2025 State Championships: Sunday D3 + D7 Standouts

Two more State Champions have been crowned! So far today, we've seen Menominee and DeWitt win in convincing fashion. Watching most of the games through my binoculars in the press box, here are seven players who have stood out to me.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='563430' first='Traverse' last='Moore'] | DeWitt   Writing this with 8:28 in the 2nd quarter, Traverse has 11 carries for 219 yards and 4 touchdowns. He legitimately has a chance to break State Championship records in rush yards and touchdowns. Traverse ended the day with 461 total yards and 5 total touchdowns. Incredible performance that flirted with championship records!   IQ and speed are a dangerous formula. Especially in the first half, Traverse was given wide-open holes from his O-Line, and he took full advantage. Some of those big runs, Traverse simply knew where his hole would be, and his speed did the rest. Doesn't hurt that he's great at changing direction in the open field.   OT | Landon Fitzpatrick | DeWitt   As steady as they come. The best offensive line performance for DeWitt, and there were a lot of guys who played great. As I'm writing this, I just watched Landon make a phenomenal second-level block, paving the way for a 30-yard run. Today, Landon executed a number of key blocks- everything from simply blocking down to getting to the second level and eliminating a linebacker. Efficient day for the big DeWitt offensive lineman. I would like to see improved pad level and hand placement on some of his blocks, but it's hard to nitpick when you won the State Championship in blowout fashion. Amazing job from Landon!   OT/TE | Oliver Miller | DeWitt   I was happy to see Oliver out there in the second half. Utilized mainly as a blocking TE / extra lineman on the strong side of the formation. Oliver did a good job executing his blocks. Nothing too fancy- a handful of double-teams, a few down blocks, and some reach blocks. Nothing was extremely standout, but I was happy to see Oliver stay square, balanced, and drive through his blocks. Additionally, there were a few instances where Oliver pushed the pile, allowing his RB to earn extra yards. Considering Oliver's size, he could be a legit prospect as soon as this offseason.   ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='1682849' first='Riley' last='Olson'] | Mt. Pleasant   Although Mt. Pleasant fell to DeWitt, Riley played out of his mind. A defensive back, receiver, kick returner, and kicker. Receiving, Riley finished with 3 receptions (led team) for 41 yards (led team) and 1 TD. Defensively, Riley totaled 10 tackles, 0.5 TFL, and 1 blocked kick. Riley may not have missed a single play, and his presence was absolutely felt.   Specifically, Riley did a nice job filling gaps and limiting the explosiveness of the DeWitt offense. When DeWitt ripped a big play, Riley was usually right behind the ball carrier. Better discipline than most, and did a nice job avoiding blocks. Offensively, Riley found himself open on a few occasions, earning a step on a talented DeWitt DB via good footwork. Riley plays several positions, and he means a lot to this Mt. Pleasant program. I'm happy to see that he has a few offers, and he absolutely looks like a great D3 prospect.   QB/DB | Tanner Theuerkauf | Menominee   Tanner flew around the field today. He accounted for 170 yards of total offense, as well as 6 solo tackles and 1 PBU. Schoolcraft's offense struggled to stay on the field, and Tanner was a big reason why. On Schoolcraft's few run attempts, Tanner did an excellent job of working downhill and filling his gap. An excellent tackler in space, and excellent technique to wrap and drive. A few big hits defensively. As I alluded to earlier, Tanner was a major part of the Menominee offense. 7/11 passing, and a few absolutely beautiful deep balls. Tanner is an excellent leader, a fundamentally sound football player, and should be a college prospect.   DE | Zander Jurkiewicz | Menominee   A major disruptor. Zander consistently pressured the QB, and those pressures significantly impacted the Schoolcraft passing game. He was simply faster and bendier than the opposing offensive tackle. Amazing job firing off the ball, dipping, and pursuing the QB. Additionally, Zander had 5 total tackles and 2 balls batted down. His stat line truly doesn't demonstrate his impact on the game today.   In terms of recruiting, Zander has similar size and athletic traits to a few DEs I've seen earn G5 or D2 offers. I'm not saying he's a G5 player, but I am saying he's got a good shot to get recruited next offseason. Zander should strongly consider attending prospect camps in Wisconsin and Michigan in the Spring.   QB | [player_tooltip player_id='1157442' first='Jack' last='DeVries'] | Schoolcraft   Today, Jack went 12/26 passing with 2 interceptions. Not a great stat line, but I did see many positives. First off, Jack is likely the most talented passer in D6-D8. I love the consistent mechanics, big arm, and the ability to consistently hit his first read when open. Those positives showed up on tape all year, and they showed up today. I truly beleive that Jack's talent is good enough to earn college offers this Spring- He's excellent when unpressed and throwing to his first read. That said, Jack does need to improve his IQ and accuracy when pressured. Still a big believer in Jack, and I hope to see him at Ford Field next season.

Two more State Champions have been crowned! So far today, we've seen Menominee and DeWitt win in convincing fashion. Watching most of the games through my binoculars in the press box, here are seven players who have stood out to me.