WIAA State Finals: Dominant Two- Way Performances

There were a lot of standout athletes who made an impact on both sides of the ball during the State Finals in Madison. These two way athletes had a huge impact on how the games played out and while doing so also showed that they have the talent to play college football at some level. Today's group is probably the best position group from top to bottom, and college recruiters need to ensure that they have these kids on their radars if they are still uncommitted. Let's get into these studs!    Stats: 1/1, 10 Yards, 16 Carries, 45 Yards, 1 TD, 1 Reception, 8 Yards, 1 TD, 4 Tackles   Yards were few and far between for both team sin the D7 State Championship Game, but when they were produced it was usually junior ATH [player_tooltip player_id='948146' first='Maverick' last='Butt'] creating them. The junior scored a TD on the ground and through the air out of the backfield. He ran hard behind his shoulder pads and on multiple occasions made something out of nothing to keep drives alive and bring home the championship. Butt also stepped up on defense with some key tackles to hold the opponents to under 150 total yards.     Stats: 17 Carries, 77 Yards, 9 Tackles   I was excited to see the senior force in person, and Isaiah Groom delivered. He has a huge frame for the FB and LB positions and Isaiah played with the overwhelming power you would expect from that frame. As a runner, Groom showed a strong base to push the pile and a low center of gravity that allowed him to continually drive those legs until he was gang tackled. Groom also finished the year with a state leading 199 tackles, 9 of which came in this game. He is an instinctive LB who has the strength to shed blocks and the athleticism to chase down the ball outside the tackle box. Get eyes on the senior steal!     Stats: 10 Carries, 43 Yards, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards, 6 Tackles, 2 TFLs   Wrightstown's offense and defense has relied heavily on a few athletes over the past two seasons. One of them being RB/LB Aiden Humphreys. The senior is a physical athlete who can run between the tackles with violence, but also show off the long speed when he hits the open grass. On defense Aiden was excellent in his pursuit from sideline to sideline and was even able to get into the backfield on multiple occasions to throw off timing or make stops behind the line. Aiden is one of the more slept on athletes in 2025.     Stats: 9 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 4 TFLs, Blocked for 425+ Yards   Notre Dame has an impressively versatile athlete coming to town in 2025. The 6'5" 230 lbs TE/DE dominated on both sides of the ball without ever touching the ball. On offense we got a great look at his run blocking. James is able to quickly get hands on, gain leverage advantage, and drive those legs through his man and create a consistent push in the trenches. The senior is able to handle LBs or DLs and he has that mean streak like an OL when he finishes his blocks. On defense the senior was all over the backfield. James gave the Catholic Memorial passing game nightmares because he forced the QB out of the pocket and was even able to chase him down multiple times for sacks. Flanigan did it all in the championship game.     Stats: 5 Carries, 15 Yards, 4 Receptions, 96 Yards, 7 Tackles   Damyias was impressive out of the backfield and in the defensive backfield in the D3 Championship. Lopez was a legitimate mismatch as a receiving back. He was able to get downfield on wheel routes and easily track the ball and make the catch. He also showed that he was a dangerous threat after the catch, taking quick passes, making a man miss, and then getting upfield. On defense the DB was using that speed to fly around the field to chase down the GBND RB. The senior is still uncommitted. Check him out!     Stats: 14 Carries, 123 Yards, 5 Tackles   Connor is showing off his versatility in this game and year to year. Last year in the championship Connor showed off his receiving threat. This year the speedster was doing his damage on the ground. He was able to stretch the field horizontally then stick his foot in the ground and burst upfield as he weaved through the defense. His speed and vision gave him a big advantage. On defense the DB used that speed to attack and make tackles near the line of scrimmage from his DB position. The senior has tools to be an impact player at UW- Eau Claire.     Stats: 22 Carries, 82 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 Reception, 9 Yards, 9 Tackles   Lucas stepped into the FB role for Rice Lake this season, and delivered nonstop. He has become a strong runner with vision and lateral agility. When those three come together Peters is a serious problem to contain between the tackles as he punishes tacklers. Lucas also has the speed to break off the big play after he wears them down. On defense the LB has developed strong instincts from all his experience and does a great job of staying off blocks while coming downhill to make tackles. I'm excited to see what he does at St. Thomas in the coming years!     Stats: Starting OL, 5 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR   We finish up with a force on the OL and DL. On offense, Alex was a key member of the Bay Port OL that cleared the way for an outstanding rushing performance. A performance that secured the D1 State Championship. Alex is an outstanding OL recruit. He is quick, powerful, agile, and understands leverage. He checks so many boxes of what you look for in a D1 OL commit. That power and athleticism have also made him a force on the DL, controlling IOL, shedding with violence and making tackles. Warden is a force in the trenches that a team can lean on.

There were a lot of standout athletes who made an impact on both sides of the ball during the State Finals in Madison. These two way athletes had a huge impact on how the games played out and while doing so also showed that they have the talent to play college football at some level. Today's group is probably the best position group from top to bottom, and college recruiters need to ensure that they have these kids on their radars if they are still uncommitted. Let's get into these studs!