Brett ChristophersonAppleton Post-Crescent
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GREEN BAY − Keisean Nixon remembers the moment he decided to change the trajectory of his life.
Dealing with what he considered failure for the first time upon graduating from high school without a football scholarship in hand, the Green Bay Packers star kick returner and cornerback was a young college kid hanging out in his dorm room at Arizona Western College and contemplating where he was and where he wanted to go.
"I felt like I was shipped off to the middle of nowhere," Nixon said during an appearance at the Northeast Wisconsin High School Sports Awards show, which was held Thursday evening inside the Lambeau Field Atrium. "I'm in Yuma, Arizona — it's like the lettuce capital of the world. I was miserable."
Arizona Western is a two-year college, and Nixon remembers thinking he was the only one of his graduating high school football teammates who didn't get a shot at playing at a traditional four-year college.
That's when the fire ignited.
So he took that self-deemed failure and turned it into a motivator. He immediately started the process of setting goals — he wrote them in Sharpie on a piece of paper that he displayed on his bathroom mirror — and then crossed them off one by one until he worked his way into a shot at transferring to South Carolina of the mighty Southeastern Conference.
From there, he hooked up with the then-Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent before signing with the Packers prior to the 2022 season. And now he's one of just four players in NFL history to earn first-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner in successive seasons.
How did he become an All-Pro? How did he persevere? How did he keep himself prepared should an opportunity ever present itself? And why didn't he just pack it in?
"Honestly, I could never quit," the 26-year-old Nixon said. "Keep the main thing, the main thing. And you just never dwell and never quit — no matter your situation, no matter how you feel. ... I just think you keep your own pace and don't worry about what others got."
Nixon's appearance was part of a Q&A segment in which he gave advice, insights — and a quick scouting report on the 2024 Packers, of course — to an audience of approximately 1,100 people that included many of the state's top high school athletes, coaches and teams from the Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Manitowoc, Marshfield, Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Stevens Point, Wausau and Wisconsin Rapids markets.
The Northeast Wisconsin High School Sports Awards show honored nearly 400 prep standouts for their achievements during the 2023-24 school year, with player of the year awards handed out in 27 sports. Several premier awards were also presented, including boys athlete of the year, girls athlete of the year, coach of the year, boys team of the year, girls team of the year and the Courage Award recipient.
The event was presented by Festival Foods and supported by Cellcom and Prevea Health.
Neenah’s Allie Ziebell and Mosinee’s Keagen Jirschele were named girls and boys athlete of the year, respectively.
Ziebell recently concluded one of the most decorated high school basketball careers in Wisconsin history. She averaged 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game in leading the Rockets to the WIAA Division 1 state championship game this past season and finished with an impressive list of accolades that included Associated Press state player of the year recognition and Ms. Basketball honors by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.
Ziebell was also chosen as the Gatorade Wisconsin player of the year for the second year in a row and in April played in the McDonald’s All-American Game in which she knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, finished with eight points and won the event’s 3-point competition.
She was also a member of the Team USA U19 national team that captured the FIBA Women's World Cup title last summer and concluded a stellar high school career fourth overall in state history in points scored with 2,819.
Ziebell will play basketball in college at the University of Connecticut for legendary coach Geno Auriemma.
Jirschele is a three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball.
He was a Wisconsin Football Coaches Association all-state selection on offense and defense and was also voted the offensive and defensive player of the year in the Great Northern Conference after finishing with 44 catches for 818 yards and nine touchdowns offensively and 48 tackles and 14 interceptions defensively. He also scored 24 total touchdowns.
In basketball, Jirschele was unanimous first-team all-conference and honorable mention all-state after leading Mosinee to the conference championship and averaging 19.9 points and 6.0 assists per game.
And this spring, he was named the Great Northern Conference player of the year in baseball and led his team to the WIAA Division 2 state championship game.
Jirschele will play baseball in college at South Dakota State.
Any tips for Ziebell, Jirschele or any other athlete who will be taking on the challenge of making the jump from high school to college?
