GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — It’s a must-see matchup for the high school football Division 2 state title game on Friday.
(13-0) West De Pere taking on (13-0) Notre Dame. Two teams in the FRCC, the Tritons in the south and the Phantoms in the north.
“Really familiar with all those kids, so it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be a battle,” said Phantoms quarterback Patrick Greisen.
For Phantoms head coach Chris Greisen, this game is a full-circle moment as he began his coaching career with the Tritons.
“In ’03, my first year there, we won a state title there, so it was pretty special,” he said. It was pretty cool.
His squad knows they aren’t bringing home a gold ball unless they stop Tritons star running back Kingston Allen — who broke the Wisconsin single-season rushing touchdown record this year and has the rushing yard record in his grasp.
“You know, wrap up and then try to get as many people to him as possible,” the Phantoms head coach said about stopping Allen. “They’re really good. They’re really talented. You know, if we can hold those gaps as long as we can, I think we’ll have a chance.”
But West De Pere has their own running back who can make some noise. Senior Ryan Lutz has over 2,200 total yards and 30 touchdowns.
“Ryan Lutz has been a stud for us,” said Greisen. “He is the most humble, hardworking kid that you will ever meet.”
Quarterback Patrick Greisen, who is committed to South Dakota, holds a few records of his own — including the most touchdowns ever thrown in Wisconsin history.
“He’s a great leader. He’s very disciplined,” Lutz said of his QB. “He just does everything right.”
And Greisen just wants to bring home a gold ball for his dad.
“I’m going to play this game for him — this is for him,” Patrick said.
The Tritons, who won the D3 title last year, haven’t lost a game in two years, and on Tuesday, they were preparing for the Phantoms at the Don Hutson Center.
“Us meeting in the state championship game feels kind of like a final boss type game,” Allen said. “It's just going to be a great feeling getting out there against some of the best players in the state, and it should be a great game for the fans as well.”
Kingston Allen has left his teammates and coach awestruck in what he can do. It's also caught the attention of NCAA Division 1 FBS programs. In their four playoff wins, he’s averaging 377 yards per game and has 25 touchdowns.
“He steps up to the challenge, and we couldn’t have pulled him out of those games if we tried to,” said Tritons head coach Mike Rader. “To see him step up as the stage keeps getting bigger and bigger is pretty cool.”
Tritons defensive lineman Jack Warden grew up playing with Patrick Greisen, so in order to stop him, they need to bring:
“Pressure,” Warden said. “Just get after him and limit what he can do.”
New division, same mission — with many players from the 2024 title team on this year’s squad. They know what it takes to win it all.
“Our kids know what the joy of victory is from our experience last year. It can be addictive, and they all want to get back there (to win it),” said Rader.
Kickoff between these two is at 1 p.m. at Camp Randall on Friday.
