Top 10 State Finals Performances: Pass Catchers

<p>We continue our look at the most dominant performances from the State Finals at Camp Randall Stadium. Our next group up is the pass catchers. This group not only put up standout numbers many of them are also special, next level talents. Despite the brutally cold temperatures, these athletes were still able to stretch the field and give their QBs reliable options to target. Let's see what the 10 best performances look like, and what each athlete has to offer the next level.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='267048' first='Drew' last='Wagner'], '24- Kettle Moraine</h2>   <p>The best individual performance, and the most talented WR were one in the same during the State Champisonship games. Kettle Moraine's [player_tooltip player_id='267048' first='Drew' last='Wagner'] is one of the top pass catchers in WI; doesn't matter which graduation class you look at. The 5'10" 165 lbs junior has an elite ability to play on his feet and control his body when playing the football or running routes. His ability to get open in a multitude of ways makes him so dangerous out wide. He can do it with pure speed/quickness. He can do it with subtle nuances that exploit the coverage and leverage he is facing. Drew also is blessed with some of the best hands in the entire state. He naturally plucks the football out of the air, and is primarily a hands catcher. Lastly, Drew is great at tracking the ball. He locates it, adjusts to it when it is outside the framework of his body. Wagner put all that on display on the way to the D2 State Championship. In the end he finished with <em>6 receptions for 147 yards</em>. The recruitment for Drew is going to take off over this summer and next season.</p>   <h2>Collin Conzemius, '23- Aquinas</h2>   <p>There is a pattern among these WRs in this list that is starting to develop. They all have superior athleticism compared to the DBs that they faced. Maybe the fastest of all the WRs in the State games was the senior from Aquinas. Collin is a very accomplished track and field athlete, and it carries over to the gridiron. He finished the game going <em>4 receptions, 115 yards, and 2 TDs</em>. His first score was a 71 yards connection where he flew right by the DB and pulled away after making the over the shoulder catch. His second score was on a jet sweep type of action where he stretched the field all the way to the sideline, found the cutback, and raced in for the game winning score. All season long, Collin has proven to be a playmaker. The type of player who can make the unusual play look standard. He is raw, but with his athletic gifts I wouldn't be surprised to see him start to get more attention. He took over games this season.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='245949' first='Trevor' last='Boucher'], '23- Mukwonago</h2>   <p>The 5'11" 175 lbs senior had to step up and be used in the run game during the D1 State Championship game. With the injury to stud RB [player_tooltip player_id='104381' first='Wynn' last='Stang'], Mukwonago had to get the offense moving elsewhere. The next logical man up was the ultra athletic WR. Boucher runs a 4.60 40, and it translates to the field. Boucher was able to stretch the defense horizontally and vertically through his routes and jet sweeps. That speed is how Trevor creates separation. He eats up cushions from DBs and then leaves them trying to catch up. He easily pulls away in the open field. He also accelerates at an outstanding clip. Teams looking for a playmaker out wide need to consider the speedy receiver. Trevor finished the game with <em>8 receptions, for 56 yards, and 1 official carry for 8 yards</em>. He also set the single season, and career receptions record at Mukwonago.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='31413' first='Bennett' last='McCormick'], '23- Catholic Memorial</h2>   <p>The 6'3" 185 lbs senior receiver is a long striding, outside threat. Those long strides are deceptive as he is faster than he initially looks. The long, lean WR was the go to option in the D4 State Championship game for Catholic Memorial. He finished the day with<em> 6 receptions, 85 yards, and 1 TD</em>. The TD was a great example of his ability to take the top off the defense with that speed as he was able to get behind the defense on a post route. He easily reeled in the pass and gave CM the lead heading into the 4th quarter. Bennett's ability to make the catches in traffic thanks to his concentration and strong hands have been key to his game all season long. Bennett is also a willing blocker who can get his CB driven away from the ball carrier. McCormick is also a standout basketball player and holds an offer from Portland State for hoops.