"Don't be afraid to compete," Nixon said.
More: Find complete prep sports coverage on our Varsity page
PREMIER AWARDS
Boys athlete of the year: Keagen Jirschele, sr., Mosinee. Other nominees: James Flanigan, jr., Green Bay Notre Dame; Ben Smith, sr., Hortonville.
Girls athlete of the year: Allie Ziebell, sr., Neenah. Other nominees: Braelee Jodarski, sr., Oshkosh West; Sydney Whitehouse, sr., Notre Dame.
Coach of the year: Winner: Jeff Matczak, Kaukauna boys wrestling. Other nominees: Luke Herriges, Xavier girls volleyball; Tim Roehrig, Kaukauna softball.
Boys team of the year: Kaukauna wrestling. Other nominees: Notre Dame hockey; Stevens Point cross-country.
Girls team of the year: Xavier volleyball. Other nominees: Kaukauna softball; Laconia basketball.
Courage Award recipient: Adam Backus, sr., Mishicot.
FALL AWARDS
Boys cross country runner of the year: Aloysius Franzen, sr., Stevens Point. Other nominees: Graham Ballard, jr., Stevens Point; Will Chelberg, sr., Shawano; Andrew Dziak, jr., Stevens Point; Bode Erickson, sr., Stevens Point; Cooper Erickson, so., Stevens Point; Grady Lenn, so., De Pere; Jacob Nuthals, so., Green Bay Preble; Ethan Olds, jr., Stevens Point; Logan Salzmann, sr., Kimberly; Charlie Vater, sr., Iola-Scandinavia; Max Voss, sr., Amherst.
Girls cross country runner of the year: Lilie Fouts, sr., Xavier. Other nominees: Sophia Bablitch, sr., Rosholt; Maggie Behler, fr., Kohler; Tessa Bruckhart, fr., Stevens Point; Lucy Dolan, so., Assumption; Reese Fauske, so., Kaukauna; Sydney Fauske, sr., Kaukauna; Elsa Gruber, so., Neenah; Annalise Minorik, sr., Xavier; Sara Mlodik, sr., D.C. Everest; Meredith Richter, sr., Medford; Sophie Yetter, sr., Winneconne
Football – 8 player of the year: Bailey Schepp, sr., Oakfield. Other nominees: Logan Graef, sr., Lena/St. Thomas; TJ Lamb, sr., Almond-Bancroft; Ayden Phillips, jr., Almond-Bancroft; Braden Sitte, sr., Gibraltar; Grant Vandervest, sr., Algoma.
Football – 11 player of the year: Brock Arndt, sr., Appleton North. Other nominees: Carter Appl, jr., Xavier; Andrew Baumgart, sr., West De Pere; Karter Butt, sr., Edgar; Owen Carlson, sr., Kewaunee; Carson Clausen, sr., Freedom; Christian Collins, jr., Notre Dame; Grant Dean, jr., Neenah; Finnley Doriot, sr., Kaukauna; James Flanigan, jr., Notre Dame; Charles Garvey, sr., Wrightstown; Landon Gauthier, sr., Bay Port; Reid Hietpas, sr., Xavier; Keagan Jirschele, sr., Mosinee; Carter Kallies, sr., Bay Port; Koehler Kilty, sr., Stratford; Chase Matthias, sr., Two Rivers; Sam McGivern, sr., Kimberly; Langdon Nordgaard, sr., West De Pere; Max Ronsman, sr., Luxemburg-Casco; Miles Sillas, sr., Hortonville; Carson Van Dinter, sr., Kaukauna; Mitch Verstegen, sr., Kaukauna; Alex Warden, jr., Bay Port.
