Top 10 State Championship Performances: QBs

<p>The 2022 HS season has come to an end. It has been a long, fun, highlight filled season of live coverage and in-depth online analysis. We have crowned our 7 State Champions. To get there we saw several stud athletes step up in big ways to help there team, and while doing it they showed off what should have next level coaches excited. To provide as much coverage as possible, I will be going position by position and breaking down the Top 8-10 athletes at every position group from the 14 teams involved in the State Championship games. We begin with the leaders of the offensive units. The signal callers, the gun slingers, the QBs. We start with a State Champ!</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='31389' first='Chase' last='Spellman'], '23- Kettle Moraine</h2>   <p>Over the past couple seasons you could feel Kettle Moraine building up to what could be a State Championship opportunity. They finally earned that shot this season, and leading the way was standout senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='31389' first='Chase' last='Spellman']. Chase has been locked in a tough battle for QB1 in the Class of 2023 his entire HS career. Seeing him live only further entrenched him in that battle. During the championship game vs West De Pere, Spellman put up <em>10/15, 195 passing yards, 17 carries, 57 rushing yards, and 1 rushing TD</em>. The stats aren't off the charts, but it was exactly what the team needed. The 6'3.5" 235 lbs QB was the most talented QB in any of the State Finals matchups. He has the prototypical frame, a strong arm that can hit every spot on the field with velocity, and the accuracy to place the ball in spots where only his man could come down with it. There were throws that he couldn't have placed the ball better if he walked it down the field and handed it off. Spellman's mechanics look precise, smooth, and quick. He had offseason shoulder surgery, and the arm looks better than it ever has. Chase also adds the willingness to run the ball on designed plays to help control the clock. It was a strong demonstration of talent by Chase. If you are looking for QB help you have to start here in WI.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='31399' first='Jackson' last='Flottmeyer'], '23- Aquinas</h2>   <p>The only thing harder than winning a State Championship is winning two straight State Championships. That is what senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='31399' first='Jackson' last='Flottmeyer'] helped La Crosse Aquinas do in the D5 State Finals last Thursday. It was a bit of a slow start for Jackson, but as the intensity rose, so did his performance. Flottmeyer ended the day <em>7/11 with 137 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 5 carries, and 46 rushing yards.</em> The senior's clutch gene shined on the field as he threw both TDs in the second half including one with 2:04 to play to take the lead. The 6'5" 220 lbs signal caller definitely looks the part of a next level QB. So does his control over the football through the air. I have preached this for a long time when it comes to Jackson. When it comes to touch on the ball there isn't a better QB in the state. Flottmeyer has the ability to put the exact right amount of velocity on or off the ball to get it to drop in perfectly to his receiver. He can fire it in a tight window or drop it perfectly over the shoulder of a receiver flying down the sideline. That is amplified by his accuracy, which comes from good footwork and a consistent release. Something else that has stood out in his game is how deadly he is when rolling to his right. Aquinas did that with him a lot, and Jackson was surgical on the move. He also has the athleticism to hurt the defense with his legs. The senior is vastly under recruited, holding one offer thus far. Check out one of the best steals in the state.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='220784' first='Duke' last='Shovald'], '24- West De Pere</h2>   <p>Duke wasn't able to leave Camp Randall with a State Championship, but he definitely caught my attention with his performance. The 6' 175 lbs junior had a great season leading up to the final game as well. He set his school record for single season passing yards, and is already the career passing yards record holder with another season to play. His State Championship game stat line was <em>15/27, 213 yards, and 1 passing TD.</em> I loved how aggressive he was all day long against Kettle Moraine. KM fielded a dominant defense that had held opponents to 8 point or less 8 times. That didn't deter Shovald as he averaged 14.2 yards per completion. Duke was able to stretch the field vertically opening up windows between layers of coverage. Despite not being the biggest athlete, Duke was able to get the ball to all three levels of the field with accuracy, and it seemed like the ball was always in a spot where his guy had a chance to come down with it. The #1 trait of the day for Shovald was his poise in the pocket. I mentioned the defense he was facing. They were getting penetration quite a bit, but he stood tall in the pocket, stared down the barrel, and delivered passes. The mental toughness to hang in there is not something you see a lot of at this level. Definitely a prospect to know for next season.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='119282' first='Evan' last='Herbig'], '23- Mukwonago</h2>   <p>Nobody stepped up quite like Evan did on Friday night in the D1 State Championship game. Coming into the game, everyone wanted to get their eyes on RB [player_tooltip player_id='104381' first='Wynn' last='Stang']. Unfortunately, two carries in Stang suffered an injury taking him out of the game. With a massive part of the offense gone, Mukwonago needed to go somewhere else. The 6'1" 185 lbs senior QB stepped up and answered the call. Herbig ended the day with an impressive stat line that hints towards his dual threat ability. The numbers were <em>14/18, 131 passing yards, 14 carries, 105 yards, and 3 rushing TDs.</em> On the ground is where Herbig most impressed me. The senior QB runs a reported 4.59 40 yard dash, and that speed showed up during the game. Evan demonstrated strong instincts as a runner. He found blocks quickly, and then accelerated through holes in a split second. That long speed allowed him to take advantage of tight lanes, picking up more that expected on a lot of carries before the defense could close on him. Evan didn't shy away from contact either. Add on to that some precise passing and you get one of the most clutch performances of the weekend. It was impressive to see him step up on the biggest stage. His performance also proves he can help a next level team. Even if it isn't at QB, Evan has the size and athleticism to fill a role.