Wisconsin high school football: Top 10 sectional final matchups

Sectional finals of the Wisconsin high school football playoffs are here, and we are putting the spotlight on the biggest games.


Badger (Lake Geneva) (11-0) at Muskego (10-1)

Both teams cruised to wins in their Division 1 Level 2 contests: Muskego beat Racine Case 34-6 and Badger defeated Middleton 31-7. Senior Jackson Niemiec (855 yards, 11 touchdowns) and sophomore Bryson Hoeffler (746 yards, 6 touchdowns) lead the rushing attack for Muskego. Defensively, senior lineman Max Sauer leads the way with 11 tackles for loss, including five sacks. Senior quarterback Matt O'Grady headlines Badger, compiling 1,749 yards rushing with 26 touchdowns and passing for 411 yards and five more scores. On the other side of the ball for the Badgers, senior lineman Brock Walser has a team-best 17 tackles for loss, including five sacks.

Hamilton (Sussex) (10-1) at Arrowhead (Hartland) (10-1)

In Division 1 Level 2 action, Arrowhead topped Brookfield East 31-29, while Hamilton routed Kimberly 35-10. Junior quarterback Nolan Hanson is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,646 yards and 16 touchdowns, and also has a rushing score. Hanson's top target is senior Ryan Heiman, who has 660 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Warhawks' running game is led by senior Jacob Siner, who has 1,017 yards and 11 scores. For Hamilton, junior quarterback Cole Erdmann leads the team with 19 rushing touchdowns (530 yards), while completing nearly 64 percent of his passes for 1,387 yards and four more scores. Other top performers are junior running back Brayden Schroeder (934 yards, 10 touchdowns) and junior wide receiver Alex Restivo (768 yards, 4 touchdowns).

Rice Lake (10-1) at Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay) (11-0)
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A couple of perennial powers meet in a Division 2 Sectional. Notre Dame (2024 Division 3 state champion) defeated Slinger 56-42 last week, while Rice Lake (2024 Division 2 state runner-up) posted a 51-34 victory over Wauwatosa East. Junior running back Kingston Allen finished with 509 yards, the second-most rushing yards in a game in Wisconsin state history, on 45 carries and found the endzone seven times. Through two playoff games, Allen has 986 yards and 15 touchdowns. For the season, he is 7th in the nation with 2,681 rushing yards and is among the national leaders with 46 total touchdowns. Two-way junior lineman Richie Flanigan, a Notre Dame commit, is a huge piece to the team's success. Defensively, he has six tackles for loss, including four sacks. Senior two-way player Grant Pacholke leads Rice Lake. He has thrown for 1,048 yards with 12 touchdowns, and has 476 yards on the ground with 10 more scores. On the other side of the ball, Grant leads the team with 87 tackles (42 solo), 15 for a loss, including two sacks. Another standout for the Warriors is senior running back Jack Larson, who has 1,339 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Monona Grove (Monona) (10-1) at Homestead (Mequon) (11-0) 
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In Division 2 Level 2 contests, Homestead shut out Elkhorn 36-0, and Monona Grove topped Germantown 28-14. Senior Connor Pangallo leads Homestead's rushing attack with 1,341 yards and 17 touchdowns. Other impact players include junior quarterback Lee Zortman (484 yards passing, 6 touchdowns; 834 yards rushing, 14 touchdowns) and senior running back Brady Hunt (723 yards, 12 touchdowns). Senior lineman Jamir Erving has compiled 15 tackles for loss with six sacks, leading Homestead in both categories. Monona Grove sophomore quarterback Jaxon Zukowski has thrown for 1,463 yards with 15 touchdowns and run for 314 yards with five more scores. Junior Makai Fowler leads the Silver Eagles with 806 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, senior lineman Nick Gallagher has 26 tackles for loss, including 15.5 sacks.

Union Grove (10-1) at West De Pere (De Pere) (11-0) 
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West De Pere is coming off a 42-21 win over Pulaski in a Division 2 Level 2 game, while Union Grove snuck past Nicolet 14-12 last week. Senior quarterback Patrick Greisen, a University of South Dakota commit, is among the state leaders with 3,062 yards and 40 touchdowns, while completing over 69 percent of his passes. His top target is senior Judeah Kniskern, who has 56 receptions for 973 yards and 15 scores. The third of the Phantoms' trio of standouts on offense is senior running back Ryan Lutz, who has 1,437 yards with 23 touchdowns on the ground and 372 yards receiving with three more scores. Union Grove's squad is headlined by senior Quintyn Martinez, who has 1,820 yards rushing with 24 touchdowns and two scores through the air.

