Prep Redzone WI: Player of the Year Finalists
In this article:
We have reached our final selection of athletes for the 2021 Prep Redzone WI Player of the Year! We have narrowed our list down from 50, to 30, and now to 15 athletes. Each of these 15 athletes posted the…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWe have reached our final selection of athletes for the 2021 Prep Redzone WI Player of the Year! We have narrowed our list down from 50, to 30, and now to 15 athletes. Each of these 15 athletes posted the top individual performances in the state, led their teams to the postseason where they found success, and were responsible for a huge portion of their team’s production throughout the season. Without any of these student-athletes you can bet the season’s outcome for each team would be very different. Let’s take a deep dive into each of the 15 athletes!
Simon Bauer Simon Bauer RB Durand | 2022 WI , ’22 ATH- Durand (11-2)
Passing Stats | 51/91, 669 Yards, 7 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 314 Carries, 2,805 Yards, 43 TDs |
Defensive Stats | 45 Tackles |
The 5’7″ 180 lbs ATH lined up at QB on offense, but was used in a wildcat manner. From his QB position, Simon led the state in rushing yards, and if his team had made it to state he was on pace to rush for over 3,000 yards on the season! Even without the extra game, Bauer finished with nearly 400 yards more than the second leading rusher in the state, and with 4 more TDs than the athlete with the second most rushing TDs in the state. His 215.8 yards per game led the state by more than 10 yards/game. Durand’s run-heavy offense finished the season with 4,300+ rushing yards, and Simon alone accounted for 65% of the yardage. Without him it is clear that Durand’s season would of looked very different. With him, Durand made it to the State Semi-finals before their season came to the end. You won’t find a bigger impact on the ground than what the Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch Award winner did in 2021!
Blake Schraufnagel, ’23 RB/LB- Mayville (11-3)
Rushing Stats | 297 Carries, 2,421 Yards, 39 TDs |
Receiving Stats | 8 Receptions, 248 Yards, 3 TDs |
Defensive Stats | 45 Tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 INTs |
The 6’1″ 180 lbs junior two-way playmaker had one of the best performances of the season for Mayville! Blake finished the season second in rushing yards, and rushing TDs. The workhorse also led his team to the WIAA State Finals where they finished the season as the runner-ups. When you dive into how much Blake was responsible for on the Mayville team it quickly becomes clear how the junior earned a spot as a finalist for this award. He scored 42 of the team’s 75 TDs (56%), rushed for 60% of his team’s yards on the ground, and 49% of his team’s total yardage overall. It is clear the offense performed to the level that Blake performed week in and week out. In 7/14 games Blake rushed for 3 TDs or more. I expect to see the playmaker back on this list next season as well!
Robby Michael Robby Michael 5'11" | 170 lbs | ATH Sheboygan Lutheran | 2022 State WI , ’22 QB/ATH- Sheboyan Lutheran/Kohler (9-2)
Passing Stats | 190/282, 2,596 Yards, 39 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 170 Carries, 1,540 Yards, 18 TDs |
Defensive Stats | 42 Tackles, 5 TFLs, 1 Sack, 1 FF, 3 INTs, 3 PBUs |
No list of finalists for Player of the Year would be complete without Robby. Robby put together one of the most dominant high school careers in WI HS football history. A career that includes the most TD passes in state history. He capped that career off with the school’s first playoff win ever. Diving into the impact on this season, Robby was responsible for an absurb 80% of his team’s total yards between his passing and rushing production! He also was responsible for 84% of his team’s total TDs (57/68). Robby led an offense that put up 46.5 points per game making it hard for any team to keep pace with them. More outrageous examples of Robby’s dominant season include throwing 5+ TDs in three games, rushing for 3+ TDs in three games, and scoring 9 TDs in one game this season. He also scored at least three times, rushing/passing combined, in 10/11 games on the season! It was a dominant end to a great career for the Warhawk commit!
