State finals playoff runs by Darlington and Shullsburg brought plenty of recognition to several standout players from each team as the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and the Southwest Wisconsin Shrine Club and Queen B Radio announced their respective All-State and All-Area football teams.
    The Redbirds placed three players on the WFCA All-State team and had another team member join them on the WFCA Southwest Region All-Area squad along with two Miners.
    A total of six Redbirds, three Miners and two Black Hawk Warriors were chosen to Southwest Wisconsin Shrine Club and Queen B Radio All-Area team as well.
    Darlington’s senior running back Hunter Johnson (6’1”, 211-lbs.) was selected as the 2016 Offensive Player of the Year for the state of Wisconsin by the WFCA, for the Southwest Region by the Southwest Wisconsin Shrine Club and Queen B Radio voters and for the SWAL for the second year in a row by the league coaches after finishing the season with over 2,500 all-purpose yards and 45 total touchdowns in 14 games.
    H. Johnson, the Wissports.com Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch Award winner for outstanding senior running back in Wisconsin, was selected to the WFCA first-team All-State offense for the second season in a row, and he was a first-team All-Area and All-SWAL selection.
    He rushed 176 times for 2,163 yards and a state-record tying 41 TDs, caught 11 passes for 232 yards and a TD, completed 1-of-2 passes for 27 yards and a TD, returned eight kickoffs for 125 yards and three punts for 27 yards for the Redbirds. He also set the school’s all-time single-season scoring record with 272 points. He placed 10th all-time in state history in single season scoring this year and fourth in TDs.
    H. Johnson, a University of Wisconsin-Madison preferred walk-on recruit, finishes his career at Darlington as the school’s all-time leading career rusher (5,594 yards) and scorer (672 points) after helping lead the Redbirds to state runner-up finishes in Division 6 the past three seasons.
    He also ends his stellar prep career second all-time in state history in career scoring, career TDs (109) and rushing TDs (96); places 12th in career rushing yards and is just the second known player in the state to ever top 7,000 career all-purpose yards.
    Senior Logan Muhlstein (6’5”, 270-lbs.) joined his teammate on the WFCA Offensive All-State team with an honorable mention selection as an offensive lineman, while senior running back/returner Trevor Johnson was selected to the honorable mention All-State team as a specialist.
    Muhlstein was also selected to the All-Southwest Region and the Southwest Wisconsin Shrine Club and Queen B Radio All-Area teams as both an offensive and defensive lineman and was also named the SWAL Lineman of the Year in 2016, while T. Johnson made the All-Southwest Region team as a specialist and the Southwest Wisconsin Shrine Club and Queen B Radio All-Area team as a defensive back.
    Muhlstein anchored the line for a Darlington offense which finished second all-time in state history in scoring with 718 points (51.3 ppg.) this season.  The Redbirds ran for 5,002 yards (10.0 ypc.) and 76 TDs and passed for 987 yards (21.9 ypc.) and 14 TDs. All told, the Redbirds scored 103 TDs as a team this season.
    T. Johnson finished the season with 2,228 all-purpose yards and 26 offensive touchdowns after rushing 83 times for 1,131 yards (13.6) and 16 TDs, catching 18 passes for 479 yards (26.6) and seven TDs, returning 26 punts for 413 yards (15.8) and two TDs, and returning seven kickoffs for 205 yards (29.1) and a TD.
    On defense, Muhlstein had 17 tackles with one TFL and a fumble recovery, while T. Johnson had 14 tackles, three interceptions he returned for 114 yards and a TD, and forced a fumble.
    Darlington’s senior Jesse Sturtz (5’10”, 215-lbs.) was a WFCA All-Southwest Region selection at inside linebacker and offensive line, while Shullsburg senior Joey Meyer (6’8”, 240-lbs.) joined Sturtz on the All-Southwest Region defensive team as a defensive end and fellow Miner senior Hunter Matye (6’5”, 215-lbs.) join him on the offensive team as a tight end.
    The trio were all two-way selections to Southwest Wisconsin Shrine Club and Queen B Radio All-Area team with Meyer making the offensive team as a wide receiver/tight end and Matye making the defensive unit as a defensive back.
    Sturtz was also named the SWAL Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row, while Matye was selected as the Six Rivers Conference Offensive Player of the Year this season.
    Sturtz led the Redbirds with 62 tackles and three TFLs to go along with two quarterback sacks and a forced fumble.
    Matye had 38 catches for 574 yards and eight TDs on offense for the WIAA Division 7 state runner-up Miners and he added 118 tackles with two tackles for loss and three interceptions on defense. Meyer recorded 52 tackles with 10 TFLs, 13 quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery on defense and had 22 catches for 352 yards and seven TDs on offense.
    Other local players honored with All-Area selections by the Southwest Wisconsin Shrine Club and Queen B Radio included Darlington senior offensive lineman Josh Weaver (6’3”, 211-lbs.) and senior defensive lineman Chad Golackson (6’5”, 254-lbs.), Shullsburg’s senior linebacker Lance Lierman (6’3”, 185-lbs.), and Black Hawk’s junior running back/linebacker Brody Milz (6’0”, 210-lbs.) and senior offensive lineman Preston Bevins (6’0”, 260-lbs.).
    Golackson tallied 16 tackles with one TFL and a forced fumble for the ‘Birds, while Lierman registered 95 tackles with three TFLs, two fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a TD for the Miners.
    Milz ran 183 times for 1,152 yards with 14 TDs and 11 two-point conversions, caught six passes for 74 yards and completed 2-of-4 passes for 94 yards with two TDs on offense, while tallying 135 total yards on defense with 15 TFLs, two sacks and four forced fumbles.
    Bevins anchored the line for an offense that averaged 28.2 points per game while rushing for 2,621 yards and 27 TDs and passing for 1,085 yards and 13 TDs.
    Listed below are the area palyers on the 2016 WFCA All-State and All-Southwest Region teams along with the is the full 2016 Southwest Wisconsin Shrine Club and Queen B Radio All-Area team.

