Here are 14 players who could have the biggest impact on the WIAA state football title games
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The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association state football championships will take place Nov. 20-21 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Fourteen teams will battle for titles across seven divisions, with the chance to have their seasons immortalized with a WIAA gold ball.
Here are 14 players to watch this week who could have a profound impact on whether their team comes home with a title.
For a full schedule and breakdown of the Division 1 and 3 state title games that feature greater Milwaukee area teams, click here.
Division 7: Cochrane-Fountain City (13-0) vs. Kenosha St. Joseph (13-0)
Cochrane-Fountain City — Ethan Smith, sr., RB/LB: Cochrane-Fountain City’s ferocious defense has allowed only 56 points all season with eight shutout performances. Smith has been one of the most impactful players not only on defense for the Pirates, but he’s also the team’s leading rusher this season. Smith has carried the ball 148 times for 976 yards and 23 touchdowns, while also tallying 74 total tackles and nine tackles for loss as one of the defense’s leaders. Kenosha St. Joseph has allowed only 19 points in the last five games with back-to-back shutouts. Smith’s contributions will be needed against a KSJ side that’s allowed more than 14 points in a game one time this season.
Kenosha St. Joseph — Zach Rizzo, sr., QB: The UW-Parkside baseball recruit is coming off a massive spring with the Lancers, winning the D3 state title on the diamond, and has also been a star on the gridiron during his senior season. Rizzo has registered over 2,300 yards of total offense with 34 total touchdowns for the unbeaten Lancers. The senior and No. 1 wideout Dominic Rinaldi have been one of the state’s best 1-2 punches, as Rinaldi has caught 52 of Rizzo’s 124 completions this season for 1,107 yards and 18 of Rizzo’s 26 touchdown passes. The offense runs through those two, along with 1,000-yard rusher Chris Kenesie in the backfield. Points could be at a premium in this title game and Rizzo could be called upon to make some plays with his arm and legs.
Division 6: Darlington (13-0) vs. Edgar (13-0)
Darlington — Zeke Zuberbuhler, jr., QB/DB: Darlington’s hopes of ending a seven-game slide in title game appearances will rest on the all-around efforts of Zuberbuhler. He is the team’s leading passer and rusher with 2,440 combined yards and 36 touchdowns. Defensively he added 41 tackles (26 solo) and a team-leading five interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He has also returned 13 kicks this year, returning two for touchdowns as well.
Edgar — Tucker Streit, sr., QB/DB: Edgar’s bid for a third straight title in D6 after being elevated in the wake of consecutive D7 titles has been led by the two-way efforts of team captain Tucker Streit. On the offensive side of the ball, his efforts under center included 937 yards and 15 total touchdowns rushing and throwing. On the defensive end, he is tied for the team lead in total tackles (91) while leading in solo tackles (78), tackles for loss (16), fumbles forced (4) and fumble recoveries (3).
Division 5: Mayville (13-0) vs. Northwestern (13-0)
Mayville — Landen Baker, sr., RB/LB: Each of the top 20 rushers in the state this season has tallied at least 1,764 yards. Baker is one of those 20, including 24 total touchdowns on the season for the Cardinals. Not only has Baker been the bell cow for the Mayville offense, he’s also been a force on defense, tallying a team-high 79 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss. The senior was the workhorse for Mayville in its 27-15 victory over Lake Country Lutheran in the state semifinals, toting the rock 33 times for 211 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Lightning.
Northwestern — Tysen Teal, jr., RB/DB: Northwestern’s top back also joins Baker in the top 20 rushers across the state this season. Teal has carried the ball only 152 times this season, but he’s tallied a remarkable 1,829 yards and 29 touchdowns. That’s 12 yards per carry, and that’s not even factoring in his 24 catches for 574 yards and four scores through the air. That’s 23.9 yards per catch. He’s a big-play machine who can flip a game in the blink of an eye. He also has 21 total tackles, three passes defended and three interceptions on defense for good measure.
Division 4: Little Chute (12-1) vs. Winneconne (13-0)
Little Chute — Reece Joten, jr., RB/LB: Leading the most prolific rushing offense in D4 this year has been the 8.2 yards per carry average of Joten, highlighting a breakout season with 1,675 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is coming off one of his best games of the season in the D4 state semifinal, rushing 13 times for 262 yards and three scores in a 35-25 win over Columbus. Joten craves contact on the defensive side as well, tallying a team-leading tackle total (92, 66 solo).
Winneconne — Brody Schaffer, sr., QB/DB: The senior has been a touchdown-scoring machine for Winneconne in the lead-up to its second program state title appearance. Across his 346 total “touches” that include his passing attempts, rushing attempts, defensive interceptions and kick and punt returns, Schaffer has 45 touchdowns. That means that if he registered an official touch on the play through a pass, rush, interception or return, there was a 13% chance that play ended in the end zone. Schaffer scored both touchdowns in a 14-6 Week 1 win over Little Chute, and scored all four touchdowns in the Wolves' 28-6 state semifinal win over Baldwin-Woodville on two passing scores, a rushing score and a pick-six.
