The Eight Most Likely to Go Five on Thursday

OK, we're going to take a shot at predicting eight D1, D2, D3 and D4 matches that we feel might very well go the full five sets on Thursday night. We're only allowing ourselves to pick two matches in each division so we could be wrong, very wrong, about all of this. But you never know till you try, eh?

DIVISION 1

• No. 1 Middleton v. No. 4 Sun Prairie in D1 S3 (back in August, we predicted these two would battle in a five-set sectional final so we'll stick to that prediction for the semis)
• No. 2 Watertown v. No. 3 Homestead in D1 S5 (defending state champs were down 12-8 in the fifth v. Cedarburg and could go five again against a strong Highlanders squad)

DIVISION 2

• No. 1 Xavier v. No. 2 Wrightstown in D2 S2 (after winning a 21-19 fifth set in the first round and a 15-9 fifth set the next night, it's obvious that every Wrightstown playoff match is destined to go five)
• No. 1 Edgewood v. No 2 Greendale in D2 S3 (this Milwaukee-area school v. Madison-area school should be a good one)

DIVISION 3

• No. 1 Grantsburg v. No. 1 Washburn in D3 S1 (perennial playoff opponent should be a tough test for Grantsburg, one of only two undefeated teams left in the state)
• No. 1 Dodgeland v. No 1 Cuba City in D3 S3 (strong Dodgeland squad v. defending state champs)

DIVISION 4

• No. 1 Clayton v. No. 1 Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran in D4 S1 (after eliminating last year's state qualifier Greenwood in the last round, Emmanuel Lutheran will be determined to push ahead to the Resch, even if it takes all five sets to do it)
• No. 3 Shell Lake v. No. 2 Mellen in D4 S1 (both teams are coming off five-set victories)