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The John Anderson Award is given annually to the state's top senior linebacker as part of the WSN Senior Football Awards. The award is named after John Anderson, a former Waukesha South standout who went on to star at the University of Michigan and later with the Green Bay Packers.

The pre-season watch list was trimmed down to 25 semi-finalists, and five finalists for the award have now been selected. Winners will be announced the week of the state finals.

Cooper Catalano has been a varsity standout since his freshman season, when he recorded 120 tackles and three sacks. He’s kept it up since then, and this year shattered the state's all-time tackles record, as he's up to 561 in his career. As a senior, he currently leads the state in 2024 with 156 tackles, also recording seven tackles for loss, two sacks, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, and three interceptions. With such standout play and abilities at a young age, he garnered college attention pretty quickly, but made an early decision to commit to the in-state Wisconsin Badgers. "Cooper is like a magnet for the ball and is a tenacious tackler," said head coach Jake Davis. "Simply put…he is a tackling machine and having his best year to date as a senior."

Carson Fletcher is a four-year varsity standout who excels on both sides of the ball. The son of Horlick head coach Brian Fletcher, he is likely to repeat as a First Team All-Conference selection as a running back and linebacker. As a senior, he has 110 tackles with 15 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles to go with 1,633 rushing yards in ten games. "He is asked to be a sideline-to-sideline player on defense and play a physically demanding position in our offense (fullback)," said Horlick assistant coach Robert Sandberg. "I don't know many kids that could play 130+ snaps a game, every game, at the level he does and still be an impact player on both sides of the ball."

Isaiah Groom is a tackling machine for the Potosi/Cassville co-op that is unbeaten and spent much of the year ranked number one in the WSN Division 7 Coaches Poll. He is second in the state in tackles entering Level 2 with 154 total stops, including three tackles for loss and an interception. He had 173 tackles last year, with 342 in his four-year career. "He is without a doubt one of the best overall football players I have ever coached over the past 27 years as head coach and 33 years overall," said head coach Mark Siegert. "He checks every box as a student-athlete and is a leader on and off the field. As a middle linebacker, his instincts and ability to find the ball is elite."

Mitchell Nigro was a First Team All-Conference and WFCA First Team All-State selection last season after helping the Hilltoppers to a Division 1 state title. He often plays on the outside of the team’s 3-4, generally lining up on the edge. He is among state leaders with 23 tackles for loss and six sacks this season, accumulating 60 tackles through the team's first nine games. "Mitchell is one of, if not the best, defender in the state," said Hilltoppers coach Keith Klestinski. "He's a versatile player who needs to be accounted for on every snap, playing all four linebacker positions."

Bobby Salm continues the strong linebacker tradition at Appleton North, which just last year included All-Stater Brock Arndt. Salm was a First Team All-Conference choice as an outside linebacker last season, and repeated this year, adding co-Linebacker of the Year accolades in the FVA. He has 111 tackles this year with four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two blocked kicks. "His significant impact extended both on and off the field, as he was a reliable source of support for his fellow players and a role model for what it means to be a great teammate," said Appleton North head coach Rob Salm. "His unwavering consistency and relentless effort were instrumental to our team's success. Bobby truly embodies the spirit of high school football."

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.