Division 3: Grafton (13-0) vs. Reedsburg (10-3)
Grafton — Max Glab, sr., DL/TE: In terms of productivity in the state semifinal round, it would be quite a mission to find a player who did more to impact his team’s chances of winning than Grafton senior Max Glab. Sussex Hamilton head coach Justin Gumm repeatedly said Glab was the best player on the field during the Black Hawks’ 34-31 comeback for the ages against Catholic Memorial. He was probably right. Glab tallied a game-high 17 total tackles (14 solo), 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and caught the game-winning 1-yard touchdown pass in overtime. Glab has 60 total tackles this season with 32 tackles for loss (tied for third in the state), 12 sacks and six of his seven catches on offense have gone for touchdowns. Reedsburg will have to locate No. 22 on every offensive snap for the Beavers.
Reedsburg — Will Mikonowicz, sr., RB/DB: Only two players have rushed for more yards this season than Reedsburg senior Will Mikonowicz. Not only has Mikonowicz tallied 66 less carries than second place on the rushing leaderboard, he’s scored seven more touchdowns (40) while averaging 9.5 yards per carry. The Beavers have only thrown 26 passes all season (with six coming from Mikonowicz), so the name Mikonowicz will be said a lot over the Camp Randall public address system. Reedsburg has taken down back-to-back Milwaukee-area programs on its way to the D3 title game. Can it make it three straight and bring home a gold ball on the back of one last stellar Mikonowicz performance?
Division 2: Notre Dame (13-0) vs. West De Pere (13-0)
Notre Dame — Kingston Allen, jr., RB: Allen has compiled a magnum opus of a postseason rushing the football for the reigning D3 champion Tritons. His first-round rushing total of 477 yards and eight touchdowns on 21 carries in a 77-32 win over Greenfield was only surpassed by his performance the following week in a 56-42 win over Slinger in the second round. Against the Owls, Allen rushed 45 times for 509 yards and seven touchdowns. According to records maintained by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, Allen holds the second- and fourth-best rushing performances in a single game in state history. He enters the state final with 3,205 yards and 55 touchdowns, the latter of which is already a state record. The yardage trails only Adrian Davis of Kenosha St. Joseph, who rushed for 3,422 yards in 2001.
West De Pere — Patrick Greisen, sr., QB: The Phantoms have their own player flirting with state history this year, as gunslinging senior Patrick Greisen leads the state in both passing touchdowns (47) and yards (3,560). The University of South Dakota recruit’s passing touchdown total trails only Cedar Grove-Belgium’s Josh Weiss (59) in 2016, Appleton Xavier’s Matt Ferris (50) in 2013 and Greisen’s own 2024 campaign of 49 passing scores for the most ever in a single season. His career passing touchdown total of 100 entering the title game passed the prior state record set by Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian’s Robby Michael of 96 touchdowns from 2018-2021. Greisen’s 7,686 career yards are sixth-best in state history, with fifth-place Adam Moen of Lake Mills (8,117), fourth-place Lee Waechter of Kewaunee (8,238) and third-place Wade Lindahl (8,249) of Oshkosh Lourdes Academy all potentially in striking distance for Greisen’s final high school game.
Division 1: Arrowhead (12-1) vs. Bay Port (11-2)
Arrowhead — Brendan Foley, sr., LB: After Arrowhead’s state quarterfinal victory where it trailed 21-0, Warhawks coach Matt Harris called Foley “the best football player in the state of Wisconsin.” That’s up for debate, of course, but the Army commit has a claim to the spot. The senior leader has 116 total tackles this season (62 solo), 43 more than his nearest teammate, 15 tackles for loss, five sacks, three fumble recoveries, two defensive touchdowns and a forced fumble. He's also got three rushing scores on offense out of Arrowhead’s Wild Foley short-yardage package. No. 0 is always in on every play and against a high-powered offense like Bay Port, Foley will need to be at his absolute best for the Warhawks to bring home a seventh gold ball in program history.
Bay Port — Brady Moon, sr., RB: The MVP (at least offensively) of last year’s Division 1 state title game victory for Bay Port was unquestionably running back Brady Moon. The now-senior became a rising star during the Pirates’ run to the state title last season after not being the starting running back through the first few weeks of the season. He wasn’t sneaking up on anyone this year and it didn’t matter. Moon has been excellent, tallying 250 carries for 2,123 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground, including 117 yards and three scores in a 38-35 thriller in a state title game rematch against Muskego. The Pirates can beat you in a number of ways, but the most effective way is getting Moon going on the ground.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: WIAA high school football state championship players to watch
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