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The WSN 8-Player Football Awards were launched in 2016 to recognize the outstanding players participating in reduced player football. Awards presented will be Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. All players are eligible regardless of grade level.

Each year, a preseason Watch List will be produced, then narrowed down to five finalists. Winners will be announced the week after the 8-Player Championship.

These awards are not associated with any conference nor the WFCA awards, and are presented independently by WisSports.net.

Logan Hanson, Thorp - Hanson is a key part of a Thorp team that has advanced to the 8-player state championship game in its first-ever 8-player playoff appearance. He leads the Cardinals with 1,533 rushing yards, scoring 17 touchdowns on the ground with seven, two-point conversions. Hanson averages 8.5 yards per carry and 153 yards per game. He's also heavily involved in the passing game, catching 20 passes for 355 yards and four more scores.

Jared Kaufman, Three Lakes/Phelps - Kaufman was the most productive offensive player in the state this season as the Bluejays advanced to Level 2 of the playoffs. He threw for 2,130 yards and 35 touchdowns with just two interceptions, accounting for a 143.2 passer rating. He also ran for 719 yards and 12 touchdowns with 13 rushing two-point conversions. Kaufman even caught a touchdown this year.

Jared Schultz, Northwood/Solon Springs - Schultz had a big junior season, throwing for 1,323 yards with 16 touchdowns. He was also a big-time threat on the ground, rushing for a state-best 1,695 yards with 23 touchdowns. Schultz also accounted for 13 two-point conversions on the ground.

Braden Sitte, Gibraltar - Sitte set 8-player state records in back-to-back weeks earlier this year. In a 53-50 overtime win against Algoma, he booted a game-winning 42-yard field goal to set a new 8-player record. In a win over Wausaukee, he caught 12 passes for a state-record 399 receiving yards with six touchdowns. Sitte finished with 63 catches for 1,241 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ran for 379 yards and five touchdowns. Sitte also made three field goals.

Grant Smiskey, McDonell Central -  Smiskey was an extremely efficient passer all season for the Macks, who went unbeaten during the regular season and advanced to the state semi-finals. He completed 69% of his passes for 1,681 yards, averaging 13 yards per attempt. Smiskey threw for 19 touchdowns with a 141.6 passer rating. He added eight rushing scores as well.

Grant Vandervest, Algoma - Vandervest played in just seven games this year as the Wolves are ineligible for the playoffs due to their enrollment. He averaged exactly 200 rushing yards per game, going for 1,400 yards this season while averaging 8.8 yards per carry. Vandervest scored 20 touchdowns in those seven games. He also completed 67.2% of his passes for 583 yards and 10 touchdowns.

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.