FIRST AND SHORT

Level 1 Wonders: The big performances from playoff openers

JR Radcliffe
jr.radcliffe@jrn.com

Here are the names to know from the first round of the WIAA football playoffs Oct. 21:

Rayvon Bartlett, Jr., Greenfield. The Hustlin' Hawks snapped their mini two-game losing streak with an emphatic win over Bay View, where he completed 14 of 18 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. He added 23 yards rushing for good measure.

Bo Bassindale and Alex Anthony, Whitefish Bay. Just about everything was clicking for the Blue Dukes in a 56-21 win over South Milwaukee. Bassindale ran 19 times for 145 yards and two scores, and Alex Anthony caught five passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns. Patrick Nau ran for two scores, as well.

Seth Bickett, Pewaukee. Per usual, Bickett was big on both sides of the ball as Pewaukee downed Jefferson. he ran for 111 yards and found the end zone three times, and he also contributed a team-high seven tackles on defense.

Jaylen Campbell, Catholic Memorial. The Crusaders dispatched pesky New Berlin West, 33-6, thanks to 113 yards rushing and three scores from Campbell. Ben Nimz also completed 20 of 27 passes for 179 yards and a score.

Zach Clayton, Oconomowoc. It was Clayton's final game in a wildly productive football career, and he went out in typical fashion with huge numbers. Clayton caught 13 balls for 157 yards and a score in his team's narrow 20-13 loss to Middleton.

Tanner Dykstra, Franklin. The Sabers went untested in Level 1 against Milwaukee Hamilton, and Dykstra racked up 152 yards rushing on nine carries with four touchdowns.

Ian Francis, Brookfield Academy. It came in a losing effort, but the quarterback completed 18 of 32 passes for 230 yards and a score to cap a great career.

Willie Garrison, Homestead. Garrison needed only four rushes to travel 103 yards and score twice as Homestead took care of Bradley Tech.

Travis Guehlstorg, Martin Luther. Guehlstorg returned not one but two interceptions for touchdown, a heck of a capper to his only year of playing football. The senior accounted for all his team's offense in a 20-13 loss to University School.

Stephen Halusan, New Berlin Eisenhower. Eisenhower's air game was clicking even in defeat against Wisconsin Lutheran, and Halusak caught nine balls for 156 yards and two scores. Quarterback Bryce Miller cleared 200 yards passing and threw for three scores.

Zach Harrison, Greendale. Harrison capped a huge senior esason with eight catches for 109 yards and the lone Greendale score in a 31-7 loss to Plymouth.

Zach Heckman, Brookfield Central. Not only did Heckman rack up some impressive numbers on the ground, per usual, with 126 yards and three touchdowns, he also threw a score to Drew Leszczynski on a trick play that was part of Central's easy win over Wauwatosa West. He also caught a 22-yard pass.

Will Kennedy, University School. Kennedy ran 16 times for 78 yards and caught two passes for 12 yards, but his big contribution came on defense where he returned an interception for touchdown to help his team defeat Martin Luther, 20-13.

Peter MacCudden, Waukesha West. The Wolverines running back rushed 15 times for 140 yards and two scores in a 35-0 win over Stoughton.

Adam Mielke and Ben Johnson, Lake Country Lutheran. The former racked up 143 yards and three touchdowns and the latter ran for 140 and a score as the Lightning took care of Dodgeland in the opening round, 40-7. Mielke also returned a kickoff 78 yards, and Johnson caught a 24-yard pass.

Mitch Moeller, Cedarburg. With the Bulldogs missing one of their key players in Clayton Van Tassel, Moeller picked up the slack with eight catches for 135 yards, but the Bulldogs fell to East, 38-8.

Matt Ruppel, Port Washington. In his final game, the running back carried it 13 times for 149 yards and a score, but Kewaskum got the better of it in a 39-22 win.

Sam Santiago-Lloyd, Brookfield East. The Spartans workhorse ran 24 times for 196 yards and two scores in his team's big win over Cedarburg. He also added three tackles on defense.

Collin Sathe, Germantown. The Warhawks dismissed Messmer/Shorewood, 49-8, where Sathe ran for 29 yards and a score and also threw for two more, completing 4 of 7 passes for 107 yards.

Jakup Sinani, Oak Creek. His numbers don't jump off the page, with 72 rushing yards and 88 passing yards, but he also ran for three scores and delivered a huge 50-yard pass with the game in doubt in the fourth quarter that set up the game's final score. Elijah Robinson also ran for 123 yards and two scores as Oak Creek survived Kenosha Bradford, 38-28.