High School Blitz 2024: State championships, Slinger wins 2nd title
MADISON, Wis. - After 14 weeks and 14 games, all the 2024 Wisconsin high school football champions have now been crowned.
It all came down to Friday, the final day at state, as three local teams hoped to leave Camp Randall Stadium as champions.
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Division 1: Bay Port 25, Muskego 18
The Muskego Warriors took aim at their third state title, but it wouldn't be easy against Bay Port.
The Pirates set sail to a big lead in the first half, and Brady Moon was responsible for most of it – rushing for two touchdowns to give Bay Port a 19-0 lead at the half.
Muskego gathers after a loss to Bay Port in the 2024 Division state title game
The Warriors finally found some paydirt in the third quarter. Joey Shaw connected with Jackson Niemiec for a 48-yard touchdown to get Muskego on the board, and a two-point conversion made it a 19-8 ballgame.
However, the Pirates struck back as Moon broke through the Warriors' defense and raced 67 yards to the house to complete the hat trick: 25-8 Pirates.
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In the final quarter, Niemiec took a handoff, found a seam and was gone. His 28-yard touchdown run got the Warriors back within two scores.
They put up a valiant effort, but it wouldn't be enough for Muskego.
Division 2: Slinger 31, Rice Lake 30
The whole town of Slinger came out to watch the Owls fly into the Division 2 title game against Rice Lake. It was their first appearance at state since winning it all in 1998.
Right before the half, the Owls went for it on 4th and 3. Michael Thiede found Lucas Sonn for a 3-yard score to cut their deficit to three points at the break. Cole Martin's perfect day also helped the Owls; he booted a 38-yard field goal to tie the game at 24-24.
Slinger faces Rice Lake in the 2024 Division 2 state title game
Rice Lake took the lead in the fourth quarter, but a two-point conversion attempt was no good – and that was important later.
With five minutes remaining, Kaiden Walworth forced a fumble, and Landon Gehring recovered the football to put the Owls back in business.
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Thiede gave the crowd something to cheer about when he punched in a go-ahead, 2-yard touchdown. The extra point made it 31-30 Owls.
Slinger won its second state title in school history and its first in 26 years. Even better, Gehring joins his father, JJ, who was a fullback on the 1998 championship team, as the second Gehring to win a state title for Slinger.
Division 3: Notre Dame 49, Catholic Memorial 28
Coaching legend Bill Young and the Catholic Memorial Crusaders made their 10th trip to Madison, battling Notre Dame.
Catholic Memorial found itself down two scores in the second quarter, but watch out: MJ Mitchell went deep and hit Marvanous Butler-Brown in stride, and the senior kicked it into another gear for the 87-yard touchdown.
Later, Mitchell dumped it off to Jake Berkholtz who made a nice move. He plowed his way into the end zone from 11 yards out to tie the game at 21-21.
Catholic Memorial gathers after a loss to Notre Dame in the 2024 Division 3 state title game
The Tritons handed it over to running back sensation Christian Collins, and no Crusader could catch him; his go-ahead 41-yard touchdown gave Notre Dame the edge at the half.
Catholic Memorial tried to keep pace. Mitchell and Butler-Brown connected again, this time for a 16-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game. The duo had a record-setting day, but so did Collins, who was the difference for Notre Dame.
Collins' 408 rushing yards was an all-division state record, and his five touchdowns broke a Division 3 record.