Myles Burkett Myles Burkett 6'1" | 200 lbs | QB Franklin | 2022 State WI , ’22 QB- Franklin (14-0)
Passing Stats | 206/289, 3,427 Yards, 36 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 67 Carries, 335 Yards, 4 TDs |
Myles QB’d the most prolific passing attack in the state. Franklin road that high flying offense, led by Burkett, to a D1 State Championship and undefeated season! Myles himself finished the season with the most passing yards, second most passing TDs, 5th best passer rating, and the second most passing yards per game. Myles was also responsible for 40/81 of Franklin’s TDs this season, and 64% of the team’s total yardage. The Badgers commit was also insanely clutch. Back in week one he completed a Hail Mary on the final play to get them off to a 1-0 start. In the state finals he set the record for longest pass play in D1 state history with an 88 yard bomb. Burkett and the Franklin offense finished the season averaging 44.4 points per game, and they were able to pour points on at a pace that made it hard to keep up with. Shown by the fact that only 2/14 games ended as one possession victories. The All State QB was the key piece to the best football team in the state.
Ben Wesolowsk Ben Wesolowsk 6'2" | 185 lbs | ATH Wittenberg-Birnamwood | 2022 WI , ’22 QB/DB- Wittenberg-Birnamwood (10-4)
Passing Stats | 105/199, 1,967 Yards, 29 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 174 Carries, 1,847 Yards, 20 TDs |
Receiving Stats | 2 Receptions, 41 Yards, 1 TD |
Defensive Stats | 36 Tackles, 5 TFLs, 3 INTs, 1 PBU |
The 6’2’’ 180 lbs two way star athlete had himself a dominant season on the way to Wittenberg- Birnamwood making the State Semi- Finals! The QB proved to be a dominant dual threat as he finished 11th in rushing yards, 17th in passing yards, and 9th in passing TDs. Ben finished the season accounting for 67% of his team’s total yardage, and was responsible for 50 of his team’s 70 TDs. Wesolowski ended the season as the team’s leading passer, rusher, had the 6th most tackles on the team, and the second most INTs on the team. Whenever WB needed a play Ben was there to make it. I was lucky enough to watch it live during their playoff run! Ben definitely had one of the most well rounded impacts in the state!
Jackson Flottmeyer Jackson Flottmeyer 6'5" | 220 lbs | QB Aquinas | 2023 State WI , ’23 QB- Aquinas (14-0)
Passing Stats | 151/213, 2,879 Yards, 34 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 51 Carries, 145 Yards, 4 TDs |
The 6’5″ 210 lbs junior signal caller put himself firmly in the argument for most dominant passer of the season. The Second Team All State QB finished the season with the second most passing yards, tied for the third most TD passes, and the fourth highest passer rating in the state on the way to a State Championship, and undefeated record! Jackson finished the season accounting for 59% of his team’s output. He also was responsible for 38/73 TDs. Jackson also proved to be great at protecting the ball. He completed 70% of his passes on the season while also only throwing 4 INTs in 14 games. Jackson threw 3 or more TDs in 6/14 games, and he scored a passing or rushing TDs every single week of the season. If he doesn’t win it all this year, keep an eye on him for next season!
Nate Kollath Nate Kollath 6'4" | 235 lbs | QB Sussex Hamilton | 2023 State WI , ’23 QB- Sussex Hamilton (10-2)
Passing Stats | 153/276, 2,392 Yards, 32 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 159 Carries, 784 Yards, 15 TDs |
Defensive Stats | 4 Tackles |
What a year for the junior QB! He was able to make a huge impact as a rusher and passer as he led his team to the third round of the WIAA playoffs. As a passer, Nate finished the season 8th in passing yards, 6th in passing TDs, and 9th in passing yards per game with 217.5 yards. Those state wide rankings translate to a massive share of his team’s production. Kollath generated 79% of his team’s offensive yardage. He also scored 47/54 of his team’s TDs. You will be hard pressed to find a QB responsible for a larger chunk of his team’s offensive results. The team went as Nate did. The most impressive part was how on a week to week basis you didn’t know if it was going to be a rushing or passing week for Nate. Five times he threw more than 25 passes, and seven times he ran the ball 10+ times. Nate was able to put a lot of pressure on defenses on the way to a dominant junior season!
