5 questions as prep football quests begin
Roughly nine months after Amherst capped the football season with a WIAA Division 5 state championship at Camp Randall Stadium, the Falcons and other central Wisconsin football teams are getting back to work.
Programs from across the state will hit the practice field either Tuesday morning or afternoon for the official start of high school football practice. The return to the practice field comes about two weeks from the start of the regular season. Games for the first week of the nine-week schedule will be Aug. 18 to Aug. 20.
With teams back on the field, here are five questions heading into the start of the season.
1. Will Amherst continue its run?
The Falcons have played for a title three times since 2012 and won it last season. The Falcons graduated seven all-Central Wisconsin Conference-8 players last year, including Garret Groshek and Tyler Biadaz, the conference offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively. But the Falcons return enough to be a force again this year.
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Amherst brings back starters at nine offensive or defensive positions from a team that finished with a 14-0 record and beat Spencer/Columbus Catholic 42-0 in the Division 5 title game.
2. What can Spencer/Columbus Catholic do for an encore?
The Rockets are coming off the best season in the co-op program's history, an undefeated regular season and a postseason run to the WIAA Division 5 state championship game. Spencer/Columbus graduated 13 seniors from last year's team, but the Rockets do return Hunter Luepke and Noah Zastrow, who combined to rush for more than 2,300 yards during the 2015 season. The Rockets host Stanley-Boyd and Regis in Weeks 3 and 7, respectively, in what should be showdowns among Cloverbelt Conference contenders this fall.
3. What Valley Football Association team can make a playoff run?
D.C. Everest and Stevens Point Area Senior High both made the postseason last year, and SPASH won its opening-round playoff game. But the last time a central Wisconsin member of the Valley Football Association advanced beyond Level 2 of the WIAA postseason was in 2012, when Marshfield advanced to Level 4 in Division 2.
SPASH could be a team to watch this season, however. The Panthers finished second in the VFA-South last season and could field a potent offense this fall with the majority of its offensive linemen returning, along with quarterback Beau Rosenthal and running back Gus Turner-Zick. Turner-Zick rushed for 1,654 yards last fall.
4. Can Marathon stay atop of the Marawood?
Marathon won the Marawood Conference title outright last fall, marking the first time since 1982 that neither Stratford or Edgar earned at least a share of the conference championship. The Marathon Raiders graduated four players who earned either first- or second-team all-Marawood Conference honors, including the running back of the year (Ryan Gassner) and lineman of the year (Sam Buchberger). Stratford returns Kam Bornbach, who was a first team selection at both running back and linebacker, and Tyson Kauffman, a unanimous selection as a lineman. Alec Hafferman, an impact player as both a running back and a linebacker, is one of the key returning players for Edgar.
5. Who has the upper hand in the Cloverwood?
The Cloverwood is annually one of the most competitive small-school conferences in the state. Abbotsford posted an undefeated regular season and finished two games ahead of Athens for the conference title in 2015. Abbotsford did graduate Cooper Henrickson, who was the Cloverwood's offensive player of the year, and should face a challenge in defending the championship. Owen-Withee, which won the Division 7 title two years ago, brings back an experienced team led by quarterback/defensive end Josiah Goerlitz, who was the defensive player of the year. Athens should have a formidable offensive/defensive line again, and Jake Stange was one of the leading rushers in the conference last year.
Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter@timmyjo11