2016 WFCA All-STATE TEAM
(Area players only)
Offensive Player of the Year: Hunter Johnson, sr, Darlington.

1st-Team
Offense: RB– Hunter Johnson, sr, Darlington. Special Teams: P– A. J. Hendrickson, sr, Pec/Argyle.

Honorable Mention
Offense: RB– Evan Gates, jr, Lancaster. OL– Logan Muhlstein, sr, Darlington. WR– A. J. Hendrickson, sr, Pec/Argyle. Specialist– Trevor Johnson, sr, Darlington.

2016 WFCA ALL-SOUTHWEST REGION TEAM
(Area players only)
OFFENSE: QB– John Ross Linscheid, sr, Highland; Elijah Alt, sr, River Valley. RB– Hunter Johnson, sr Darlington; Luke Fugate, sr, Platteville. WR– A. J. Hendrickson, sr, Pec/Argyle. WR/TE– Hunter Matye, sr, Shullsburg. Specialist– Trevor Johnson, sr, Darlington. OL– Logan Muhlstein, sr, Darlington; Jesse Sturtz, sr, Darlington; Ian Carter, jr, Platteville; Larry Moore, sr, Lancaster.

SPECIAL TEAMS: P– A. J. Hendrickson, sr, Pec/Argyle.

DEFENSE: DL– Logan Muhlstein, sr, Darlington. DE–Joey Meyer, sr, Shullsburg. ILB– Jesse Sturtz, sr, Darlington; Tanner Collins, sr, Potosi. OLB– Justin Allen, sr, Lancaster. DB–Logan Green, sr, Pec/Argyle; Kordell Stillmunkes, jr Cuba City.

2016 SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN SHRINE CLUB/QUEEN B RADIO
ALL-AREA FOOTBALL TEAM
Coach of the Year
Kyle Craig, Platteville

Offensive Player of the Year
Hunter Johnson, sr, Darlington

Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Justin Allen, sr, Lancaster; and John Ross Linscheid, sr, Highland

Lineman of the Year
Ian Carter, jr, Platteville

OFFENSE
QB– John Ross Linscheid, sr, Highland; Elijah Alt, sr, River Valley. RB– Colin Argue, sr, Pec/Argyle; Luke Fugate, sr, Platteville; Evan Gates, jr, Lancaster; Hunter Johnson, sr Darlington; Brody Milz, jr, Black Hawk; Kordell Stillmunkes, jr Cuba City. WR/TE– A. J. Hendrickson, sr, Pec/Argyle; Hunter Matye, sr, Shullsburg; Joey Meyer, sr, Shullsburg; Trevor Neuroth, jr, Fennimore; Alex Traxler, sr, Platteville; Ryan Wickman, sr, River Valley. OL– Preston Bevins, sr, Black Hawk; Ian Carter, jr, Platteville; Tanner Collins, sr, Potosi; Mitch Dammen, sr, Pec/Argyle; Ben Ertz, sr, River Ridge; Quinton Kreul, sr, Lancaster; Larry Moore, sr, Lancaster; Logan Muhlstein, sr, Darlington; Billy Schluter, jr, River Valley; Will Simmons, sr, Platteville; Jesse Sturtz, sr, Darlington; Josh Weaver, sr, Darlington.

SPECIAL TEAMS
K– Drew Hennessey, soph, Highland; Zach White, jr, Platteville. P– A. J. Hendrickson, sr, Pec/Argyle. Returner– Luke Fugate, sr, Platteville.

DEFENSE
DL– Ian Carter, jr, Platteville; Mitch Dammen, sr, Pec/Argyle; Chad Golackson, sr, Darlington; Gabe Hudson, jr, Lancaster; Josh Lehman, jr, Pec/Argyle; Joey Meyer, sr, Shullsburg; Jordan Mohlmann, sr, Lancaster; Logan Muhlstein, sr, Darlington. LB– Justin Allen, sr, Lancaster; Tanner Collins, sr, Potosi; Luke Fugate, sr, Platteville; Lance Lierman, sr, Shullsburg; Brody Milz, jr, Black Hawk; Jesse Sturtz, sr, Darlington. DB– Garrett Birkett, jr, Lancaster; Logan Green, sr, Pec/Argyle; Trevor Johnson, sr, Darlington; John Ross Linscheid, sr, Highland; Hunter Matye, sr, Shullsburg; Alex Traxler, sr, Platteville.