Best of the State Finals: Quarterbacks
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Use code Johnson30 for 30% off a new subscription! The State Finals were absolutely wild! From D7 to the D1 Championship Game we saw the best that Wisconsin had to offer, and they went to war against each other. We…
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The State Finals were absolutely wild! From D7 to the D1 Championship Game we saw the best that Wisconsin had to offer, and they went to war against each other. We saw outrageous back and forth battles, clutch moments, individual athletes standing out and leading the way, and special teamwork that sets teams apart from the pack. To recap it all, we are going to go through each position in a series of articles and identify the top performers from the seven games. We start with the leaders of the offense, the signal callers, the QBs!
Vance Johnson
Vance Johnson
Stats: 13/15, 215 Yards, 4 TDsrnVance was apart of the best game of the entire State Finals. He led the Waunakee offense into Camp Randall Stadium, and put on an absolute show to the final whistle. The 6’1″ junior impressed with his accuracy, clutch plays, and leadership/poise. Johnson was a quick decision maker with the ball in his hands, and his ability to palce the ball where only his man could get it kept the ball safe, and the big plays rolling. The big plays were needed too because their opponent, Badger, was dominating time of possession. Vance stepped up and made a lot of long pass connections, many of which ended in TDs. Unfortunately, Vance and Waunakee came up one point short, but the junior will be back next year, and will be a QB to keep an eye on.
Stats: 20/36, 220 Yards, 1 TDrnThis was one of the top QBs at State that I wanted to see play live. Joey didn’t disappoint, and looked even better in person than he did on tape. The junior stepped up on the big stage, and did everything he could to keep Franklin in the D1 Championship Game. My first major impression was Kallay’s mobility in the pocket. The Marquette DL was getting a lot of pressure on him throughout the night, but Joseph made it hard for them to corral him as he slide, juked, maneuvered, or ran to buy time. Kallay was elusive in the pocket, poised under pressure, and kept his eyes downfield while doing so. The arm looked improved since my last live viewing of the junior. He could zip it into the tight windows that the Marquette defense gave him, and overall gave his guys good shots to go and make plays. Similar to Vance above, Franklin couldn’t pull off the win, but the junior will be back and a name to know in 2024.
Highlights
Stats: 11/19, 155 Yards, 1 TDrnPeter is the signal caller of your D1 State Champions, Milwaukee Marquette. Peter did a great job of supplementing the offense from start to finish. Marquette was run heavy, but Peter stepped up through the air when they needed him to. He spread the ball around to his talented receiving corps, showed good ball placement to let his big weapons go make a play. Peter did a great job of managing the game, and it helped to bring home the gold ball.
Stats: 15/24, 113 Yards, 10 Carries, 16 Yards, 1 TDrnAs far as talent goes, Brady was the top ranked QB at State. He looked the part with his 6’3″ 200 lbs frame. It was impressive watching his mechanics in person. From his feet to the release of the ball, everything was sharp and efficient. Hilgart did a great job of working through progressions and moving his feet with his eyes. Brady also has the arm talent to play at a high level of college competition. He can drive the ball on a rope downfield, and can dial it back and drop the ball into spots. Unfortunately, Brady and Grafton couldn’t pull off a victory, but they return a ton of talent for 2024. This will be a player to watch, and a team to watch next season.
Highlights
Trevor Vande Hey
Trevor Vande Hey
Stats: 3/6, 19 Yards, 13 Carries, 140 Yards, 1 TDrnA new athlete that will be on my radar going forward is Wrightstown QB Trevor Vande Hey. The 6’1″ 190 lbs junior is a dual threat QB, and during the D5 Game we got a look at the junior’s ground game. The junior athlete showed solid traits as a runner. He had the vision to set up blocks and find cut backs. He would lower the shoulder when needed. The junior also has enough speed to create the big plays when he gets through the front seven. Trevor will be going a different route at the next level, and has committed to play baseball at Iowa.
Max Ronsman
Max Ronsman
Stats: 13/26, 163 Yards, 8 Carries, 31 YardsrnThe senior out of Luxemburg- Casco has put together a dominant season that culminated in a State Championship appearance. During that game, Max and his team found themselves in a back and forth battle. Through the air, Max made a lot of aggressive throws downfield. He attacked the deep portion of the field, putting the ball in places where his guys could go make big plays to flip the field. Ronsman doesn’t have prototypical size, but he was able to create sufficient velocity on those deep shots. Max also was able to keep the ball and pick up what the defense gave him on the ground. Throughout the season, Ronsman has been a legitimate threat as a runner as well. Give the senior a look.
Jakob Kunz
Jakob Kunz
Stats: 5/9, 118 Yards, 1 TD, 6 Carries, 16 YardsrnThis was my second straight week of watching Kunz and Rice Lake, and the junior again impressed. He wasn’t needed as much on the ground, but still showed he has the speed, vision, and playmaking ability that makes him an effective dual threat at the HS level. During their State Championship victory Jakob stepped up as a passer. He pushed the ball downfield with touch and accuracy. His play action fakes made the defense bite hard and leave guys running open downfield multiple times. That includes the TD pass to start the game where his WR didn’t have a man within 15 yards of him coming out of the play fake. I’m excited to see Kunz next season as he leads Rice Lake on an attempt to repeat.