Girls golfer of the year: Adalyn Johnston, sr., Bay Port. Other nominees: Sophia Baek, sr., Notre Dame; Norah Berken, sr., Kaukauna; Emma Cunningham, fr., Green Bay Southwest; Payton Dudra, so., Bay Port; Jaelyn Feller, jr., Appleton East; Ava Frederiksen, sr., Stevens Point; Ella Gelb, jr., Notre Dame; Madelyn Gicius, fr., Bay Port; Aliisa Helminen, so., Xavier; McKenna Lowe, jr., Kaukauna; Vivien Ninham, sr., Pulaski.
Boys soccer player of the year: Gavin Urben, sr., Green Bay Preble. Other nominees: Jaren Baltus, sr., Plymouth; Kieran Barrientos, jr., St. Mary Catholic; James Dorchester, sr., De Pere; Alex Edwards, sr., Marshfield Columbus; Iban Heredia, sr., Oshkosh West; Ben Keller, sr., Fox Valley Lutheran; Tyler Kowalczyk, sr., West De Pere; Ian Noble, sr., Notre Dame; Blake Rhodes, sr., Neenah; Seth Schroeder, sr., Winnebago Lutheran; Ben Weidman, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln.
Girls swimmer and diver of the year: Sienna Nitke, sr., Ashwaubenon. Other nominees: Naomi Cortina, sr., Neenah; Kiersten Dietschweiler, fr., Oshkosh North/Lourdes; Ana Flanagan, jr., Appleton North; Allison Greeneway, sr., Appleton North; Amber Hess, sr., Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Sheboygan Falls; Carly Larson, jr., De Pere/West De Pere; Julia Michalski, jr., Door County United; Ivana Neverman, jr., Green Bay United; Klare Pilger, so., Stevens Point; Erin Schuch, jr., Ashwaubenon; Samara Zeinert, jr., Oshkosh West.
Girls tennis player of the year: Karlie Schock, fr., Bay Port. Other nominees: Mia Bailey, jr., Wausau West; Maria Burrows, sr., Kohler; Ana Cristescu, so., and Lillianna Graf, fr., De Pere; Julia Gurholt, jr., Kimberly; Sonja Mau, sr., and Brianna Owens, sr., Kimberly; Olivia Minikel, sr., Manitowoc Lincoln; Izzy Murray, jr., Neenah; Keagan Potter, sr., and Kate Conger, sr., Oshkosh West; Adel Schneider, so., St. Mary Catholic; Gabby Stammer, jr., and Grace Ogden, jr., Xavier; Sophia Torke, jr., and Grace Villwock, so., Kohler.
Boys volleyball player of the year: Connor Cantrell, sr., Appleton North. Other nominees: Jade Breckheimer, sr., Kaukauna; Ben Brinkman, sr., Appleton North; Brady Koester, sr., Kimberly; Owen Krause, jr., Kimberly; Jackson Loewe, jr., Fond du Lac.
Girls volleyball player of the year: Ella Demetrician, sr., Appleton North. Other nominees: Olivia Baierl, sr., Howards Grove; Peyton Carlson, so., Waupaca; Lauren Fischer, sr., St. Mary Catholic; Aubrey Frey, fr., Luxemburg-Casco; Grace Fruzen, sr., Manitowoc Lincoln; Mallory Gozdziewski, sr., Howards Grove; Marin Grossman, sr., Hortonville; Maleigha Kovalaske, sr., Ripon; Olivia Neumann, sr., Xavier; Emma Nilson, sr., Fox Valley Lutheran; Abby Ongna, sr., Marshfield; Annalise Patchett, sr., Fox Valley Lutheran; Mariah Potter, sr., Xavier; Belle Shea, sr., Xavier; Morgan Stewart, jr., Green Bay Southwest; Peri Subat, sr., Sheboygan Falls; Hailee Thompson, sr., Bonduel; Callista VandeBerg, sr., Laconia; Halle Vande Hey, sr., Xavier; Emerson Van Lannen, sr., Appleton North; Tristan Wicklund, sr., Mosinee; Maddie York, sr., Manitowoc Lincoln; Nida Zukauskaite, sr., Sturgeon Bay.
