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It was a tale of two halves, but ultimately Bay Port scored its first-ever state title, as the Pirates held on for a 25-18 win over Muskego in the Division 1 state championship to close out the 2024 high school football season in Wisconsin.

It was all domination in the first half for Bay Port, who out-gained Muskego 259-20 and held a 18:06 to 5:54 advantage in time of possession. Bay Port had ten, first downs before halftime, while Muskego did not score a single one.

Bay Port started with a bang, as Brady Moon took the first play from scrimmage for an 80-yard touchdown, just the beginning of his dominating performance in the first half and throughout the game.

Muskego went three-and-out on its next drive, setting up Bay Port for an 11-play, 68-yard drive that Moon paid off with a four yard touchdown. 

After three consecutive three-and-outs to begin the game, Muskego's next drive turned out even worse. A Matt Stevens punt rolled 53 yards down to the Muskego one-yard line, pinning the Warriors in a precarious position. On third and eight, Bay Port scored a safety, tackling Jackson Niemiec in the end zone.

On the ensuing drive, Bay Port marched down and put additional points on the board when Beckett Koerten booted home a 19-yard field goal with just seven seconds left in the first half, giving the Pirates a 19-0 halftime advantage.

Muskego showed signs of life out of halftime, going on an 11-play, 65-yard drive into the red zone, but it fizzled out after a fumble by Jack Labisch. Bay Port would punt on the next possession, and Muskego finally got on the board when Jackson Niemiec caught a short pass from Joey Shaw and raced for a 48-yard touchdown. The conversion was good, and Muskego was suddenly within 19-8, despite getting thoroughly dominated to that point.

The glow didn't last long, however, as Brady Moon struck again for Bay Port on a 67-yard touchdown run, putting the Pirates back up by three scores.

Muskego refused to go away, however, continuing its strong second half with a touchdown drive capped by a 28-yard Jackson Niemiec run. Knowing that possessions would be at a premium and that they'd struggled to stop Bay Port, Muskego went for an onside kick with 11 minutes left in the game, recovering Gabe Walden's perfectly bouncing ball.

However, the Warriors could do nothing with the stolen possession, going three-and-out before punting the ball away. The Muskego defense stiffened after Bay Port made it into Warrior territory, forcing a turnover on downs.

Muskego got into scoring position on its drive, settling for a Gabe Walden 33-yard field goal to make it a one-score game. In a key moment after that score, Muskego burned a timeout deciding what to do on the kickoff before ultimately kicking it deep and trying to get a stop with 3:59 remaining, trailing by a touchdown.

While Bay Port did pick up a first down, Muskego was able to force the Pirates into a fourth and one from the Bay Port 39-yard line. Head coach Steven Jorgensen decided to be aggressive, going for the first down and the win, but Matt Stevens was tackled for a one-yard loss, giving Muskego the ball at the Bay Port 39-yard line, and one last chance.

A holding penalty and sack put the Warriors in a bind, ultimately facing a fourth and 30. The desperation pass fell short, and Bay Port was able to kneel out the victory.

Bay Port junior running back Brady Moon finished with 241 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries, while Matt Stevens added 70 yards on 15 rush attempts. Stevens also completed seven-of-nine passes for 82 yards, two of them to Moon for 29 yards.

Muskego's first half offensive struggles improved in the second half, but the Warriors were still limited to 203 total yards of offense. Jackson Niemiec ran for 53 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, adding a 48-yard touchdown catch. 

Bay Port takes home its first state title, after a runner-up trophy in its only previous finals appearance in 2019. Muskego's silver ball is the second in school history to go with state championships in 2018 and 2019.

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.