Scariest Athletes in the Playoffs

Happy Halloween! In honor of the holiday we are here to talk about some of the "scariest" athletes still taking the field on Friday nights as the WIAA Playoffs roll on. Whether it be an elite athlete with the ball in his hands, a massive OL/DL, hard-hitting LB, or surgically accurate QB there are plenty of student athletes that will be taking the field this Friday who will have fans, players, and coaches worried about how they will contain or attack them. Let's talk about these nightmarish matchups.    If you want to talk about scary student athletes to go up against you have to include the Bay Port QB. Matt is a 6'4" 210 lbs senior QB who can pick you apart with his arm, and put the ball anywhere on the field with accuracy and with the velocity required of the throw. As if being one of the best passers in the state wasn't tough enough, the huge QB can also kill a defense without releasing the ball. Matt has the speed to be pick up the big chunks of yards with his legs. He isn't going to go down without a fight either. The '26 QB is going to lower the shoulder and use every bit of power he can generate from that 210 lbs frame and try to run over the defender.   The senior has proven how terrifying it can be to gameplay and play against him. So far he has amassed 1,486 passing yards, 605 rushing yards, and 26 total TDs. The size, arm talent, and athleticism have produced for years and already have a D1 ring on the resume. This is one of the scariest matchups left in the playoffs.     When looking at RBs still in the playoffs your eyes should quickly turn to New Richmond's [player_tooltip player_id='1647055' first='Austyn' last='Wittek']. The junior RB already holds offers from NDSU and North Dakota thanks to the dominance he has displayed this season. That dominance can be illustrated by his 1,674 rushing yards, and 27 TDs to this point of the season.   Austyn would be the outcome if I were to put parts together, like a Frankenstein, to build a dominant WI HS RB. A strong, muscular frame with a strong burst to top speed, and a second gear that can pull away in the open field. Wittek is equally powerful and balanced. The junior makes you earn every single tackle and rarely goes down 1 on 1. He requires gang tackles, he requires you to contain him the second he touches the ball, and even when you do that the playmaker still finds ways to create the big play. Scary to go against.     What a career the Arrowhead LB has been building over the past few years. He is a leader on and off the field, perfectly personifying the QB of the defense mentality. The senior has the football IQ to beat you before the ball even snaps. He is so quick to read and react, closely violently and fast, and hits with bad intention. Foley brings that scary combo required to star as a 3 down LB. Athleticism and agility to drop in coverage and the power and tenacity to shed blocks and run between the tackles.   To this point the nightmare inducing LB has 93 tackles, 13 TFLs, 1 FF, 2 FRs, and 5 sacks. The senior LB feels like he is everywhere all at once and you can't get away from him. A special talent, and a terrifying athlete to face off against.     We have talked about some scary athletes so far, but Dustin might be the scariest of the group. With the others you need to find ways to get them off the field. They can't hurt you on the sideline. With the 2027 WR/DB you can't get away from him as he stars on both sides of the ball. The elite athlete checks every box to dominate both ways. Elite range and speed that is only further boosted by a high football IQ. The junior has elite ball skills to be able to go up and make a play with perfect timing on either side of the ball. Then with the ball in his hands he becomes a whole new elusive, and explosive athlete.   To this point we have watched Dustin pile up 20 receptions, 597 yards, and 6 TDs on offense to go along with his 19 tackles, 8 PBUs, and 5 INTs. The junior also returned 2 of those 5 INTs for scores. If you let the ball get in his hands... good luck.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Reece and [player_tooltip player_id='1335695' first='Hunter' last='Mallinger']</h2>   We had to go with a duo here because what is scarier than one 6'5" 285+ lbs OT? Two of them. Scarier than that? Make them Power 4 level recruits. Recruits that are absolutely massive, yet move swiftly to win the leverage and positioning battle. OTs that have everything working together perfectly from a technical standpoint to maximize the strength in those massive frames. We are talking scary strength that can ruin your Friday. These two monsters are able to punish DL and control exactly where those DL end up. That is all just the run game. The bookend beasts on the Hamilton OL can also move extremely fluidly in pass pro and then drop their anchor and let DEs/Edges run into brick walls.   The dominance, along with the help of the rest of their OL, has helped to generate outstanding offensive numbers. Nearly 2,200 passing yards, and nearly 1,800 rushing yards and 50 total offensive TDs. The Hamilton Sussex OL is a scary foe to take on for 48 minutes of football.    We have talked about some scary athletes to this point in the article. A dual threat QB. A dominant two-way athlete. Bode is both of those. He is also an underclassman and that might be the scariest part. That teams still have two more years of facing off against the QB. The physical tools are enough to fuel nightmares too. Bode runs hard, ripping through arm tackles and then showing off the wheels to beat angles in the open field. He runs the ball like an RB, but he throws like a legitimate QB. Bode can naturally drive the ball into spots for his guys to catch and run efficiently.   If that offensive dominance wasn't enough we even see him play a bit of defense too. The total stat line for the 2028 includes 1,608 passing yards, 1,048 rushing yards, and 34 TDs. On defense he has piled up 25 tackles, 1 FR, 1 PBU, and 2 INTs.     