Will Mikonowicz of Reedsburg Etched His Name In Record Books Following Epic First-Round Playoff Performance

Senior running back rushed for 498 yards and seven touchdowns as fourth-seeded Reedsburg defeated fifth-seeded Waterford 49-24 in WIAA Division 3 playoffs, ranking second all-time in state history for rushing yards in a single game

Will Mikonowicz of Reedsburg rushed for 498 yards and seven touchdowns as fourth-seeded Reedsburg defeated fifth-seeded Waterford 49-24 in a WIAA Division 3 first-round playoff game. | Bound Wisconsin

Will Mikonowicz's field vision, relentless running style and on-going determined pursuit of the end zone led to a magical night on Thursday.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Reedsburg High School senior quarterback/running back rushed 30 times for 498 yards and seven touchdowns as the fourth-seeded Beavers defeated fifth-seeded Waterford, 49-24, in a WIAA Division 3 first-round playoff game on Oct. 24.

The explosive individual performance took on historical significance as it was the second most yards rushed in a single game in Wisconsin state high school football history, according to records compiled by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association.

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The impressive statement-making feat was second only to the all-time record of 524 yards, established by former Wautoma standout Nathaniel Loging in 2014. Loging's big performance, however, came in a regular season game as he carried the ball 31 times in a contest with Wisconsin Dells and scored six touchdowns. At halftime of that contest, he had already rushed for 267 yards and he shattered the record, which had stood since 2005, with a 78-yard touchdown run on his final carry of the game.

Mikonowicz's history-making accomplishment was sparked from the strong, reliable contributions of the Reedsburg offensive line (consisting of senior Avery Olson, senior Josten Alt, senior Brayden Klemp, senior Brett Wilson, sophomore Rylen Knuth, and sophomore Landen Knuth).

Mikonowicz did all of this while carrying out double duty. He was also a force on the defensive side of the ball, registering 10 tackles and finishing with an interception, doing everything he could to help his team advance in the postseason.

The Beavers (7-3 overall) are scheduled to face top-seeded Edgewood (9-1 overall) in a WIAA Division 3 second-round matchup at Madison's Breese Stevens Field today at 7 p.m.