Pure chaos. That’s basically the only way to describe the final moments of the Wisconsin high school football playoffs 2025. If you weren't sitting in the stands at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison this past November, you missed a masterclass in "it ain't over 'til it's over."
We saw a kickoff return for a touchdown with 46 seconds left. We saw a game-winning field goal with six seconds on the clock. It was the kind of stuff that makes you remember why high school sports in this state are a religion. Honestly, the 2025 season felt like a fever dream for some of the biggest programs and a long-overdue coronation for others.
The Division 1 Miracle: Arrowhead Stuns Bay Port
Most people expected Bay Port to repeat. They were the No. 1 ranked team and looked like a freight train heading into the Division 1 title game. But Arrowhead (Hartland) had other plans. The Warhawks won 18-15, but if you look at the stats, they shouldn't have. Bay Port outgained them 347 to 198 in total yardage. Usually, that’s a recipe for a blowout.
Instead, it was a defensive slugfest. Arrowhead’s defense "bent but didn't break," forcing four massive turnovers that kept them in striking distance. The ending? Total insanity. Bay Port took a 15-12 lead with just 46 seconds left after a touchdown pass from backup QB Braydon Maney. The Pirates' fans were already celebrating. Then, Ryan Heiman happened. He fielded a squib kick at his own 24-yard line and took it 76 yards to the house.
One second remained when Bay Port’s final heave fell incomplete. Arrowhead grabbed their seventh gold ball, and their first since 2013. It’s a reminder that in the Wisconsin high school football playoffs 2025, the scoreboard is the only stat that actually matters.
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Perfection in De Pere and Grafton
If you're looking for dominance, Division 2 and Division 3 were where it lived this year. West De Pere and Grafton both finished 14-0, but they got there in very different ways.
West De Pere took down Notre Dame 28-14. Patrick Greisen, the Phantoms' senior quarterback, was a surgeon on the field. He set a D2 championship record with 304 passing yards. Watching him connect with Judeah Kniskern (who had 164 receiving yards) was like watching a college-level offense. On the other side, Notre Dame’s Kingston Allen was a beast, carrying the ball 43 times for 242 yards. Think about that: 43 carries. That kid is going to be a problem for the Big Ten when he moves on to the Badgers.
Grafton’s win was a lot more stressful. They edged out Reedsburg 17-15. This game came down to a 15-play drive that ended with Graysen Bollech hitting a 35-yard field goal with six seconds left. Reedsburg’s Will Mikonowicz put the team on his back with 255 rushing yards, but Grafton’s balance—187 on the ground and 206 in the air—proved just a tiny bit better.
A Run Through the Other Divisions
The small schools didn't lack for drama either. Here is a quick breakdown of how the rest of the gold balls were handed out during the Wisconsin high school football playoffs 2025:
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- Division 4: Winneconne finished their perfect season with a 28-22 win over Little Chute. Brody Schaffer, a University of Iowa commit, was the MVP here, passing for two scores and rushing for 137 yards.
- Division 5: Mayville stayed unbeaten by beating Northwestern 42-32. It was a ground-and-pound classic. Landen Baker and Joe Promersberger both went over 100 yards rushing.
- Division 6: Darlington crushed Edgar 42-18. They scored 35 points in the first half alone. Zeke Zuberbuhler was untouchable, racking up three rushing touchdowns.
- Division 7: Kenosha St. Joseph won its first-ever state title by beating Cochrane-Fountain City 35-19. Zach Rizzo threw for 226 yards, a D7 record.
- 8-Player: McDonell Central claimed the championship with a 22-0 shutout over Gilman.
What Most People Get Wrong About the WIAA Format
Kinda crazy, but every year people complain about the "re-seeding" or the "super-sectionals," and 2025 was no different. There’s this idea that the best teams always meet in the finals. They don't.
Look at Muskego. They were arguably a top-3 team in the state, but they got knocked out by Bay Port 38-35 in the semifinals. Because of how the brackets are drawn, some "state championship" caliber games happen on a cold Friday night in Oshkosh instead of at Camp Randall. That’s just the nature of the beast. If you want to win it all, you have to survive the gauntlet, not just the final game.
Performance Breakdown: Key Stars of 2025
| Player | School | Notable Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Kingston Allen | Notre Dame | 3,436 rushing yards (Season Record) |
| Patrick Greisen | West De Pere | 304 passing yards (D2 Championship Record) |
| Will Mikonowicz | Reedsburg | 255 rushing yards in D3 Final |
| Zeke Zuberbuhler | Darlington | 3 rushing TDs in D6 Final |
Why the 2025 Season Felt Different
Maybe it was the weather—it stayed surprisingly mild through Level 3—or maybe it was the sheer number of undefeated teams that actually finished the job. Five out of the seven 11-player champions went 14-0. That’s rare. Usually, the parity of the Wisconsin high school football playoffs 2025 leads to a few "Cinderella" stories, but this year was the Year of the Juggernaut.
Grafton, West De Pere, Winneconne, Mayville, Darlington, and St. Joseph all entered the finals without a single blemish. It says something about the coaching and the consistency in those programs.
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Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're a fan, a parent, or a player looking toward next year, there are a few things to keep in mind based on what we saw in 2025.
- Watch the Juniors: A lot of the stars in the 2025 finals were juniors. Kingston Allen and Zeke Zuberbuhler are coming back. The 2026 season is already looking stacked.
- Defense Wins Semis, Offense Wins Titles: We saw a trend where defensive stops defined the Level 4 games, but the teams with elite quarterbacks (Greisen, Rizzo, Schaffer) were the ones that pulled away in Madison.
- Special Teams Matter: Just ask Bay Port. One squib kick changed their entire legacy. If you aren't drilling your return coverage every single day, you're asking for trouble.
- Strength of Schedule: Look at the Badger-Large and the Fox River Classic. Teams coming out of these conferences were battle-tested. If you want to make a deep run, you better hope your regular season schedule is tough enough to break you before the playoffs start.
The dust has settled on Camp Randall for now, but the 2025 season will be remembered for that Arrowhead miracle and the rise of the undefeated. Keep an eye on the WIAA website for the 2026 schedule releases, because if it's even half as good as this year, you won't want to miss it.
Check out the full archived brackets on the WIAA website or watch game replays on the NFHS Network to see these stars in action before they head off to college ball.