Preble
Bay Port @ Stevens Point
Pulaski @ Kimberly
Appleton North @ Ashwaubenon
De Pere @ Oshkosh West
Green Bay West @ Sheboygan South
Green Bay East @ Oshkosh North
Friday, April 9
Bay Port @ De Pere
Appleton North @ Green Bay East
Neenah @ Green Bay Preble
Kimberly @ Ashwaubenon
Pulaski @ Appleton East
Appleton West @ Green Bay Southwest
Green Bay West @ Sheboygan North
Friday, April 16
Oshkosh North @ Ashwaubenon
Green Bay Preble @ Fond du Lac
Bay Port @ Neenah
Appleton North @ Pulaski
Green Bay Southwest @ Manitowoc
De Pere @ Appleton West
Green Bay East @ Green Bay West
Friday, April 23
Green Bay West @ Pulaski
Fond du Lac @ Bay Port
Stevens Point @ Green Bay Preble
Ashwaubenon @ Appleton East
Manitowoc @ De Pere
Oshkosh West @ Green Bay Southwest
Sheboygan South @ Green Bay East
Friday, April 30
Playoffs – semifinal round
Friday, May 7
Playoffs – championship and consolation rounds
Notre Dame football to play non-conference schedule
GREEN BAY – Notre Dame Academy, which began last fall with plans to play football but had to change to the spring because of a COVID-19 case, will play an independent schedule this spring.
The Tritons, normally members of the Fox River Classic Conference, will play four regular-season away games and three home contests.
Notre Dame football schedule 2021
March 25 – @ Menasha – 7 p.m.
March 31 – @ Racine Case – 7 p.m.
April 9 – Kewaunee – 7 p.m.
April 17 – Racine Park – 2 p.m.
April 24 – @ Eau Claire Memorial – 2 p.m.
May 1 – Superior – 5:45 p.m.
May 8 – @ Stoughton – 2 p.m.