I guess this will be an annual blog, writing about updates to the Wisconsin High School Football records lists on the WFCA web site… State Records (wifca.org) The new updates have been sent to be posted so check soon for your review.
Many players were added, some were already on the lists but moved up and, regretfully, I again trimmed some of the lists from both the 11-player and 8-player lists. A prime example was the 8-player list for Single Game Touchdown Passes. It had originally had a listing of any player who threw five or more touchdown passes. Now, the new version of the 8-player forma has only been around for 10 seasons it was needed to start somewhere so I started with five touchdowns in a single game. However, when I added all the new players to the list that had tossed five or more, the list grew from 45 players to 58. That was a ridiculously long list. In 11-player the list is for seven or more (29). So, I cut the 8-player list to start at six touchdowns and now there are also 29 players named. I had liked showing so many five-touchdown efforts since it showed most of the brilliant 2013 season effort of Gibraltar’s Nick Kita who tossed for a total of 45 scores that season. He’s still listed having thrown seven in a game, but the old list had him with five more games of five touchdowns each. Anyway, the list was trimmed.
More about 8-player some records:
Mellen’s Tommy Zakovec tossed seven td’s (As well as running for three more) in the huge offensive outbreak in September as Washburn defeated Mellen 114-92. I received a copy of the HUDL film and although some of it is a bit hard to follow because of the camera angle and some of the game was somehow lost, it’s fun to view. Tanner Lewis of Clayton and Nick Webster of Siren threw six touchdowns to make the list.
See the October 10 blog for all the records…AN OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION IN THE NORTHWOODS (wihifootball.com) In this game Washburn’s Brenden Watson set an all-school (11 or 8-player) record with 651-yards and 10 touchdowns scored. He also added a record tying 10 2-point conversion runs.
I added a new category, Most Points Responsible For In A Game. With the great efforts of Watson and Zakovec I created this to highlight their efforts. In addition, I was able to go back and document the 2013 single game effort by Maranatha Baptist’s Jordan Garrison who, on an 84-76 losing effort to Wayland already had his name in the record book for tossing 9-touchdowns and scoring twice. Even though the scoring plays were not entered into WISSPORTS or the local newspapers the 2-point conversions were listed in MaxPreps.com. Thanks to Rob Thompson of Maranatha for finding the info and sending it to me. I was able to confirm that besides being involved in 11 touchdowns Garrison was also involved in four 2-point conversions for a third-place listing in the records of 74 points. Watson leads with 86 points and Zakovec is second with 76 points.
There are many more 8-player additions but I want to mention two more players in particular…Hunter Cronauer and Ryan Roy, both of Wabeno/Laona. The two ended their careers by surging to the top of the defensive tackle’s charts. They tied for most tackles in a season, 184. Career wise, Cronauer tops the list with 462 tackles. Roy ended up a close second with 460 career tackles.
Check out all 8-player the stats for more info.
11-Player Updates:
In another earlier blog I mentioned the performances of Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian quarterback Matt Breitenbach and receiver Noah Heinen. Matt made the single game passing yardage list with 468 yards and Noah set the single game reception record with 24 catches. He missed the single game receiving yardage record, taking those 24 receptions for 336 yards and four touchdowns. K/SL/C receiver Colin Girdaukas hauled in only seven passes in a 2020-Fall game for an incredible 339 yards to lead the listing and K/SL/C receiver Casey Verhagan in 2021 set the single game reception record when he had a big game hauling in 21 balls. They really like to throw the ball and develop great receivers at K/SL/C.
Last year I mentioned Colton Brunell from Columbus and this year he didn’t disappoint. After rushing for 2,221 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2021, he led his team to the Division 4 state title, going 14-0, rushing for 2,897 yards and 43 touchdowns. AND he’s only a junior!!!
With 5,118 career rushing yards and 78 overall career touchdowns he is 20th on the all-time career rushing charts and is very high on the career scoring list. He may not, with a comparable 2023 season, be able to pass up Random Lake’s Luke Hagel’s career scoring record of 802 points (Hagel scored 112 touchdowns, kicked 92 extra points, ran for 4 2-point conversions, and kicked 10 field goals). He scored 44 overall touchdowns in 2022. If he can duplicate that feat next year, he can tie for the all-time touchdown record. If the Cardinals can make it back to the finals again, he has a chance. He is only 1,815 yards away from passing up career rushing leader Tyler Tenner of Racine Lutheran. If he gains 2,000 yards next season, he could also become only the second Wisconsin running back to gain 2,000 yards in three separate seasons. Mike Firkus of Hilbert did this back in the 2000-02 seasons. I can’t wait for 2023.
