SUPPZ.COM SWNEWS4U ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Calum Crist

Crist piles up 202 yards rushing, including 55-yard TD, in 28–0 shutout of Platteville

Darlington sophomore Callum Crist (11) slips the tackle of Platteville’s Will Zielinski (left) during the Redbirds’ 28–0 season-opening victory over Platteville on Friday afternoon. The entire Platteville had its handsful all day trying to contain Crist, as the Darlington fullback ran for a game-high 206 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. - photo by Jason Nihles

Calum Crist — Darlington sophomore Callum Crist (11) slips the tackle of Platteville’s Will Zielinski (left) during the Redbirds’ 28–0 season-opening victory over Platteville on Friday afternoon. The entire Platteville had its handsful all day trying to contain Crist, as the Darlington fullback ran for a game-high 206 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. - photo by Jason Nihles

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Boscobel Dial

Calum Crist, So., RB/LB, Darlington football
DARLINGTON — Sophomore Calum Crist rushed for 206 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in his first varsity start to lead the Darlington Redbirds to a convincing 28–0 non-conference win last Friday afternoon over visiting Platteville in the 2024 season opener for both teams. Crist chewed up yards on the ground all game to keep Darlington drives going. He then put the game away when he broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown run with 10:37 left in the game. Crist also recorded six tackles to help the Darlington defense blank the reigning SWC champion Hillmen.

HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order)
Wes Bosworth, Sr., RB/LB, Richland Center football
Bosworth recorded a game-high 15 tackles and a forced fumble, and rushed for 74 yards and one touchdown in the Hornets' 14–12 season-opening victory at Tomah last Friday night.

Carter Copsey, Sr., WR/DB, River Ridge football
Copsey touched the ball just four times, and scored all four times he did in last Friday's 39–0 shutout of Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg. Copsey scored on a 49-yard yard TD pass from Brandon Davis midway through the first quarter, then added a two-point conversion catch to make it 14–0. He later scored on 30 reception with 1:16 left in the first half, then returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter for an 83-yard TD and a 39–0 lead.

Brody Culbertson, Sr., RB, Southwesetern/East Dubuque football
Culbertson caught five passes for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winning 52-yard catch with 10 seconds left, to lift the WarCats to a 28–20 season-opening victory at Black Hawk/Warren last Friday night. Culbertson also caught a 61-yard TD catch early in the third quarter to give SW/ED a 14–6 lead. Culbertson also added20 yards rushing on nine carries, and scored on a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.

Ethan Groom, Sr., FB/LB, Potosi/Cassville football
Potosi/Cassville senior Isaiah Groom rushed for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Chieftains’ season-opening 32–21 victory over Cuba City Friday night. Groom scored on a 1-yard plunge midway through the second quarter to give the Chieftains a 19–7 lead. He then scored his second touchdown of the game midway through the fourth quarter on a 3-yard TD run, and came up big in the final minutes of the contest when the Chieftains needed to eat some clock.

Shawn Jahnke-Fiedler, Jr., WR/DB/PR, Fennimore football
Jahnke-Fielder returned a punt 38 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring in Friday's 42–0 shutout of Iowa–Grant in the annual Milk Can Game. Jahnke-Fiedler also recovered a fumble in the end zone in the second quarter, and also had two interceptions and recorded five tackles to lead the Fennimore defense.

Nolan Wolf, Sr., QB, Lancaster football
Wolf completed 18 of 25 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Flying Arrows to a 21–6 season-opening victory over Cuba City last Friday night, including a 50-yard TD strike to junior Semaj Venson with 1:45 left in the game to put the game out of reach. Wolf also rushed for 19 yards and had three tackles on defense.