Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Below are the rSchoolToday Athlete of the Week Nominees for this week. Voting is open until Thursday at 2:00 pm, so be sure to vote for who you feel is most deserving and spread the word. Users may vote once per day.

Since 1999, rSchoolToday’s all-in-one management tools have made managing athletics and activities offices easy for 11,000 schools. From scheduling to registration and trip requests, rST helps ADs finish their administrative tasks faster than ever so they can get back to making a positive impact in their community, away from their desk.

Butt had a record setting day as he helped lead Edgar to a WIAA Division 7 State Championship, defeating Black Hawk/Warren 36-6. The senior running back/linebacker was the best player on the field on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he carried the ball 20 times for 172 yards and five touchdowns. His five touchdowns set a Division 7 record for rushing touchdowns in a state game and tied the overall record regardless of division. Butt had touchdown rushes of 42, 4, 29, 20, and 4 yards. Not only did he dominate at his running back position, but defensively Butt had 15 tackles and an interception at linebacker and returned a punt 16 yards. 

Doyle played a near, if not, perfect game for Badger in the thrilling 34-33 Division 2 State Championship win over Waunakee. The senior quarterback ran the Badger's option attack and made almost every read perfectly, moving the ball consistently forward against the Waunakee defense. Doyle finished with 118 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. The Badgers offense had three ball carriers over 100 yards and finished with a Division 2 state record 454 team rushing yards. Doyle attempted two passes on the day, one being possibly his only mistake, an interception in the second quarter. The other was a 20-yard touchdown pass. Not only was Doyle surgical on offense, but he led the Badger defense with eleven tackles, leading Badger to its first ever State Championship in the football program's history.

Lane was exceptional from the quarterback position, leading Lodi to a 38-14 win over Luxemburg-Casco in the WIAA Division 4 State Championship game. The senior signal caller finished 11 of 16 for 220 yards and three scores through the air. He added 15 carries for 102 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Not only was Lane making plays on offense, but he was one of the better players defensively for the Blue Devils, finishing with seven total tackles and one interception.

Picking a nominee from the Division 1 winning Marquette Hilltoppers was the toughest for any state champion football team. Novotny gets the nod, though Michael Nigro and Murphy Monreal are both deserving. The sophomore running back quite literally put the team on his back on offense, carrying the ball 38 times for 167 yards and two scores as Marquette beat Franklin 27-10 in the final football game of the 2023 season. He added two catches for 40 yards and had a 13-yard punt return. Novotny helped Marquette win the time of possession 26 minutes to 19, as the Hilltoppers tallied 22 first downs in the game.

Plattner gave us one of the best stories of not just this year's football state championships, but any year in history. The foreign exchange student from Germany had not kicked a field goal all year for the Stratford Tigers, but was called upon twice in the final minute of the Division 6 State Championship game. His first attempt was blocked with 23 seconds left and the game tied 10-7. After a Darlington field goal, Plattner got one more opportunity on an untimed down from 32 yards out. Redemption was his as Plattner's kick was true and went through the uprights giving Stratford a 10-7 win and a Division 6 State title. Plattner then gave one of the best post-game interviews ever at the State Championships which can be viewed here.

Stone was a grinder on both sides of the ball as Rice Lake eked out a 28-20 win over Grafton in the Division 3 State Championship. The senior scored both of the Warrior's second half touchdowns, including a five-yard scamper into the end zone with 4:43 left in the game. He finished with 55 yards on 11 carries and the two touchdowns. Stone also had a game high 13 tackles on defense, adding three pass break ups and an interception. On Grafton's final possession, he had three tackles and broke up a pass on third and three.

White was tough to bring down as he powered an Aquinas rushing attack in the the 32-13 win over Wrightstown in the Division 5 State Championship. The junior running back had a work-horse type load of carries for an Aquinas team that set a team record for rushing yards in the Division 5 state championship with 381 combined yards. White carried it 32 times for the Blugolds for 240 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. He found the end zone once. White's performance was a big reason why Aquinas three-peated in Division 5. 

The Athlete of the Week is sponsored by rSchoolToday. It highlights the players who have "made a splash" in the world of high school sports each week. If you have a nominee for Athlete of the Week please send it to Colton Wilson. 

Since 1999, rSchoolToday’s all-in-one management tools have made managing athletics and activities offices easy for 11,000 schools. From scheduling to registration and trip requests, rST helps ADs finish their administrative tasks faster than ever so they can get back to making a positive impact in their community, away from their desk.