Like Colton Brunell, Blake Schranfnagel of Mayville was mentioned last year and as a senior in 2022 he put up strong rushing and scoring totals…2,610 rushing yards and 43 overall touchdowns. He closed out his career with 5,734 career yards (Good for 11th place all-time) and 588 career points s cored (96 career touchdowns and six 2-point conversions…good for 9th place all-time). Blake was second in the state for scoring in 2022 with 262 points as Brunell nosed him out with 266.
Another new category: Most Points By A Team Overcoming a Large Deficit In A Game…was introduced. An earlier mention in a blog A BUSY TWO WEEKS FOR MANY (wihifootball.com). As mentioned in the story, Amory was down 52-20 to Somerset and overcame the 32-point deficit to win 62-58.
A number of players were added to the lists or moved up the records charts. We are finally coming out of the COVID period where games were cancelled and as a result, for the career lists fewer players reached the statistical heights they might have achieved had their full season and playoffs not been eliminated in 2020.
Special Notes:
Several schools faced the 2022 season with diminished numbers of players. I kept stats for Milwaukee Vincent this past year and there were few Milwaukee city teams that had enough players to even complete games. Some of this was the fact that Covid turned students off to the sport but for many it was failure to obtain passable grades. It’s a tough go for MPS.
Some other schools moved from 11-player to 8-player football at the last minute and one school, Delafield St. John’s, cancelled their varsity season and played only a JV schedule. That’s sad for the first Wisconsin high school that introduced the “modern” football rules in 1884. In fact, St. John’s was the first school…high school or college…west of the Allegheny Mountains (Western Pennsylvania) … to use the newly introduced rules, rules that schools in the east were using. St. John’s will probably participate in 8-player football in 2023.
As I mentioned earlier, Rob Thompson of Maranatha Baptist was just one of many who helped me by passing on information. Thanks, Rob.
My recent blog on MESSWOOD had an error and I thank Bradley Chopp let me know that some information about Shorewood football was incorrect. I can plead not wanting to go to the Milwaukee Public Library for exact information and using the internet for what I wrote. A minor mistake but a notable one…Shorewood was a charter member of the North Shore Conference in 1985 until they left in 1993. Why don’t I like going to the MPL to view microfilm? The film readers need updating. The ones in Cudahy, Waukesha and Oconomowoc are much newer and easier to use. My internet info had them in the Parkland.
When the playoffs began, I was surprised to see a team with a 6-2-1 record. It was the tie that stood out. I haven’t seen a school with a tie since 1972. I must have missed others having played to a tie, but this was a first for me. So, I inquired as to how it happened. In the season opener going into the fourth quarter Stratford was tied with Mosinee 20-20 when a lightning storm hit the area, The storm was to last until as late as 1am so they called the game. They could have resumed the next day, but they just called it a tie and the WIAA approved. Thanks to Kasey Smith of Mosinee as well as Craig Martens and Jason Tubbs for sending me answers to “Why the tie?”
In another blog series, Breaking Barriers…Part 2 (Oct. 26 posting), I featured a number of females from Wisconsin who had played varsity football. I occasionally post updates of my blogs on the WISSPORTS.NET High School Football section of the Forum. A guy who goes by the name “db11” posted a comment with links to a female who played for Newman Catholic named Lauren Fech who, in 2016, scored a touchdown and an extra point. It was October 7 in the second quarter against Greenwood that Lauren caught a 24-yard pass for a score and later, in the fourth quarter she kicked an extra point. The final score against Greenwood was 41-0 as Newman went 1-9 that year, their last in 11-player. In May 2017 she was named by WISSPORTS as the Bug Tussel player of the week… Triple Threat of the Week: Lauren Fech, Newman Catholic (wissports.net). Sorry I missed her for my blog but thanks for the heads up.
Mukwonago bunning back Wynn Stang was named not only to multiple All-State teams but also was named to the MaxPreps.com Wisconsin State Player of the Year... Wynn Stang named 2022 MaxPreps Wisconsin High School Football Player of the Year - MaxPreps. Also, check out MaxPreps other State Players of the Year...High school football: MaxPreps 2022 High School Football Player of the Year in each state - MaxPreps
Finally, I want to thank Travis Winkers of Darlington, William Trouten of Platteville and Jimmie Kaska of Boscobel who sent me records of their schools all-time won/lose records. They are great files and serve as very good historical documents.
HAPPY HOLIDAY’S and look for the blogs on the 1950’s and the 1990 St. Mary’s WISAA state champions coming soon.
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