River Falls' Season Comes to an End, But Legacy Lives On in State Semifinal Defeat
Friday's matchup between River Falls and Notre Dame Academy was supposed to be a showdown for the ages, with the Wildcats looking to contain one of the most explosive players in Wisconsin high school football history. Kingston Allen, a junior at Notre Dame, lived up to his hype, running 27 times for 146 yards and four scores in the first half alone.
The Notre Dame Academy junior's performance set the tone for the rest of the game, as he finished with 33 carries for 246 yards and six touchdowns. With those numbers, Allen now holds the Wisconsin state record with 3,213 yards and 55 rushing touchdowns on the season, leaving it no surprise that River Falls struggled to keep up.
However, River Falls' struggles were unexpected, particularly after having scored 40-plus points in each of their last seven games against tough competition. Quarterback Tino Massa's performance was particularly underwhelming, with two interceptions and a fumble in Notre Dame territory.
The game was all but over by halftime, as the Wildcats trailed 28-0. But River Falls refused to go quietly into the night, scoring a late touchdown run by Mason Novak before the third quarter came to a close.
Allen's final carry of the evening sealed the deal for Notre Dame, scoring on a 15-yard run just after the ensuing kickoff, putting the game into running time at a score of 42-0. For River Falls, it was a historic season that will be remembered for decades to come, with players like Massa, Joseph Tarasewicz, Sam Simpson, and others leaving their mark on the program.
As senior safety Anthony McPherson said earlier in the week, "It's usually something you hear about, and then you wanna live up to that." And though River Falls' season came to an end, the team's accomplishments will live on, a testament to the hard work and dedication of its players.
Friday's matchup between River Falls and Notre Dame Academy was supposed to be a showdown for the ages, with the Wildcats looking to contain one of the most explosive players in Wisconsin high school football history. Kingston Allen, a junior at Notre Dame, lived up to his hype, running 27 times for 146 yards and four scores in the first half alone.
The Notre Dame Academy junior's performance set the tone for the rest of the game, as he finished with 33 carries for 246 yards and six touchdowns. With those numbers, Allen now holds the Wisconsin state record with 3,213 yards and 55 rushing touchdowns on the season, leaving it no surprise that River Falls struggled to keep up.
However, River Falls' struggles were unexpected, particularly after having scored 40-plus points in each of their last seven games against tough competition. Quarterback Tino Massa's performance was particularly underwhelming, with two interceptions and a fumble in Notre Dame territory.
The game was all but over by halftime, as the Wildcats trailed 28-0. But River Falls refused to go quietly into the night, scoring a late touchdown run by Mason Novak before the third quarter came to a close.
Allen's final carry of the evening sealed the deal for Notre Dame, scoring on a 15-yard run just after the ensuing kickoff, putting the game into running time at a score of 42-0. For River Falls, it was a historic season that will be remembered for decades to come, with players like Massa, Joseph Tarasewicz, Sam Simpson, and others leaving their mark on the program.
As senior safety Anthony McPherson said earlier in the week, "It's usually something you hear about, and then you wanna live up to that." And though River Falls' season came to an end, the team's accomplishments will live on, a testament to the hard work and dedication of its players.
they had such a strong season going and then just got shut down by kingston allen 
that guy is insane! 246 yards and 6 touchdowns in one game? 
anyway, i'm so proud of those wildcats for giving it their all till the end 
mason novak's late touchdown run was a beautiful moment to cap off an already amazing season 
I mean River Falls was way overpowered, but they still showed some heart by scoring that late touchdown run 
but unfortunately for River Falls, he was just too much to handle 
their season ends on a tough note but at least they gave it a good run 
. River Falls just couldn't keep up, and I mean, who could blame them? They'd been on a hot streak with those 40-plus point wins against tough competition, but Allen was just unstoppable.
. At least he tried, right? And I've got to give props to Mason Novak for scoring that late touchdown run - it was a nice consolation prize at the end of the game 
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anyway gotta respect river falls for making a deep run in the state semis and leaving their mark on the program 
. I mean, 3,213 yards on the season is wild 
. Mason Novak's late touchdown run was a highlight of the game, at least 
. And that safety Anthony McPherson quote about makin' history and wantin' to live up to it... gives me chills 
. It's not every day you see such an incredible display of talent on one player. River Falls might not have won, but they definitely left their mark 
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Mason Novak's late touchdown run was like the ultimate comeback 
it's awesome to see the spirit and heart of their players.
. I mean, 42-0 is just devastating 
. And Tino Massa's performance was straight up cringe 
. Mason Novak's late touchdown run was a nice consolation prize 
, even if they didn't exactly make it to the state finals. Kingston Allen is just insane on the field, what a legend! 
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Tino Massa, Joseph Tarasewicz, Sam Simpson... those guys are gonna be remembered for years to come 
notru dame academy just blew them away 42-0 