Brycen Cashin Brycen Cashin 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Pacelli | 2022 State WI , ’22 RB- Pacelli (10-1)
Rushing Stats | 174 Carries, 2055 Yards, 36 TDs |
Receiving Stats | 12 Receptions, 283 Yards, 3 TDs |
Defensive Stats | 28 Tackles, 8 TFLs, 2 Sacks, 2 FRs |
One of the most dominant rushers in the state comes to us from the senior class at Pacelli! Brycen finished the season 6th in rushing yards, 3rd in rushing TDs, and 2nd in rushing yards per game with 205.5 yards. He posted these numbers in just 11 games proving how dominant he was on the field in 2021! Cashin was responsible for 62% of his team’s yardage on the season ,and scored 39/62 total TDs. These numbers are just part of a dominant career that saw the senior go off for 6,000+ AP yards, and 80 TDs. The playmaker averaged almost 12 yards per carry proving his big play threat. Brycen went over 200 rushing yards in 5/11 games this season. He also scored 4 TDs or more in 7/11 games. Pacelli’s offense went as Brycen went. The numbers support it big time!
Colton Brunell, ’24 RB/LB- Columbus (11-2)
Rushing Stats | 253 Carries, 2,221 Yards, 31 TDs |
Receiving Stats | 3 Receptions, 91 Yards, 1 TD |
Defensive Stats | 79 Tackles, 10 TFLs, 6 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR |
I never thought I would be including an underclassmen in the finalists for this award, but you can’t ignore what the young dude did in 2021! The 6’1″ 200 lbs sophomore finished the season as the 3rd leading rusher, with the 5th most rushing TDs, and the 6th most rushing yards per game with 185.1 yards! Then you look at the defensive stats and realize he was also a dominant LB as well. The two way star never had a week where he didn’t score at least two TDs, and he had at least 7 tackles in every game except for three. Week after week Colton took over games. Brunell finished the season accounting for 50% of Columbus’ total yardage on offense. He also scored 32 of the teams 63 total TDs. Colton also led the team in tackles, TFLs, sacks, and forced fumbles. Get used to this name. You’re going to hear it a ton the next couple years!
Billy Schrauth Billy Schrauth 6'5" | 280 lbs | OL St. Mary's Springs | 2022 State WI , ’22 OL/DL- St. Mary’s Springs (11-3)
Offensive Stats | 934 Passing Yards, 3,478 Rushing Yards, 56 Total TDs |
Defensive Stats | 59 Tackles, 17 TFLs, 3 FRs, 7 Blocked Kicks, 5 PBUs |
It takes quite the performance for a lineman to be in the running for the Player of the Year, and that’s what the #1 player in the state did in 2021! The recent Notre Dame commit anchored an offensive line that went into every game with the plan to run the ball, run the ball, and run the ball some more. Week after week they put the plan into action as they made it all the way to the State finals. Clearing the way for 250 rushing yards per game was only half of Schrauth’s impact. He also was a dominant force in the trenches on defense. Schrauth led his team in TFLs, fumble recoveries, blocked kicks, and was second in pass breakups. Billy was the ultimate trench monster in 2021!
Alex Belongia Alex Belongia 6'2" | 185 lbs | ATH Rice Lake | 2022 State WI , ’22 WR/DB- Rice Lake (11-3)
Receiving Stats | 37 Receptions, 851 Yards, 12 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 9 Carries, 85 Yards, 1 TD |
Defensive Stats | 92 Tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 FFs, 8 INTs, 1 Pick Six |
What a year for the Jim Leonhard Award Winner! The 6’3″ 190 lbs two way star led the state in INTs with 8, returning one for a score. He also finished third on his team in tackles, first in receptions, first in receiving yards, and first in receiving TDs. Whenever Rice Lake needed a big play it was Belongia who stepped up on both sides of the ball. The huge year also has led to a massive jump in recruitment. It’s crazy to think that coming into the season Belongia didn’t hold an offer, now he has a handful under his belt from the D1 and D2 levels. Alex’s big season was the key to Rice Lake making a run to the State Finals this season as well.
