The Green Bay Notre Dame football team has won 15 straight games since the beginning of last season to top the area rankings.
WEEK 1 RANKINGS
1. Green Bay Notre Dame (1-0)
The defending WIAA Division 3 state champion extended its winning streak to 15 with an impressive 27-20 win at Kaukauna, a team that is a favorite to win the Fox Valley Association.
Notre Dame has plenty of new faces in the lineup, but it again proved it will be the favorite in the Fox River Classic Conference-South.
The Tritons hope to return to a state title game, this time in D2 after being elevated in the offseason.
Up next: De Pere (1-0).
2. Bay Port (1-0)
The defending D1 champion kicked off its title defense with a 39-36 win over Middleton, a score that looks closer than it was for most of the night after the Cardinals scored 22 points in the final 7 minutes.
The Pirates will work to close out games better moving forward, but they have the talent to make another deep playoff run and perhaps reclaim the FRCC-North championship after losing out to West De Pere in 2024.
Up next: at Kimberly (0-1).
3. West De Pere (1-0)
The Phantoms lost several important pieces on both sides of the ball, but they showed no signs of slowing down with a dominant 53-22 win at Hortonville.
West De Pere had 567 yards of total offense.
Up next: Kaukauna (0-1).
4. De Pere (1-0)
The Redbirds will have more difficult opponents than Manitowoc this season, but their 38-0 win over the Ships was the seventh time in the past 12 games they have allowed seven or fewer points.
Up next: at Green Bay Notre Dame (1-0).
5. Wrightstown (1-0)
Finished runner-up to Freedom in the North Eastern Conference last season and again will be a top contender for the league title despite having to replace most of the starting lineup on both sides of the ball.
The Tigers beat Waupaca 35-14 to start the season, rushing for 234 yards and averaging 6 yards per carry.
Up next: at Shawano (1-0).
6. Coleman (1-0)
The defending Northwoods champion has a good chance to repeat.
The Cougars dominated Peshtigo 34-6 in Week 1 after beating the Bulldogs 35-0 to start last season.
Up next: at Bonduel (0-1).
7. Luxemburg-Casco (1-0)
The Spartans made the playoffs last season but don’t have many players back from that squad. They still have some talent, highlighted by offensive lineman-defensive lineman Myles Jandrain.
L-C isn’t considered a huge contender in the seven-team North Eastern, but it will compete for a postseason berth. It started the season on a good note with a 13-6 win over Seymour.
Up next: at Appleton Xavier (1-0).
8. Kewaunee (0-1)
The Storm finished third in the Packerland Conference last season, but it has a veteran team returning that has a good chance to win a league championship for the second time in the last three years.
The group is led by quarterback Brett Paulsen, running back Waylon Delain, the wideout duo of Trevor Gauthier and Connor Kilgore and the league’s reigning offensive lineman of the year in Mitchell Boeder.
The temporary bad news?
Kewaunee lost 33-30 at Racine Lutheran in Week 1. It’s the third time the last six games dating to last year that the team has allowed at least 30 points, all losses.
Up next: at Brillion (1-0).
9. Southern Door (0-1)
Should compete with Bonduel and Kewaunee for the top spots in the Packerland.
The Eagles don’t have a ton of experience returning from a team that won seven games and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, but it has one of the most talented players in the league in two-way star Lauden Berg, who was a first-team all-conference selection at both wide receiver and defensive back as a junior.
Southern Door dropped its opener in a 36-20 loss at New Holstein, the most points it has allowed in the regular season since permitting 47 on Oct. 6, 2023.
Up next: Shiocton (0-1).
10. Seymour (0-1)
The Thunder should compete with Winneconne and Fox Vally Lutheran for the top spot in the Bay Conference thanks in part to the return of some of the best offensive players in the seven-team league.
It includes running back Xavier Salzman (1,087 yards, 10 touchdowns), quarterback Cayden Staffeldt (1,482 yards, 16 TDs) and wide receiver Carson Staffeldt (29 receptions, 808 yards, 11 TDs).
The unit had a disappointing start to the season in scoring just six points in the loss to L-C, which was tied for its fewest points since getting blanked by Freedom in Week 2 in 2023.
But better days should be ahead.
Up next: Two Rivers (0-1).
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Kingston Allen, Green Bay Notre Dame
The junior running back put the Tritons on his shoulders in a big nonconference win over Kaukauna.
He rushed 31 times for 251 yards and four touchdowns and also had 1½ total tackles on defense.
Jaxson Beaumia, Ashwaubenon
The senior wideout was a bright spot in a 34-21 loss to Oshkosh North, catching 10 passes for 183 yards and two TDs.
Patrick Greisen, West De Pere
The senior quarterback picked up right where he left off last season when he led the state in passing yards and touchdowns.
He was 25 of 29 for 405 yards and six TDs against Hortonville.
Steven Kielpikowski, Denmark
The running back helped lead the Vikings to a 30-8 win over Shawano, rushing for 134 yards and two TDs and averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
He added six total tackles, including five solo.
Judeah Kniskern, West De Pere
The Phantoms’ new No. 1 receiver had a huge season debut against Hortonville, catching nine passes for 201 yards and three TDs.
Brady Moon, Bay Port
The senior running back had one of the best games of his career in the Pirates’ win over Middleton, rushing a career-high 36 times for 217 yards and one TD and adding five receptions for 52 yards and two TDs.
He contributed two solo tackles on defense.
Jack Nelson, Wrightstown
The outside linebacker had 8½ total tackles, including six solo and three for a loss, while adding one sack in the Tigers’ win over Waupaca.
Brett Paulsen, Kewaunee
Part of a dominant rushing attack with Waylon Delain (23 carries, 208 yards, two TDs) in the loss to Racine Lutheran.
The senior quarterback rushed 22 times for 215 yards and two TDs while throwing for 122 yards.
Matt Stevens, Bay Port
The senior quarterback completed 15 of 21 passes for 294 yards and four TDs and rushed 11 times for 82 yards and a score against Middleton.
Mason Trimberger, Luxemburg-Casco
The senior wideout caught four passes for 97 yards and a TD in a win over Seymour.
Holden Woodfill, De Pere
After spending his first three seasons at Manitowoc, the senior quarterback helped beat his former team.
He completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards and three TDs, the best game of his varsity career.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay's best Week 1 high school football performers, team rankings
Category: General Sports