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='104984' first='Langdon' last='Nordgaard'], '24- West De Pere</h2>   <p>The 6'4" 195 lbs junior WR is going to be a big time producer next season. There is so much to like about his game already. He has a great frame. He also has arguably the best hands in the state. Langdon's clutch performance and ability to bring in contested balls is special. He will make the catch in traffic with defenders around him and in critical situations. Nordgaard uses his big frame to his advantage. He attacks the ball in the air and uses his full wingspan to high point the ball over defenders. His hand eye coordination, and foot coordination along the sideline are impressive for a kid his size. That size also helps with his separation. Langdon doesn't need to create huge space because he has the ability to go up and over DBs to pluck the ball out of the air. Langdon finished the day with <em>2 receptions, for 39 yards, and 1 score</em>. He also had a catch that wasn't ruled in that could have been the catch of the State Championship games had it been ruled in after review. This is definitely a name to know.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='414733' first='Ethan' last='Criter'], '23- Kimberly</h2>   <p>While the Kimberly ground game was the key to victory, the passing game was still able to make an impact with a few reps. That impact came from senior WR [player_tooltip player_id='414733' first='Ethan' last='Criter']. The 6'2" 180 lbs finished teh day with<em> 4 receptions, 66 yards, and 1 TD</em>. The TD came on a 48 yard connection where Ethan made the DB bite hard on a stop and go route. Criter's fake and acceleration out of the fake left the DB in his wake. After the catch, Ethan showed some elusiveness as he cut back making the safety miss. That after the catch ability has been the key to his game all season. He uses his speed to threaten defenses, gets them to bite, and then uses his track speed after the catch to make big plays. Criter stepped up big time this fall. I'm surprised he hasn't been more of a target for D3/D2 programs.</p>   <h2>Brennan Kennedy, '23- West Salem</h2>   <p>West Salem had a hard time against Monroe in the D3 State Championship. They couldn't find a groove on offense, and it put them in a deficit early. The one bright spot of the offense was the 6' 160 lbs senior WR. The two biggest offensive plays for West Salem came from Kennedy out wide. The first was when he turned a shallow cross into a 55+ yard gain, setting up a score for West Salem. The second was Brennan finding an opening in coverage behind the defense. Both plays set up scores for West Salem. It isn't a surprise that hew as the spark of the offense. Brennan averaged 22.7 yards/rec. entering the game. His quickness before and after the catch has been difficult for defenses to corral all season. The senior earned All State honors on the back of that big play ability. I wouldn't be surprised to see the D3 level start to make roster offers to the playmaker.</p>   <h2>Jaxson Garbisch, '23- Kimberly</h2>   <p>While he didn't have the craziest stats, Jaxson was one of the top talents at WR between the 14 teams involved at the State Championship games. He holds an offer from UW- Platteville, and could see more this offseason. He has great size at 6'3" 195 lbs. It is a frame with a well balance between speed and strength. During the final game, Jaxson finished with <em>4 receptions for 33 yards</em>. Those quick passes kept the offense moving and in good down and distance situations. In those situations, Garbisch proved to be able to make grabs in tight quarters and hang onto the ball while getting hit right after the catch. In other games this season, Jaxson has proven he can create big plays down the field. He looks like a steal for the next level.</p>   <h2>Bennett Schmidt, 24- Shiocton</h2>   <p>Shiocton had a rough day in the D& State Championship against Regis HS. However, there were multiple athletes to know on the Shiocton sideline. One of them, and a player to watch in 2023, is the junior Bennett Schmidt. Bennett is a 6'5" 175 lbs WR. He finished the game with <em>4 receptions for 51 yards</em>. The junior has traits to be excited over. He has excellent length and wingspan giving his QB a large catch radius. Schmidt runs solid routes. He relies more on subtle movements over hard cuts to create separation from the defense. When he can stretch the field, or run post/corner routes where he can stay at top speed Bennett is his most impactful. I'm excited to see how he develops this offseason.</p>   <h2>Mason Rybolt, '23- Mukwonago</h2>   <p>While [player_tooltip player_id='245949' first='Trevor' last='Boucher'] was helping get the ground game going for Mukwonago, Mason was out wide hauling in <em>5 receptions, for 74 yards</em>. That performance was able to keep the defense a little bit honest. They still loaded the box, but Rybolt capitalized on those soft coverages. Mason was responsible for over half of the team's total passing yards. While he may not be a next level player, he proved to be a key piece that kept Mukwonago in the game until the final play. He was another athlete who stepped up in the face of adversity.</p>

We continue our look at the most dominant performances from the State Finals at Camp Randall Stadium. Our next group up is the pass catchers. This group not only put up standout numbers many of them are also special, next level talents. Despite the brutally cold temperatures, these athletes were still able to stretch the field and give their QBs reliable options to target. Let's see what the 10 best performances look like, and what each athlete has to offer the next level.