WINTER AWARDS
Boys basketball player of the year: Brady Corso, sr., Neenah. Other nominees: Pierce Arenz, sr., Kiel; Tyler Brightman, sr., Xavier; Grant Chandonais, jr., Stevens Point; Stevie Clark, sr., Oshkosh North; Drew Daoust, jr., Southern Door; Donovan Davis, fr., Freedom; Sam Ferge, sr., Fox Valley Lutheran; Grady Geiger, sr., Brillion; Trent Grunewald, jr., Howards Grove; Brooks Hinson, jr., Marshfield; Will Hornseth, sr., De Pere; Ethan Joling, so., Hortonville; Zach Kinziger, jr., De Pere; Joey La Chapell, sr., Appleton East; Adam Loberger, sr., Fox Valley Lutheran; Grant Manz, sr., Kiel; Thomas Meyers, sr., Kimberly; Xzavion Mitchell, jr., Oshkosh North; Keenan Rahn, sr., Omro; Kayden Schultz, so., Plymouth; Drew Tomashek, sr., Ashwaubenon; Keegan Van Kauwenberg, jr., Kaukauna; Grant Warren, sr., Marathon.
Girls basketball player of the year: Allie Ziebell, sr., Neenah. Other nominees: Lydia Aalsma, jr., Waupun; Hailee Bauer, jr., Lourdes Academy; Claire Bjorge, sr., De Pere; Eva Brooks, jr., Lena; Trista Fayta, sr., Notre Dame; Gracie Grzesk, sr., Notre Dame; Ady Ketterhagen, so., Oostburg; Rowan Klesmit, so., Neenah; Julia Koch, sr., Omro; Tierney Madigan, jr., Laconia; Ellie McDermid, sr., Bay Port; Kate McGinnis, jr., Kimberly; Payton Morgan, jr., Laconia; Leah Nordin, so., Shawano; Audrey Norville, sr., St. Mary Catholic; Kallie Peppler, sr., Hortonville; Kayl Petersen, sr., Waupun; Addison Pytleski, sr., Green Bay Southwest; Paige Seckar, sr., Oshkosh West; Carsyn Stempa, sr., Xavier; Faith Walder, jr., West De Pere; Rainey Welson, jr., Hortonville; Mikayla Werner, sr., Hortonville.
Gymnast of the year: Kyla Krause, sr., Medford/Colby. Other nominees: Lydia Barr, so., Oshkosh West/North; Ja’niyah Ford, jr., Oshkosh West/North; Abby Roecker, jr., Waupun; Raylin Rothmeier, fr., Medford/Colby; Neva Schlies, so., Oshkosh West/North.
Boys hockey player of the year: Carsen Gause, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln. Other nominees: Joseph Coghlin, sr., Notre Dame; Aiden Heffner, sr., Fond du Lac; Lleyton Jaschke, sr., Notre Dame; Austin Lamer, jr., Tomahawk; William Lyons, jr., Bay Port; Devin Rustlie, sr., Bay Port; Isaac Sabel, jr., Fond du Lac Springs; Jackson Schroeder, jr., Stevens Point; Spencer Shober, jr., Fond du Lac; Nick Voss, sr., Bay Port; Austin Westergaard, jr., Fond du Lac Springs.
Girls hockey player of the year: Madi DePuydt, sr., Central Wisconsin Storm. Other nominees: Emily Bill, jr., Bay Area Ice Bears; Julianne Bradford, jr., Bay Area Ice Bears; Claire Calmes, jr., Central Wisconsin Storm; Addison Dahl, so., Bay Area Ice Bears; Jenna Jones, jr., Wisconsin Valley Union; Evie Mursau, so., Fox Cities Stars; Ava Rode, jr., Central Wisconsin Storm; Maleiyah Streck, sr., Fox Cities Stars; Abby Waara, fr., Fond du Lac/Warbirds; Allison Waara, jr., Fond du Lac/Warbirds; Tristan Wicklund, sr., Central Wisconsin Storm.
