WIAA State Finals: Best RB Performances

We continue our look through the top performers of the WIAA State Championship Games with a look at the RB position. This group of talent gave us some unbelievable performances. Performances that changed games, took over games, and won games. Performances that rewrote the record book and performances that should grab the attendant of college recruiters. The athletes in today's article all have the talent to develop into college RBs, if they aren't at that level already. Dive in and make sure to check out all these studs. There are even a few 2025 steals to go and get! Enjoy!    Stats: 39 Carries, 408 Yards, 5 TDs, 1 Reception, 13 Yards   Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1180699' first='Christian' last='Collins'] put together what may be the greatest individual performance we will ever see at a State Championship Game. He set the record for rushing yards in a Championship Game for all divisions and also set records in attempts and TDs for the D3 Game. The outstanding day did a fantastic job of showcasing his talents. Behind the line he is a patient runner with the burst to attack the hole as soon as it opens. Once he attacks, Christian can win with speed or power. The senior will run behind his pads and rip through arm tackles without getting knocked off balance. His balance and low center of gravity allows him to pile up yards after contact. Christian also proved that he has enough speed to play at the next level. He was able to run away from a lot of speed on the defensive side of the ball for huge chunk plays and long TD runs. The senior needs to be on your radar. He is a massive steal and still looking for offers. Check him out!     Stats: 24 Carries, 241 Yards, 3 TDs, 2 Receptions, 29 Yards   Junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1801490' first='Brady' last='Moon'] was the workhorse behind Bay Port bringing home their fruit ever State Championship in football. Bay Port went to the junior early and often and Brady wasted no time rewarding them for the carries. He ripped off his very first touch for an 80 yard TD and from there he was off to the races. All night long the junior RB dominated by using his vision to set up blocks and cut back against the grain at perfect times. Brady's vision jumped off the field as he always seemed to find the lane or the block at the perfect time. Then he would be able to use his explosive acceleration to attack those seams and hit his top end speed to pull away for the highlight reel worthy runs. Moon was an electric athlete with the ball in his hands this game and this season. He is someone to get on campus this offseason.     Stats: 29 Carries, 216 Yards, 3 TDs, 1 Reception, 8 Yards   One of the biggest risers this season and top performers at State was senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1529590' first='Taylor' last='Schaumberg']. You can expect to see that ranking make a massive leap in the coming weeks as we update the rankings. The heavy workload back has dominated the season with well rounded attack. Taylor was able to make the game changing big play with his vision, burst, and open field speed. He is a natural athlete who made the defense pay every chance he could. Taylor can be used inside and outside too. Between the tackles, the senior plays with excellent patience and has a great feel and instincts for when to attack and when to let things develop. The workhorse senior is still uncommitted, so give him a look!     Stats: 24 Carries, 137 Yards, 1 TD   For the second week in a row we were able to watch Brooks and for the second week in a row he impressed. The junior RB sparked the Stratford offense on the way to a D5 State Championship. The junior has a surprising skill set. At 5'11" 165 lbs he was able to make a lot of plays with his speed, agility, and elusiveness. That is what you would expect from a change of pace sized back. Where Brooks is different is the 165 lbs RB also showed that he wasn't afraid of contact and creating yards. Multiple times he stuck his face into traffic between the tackles and was able to muscle his way out the other side or at least move the pile in a positive way. I'm excited to see him back on the field and working towards another Championship in 2025.     Stats: 29 Carries, 137 Yards, 1 TD   A senior steal in the backfield is Taden Holldorf of Baldwin- Woodville. Taden thrives on the physical side of the position. When the 5'10" 180 lbs bowling ball can get a head of steam he is a load to bring down. The senior runs behind his pads with a low center of gravity and usually is the one delivering the hit when he meets the defender. Holldorf always seems to fall forwards too. He is a tone setter that punishes the defense. However, when he gets the chance, Holldorf also shows some game breaking speed that has allowed him to make the big play all season long. Taden had to earn a lot of yards during the D4 Championship game, but he was up to the challenge. Check out the uncommitted senior!     Stats: 8 Carries, 53 Yards, 1 TD, 1 Reception, 48 Yards, 1 TD   We started the season watching Jackson and Muskego, and we ended the season watching them in Madison. Both times I came away impressed by the junior RB. Jackson is the change of pace, spark to the Muskego rushing attack. His speed allows him to get the edge quickly and then get upfield where he can beat pursuit angles for big plays. As you can see, Jackson only needed 9 touches to find the endzone twice to get Muskego back in the D1 State Championship game. Niemiec is an elusive runner thanks in part to his lateral agility and also thanks to his burst and vision. The junior is able to see the field very well with the ball in his hands and find the paths of least resistance to attack. A big senior season is on the way after the off-season and camp season.     Stats: 22 Carries, 68 Yards, 2 TDs, 3 Receptions, 19 Yards   Yards were tough to come by for the Grantsburg rushing attack, but luckily they have a senior RB who doesn't shy away from earning the tough yards. Ian has a powerful frame supported by a strong lower body so that he can churn his way through contact and push the pile in his favor. Ian was a downhill rusher during the State Finals who was able to quickly find lanes to hit. I was also impressed by his play out in space as a receiver. Ian has natural hands and was able to quickly burst upfield after catching the check down or screen. The well built senior RB offers some three down versatility with his inside/outsid running and receiving abilities. Don't sleep on the senior talent still available, including Ian.     Stats: 12 Carries, 44 Yards, 1 TD   A junior RB to keep your eyes on is [player_tooltip player_id='1220696' first='Kobe' last='Hendricks']. Kobe didn't have a massive day numbers wise, but he stepped up when needed most. His tough running between the tackles helped Slinger stay balanced in their offensive attack and forced Rice Lake to have to quickly read run or pass on every snap. Kobe did well in short yardage scenarios including his TD run and a two point conversion. He was able to churn his legs until he crossed the goal line. Kobe also uses that strong lower body to have some explosive lateral movement while working through tight quarters. I'm excited to hopefully cross paths at camps with Kobe this summer heading into his senior season.

We continue our look through the top performers of the WIAA State Championship Games with a look at the RB position. This group of talent gave us some unbelievable performances. Performances that changed games, took over games, and won games. Performances that rewrote the record book and performances that should grab the attendant of college recruiters. The athletes in today's article all have the talent to develop into college RBs, if they aren't at that level already. Dive in and make sure to check out all these studs. There are even a few 2025 steals to go and get! Enjoy!