Green Bay Notre Dame, West De Pere football make state after comebacks

Green Bay Notre Dame and West De Pere football teams have secured spots in the WIAA Division 2 and Division 1 state championships after remarkable comebacks. Notre Dame defeated Union Grove 28-17 in a D2 game at Slinger High School, while West De Pere edged Racine Case 20-19 in a D1 semifinal at Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium. Bay Port was eliminated in the semifinals with a 48-15 loss to Sussex Hamilton.

West De Pere's Andrew Greisen threw a game-winning 6-yard touchdown pass to Morgan Mertens with 1:11 left, their first points since opening the second quarter with a 13-0 lead. Union Grove dominated the first half, scoring three touchdowns without a score from the Tritons, leading to a 17-0 halftime deficit. However, Kingston Allen's record-breaking 16-yard run in the fourth quarter broke Union Grove's lead, and Allen scored again to give Notre Dame their first lead at 21-14.

Allen finished with an unofficial 297 rushing yards, breaking both the state's all-time rushing record and single-season record. This performance earned him a spot in the D2 state title game against Monona Grove on November 20. The Tritons will join West De Pere as the only two local teams to make a state title game for three consecutive seasons since the WIAA began sponsoring the tournament in 1976.