Boys swimmer and diver of the year: David Mayer, sr., D.C. Everest. Other nominees: Keaton Barwick, jr., D.C. Everest; Cayden DePas, sr., Green Bay United; Drew Gaerthofner, jr., Neenah; Evan Harrison, sr., Two Rivers/Roncalli; Andrew Hodek, sr., Ashwaubenon; Sawyer Moore, jr., Kiel/Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah; River Reeves, so., Oshkosh North/Lourdes; Aadin Terrazas, fr., Sheboygan North/South; Tanner Trustem, so., Neenah; Tyler VanGompel, jr., Appleton West/Kimberly; Will Van Ermen, so., D.C. Everest.
Boys wrestler of the year: Jake Stoffel, sr., Appleton North. Other nominees: Brock Arndt, sr., Appleton North; Cole Bozile, jr., Oconto Falls; Mason Carpenter, sr., Oshkosh Lourdes/Valley Christian; Easton Cooper, sr., D.C. Everest; Liam Crook, so., Kaukauna; Silas Dailey, sr., Plymouth; Caleb Delebreau, sr., Luxemburg-Casco; Caleb Dennee, jr., Marshfield; Andy DiPiazza, fr., Kaukauna; Carter Freeman, jr., Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln; Jacob Herm, jr., Neenah; Vanden Hoffman, sr., Weyauwega-Fremont; Justin Klinkner, sr., Two Rivers; Declan Koch, so., Neenah; Micah Kuchta, jr., Coleman; Gage Losiewicz, jr., Medford; Wyatt Magolski, sr., New London; Chase Matthias, sr., Two Rivers; Henry Niebauer, sr., Hortonville; Lucas Peters, sr., Kaukauna; Stone Pomeroy, sr., Random Lake; Max Ronsman, sr., Luxemburg-Casco; Hunter Vander Heiden, jr., Freedom.
Girls wrestler of the year: Hailie Krueger, jr., New London. Other nominees: Lillie Banks, so., Menasha; Angie Bianchi, so., Two Rivers; Brooke Corrigan, jr., De Pere; Savannah Danielson, sr., Wausau West; Alivia Davey, sr., Berlin; Ava Gardner, jr., Marshfield; Brooke Huffman, fr., Wittenberg-Birnamwood; Kara Kuge, sr., Lomira; Emjay Neumann, so., Manitowoc Lincoln; Harlow Skenandore, fr., Pulaski; Taylor Whiting, so., Lena.
SPRING AWARDS
Baseball player of the year: Noah Wech, sr., Manitowoc Lincoln. Other nominees: Easton Arendt, sr., De Pere; Parker Bleck, sr., Xavier; Sawyer Deering, jr., Kimberly; Avery Duncan, sr., Notre Dame; Keagen Jirschele, sr., Mosinee; Craig Kabat, sr., Bay Port; Brady Koester, sr., Kimberly; Brady LaViolette, sr., Notre Dame; Noah Marschke, sr., Stevens Point; Ethan Plog, sr., Bay Port; Landon Raygo, sr., De Pere.
Boys golfer of the year: Mason Haupt, sr., West De Pere. Other nominees: Jon Bertram, sr., Xavier; Aiden Cudney, sr., Kimberly; Collin Evers, sr., Appleton West; Alex Johnson, sr., Berlin; Karsen Kruse, jr., Bay Port; Preston Lamirande, sr., Bay Port; Elliott Leibham, sr., Sheboygan Lutheran; Will Mauthe, jr., Fond du Lac; Cooper McLaughlin, sr., Lourdes/Valley Christian; Ryder Miller, jr., Sheboygan North; Casey Peters, sr., Winneconne.
Boys lacrosse player of the year: Ben Carey, sr., Neenah. Other nominees: Jackson Brown, jr., Neenah; Niko Federici, jr., Wausau; Tyler Gabrielse, sr., Bay Port; Sam Galang, jr., Wausau; Ian Greenwell, sr., Bay Port; Evan Hans, sr., Neenah; Ryder Hill, sr., Appleton United; Will Jacobs, so., De Pere; Isaiah King, jr., Wausau; Landon Larson, sr., Appleton United; Jax Luedke, jr., Kimberly.