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='31394' first='Seth' last='Miron'], '23- Kimberly</h2>   <p>Next up we have our D1 State Champion QB, [player_tooltip player_id='31394' first='Seth' last='Miron']. Seth did a great job of taking over the varsity starting job this season. His championship performance matched his season long performance. He is an athlete who makes great decisions with the ball, and has the arm talent to turn those good decisions into consistent results. Seth finished the season completing 70% of his passes. Friday night he went <em>10/17, 112 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 3 carries, 30 rushing yards</em>. The numbers aren't crazy, but the 6'5" 190 lbs signal caller delivered when called upon in big moments. His TD pass came at the start of the second half to tie the game up. At that point of the game, it was a 14-7 deficit and Kimberly needed some sort of spark to get things rolling. They would go on to add 20 additional points in the second half. Miron also was clutch on the ground. He was able to convert a long third down to set up the game winning score on the final drive of the game. Seth is also a talented basketball player. A dual sport senior to check out.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='31436' first='Isaiah' last='Nathaniel'], '23- Catholic Memorial</h2>   <p>A senior that needs more attention is the signal caller for Catholic Memorial. The 6'2" 200 lbs senior gave it his best shot to get his team the victory, but fell just short. He was still able to put his talents on display with several impressive, and clutch plays. He finished the day going <em>9/16, 142 yards passing, 1 passing TD, and 4 carries, for 17 yards</em>. The TD was his top highlight of the day. He was able to show off the arm strength as he bombed it 49 yards down the middle of the field, hitting his target right in stride so he could finish into the endzone without losing a step. Nathaniel didn't hesitate to push the ball downfield. He hit 4 different receivers on the day, and 3 of them averaged 15 yards or more per reception. With a solid frame, live arm, and the ability to accurately throw the ball I would expect more interest for the senior. Give his highlights a look. He stepped up in his lone season as the varsity starter.</p>   <h2>Nathan Cotter, '23- Columbus</h2>   <p>The closest final score was in the D4 Sate Championship between Columbus and Catholic Memorial. Columbus and QB Nathan Cotter were able to come away with the 23-21 victory to end Catholic Memorial's run of State Championships. The 6'3" 175 lbs senior QB managed the game well. He finished the day <em>8/10, 92 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 11 carries, and 23 rushing yards</em>. The TD pass was as clutch as they come. Nathan was able to deliver a pass to the back of the endzone to TE [player_tooltip player_id='405495' first='Jefferson' last='Mobry'] with :03 left on the clock to tie the game at 14. Cotter added a nice pickup on the ground on a designed run call as well. Columbus hammered the ball on the ground Thursday night, but Cotter answered the call every time he was needed. Having that reliability at QB was huge for them to pull of the tight victory.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='104503' first='Kendon' last='Krogman'], '23- Regis</h2>   <p>I was surprised by Kendon's game to kickoff the State Finals. Regis' goal is to run the ball as much as possible with their loaded backfield, but Kendon gave them a balanced attack in their game with Shiocton. The 6'4" 180 lbs senior went <em>6/10, 125 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, and a carry for 4 yards</em>. His ability to make an impact with a smaller workload shouldn't be a surprise though as the senior was still able to earn HM All-State honors at QB. The kid has a strong arm that forces defense to cover the whole field. He also makes great choices with the ball in his hands. Highlighted by a 20 TD: 2 INT ratio on the season. Those same things showed up during their final game to bring home a gold ball. It was another week of no turnovers, point production, and smart choices. Krogman is raw, but the tools are there to develop. Give him a look.</p>   <h2>Braeden Schueller, '23- Stratford</h2>   <p>Stratford was another State Champion who had the goal of pounding the rock. However, their plan of attack was amplified by having a QB who could step up and deliver without necessarily being in rhythm. Braeden Schueller gave Stratford that extra bump with his QB play. The 6'2" 190 lbs senior went<em> 6/11, 78 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, and 3 carries, for 11 yards.</em> Braeden got the scoring started when Stratford caught Mondovi playing hard against the run. He went over the top of them for a 23 yard TD. Schueller also was there to put the game out of reach with an 11 yard TD pass to put Stratford up two scores with 11:09 to play. Braeden is also an All-Region punter averaging 37.8 yards per punt on 20 punts.</p>   <h2>Dawson Schmidt, '23- Shiocton</h2>   <p>We wrap up our Top 10 QB performances with the 6'3" senior. The game didn't go as planned for Shiocton and the senior QB, but Dawson was still able to piece together a solid outing. He went <em>15/22, 134 passing yards, and 5 carries, for 13 rushing yards.</em> Unfortunately, 2 INTs marred the performance, but he was forcing it trying to keep them in the game. Schmidt had a great season overall putting up over 2,000 passing yards, 20 TDs, and completing 58% of his passes. The senior will be taking his talents to the hardwood, though, as he is committed to Olivet Nazarene University to play basketball. Congrats on a great HS football career, Dawson and good luck at the next level!</p>

The 2022 HS season has come to an end. It has been a long, fun, highlight filled season of live coverage and in-depth online analysis. We have crowned our 7 State Champions. To get there we saw several stud athletes step up in big ways to help there team, and while doing it they showed off what should have next level coaches excited. To provide as much coverage as possible, I will be going position by position and breaking down the Top 8-10 athletes at every position group from the 14 teams involved in the State Championship games. We begin with the leaders of the offensive units. The signal callers, the gun slingers, the QBs. We start with a State Champ!