It was another performance for the record books for Notre Dame junior running back Kingston Allen on Friday night
Below are some quick takeaways from Level 2 of the high school football playoffs. Look for a full preview of each division to come out next week on BoundWisconsin.com.
For the full Level 2 results on the Bound Wisconsin scoreboard, please click here.
As a reminder, we'll have loads of additional content coming in the next few days to wrap up Level 2, including:
Prep Props: Top Statistical Leaders from the week (Monday)
Bound Wisconsin Football Player of the Week nominees (Monday)
Bound Wisconsin Football Team of the Week nominees (Monday)
RUSHING NIGHT FOR THE RECORD BOOKS (AGAIN)
It was another assault on the state the state record book in Level 2, just a week after Reedsburg senior Will Mikonowicz (498 yards) and Notre Dame junior Kingston Allen (477) posted the second- and third-most rushing yards in a game in state history.
It was once again Allen with a huge number, as the junior speedster rushed for 504 yards and 7 touchdowns on 44 carries as Notre Dame took down Slinger 56-42 in a matchup of defending state champions. He moves into second place on the single-game rushing list and becomes just the second player to hit 500 yards in a game, trailing only Wautoma’s Nathaniel Loging at 524 (set in 2014).
CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT
There were 11 teams seeded sixth or lower that claimed victory in Level 1 of the playoffs, but for the majority of them, the dream came to an end in Level 2. Four of those 12 teams suffered defeat Friday night.
All was not lost for underdogs, as, overall, 13 of 56 lower-seeded road teams would win in Level 2. Compare that to the 11 lower-seeded teams that won on the road in Level 2 last year, and 14 lower-seeded teams that won on the road in the 2023 Level 2 playoffs.
CINDERELLA KEEPS DANCING
Of the lower-seeded teams that scored wins in Level 2, most did it in tight ballgames, as 10 of the 13 victories came by a single score.
The biggest Cinderella kept the dance shoes on, as eighth-seeded Whitefish Bay scored a second straight win in Division 3, downing Port Washington 17-15.
Last year’s belle of the ball, Belleville, is continuing to make noise. After a run to the state semi-finals as an eight-seed last season, the Wildcats stayed alive in Level 2 with a 38-36 victory over Crandon. They move on to face conference foe Darlington, who they lost to in the regular season.
Of note, Division 3 sectional finalists Pewaukee and Whitefish Bay have advanced to Level 3, yet would NOT have even made the playoffs in the old system.
TRACKING THE CHAMPIONS
D1: Bay Port beat Milwaukee Reagan 49-8
D2: Slinger lost to Notre Dame 56-42
D3: Notre Dame beat Slinger 56-42 in a Division 2 game
D4: Racine St. Catherine’s beat Lake Mills 12-6
D5: Stratford beat Prairie du Chien 28-21
D6: Lomira lost last week
D7: Edgar beat Poynette 42-0 in a Division 6 game
8-Player: Owen-Withee lost last week
CONFERENCE RESULTS
Below is a list of conferences and the combined win-loss percentage of league teams. The best win/loss percentage belongs to the FRCC-South, as Notre Dame and Oshkosh North are carrying the torch for the league that has a 4-1 record and 0.800 winning percentage in the playoffs. The North Eastern Conference is a combined 7-2 (0.777%), while the Big East, Cloverbelt, and North Eastern are 6-2 overall.
A total of ten conferences have no more teams alive in the postseason.
(sorted by alpha)
Badger - Large 4-2
Badger - Small 3-2
Bay 2-2
Big East 6-2
Big Eight 2-3
Big Rivers 6-4
Capitol 3-4
Central Wisconsin 7-5
Classic Eight 7-3
Cloverbelt 6-2
Coulee 3-2
Dairyland 4-4
Dunn-St. Croix 3-4
East Central 3-3
Eastern Suburban 1-5
Eastern Wisconsin 2-6
Flyway 4-5
Fox River Classic-North 7-2
Fox River Classic-South 4-1
Fox Valley Association 1-5
Great Northern 5-5
Greater Metro 4-5
Heart O' North 3-3
Lakeland 2-3
Marawood/CWC 2-4
Metro Classic 6-3
Middle Border 4-5
Midwest Classic-Large 1-4
Midwest Classic-Small 2-1
Milwaukee City-Blackbourn 0-3
Milwaukee City-Richardson 1-6
Mississippi Valley 5-4
North Eastern 6-2
North Shore 6-4
Northwoods 4-4
Packerland 3-3
Parkland 3-4
Rock Valley 2-5
Scenic Bluffs 3-4
Six Rivers 4-3
South Central 0-3
Southeast 3-3
Southern Lakes 6-3
SWAL 5-2
SWC 4-5
Trailways 3-5
Wisconsin Valley 0-3
Woodland 3-3
SUB-.500 TEAMS
There were 49 teams that qualified for the playoffs with an overall record under .500. Four of those teams earned victories in Level 1 of the playoffs:
Pewaukee (4-5)
Wittenberg-Birnamwood (4-5)
Nicolet (4-5)
Whitefish Bay (4-5)
Travis Wilson serves as the Bound Wisconsin Manager. 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 @travisBound or reach him at [email protected].