In 2024 we saw Green Bay Notre Dame win State on the back of an elite season long RB performance. You would expect with the graduation of that athlete the team may take a step back. The scary part is that they may have gotten better at the position. Kingston has come in and absolutely dominated on a weekly basis. He handles the massive workload with ease and seems to get stronger as the carries go up. He brings elite vision, balance, and acceleration to the backfield aiding him in getting to open grass where he can easily outrun the field. Kingston does runs angry too and dares defenders to step in front of him when he gets rolling downhill.   The numbers are as elite, and scary, and the talent on the field. 2,172 rushing yards, 38 TDs, and averaging 10.6 yds/carry on the season. Meaning every time he touches the ball it is probably a first down, and he touches the ball a ton. No team has figured out how to slow this beast down, yet. I can't wait to see his next week of tape.     Another nightmare-inducing athlete still alive in the playoffs is our WR1 in WI. Lamont is an absolute game changer. With just a handful of touches or receptions he can change a game. We saw him do it last season on the way to one of the best Championship performances we have ever seen. We have seen it again this entire season. Elite speed, outstanding quick twitch agility, balance, burst, and elite ball skills. With the ball in his hands Lamont has a special knack for finding soft spots or blocks or the right angle to beat defenders and create fireworks.   On top of it the Minnesota Gophers commit also flies around on the backend on defense providing a great last line of defense as a tackler and also making even more plays on the ball. You have to know where this kid on every snap. It is a terrifying matchup for defenses. The senior has 50/840/12 receiving along with 31 tackles, 6 PBUs, and 4 INTs.     The scariest passing offense to go up against in the state is still in pursuit of a State Championship. West De Pere has been putting up elite numbers through the air thanks to the scary arm talent of [player_tooltip player_id='948097' first='Patrick' last='Greisen']. The senior has checked every box over the past two years. Clutch, pinpoint accurate to every blade of grass on the field, an arm that can drive the ball and an understanding of when he needs to drive the ball or float it into his receiver. Patrick is extremely technically sound, from his footwork to his release. He is poised and does a great job of keeping his eyes downfield, and going from read to read.   The elite talent has churned out 2,833 passing yards and 37 TDs through 10 games. He is also completing 70% of his passes. That is an unreal percentage considering he has already thrown the ball 275 times in 10 games.     Jackson is a terrifying matchup for high school defenses. The senior is a legitimate talent who could play WR or RB at the next level. We have seen Jackson completely take over games the past couple seasons. His speed can flip the field on any carry. His has excellent vision and patience and that has made it so Jackson doesn't face defenders until he is into the second level. Jackson can also go from attacking edges with his speed to stretching the field vertically as a receiving threat.   The senior only has a 8 receptions, yet he has nearly 250 receiving yards while averaging 30 yds/reception. On the ground Jackson has compiled 807 yards and 10 TDs on 74 carries. The senior is averaging a first down every carry and a TD every other reception. The senior is a scary athlete to try and matchup against.     Another elite QB talent that is a terrifying matchup for high school defenses is junior [player_tooltip player_id='1226894' first='Tyler' last='Wollin']. The 2027 has piled up elite numbers. 2,471 passing yards and 38 TDs compared to 1 single INT. Tyler also has 102 rushing yards and another TD.   The TD:INT ratio is a great indicator of the smart decision maker that Tyler is. Once he picks his spots the junior further protects the ball with his elite control over his ball placement, illustrated by his 66% completion percentage. On top of the mental parts of the position, Tyler has the physical gifts too. A growing frame with prototypical mechanics that maximize accuracy and also arm strength to hit windows at every level of the field. No doubt, Tyler is one of the scariest passers to have to face off against in WI.     The Iowa commit is one of the scariest athletes to see across the formation from you. He is committed to play WR at the Power 4 level, but he plays QB for Winneconne. So you have to prepare for a 1400+ yard passer who is even more dangerous when he isn't throwing the football. It is a nightmare position to be in. Trying to cover every inch of the field vs an elite athletic talent who has ran for 800 yards and 18 TDs to go along with the 1,400 yards and 14 TDs through the air.   Brody shines with the ball in his hands. Elite speed and short area burst and agility that can create space and something out of nothing. The playmaker is a walking. highlight reel and a weapon that is able to put the defense in the wrong position on nearly every snap. If you want to see an exciting show you have to tune into Winneconne games.

Happy Halloween! In honor of the holiday we are here to talk about some of the "scariest" athletes still taking the field on Friday nights as the WIAA Playoffs roll on. Whether it be an elite athlete with the ball in his hands, a massive OL/DL, hard-hitting LB, or surgically accurate QB there are plenty of student athletes that will be taking the field this Friday who will have fans, players, and coaches worried about how they will contain or attack them. Let's talk about these nightmarish matchups.