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The Al Toon Award is given annually to the state's top senior wide receiver or tight end as part of the WSN Senior Football Awards. The award is named after former University of Wisconsin athlete Al Toon, who went on to play in the NFL for several very successful seasons before multiple concussions ended his career early. Toon is an active member of the community in the Madison area both in the business world and in various charitable endeavors.

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

James Flanigan is a returning All-State performer and an Offensive Player of the Year in the FRCC-South for a second straight season. He's caught 25 passes for 609 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, averaging nearly 25 yards per catch as a tight end. He's also a dominating blocker in the run game and once again a two-way First Team All-Conference choice. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish recruit is a big reason the Tritons are unbeaten and the FRCC-South champs.

Chris Kiel is a multi-year varsity player who is over 1000 receiving yards for a second straight season. This year he has 79 catches for 1,043 yards to go with 11 touchdowns, as he is averaging 13 yards per catch. He's also been involved in the running game with a couple of rushing scores. He has five games this season with at last 100 receiving yards for the unbeaten Vikings.

Kaden MacKenzie is an outstanding basketball player but more than holds his own on the football field. He's seen his role in the passing game increase quite a bit for the Warriors this year. As a senior, he's caught 55 passes for 1,000 yards with 13 touchdowns, as he's averaging 18.2 yards per reception. "Not only does his athleticism, size and competitiveness show up on big explosive plays, but Kaden does all the little things right as well," said head coach Chris Graverson.

Marion Moore is an outstanding two-way player who could have easily been a nominee at defensive back as well. He's one of the most explosive big play threats in the state at receiver, catching 32 passes this year for 917 yards with 13 touchdowns, averaging nearly 29 yards per catch with almost half of his receptions going for a score. "He's able to win 50-50 balls and was a big-play threat wherever he caught the ball," said head coach Austin Battaglia. "His breakaway speed forced teams to double team him and his ability to break tackles led to such a high yards per reception."

Brock Story saw little varsity action last season for the Phantoms but has seized his opportunity as a senior, really coming on in the latter part of the year. On the season, he has 67 catches for 1,184 yards and 15 touchdowns as the Phantoms played into the state semi-finals. "Brock is a guy who can run any route and catch any type of ball," said head coach Chris Greisten. "One of the smoothest route runners you will see. Not only is he smooth, but tough and fearless. Brock does it all, goes over the middle, out -ights defenders for the ball, can run option routes, and be able to know when a back shoulder throw is coming from our quarterback."

Blake Thiry is an interesting candidate, as I wasn't quite sure where to nominate him, as he lines up as a running back, wide receiver, and some as a traditional tight end. He's 22nd in the state in rushing with 150 carries for 1,607 yards and 30 touchdowns, but is also in the top 20 in the state in receiving yards with 36 catches for 909 yards and 14 scores. He's also a standout on defense, handles punting, is the long-snapper on field goals, and even dabbles on kick returns. He has committed to Indiana.

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.