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WSN Spring Football Awards: Offensive Skill Player Finalists

05/14/2021, 11:00am CDT
By Travis Wilson

Waunakee quarterback Quentin Keene

Wisconsin Sports Network will be recognizing spring football players in this unique season with WSN Spring Football Awards. Similar to our normal WSN Senior Football Awards, the spring awards will recognize the outstanding players around the state. However, these awards are open to players from all grades, not just seniors.

Over the course of the season we will provide watch lists, semi-finalists, finalists, and winners for the following categories: Offensive Skill player, Offensive Lineman, Defensive Player. The lists have been trimmed down to five finalists, with winners announced next week.

Preseason Watch List
Semi-Finalists

WisSports.net Spring Football Offensive Skill Player Finalists

Gabe Finley, DeForest

Gabe Finley was a three-year varsity running back at DeForest, accumulating 2,979 yards in his career with 39 touchdowns. A big part of the team's Division 3 state championship in 2019, he helped the Norskies to a 6-1 mark this spring and number seven ranking in the final WSN Large Schools Coaches Poll. he averaged 127.4 yards per game this year, going for 892 yards and 10 touchdowns on 133 carries. He also accounted for three, two-point conversions, caught a score, and threw a touchdown on a halfback pass.

Caleb Frazer, Kimberly

Despite battling injuries this season, Caleb Frazer put together another productive season for the Papermakers. After a junior campaign that saw him rush for 1,558 yards and 34 touchdowns, he went for 963 yards and 14 scores as a senior, upping his yards per game number to 137.6. For his career he finished with 3,320 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Quentin Keene, Waunakee

Quentin Keene stepped in as the primary quarterback during the 2019 playoff run after Caden Nelson was injured and showed enough that the team decided to give him the full-time job this spring, with Nelson moving to a very successful stint at running back. Keene completed 78.2% of his passes for 1,112 yards with 18 touchdowns and three interceptions, good enough for a 144.0 passer rating. He struggled in the first half of the season finale against DeForest, throwing three interceptions, but really hit his stride in the second half and lifted the Warriors to a victory, ultimately finishing with 242 passing yards and three touchdowns. In six games this year, he had a perfect passer rating in three of them and a passer rating over 148 in two others.

Kyle Walljasper, Fond du Lac

Fond du Lac quarterback Kyle Walljasper simply could not be stopped in a dominating spring season for both he and the Cardinals team. He led the state with 1,467 yards and 21 touchdowns on just 77 carries, as he averaged an absurd 19.1 yards per attempt. He ran it more this year than 2019, when he threw for more than 1500 yards, but still completed 63.2% of his passes for 769 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished his career with 2,456 passing yards and 26 scores to go with 2,829 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. Of course, the pièce de résistance came in the final game of his career when he ran for 306 yards and five touchdowns on 15 carries to go with 83 passing yards and a score in a 71-47 domination of Kimberly.

Ben Wellhoefer, Omro

Omro's Ben Wellhoefer was one of the top two-way players in the state and certainly received consideration on defense as well. However, his impact on offense was significant, as he finished second in the state in rushing, going for 1,294 yards and 20 touchdowns on 116 carries, averaging 11.2 yards per attempt. The team's quarterback, he also threw for 285 yards and five scores as the Foxes finished the season unbeaten and ranked number one in the final WSN Small Schools Coaches Poll.


About the Author

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.

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