Where they were going, Derek Updike couldn't say at the time. But he promised they'd like it.

Somewhere, Updike told the Arcadia High School football team last Saturday, there was a worthy field just waiting to open its gates to some very worthy players. As a rule, teams tend to see nicer venues the deeper they go in the WIAA playoffs.

Updike, who's in his second go-round as Arcadia's coach, has brought his team to a high-rent district. The Raiders earned their first Division 5 state semifinal berth by beating Osseo-Fairchild 34-18. They'll play undefeated Brillion on Saturday at Goerke Field in Stevens Point, Wis.

(Rest assured, guys, it's a very nice facility. Stevens Point also is home to the WIAA offices, so feel free to drop off thank-you notes before you leave town).

Deep down, Updike knew this - a 10-2 record and playing meaningful games in November - was possible for the Raiders. Maybe he didn't come right out and say "trust me" to his players before the season, but he certainly implied it.

Updike said he saw a few players' eyebrows raise when he said "playoffs." He also saw a team that simply needed to believe in itself.

"I expected this (success) all along," said Updike, who took over after Gordy Beyer resigned last winter. "I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I saw the potential in this team, and I wanted them to know that I expected to win."

How could the Raiders not fall in line and believe in Updike?

Football became more than just a second thought when Updike coached Arcadia from 1999 through 2002. The Raiders went 23-16 in that stretch. They earned their first playoff berth in nine years in his debut season. They were 8-2 in 2002 before Updike stepped down to complete his master's degree in school administration.

Updike likely would have wanted his old job back even if he wasn't so fond of this year's team.

He knows he was blessed with a terrific senior class, 16 strong. He has a punishing running back in Reid Christ (1,384 yards, 18 TDs). He has A.J. Bellville, a quarterback whose right arm can transform him from game-manager to game-breaker (two of his three postseason touchdown passes have covered 35-plus yards). He has a defense that's allowed 35 points and intercepted 12 passes in the postseason.

"Now it's business time," Arcadia senior running back Brock Haines said. "You've got to go out and play like it's your last game. At the end of the game, that's when it's time to celebrate."

The Raiders kept the hooting and hollering to a minimum after beating Osseo-Fairchild. They're excited about how far they've come. They'd like to see if Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, home of the University of Wisconsin football team and the WIAA state finals, is as nice as it looks on TV.

"This is awesome. Last year we were supposed to get into the playoffs, but we didn't make it," Christ said. "This year we're in and we just want to keep going."

If the Raiders defeat Brillion on Saturday, they'll both know and really like where they're going.