Mount Horeb/Barneveld (Mount Horeb) (9-2) at Catholic Memorial (Waukesha) (10-1)

In Division 3 Level 2 contests, Mount Horeb/Barneveld rolled past Burlington 42-14, while Catholic Memorial topped La Crosse Logan 31-22. Sophomore quarterback Dalton Steinke has thrown for 1,784 yards and 26 touchdowns, and run for 230 yards and four more scores for Catholic Memorial, last year's state runner-up. Leading the receiving group is Dustin Roach, who has 685 yards and eight touchdowns. Roach also has five interceptions, including two returned for scores. Junior Devon Williams leads the way in rushing with 993 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Crusaders' defense is headlined by senior lineman Neeko Rodgers, who has 87 tackles (52 solo), 30 for a loss, including 11 sacks. Mount Horeb/Barneveld senior quarterback Brooks Hendrickson has passed for 1,931 yards and 28 touchdowns, and rushed for 272 yards and three more scores. His top target is senior Hayden Anderson, who has 47 catches for 630 yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior Jack Wilson impacts both sides of the ball. He has 144 carries for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns, and 12 catches for 190 yards and a score. Defensively, Wilson leads the team with 113 tackles (44 solo), 18 for a loss, including five sacks.

Baldwin-Woodville (Baldwin) (11-0) at Aquinas (La Crosse) (11-0)
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Last season, both teams fell to eventual Division 4 state champion Racine St. Catherine's in the postseason. Baldwin-Woodville in the state title game and Aquinas in a state semi-final. They both cruised to wins in Level 2, with Aquinas defeating Osceola 49-7 and Baldwin-Woodville beating Platteville 61-27. Senior quarterback Ryan Johnson has thrown for 1,848 yards and 24 touchdowns for Aquinas. The Blugolds' group of receivers is led by senior Logan Becker, who has 35 receptions for 585 yards and seven touchdowns. Defensively, senior William Flottmeyer has a team-best 16 tackles for loss, including 5.5 sacks. Baldwin-Woodville's offense is headlined by junior quarterback Joe Jensen, who has passed for 1,655 yards and 22 touchdowns, and rushed for 471 yards and 12 more scores. Senior Brody Everts makes big plays on both sides of the ball. He has 32 catches for 815 yards and 13 touchdowns, and leads the team in tackles (55) and interceptions (5). Another key two-way player for the Blackhawks is senior Dane Veenendall, who has 1,126 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns, and is among the team leaders in tackles for loss (12) and sacks (4.5).

Little Chute (10-1) at St. Catherine's (Racine) (10-1)

Racine St. Catherine's, the defending Division 4 state champion, topped Lake Mills 12-6, while Little Chute defeated West Salem 49-20 in Division 4 Level 2 games. Senior quarterback Eddie Vinson headlines Racine St. Catherine's offense. He has thrown for 2,056 yards and 37 touchdowns, which are among the state leaders, and has a team-high 578 yards rushing with five more scores. Vinson's top targets are seniors Lamont Hamilton (881 yards, 13 touchdowns) and Antoine Ozier (470 yards, 14 touchdowns). Little Chute does the majority of its damage on the ground, led by junior Reece Joten, who has 1,310 yards and 16 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Jaden Hermsen is second on the team with 728 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, along with passing for 462 yards and five more scores. On the other side of the ball for the Mustangs, senior James Thiel leads the team with 17 tackles for loss, including six sacks.

Freedom (10-1) at Winneconne (11-0) 
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In Division 4 Level 2 games, Winneconne defeated Altoona 28-6, while Freedom earned a 27-13 win over Wrightstown. Senior Brody Schaffer headlines Winneconne's squad. The University of Iowa wide receiver commit plays quarterback for the Wolves, passing for 1,507 yards and 14 touchdowns, and leading the team in rushing with 922 yards and 21 scores. Defensively, Schaffer has a team-best four picks with one going for a score. He also has two kick returns for touchdowns and a punt return for a score. Junior Ryan Quigley leads the group of receivers with 527 yards and six touchdowns. For Freedom, sophomore quarterback Owen Henkel has thrown for 1,916 yards and 15 touchdowns, while sophomore Axzil Eggert has a team-high 904 yards rushing with 10 scores. Another impact player for the Irish is senior Nixon Heinke, who is second on the team with 593 yards rushing and tied for the team high with 10 scores. He is also dominant on defense, leading the team with 105 tackles, 10 for a loss, including 5.5 sacks.

Mondovi (10-1) at Regis (Eau Claire) (11-0)
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The teams met in a Cloverbelt Conference game in early October, with Regis posting a 27-22 victory over Mondovi. Last week in Division 6 Level 2, Regis topped league foe Fall Creek 23-22, while Mondovi cruised to a 41-12 win over Bangor. Senior running back Brody Tarbox highlights Regis with 735 yards and 14 touchdowns. Defensively, senior Landon Semling has a team-high six sacks. Mondovi's squad is headlined by sophomore quarterback Bode Falkner, who has 1,734 yards passing with 19 touchdowns, and also leads the team in rushing with 1,084 yards and 16 scores. On the other side of the ball for the Buffaloes, junior Aiden Isaacson leads the way with 13 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks.