It’s the last day of the Wisconsin high school football season and it’s going to be a big one.
WIAA state-championship games in Division 1, 2 and 3 are Friday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
The action kicks off at 10 a.m. Here’s the schedule:
Division 3: Catholic Memorial (11-2) vs. Notre Dame (13-0), 10 a.m.
Division 2: Rice Lake (11-2) vs. Slinger (13-0), 1 p.m.
Division 1: Bay Port (11-2) vs. Muskego (9-4), 4 p.m.
We’ll have live updates all day. Be sure to refresh your browser for the latest.
Replay:WIAA high school football state-championship games Thursday
Notre Dame looked like it was poised to turn this into an early boat race. It ends the first half trying to slow down Memorial from tying the game.
Catholic Memorial is in the red zone at the 19-yard line, with MJ Mitchell finding Damyias Lopez for a 12-yard pickup. Mitchell up to 185 yards passing on 7 of 10 completions, not to mention another 31 yards rushing.
Here’s your all-time Division 3 title-game passing-yardage leaders.
We have 4:03 to go before halftime.
After coming down with another jump ball, this one for 37 yards, the Crusaders are on the Notre Dame 44-yard line and looking for more. Butler-Brown now has four catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.
He’s now 1 yard shy of the Division 3 receiving record. And again, we’re not to halftime yet. That record has stood since 1991 with Greg Gronski of Spooner. The all-division record is 173, set by Justin Peret of Arrowhead in 2015. I though Lamont Hamilton of St. Catherine’s might set that all-division mark yesterday after he re-wrote the Division 4 record.
Whatever Catholic Memorial did to adjust, it worked.
Christian Collins got another 8 yards, but he needed three carries to do it, making it 4th and 2 and forcing another punt from just beyond midfield. The Crusaders get it back at their own 16-yard line with just fewer than 8 minutes to go in the first half, down 21-14.
I’m starting to get the feeling there are a lot of swings still to come in this game.
Memorial held Christian Collins to two yards in two carries, then got a stop when the first pass of the game to James Flanigan was incomplete. After the punt (fielded inside the 5-yard line in a bit of an error), CMH needed two snaps to find the end zone.
MJ Mitchell threw a fantastic deep ball down the sideline while on the run, hitting Marvanous Butler-Brown in stride for an 87-yard touchdown. And hoo boy, does Butler-Brown have some speed to take it from there. It’s the fourth-longest passing play in state history and second longest in Division 3 behind Josh Ringelberg to Nate Miller of Greendale in 2013 (97 yards).
NOTRE DAME 21, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 14, 10:04/2nd
On 3rd and 10 after a penalty and blown-up play left the Crusaders facing 2nd and 22, Mitchell threw a pretty spiral down the field to his right, but it narrowly overshot Marvanous Butler-Brown, who was wide open and running free. Butler-Brown tried tipping it to himself and was almost successful, but it falls to the turf and the Crusaders have to punt it away.
And already, Notre Dame is across midfield. The Christian Collins show resumes.
It’s 21-7, Notre Dame, as time expires in the first quarter. Christian Collins has 118 yards on 12 carries.
With Christian Collins at 108 yards in the first quarter (on 10 attempts), here’s a look at the all-time rushing performances in the Division 3 state-title game.
The overall top performances include 362 yards by Steve Hougom of Westby in 1986 (Division 4) and the 341 yards of Blair Mulholland of Kimberly in an unforgettable 2015 final (Division 1). Nobody else in state-final history has 300 yards.
Oh wow, Notre Dame is on absolute fire.
On first down from the 29-yard line, Cayden Kiefert jumped the route and easily picked off Mitchell’s pass, with nothing but green in front of him. The pick-six has Notre Dame in cruise control with 2:41 to go in the first quarter. It’s two touchdowns in a span of two snaps, and the Crusaders are already in the danger zone.
NOTRE DAME 21, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 7
Christian Collins is already over 100 yards rushing, with 10 carries and 108 yards. But the last eight yards belonged to his brother, Jack Collins, who picked up the first carry of the game that went to someone other than his twin brother. It’s a touchdown, and Notre Dame has a touchdown lead with 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
Christian converted two third downs with long carries, including a 29-yarder and 18-yarder. Just an absolutely dominant performance in two drives thus far. Jack goes ahead and cashes it in.
NOTRE DAME 14, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 7, 2:51/1st
Christian Collins has still taken every snap for Notre Dame, including on third and 4, when he gained 18 yards into Catholic Memorial territory.
Nine carries, 77 yards and a touchdown and we still have 4 minutes left to go in the first quarter.
Before I type their names 100 more times today, take a look back at the Post-Crescent’s featureon the top 11 players in the Fox Valley/Green Bay area, including Notre Dame standouts Christian Collins and James Flanigan.
MJ Mitchell hit Damyias Lopez on a gorgeous quick route, and it took a speedy Jack Collins to save a touchdown on what became a 41-yard pickup, all the way down to the 12-yard line.
Two plays later, the Crusaders were in the end zone. Marvanous Butler Brown fought his way for some tough yards-after-catch inside the 5-yard line, and then it’s Jake Berkholtz who gets wide open in the end zone, and Mitchell finds him wide open, with a nice leaping catch to secure the football.
Honestly, the initial impression made me wonder if Notre Dame would simply overpower Memorial. But that answer certainly has me thinking twice.
It’s a seven-play drive that covered 67 yards in 2:23. The hook-up to Lopez for 40 yards was the biggie.
NOTRE DAME 7, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 7, 6:25/1st
After a three-and-out and Notre Dame scoring drive, CMH will begin this drive on the 33-yard line and try to give itself a bit of a restart. James Flanigan with a solid hit to send Marvanous Butler-Brown out of bounds on the kickoff.
On 3rd and 9 from the 34, MJ Mitchell nearly gets brought down in the backfield but escapes contain on the right side and takes it to the 47-yard line for a first down. The quarterback is one of the more exciting players in the Milwaukee area, and we’re seeing why.
Catholic Memorial already having problems bringing down Christian Collins, who already has more than 20 yards to become the state’s leading rusher in 2024. He also has a touchdown that pulls him alone into the state lead in that category, as well. That’s No. 38 on the season.
Collins bodied his way for 48 yards on four carries, the last of which went 25 yards to the house. Every snap went to Collins, and the Crusaders will need to find a lot more in the tank to bring him to the turf. It helps Notre Dame’s cause that James Flanigan is throwing blocks for him.
NOTRE DAME 7, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 0, 8:54/1st
There’s maybe an argument that Davon Williams, when he slipped in the end zone and his knee touched the ground for a touchback, was out of the end zone and then stepped back in, which could have been a safety. But it was simply ruled a touchback and the drive started at the 20.
It didn’t go far from there. A deep pass from MJ Mitchell downfield to Dustin Roach was broken up, and a couple running plays set up an early punt, and Notre Dame immediately as the ball at its own 45-yard line. Solid start for the Tritons.
I happened to be in attendance to see these teams square off in 2015 and 2016, with each team winning once.
Memorial outgained Notre Dame in 2015, 418-273, but a trio of devastating interceptions in the final stretch allowed Notre Dame to keep it close, then score a go-ahead touchdown with 3:07 to win, 19-17.
In 2016, the Crusaders got even, with a 24-14 win. Eric Fridl’s 44-yard interception return for a touchdown was a huge blow for CMH.
We are under way in Madison on Day 2 of state football, with the Crusaders starting at their own 20-yard line!
Notre Dame de la Baie Academy (I like saying the full name at least once) won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, so Catholic Memorial will receive the ball first when we get going in about 10 minutes.
The all-Catholic final is once again upon us! For the third time in relatively recent history, Notre Dame and Catholic Memorial will meet for a gold ball.
CMH had fallen by enrollment to Division 4 in the years since the two teams met in 2015 and 2016, but the Crusaders are back up to D3 because of the newly implemented WIAA success-based factor. We saw Stratford win a Division 5 title yesterday after being promoted from Division 6.
Notre Dame has one of the best players in the state, running back Christian Collins (the Large School offensive player of the year). CMH is no slouch, though.
Here are some nuggets before we start:
Thursday, I made it as far as Brookfield before I had to turn around. I think I made it to roughly Jefferson today in the amount of time it took to abandon ship yesterday. Much easier!
So today, we are in the Camp Randall press box getting set for the biggest three divisions at state football. All three games will feature Milwaukee-area presence, and I hope we have more fun after four games yesterday. I have trail mix. This is key to my personal sense of having fun.
Kickoff in a little more than 45 minutes.
Live broadcasts of all seven championships will air locally on:
WCGV My 24 in Milwaukee
WKOW 27.2 in Madison
WAOW 9.2 in Wausau
WXOW 19.2 in La Crosse
WQOW 18.2 in Eau Claire
WLUK/WCWF CW14 in Green Bay/Appleton
The finals will be streamed live on the stations’ websites and app.
Division 7: Edgar 19, Potosi/Cassville 0. Edgar (13-1) goes back-to-back despite racking up just 119 total yards of offense, ending the undefeated bid for Potosi/Cassville (13-1).
Division 6: Lomira 26, Grantsburg 19. Taylor Schaumberg ran for 216 yards and three touchdowns to lead Lomira (12-2) over Grantsburg (12-2) in a battle of first-time state finalists.
Division 5: Stratford 21, Wrightstown 6. Stratford (14-0) becomes the first program to win 10 WIAA state football titles, while Wrightstown (12-2) fell short in a state final for a second straight year.
Division 4: Racine St. Catherine’s 26, Baldwin-Woodville 22. Lamont Hamilton set three state-final records with four total touchdowns for St. Cat’s (14-0), and the Angels held off a furious rally from Baldwin-Woodville (12-2).
No. 1 Catholic Memorial (11-2) vs. No. 2 Notre Dame (13-0)
When: 10 a.m. Friday.
Road to Camp Randall: Catholic Memorial – beat No. 8 New Berlin Eisenhower 42-6, beat No. 4 Reedsburg 34-33, beat No. 2 Mount Horeb/Barneveld 17-14, beat No. 3 Wisconsin Lutheran 31-14. Notre Dame – beat No. 7 Pewaukee 50-7, beat No. 3 Port Washington 35-13, beat No. 1 Grafton 28-6, beat No. 3 La Crosse Logan 41-21.
Previous WIAA championship experiences: Catholic Memorial − 10th appearance; won 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 titles; lost 2001, 2010, 2015, 2022 titles. Notre Dame − 5th appearance; won 2003, 2015 titles; lost 2000, 2016 titles.
The matchup:
For the third time since 2015, Catholic Memorial and Notre Dame will face off with a state title on the line. The two programs split the previous two meetings, in 2015 with a 19-17 nail-biter for the Tritons and the Crusaders bouncing back the following year with a 24-14 victory.
It’s been a tightrope back to state for the top-seeded Crusaders, who have survived two of their four previous games by a combined four total points. Some of that late-game magic can be credited to superstar quarterback MJ Mitchell, who has accounted for 11 total touchdowns in CMH’s playoff run.
“It just shows that if you don’t quit and play as hard as you can on every play … don’t worry about the final score. Just worry about working the process, one play at a time and win those one-on-one battles,” Crusaders coach Bill Young said. “It just toughens up your kids mentally, and it just brings them all together when they’re all committed to one another.”
No. 1 Slinger (13-0) vs. No. 2 Rice Lake (11-2)
Road to Camp Randall: Slinger – beat No. 8 Brookfield Central 43-7, beat No. 4 Wauwatosa East 21-3, beat No. 3 Homestead 17-14, beat No. 1 Badger 35-28. Rice Lake – beat No. 7 DeForest 56-22, beat No. 3 Monona Grove 35-34, beat No. 1 New Richmond 28-6, beat No. 3 West De Pere 31-24.
Previous WIAA championship experiences: Slinger − 3rd appearance; won 1998 title; lost 1997 title. Rice Lake − 9th appearance; won 1979, 2017 and 2023 titles; lost 1980, 1982, 2004, 2014 and 2021 titles.
The matchup:
Slinger already knocked off reigning D2 champion Badger in its semifinal victory, but one more reigning champion stands in its way. The 2023 D3 champion from Rice Lake has weathered a competitive balance promotion to return to Camp Randall and earn its chance to repeat. While competing at the D2 level is uncharted territory, state football in Madison is anything but for Rice Lake head coach Dan Hill. This will be his fifth trip to state since 2014, all with the Warriors. He said avoiding distractions and treating state week like any other are keys to finding success.
“You have to make a very conscious effort, and sometimes that may come across wrong to some people, but I do everything I can to keep it as normal as possible and refer to just about everything else as a distraction,” Hill said. “Keep our eye on the ball and try to keep doing what we do.”Rice Lake has largely grounded and pounded its way back to a title game, rushing for at least 210 yards as a team in each of its four postseason games. On the season, running backs Lucas Peters and Connor Durand have combined for 2,056 yards and 22 touchdowns, with quarterback Jakob Kunz adding 1,969 total yards and 30 total touchdowns rushing and throwing. The Warriors may seek to keep the ball on the ground given Slinger’s propensity for the interception. Chase Leverance leads an opportunistic Owls secondary with eight interceptions on the season, with Kaleb Burkel and Matthew Retzlaff each adding four.
No. 2 Bay Port (11-2) vs. No. 4 Muskego (9-4)
When: 4 p.m. Friday.
Road to Camp Randall: Bay Port – beat No. 7 Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Arts 56-14, beat No. 6 Sheboygan North 61-12, beat No. 1 Marquette 35-21, beat No. 7 D.C. Everest 34-27. Muskego – beat No. 5 Oak Creek 42-7, beat No. 1 Franklin 42-14, beat No. 3 Neenah 21-7, beat No. 2 Mukwonago 16-14.
Previous WIAA championship experiences: Bay Port – 2nd appearance; lost 2019 title. Muskego – 4th appearance; won 2018, 2019 titles; lost 1994 title.
The matchup:
Two teams that each knocked out a finalist in last year’s Division 1 title game will square off in the final football game of the season Friday.
For the second time in the last five state tournaments, Bay Port and Muskego will do battle with the D1 title on the line. Muskego won the previous meeting in 2019 with a 21-10 victory over the Pirates to cap a back-to-back state title run. The Warriors aren’t the Warriors from those two title seasons, but they could still make history Friday. A win would mark the first time a team with four or more losses in a season won the D1 title.
It’s been an uphill climb for coach Ken Krause and his program since a five-week stretch when they went 1-4 and the hope of a playoff berth seemed unlikely for the first time in a long time. The Warriors got healthy late in the regular season after losing five starters, including four returners from last year’s squad. They’ve reeled off five straight wins to put them on the cusp of a third title in program history.
