This is one of the best times of the year with the state high school football playoffs kicking off Friday night in Wisconsin.

A number of teams from this area have high hopes as the postseason begins.

Mondovi was ranked No. 1 in the preseason and the Buffaloes are playing well right now despite losing several key players to injuries. Look for Mondovi, who reached the state semifinals last year, to make a deep playoff run in Division 6.

Eau Claire Regis is one of the teams that could stand in Mondovi’s way. The Ramblers will have to win their first two games before a possible rematch with the Buffaloes could happen. Regis is a team that knows how to win this time of year.

Durand-Arkansaw is a No. 2 seed in Division 5 and the Panthers have had an excellent season. Quarterback Luke Weber and company will look to bounce back after falling at Mondovi last week.

Elk Mound also is hosting a first round playoff game in Division 5 on Friday. The Mounders are 6-3 with close losses to Regis, Durand-Arkansaw and Mondovi. Elk Mound is a dangerous team that is difficult to slow down.

It will be fun and interesting to see how it all plays out.

Here are a few more thoughts from the world of sports:

The UW-Eau Claire football team has a golden opportunity to keep rolling when it plays at defending national champion and No. 13 UW-River Falls on Saturday. The Blugolds are 5-1 and off to their best start since 2007. Don’t be surprised if Coach Rob Erickson’s team pulls off the upset.

The Milwaukee Brewers are the hottest team in baseball right now. They haven’t played a game in over a week, but they are the favorites to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series. The Brew Crew has it rolling right now as they look to win their first championship.

My latest Super Bowl prediction: Chiefs over 49ers.

It is a crazy time of year with the NBA and NHL seasons starting as well. Prep and college basketball and wrestling seasons will be here before you know it.

Be sure to follow our coverage in the Leader as the fall postseason heats up in high school sports.

And as always, thank you so much for reading.