Green Bay’s Kingston Allen named Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year

GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Notre Dame Academy junior running back Kingston Allen has been named the Gatorade Wisconsin Football Player of the Year, adding another accolade to his record-setting season on and off the field.

Allen rushed for 3,436 yards and 57 touchdowns this year — both single-season state records — while leading Notre Dame (13-1) to the Division 2 state championship game. He added 1,741 yards and 27 touchdowns during the Tritons’ five-game postseason run. He was also the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association co-Offensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-State selection.

Notre Dame Athletic Director Matthew Koenig said the honor puts Allen in special company.

“If you look through the history of the award and go from state to state and you see guys like Peyton Manning and Joe Burrow. Melvin Gordon who played for Wisconsin. How special for our school to have a student athlete like that achieve that kind of award,” Koenig said.

Allen said the season felt unlike anything he had ever experienced.

“If I had to put this season into a couple words, I would say it was very exciting, very new to me. It was something I never experienced before. It was a great experience in general not only for me, but for team as well,” he said.

Allen, who has volunteered with Warming in the Heart and helped build beds for children through Sleep in Heavenly Peace, said his grandfather sparked his love for the game at age three.

“Now he's sitting at a nursing home at 94 years old. He loves to turn on all my games on their little two-by-four TV they have, and he's the only one in there screaming. He's like, ‘Go, go, go,’” Allen said.

Allen said getting to share this honor with his grandfather is always special.

“It's a lot nicer when I'm able to show him the paper. I'll bring the paper down to Manitowoc to his nursing home and show him that, look, grandpa, I'm in the paper. And he'll be like, ‘Oh!’ He loves to see that stuff,” he said.

Allen is the first Notre Dame athlete to win the honor and only the second junior in Wisconsin history to receive it. He is now one of 51 state winners in contention for the national award.

Still, Allen said his focus remains on team success.

“Anything to do to get this team to succeed. And as I said, if awards come with it, then that's just a blessing on top of it.”

With his junior season complete, Allen has already shifted his attention to track this spring and preparations for next football season.