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WSN15: Football Top Players #8 - Blair Mulholland, Kimberly

12/20/2017, 9:23am CST
By Travis Wilson

The WSN15 series will celebrate the 15th Anniversary of WisSports.net by looking back at the top players, teams, and moments of the past 15 years (2003-2017).

The Top 15 Players countdown is not a recruiting ranking and not indicative of what the players did after high school. It is a ranking of the top high school players, the impact they had for their team, and the dominance they displayed while in high school.

Top 15 Players: #8 - Blair Mulholland, Kimberly

One of the most memorable games in state history produced one of the most memorable performances from one of the most memorable athletes.

In the 2015 Division 1 state title game, at-the-time two-time defending champion Kimberly trailed Arrowhead 42-21 late in the third quarter, as it looked like the Papermakers' 41-game winning streak was about to come to an end. However, Blair Mulholland and his papermakers teammates would begin one of the greatest rallies in state history. Mulholland would carry the ball 23 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns and catch two passes for 22 yards during the closing stretch, including the game-winning one-yard touchdown with just 11 seconds left as Kimberly claimed a 49-42 victory.

Mulholland set new Division 1 state title game records for rushing yards (341), carries (46), rushing touchdowns (4), total touchdowns (4), and all-purpose yards (464).

It was a tremendous way to cap the season and career for Mulholland, who had shared much of the rushing load in his sophomore and junior seasons. 

As a sophomore in 2013, he did not record 10 carries in a game until Level 2 of the playoffs, playing most of the season as a backup to All-State running back JP Peerenboom. After Peerenboom went down with injury, Mulholland took over, rushing for 694 yards and 10 touchdowns over the final five games. He finished the year with 1,204 yards and 20 touchdowns on 126 carries to earn Honorable Mention All-Conference recognition.

As a junior, he split time with Evan Dux, as both earned First Team All-Conference. Despite missing two full games and most of another with injury, Mulholland finished with 1,589 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2014.

During his All-State senior campaign, Mulholland ran for 2,971 yards and 47 touchdowns on 310 carries, despite missing one game with injury. His yardage total places him third in state history, while his 47 touchdowns are the most in a single season in Wisconsin records. He was named the Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch Award winner by WisSports.net and the Associated Press' Player of the Year.

Mulholland would finish his career with 5,821 yards, which is the fourth-most in state history, along with 95 rushing scores, which is tied for third.

Recruited to South Dakota State, he would spend the 2016 season as a redshirt outside linebacker, before moving back to running back this year, where he rushed seven times for 35 yards for the D1-FCS semi-finalists.

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.

Tag(s): News Archive  News  Travis Wilson  WSN15