Girls lacrosse player of the year: Josalyn White, so., Notre Dame. Other nominees: Grace Barington, sr., Notre Dame; Emily Bill, jr., Notre Dame; Sylvia Brickner, sr., Bay Port; Megan Gehrt, sr., Kimberly; Amelia Kiedinger, jr., De Pere; Grace Peters, so., De Pere; Jordan Peters, sr., Hortonville; Brooke Schaefer, sr., Wausau; Mikaela Sitzberger, so., Kimberly; Murphi Specht, sr., Bay Port; Josie Voigt, sr., Neenah.
Girls soccer player of the year: Emily McCarthy, sr., Kimberly. Other nominees: Jenna Baumann, sr., D.C. Everest; Amelia Castleberg, so., Stevens Point; Veronica Decker, sr., Pulaski; Cora Erickson, jr., Cedar Grove-Belgium; Lacey Fabry, jr., Notre Dame; Senah Hanes, sr., Kimberly; Melina Knowles, sr., Plymouth; Abby Lom, sr., Kimberly; Amelia Schuh, sr., De Pere; Lydia Vander Meer, sr., Kiel; Addison Wreath, so., Appleton East.
Softball player of the year: Karly Meredith, jr., Kaukauna. Other nominees: Katelyn Callahan, sr., Mishicot; Taryn Christopher, sr., Kaukauna; Courtney DenRuyter, sr., Coleman; Katie Geydoshek, jr., Green Bay Preble; Jayla Harter, sr., Random Lake; Addison Kluck, jr., D.C. Everest; Aly Lamonska, sr., Oakfield; Kenna Mix, sr., New London; Kiran Sanford, jr., Mishicot; Hannah Trzinski, sr., Pacelli; Peyton VandeLoo, jr., Freedom.
Boys tennis player of the year: Alex Thomas, so., Notre Dame. Other nominees: Grant Bergstrom, sr., and Wesley Auth, jr., St. Mary Catholic; Nick Bittner, sr., and Nate Hall, sr., Xavier; Matt Gugluizza, sr., and Aidan Burich, sr., Notre Dame; Carl Hein, jr., Neenah; Joshua Horak, sr., Xavier; Nana Kofi Norman, sr., Xavier; Ayden Knuth, sr., and Cohen Newberg, jr., Manitowoc Lincoln; Aiden Meixl, jr., Kimberly; Owen Plate, sr., and Jaren Baltus, sr., Plymouth; Jacob Stinski, jr., Oshkosh West; Andrew Werner, jr., and Brady Hildreth, sr., Neenah.
Boys track and field athlete of the year: Ben Smith, sr., Hortonville. Other nominees: Andrew Cartier, jr., De Pere; Augustus Counard-Ciechanowski, sr., Green Bay Preble; James Flanigan, jr., Notre Dame; Joseph Hunt, jr., Notre Dame; Ben Olvey, sr., Appleton Xavier; Joshua Onwunili, sr., Campbellsport; Blake Postler, sr., D.C. Everest; Jensen Rice, so., Iola-Scandinavia; Matthew Rusch, sr., Fond du Lac; Charlie Vater, sr., Iola-Scandinavia; Alex Wierzba, so., Rosholt.
Girls track and field athlete of the year: Thea Kral, jr., Ashwaubenon. Other nominees: Danika Apple, sr., Notre Dame; Lilie Fouts, sr., Xavier; Celia Gentile, fr., Neenah; Lydia Merrick, jr., Freedom; Erin Moore, jr., Lourdes; Sydnee Nelson, so., Oshkosh West; Emma Nilson, sr., Fox Valley Lutheran; Meredith Richter, sr., Medford; Bella Thomas, so., Assumption; Sydney Whitehouse, sr., Notre Dame; Sophie Yetter, sr., Winneconne.
