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The Dave Krieg Award is given annually to the state's top senior quarterback as part of the WSN Senior Football Awards. The award is named after former D.C. Everest and Milton College athlete Dave Krieg, who went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL and ranked in the Top 15 all-time in most passing categories when he retired.

The pre-season watch list was trimmed down to 30 semi-finalists, and five finalists for the award have now been selected. Winners will be announced the week of the state finals.

Owen Fiedler is a second-year starter for Madison Memorial, taking a big jump in his senior season. He completed 66.3% of his passes for 2,371 yards in 2024, tossing 26 touchdowns with six interceptions, good for a 132.9 passer rating as the Spartans finished second in the Big Eight Conference. In a non-conference win over Waunakee that really opened eyes early in the season, Fiedler threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns. He had 434 yards and five touchdowns a few weeks later against Madison West. "Owen is able to throw any level ball and was the leader and captain of the highest-scoring team in the conference," said head coach Austin Battaglia."

Brady Hilgart saw limited action on varsity as a freshman, took the reins in a few games as a sophomore, then became the full-time starter in his junior campaign when he threw for 2,755 yards and 28 touchdowns in helping the Black Hawks to a Division 3 runner-up finish. He's continued to improve in his senior campaign, throwing for 2,1123 yards and 25 touchdowns, posting a 116.8 passer rating for the top-seeded Black Hawks, who won an outright Woodland Conference crown. "Beyond the numbers, Brady's leadership shines through in his execution of an offense characterized by intricate shifts, motions, and pre-snap movements," said Grafton offensive coordinator Luke Menzel. "His commitment to the game is unmatched, as evidenced by his tireless work ethic both on and off the field."

Joey Kallay of Franklin split time at the quarterback spot as a sophomore in 2022, then took over full-time last season when he led the Sabers to an unbeaten regular season and Division 1 state runner-up finish. In his senior campaign, he completed 63.3% of his passes for 2,230 yards and 32 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 12.4 yards per attempt. That's led to a 132.2 passer rating for Kallay, who has more than 6000 passing yards in his career with 64 touchdowns. "Joey is a tremendous young man with great work ethic," said head coach Louis Brown. "He does everything right."

Drew Kortz had a solid junior season for the Irish, throwing for nearly 1500 yards with 15 touchdowns. He's been one of the breakout performers in the state this season, helping Freedom to an unbeaten regular season and trip to the sectional finals. He's upped his completion percentage to 65.5%, throwing for 2,844 yards with 31 touchdowns this year, good for a 133.5 passer rating. He's also very involved in the run game, going for 774 yards and ten scores on the ground. "Drew’s growth as a quarterback and a leader from Junior to Senior year is undeniable," said head coach Charlie Jadin. "There were many hours spent preparing for this season behind the scenes. Drew is a joy to have in our program and is a role model for our underclassmen."

Jack Tubbs was extremely efficient last year as a first-year starter, completing 74% of his passes for 1,510 yards and 25 touchdowns against just three interceptions as the Tigers won a second straight Division 6 title. He's taken on an even bigger role this year, attempting 75 more passes than he did in 14 games last season. He's been just as efficient, actually increasing his completing percentage to 77.5% while throwing for 2,330 yards and 25 touchdowns with a 141.8 passer rating. He's added 12 rushing touchdowns as well. The Offensive Player of the Year in the CWC-Large, Tubbs is the school's record-holder in career passing yards and touchdowns as well as single-season passing yards and 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.