Jackson Trudgeon Jackson Trudgeon 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB Madison Edgewood | 2022 State WI , ’22 WR/DB- Madison Edgewood (11-0)
Receiving Yards | 50 Receptions, 1,060 Yards, 15 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 31 Carries, 377 Yards, 6 TDs |
Defensive Stats | 78 Tackles, 4 TFLs, .5 Sacks, 1 FR, 1 FF, 2 INTs, 5 PBUs |
One of the newest WI Badger signees had himself an elite final season on both sides of the ball on the way to a perfect 11-0 season before Edgewood’s season abruptly ended. Despite finishing 22nd in receptions, Jackson’s big play ability allowed him to finish 6th in receiving yards, and 5th in receiving TDs! When you look at the impact on his team it’s clear that things flowed through him. Jackson finished the season with the most carries, rushing yards, rushing TDs, receptions, receiving yards, receiving TDs, tackles, and INTs on the Edgewood team! The Crusaders went as Jackson went in 2021. There are very few athletes in WI who can even be in the conversation with Trudgeon for biggest two way impact!
Alijah Maher- Parr, ’22 RB- Arrowhead (7-4)
Rushing Stats | 257 Carries, 2,140 Yards, 29 TDs |
Receiving Stats | 10 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD |
Alijah was a force for the Arrowhead offense this season! He finished the season ranked 5th in rushing yards, 6th in rushing TDs, and 5th in rushing yards per game with 194.5 yards! In 8 of his 11 games, Alijah went for 150+ rushing yards including one week where he went off for 391 yards and 6 rushing TDs! He scored at least 1 TD in every game of the season as well. Looking at his share of the workload on his team, Alijah was responsible for 49% of his team’s total yardage on the season! He also scored 30 of the team’s 54 total TDs! Whenever Arrowhead needed points you could bet they were going to put it in the hands of their star senior RB. Easily one of the biggest breakout players of 2021!
Beau Kopp, ’22 QB/DL- Cuba City (9-3)
Passing Stats | 146/244, 2,143 Yards, 24 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 98 Carries, 416 Yards, 12 TDs |
Defensive Stats | 71 Tackles, 19 TFLs, 14 Sacks, 5 FFs, 1 FR TD, 1 Safety, 1 Blocked Kick |
This kid had himself a year on both sides of the ball! The 6’1″ 200 lbs athlete did it all for Cuba City! He finished 11th in the state in passing yards, 17th in passing TDs, and 5th in sacks! When you look into his defensive efforts amongst his teammates, Beau finished 4th in tackles, 1st in TFLs, sacks, and forced fumbles on his team. Flip over to offense and Kopp wasn’t just a dominant passer. He also was the second leading rusher for his team. Overall, Beau was responsible for 66% of the offensive production on the season for Cuba City! He also scored 36 of the team’s 49 total TDs! Beau is going to be a steal for a program at the next level, and he is going to give a team a ton of ways to use him.
Trevor Syse Trevor Syse 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Belleville | 2022 WI , ’22 QB- Belleville (10-3)
Passing Stats | 145/215, 2,335 Yards, 28 TDs |
Rushing Stats | 178 Carries, 529 Yards, 17 TDs |
Receiving Stats | 1 Reception, 40 Yards, 1 TD |
Defensive Stats | 45 Tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 INT |
One of the top producers in the state is the Belleville senior QB! He finished the season ranked 10th in passing yards, passing TDs, and passer rating! He was able to lead his team to the State Semi- Finals with a strong mix of passing and rushing along with a solid contribution on defense! Diving into his impact on offense, Trevor was responsible for 62% of his team’s yards on offense. He also scored 46 of the team’s 65 total TDs. Syse also was the second leading rusher on the team, and he led the team in rushing TDs by a large margin. Lastly, Trevor ended up 8th on the team in tackles. Syse was the key to the Belleville success and playoff run!