Catholic Memorial tight end Jake Berkholtz had two touchdowns for the Crusaders in the WIAA Division 3 football state championship game Nov. 22. (Photo by Greta Taxis)

MIKE PREVITE

SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC HERALD

A sixth WIAA state championship — and fifth since 2016 — was not in the cards for Catholic Memorial on Friday, Nov. 22.

Green Bay Notre Dame’s Christian Collins made sure of that.

Collins ran for a state-record 408 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Tritons to a 49-28 victory in the WIAA Division 3 state football championship game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.

Three of Collins’ touchdowns came in the second half as the Tritons pulled away from a 28-21 halftime lead.

Catholic Memorial Coach Bill Young, coaching in his 19th state championship (combined between private-school-only WISAA and the WIAA), said after the game, “We give all the credit to (Notre Dame). Collins was a hammer.  They are a great team. Best in the state.”

Marvanous Butler-Brown, who had eight catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns, got the Crusaders within 35-28 with 23 seconds left in the third quarter, hauling in a 16-yard touchdown pass from M.J. Mitchell.

Mitchell went 15-26 for the Crusaders for 309 yards and four touchdowns.

However, the Crusaders’ momentum was short-lived as Collins burst through the middle for a 73-yard score just 19 seconds later to put Notre Dame up 42-28.

Following a Catholic Memorial three-and-out, Notre Dame took over with 11:06 left to play, and sealed the championship with a nine-play, 50-yard series that took 6:28 off the clock. Collins carried the ball on eight plays during the drive, including the final 7 yards.

Notre Dame led 21-7 after the first quarter, but the Crusaders clawed back in the second quarter, tying the score at 21-21 following an 87-yard scoring pass from Mitchell to Butler-Brown and an 11-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Jake Berkholtz with 2:57 left in the first half.

As he did all day long, Collins snuffed out CMH’s momentum almost immediately, scoring on a 41-yard run just 48 seconds later, giving Notre Dame the lead for good.

After an opening possession resulted in a punt by Memorial, Notre Dame opened the scoring at the 8:54 mark of the first quarter as Collins ran left for a 25-yard touchdown.

On the next series, Mitchell hit Damyias Lopez and Butler-Brown with quick passes, then found Berkholtz in the end zone from 4 yards out to tie game at 7-7.

From there, the first half was a high scoring affair.

Notre Dame went 68 yards in seven plays to take the lead again at 14-7 on another Collins touchdown — but this one was Jack Collins running it in from the 8.

CMH had 219 of their 248 first half yards via Mitchell’s passing.

“The kids gave everything they had, and that is what you try to inspire young people to do,” Young said. “You’ve got to be gifted with athletes and try to develop young men to be productive citizens down the road and to treat people with class and know how to be a leader.”