Football Blogs
WFCA All-State Team and POY Awards Announced
by
Travis Wilson,
11/20/2009
WISCONSIN FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE 2009 WFCA ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAM
The Green Bay Packers and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association announced the 2009 WFCA All-State Football Team on Friday.
Players receiving the honors were voted upon by members of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association.
The Packers and the WFCA salute the young men receiving the honors and congratulate all players on another fine season of high school football.
Edgar quarterback Justin Sinz and Racine Lutheran running back Eric Oertel shared Offensive Player of the Year honors. Kimberly defensive lineman Mike Hardy and Milwaukee Marquette defensive back Michael Trotter shared Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Sinz (QB and defensive back), Big Foot's Michael Walker (running back and defensive back), and Kenosha Tremper's Zac Epping (offensive and defensive line), Baldwin-Woodville's Jake Keefer (inside linebacker and tight end) were two-way selections.
La Crosse Logan offensive lineman Matt Eggen and Homestead inside linebacker Lucas Speaker were the only repeat 1st team selections from last year's list.
To view the entire list,
click here to see the PDF file.
Friday State Championship Live Blog!!
by
Travis Wilson,
11/20/2009
Listen Live Follow "Rick Thoughts" from our own Rick Hamilton on our WSN Twitter page (You'll have to refresh this page for the latest updates)
Travis Wilson, 6:12 pm - Well, that's your ballgame. Marcus Trotter picks off a deflected pass and one knelldown will do it. Marquette wins their first WIAA state title, after 8 in WISAA. Congratulations to legendary coach Dick Basham and the rest of this great team. That'll do it for us here at Camp Randall. Thanks for joining us, and look for all kinds of updates, all-conference info, recruiting stories, and more on WisSports.net in the coming days and weeks.
Travis Wilson, 6:10 pm - Its measurement time again. Marquette went for it on fourth and three and John LoCoco did not quite get it. Falls now has 31 seconds to go 69 yards for a tying touchdown with no timeouts. Stay tuned.
Travis Wilson, 6:01 pm - Menomonee Falls just went for it on fourth and 1 on their own 45-yard line, and Max Poeske's quarterback sneak inched forward. The chains were brought in, and Falls barely picked up the first down by about half a football. Unfortunately, they've gone backwards the last two plays. First Cole Myhra retreated too much and took a loss on a running play, and then Poeske was unable to get rid of the ball before taking a nearly ten-yard sack. As I type, Marquette junior Mark Scarpinatto storms in and sacks Poeske again. Facing fourth and 31, Falls has no choice but to punt and hope for a stop. Unfortunately there's only 1:58 left on the clock as Marquette takes over on their own 45. Falls has just two timeouts left.
Travis Wilson, 5:47 pm - The third quarter is over, and there's still no updates to pass along. 7-0 Marquette.
The Marquette roster shows 18 coaches on staff, which is more than some Division 7 teams have players.
Travis Wilson, 5:37 pm - They've taken down the food spread in the press box:( The horseradish mustard is dead, long live the horseradish mustard.
Oh, there's still a game going on too, but there's really no updates to pass along. Both offense are struggling and the score remains 7-0 Marquette with 3:25 left in the third quarter. Once again I am alone, as Rick and Nick have left the building.
Travis Wilson, 5:28 pm - The Taco John's commercial was just on, which reminds me of this. To update the week's Most Important Stats:
WSN Hot Dogs consumed: 14
WSN Hot Chocolates: 12
WSN Diet Cokes: 9
WSN Cokes: 5
WSN Sprites: 5
WSN Minute Maid Lemonades: 1
WSN Tex-Mex Quesadillas and fries at The Stadium Grille across from Camp Randall: 1
Travis Wilson, 5:14 pm - Its halftime here at Camp Randall, and like the last game, the defenses are dominating. Falls has just 47 total yards of offense while Marquette isn't much better with just 95. Marquette holds a 7-0 lead. I just filled in for Nick and did an interview on The Big 1070 halftime show. Always fun to talk to Phil Dawson and those guys.
Travis Wilson, 4:53 pm - Kyle French made 14 of 19 field goals this year, but just missed about a 40-yarder to get Falls on the board. It certainly had enough leg, but went just off to the right. It would have been good from well over 50 yards out.
Travis Wilson, 4:37 pm - The Division 1 title game usually brings out a little different crowd in the press box, and with two Milwaukee-area schools in this one, we've got a bunch of Milwaukee-area media of course. They're a little different than the smalltown newspaper writers we see in most of the other games. A little louder, a little more gregarious. And some of the TV folks are even.....women!?! Not to many of the newspaper writers have been female u pto this point. They're sitting in front of us, and haven't made one comment on the game while talking nearly the entire time.
Travis Wilson, 4:18 pm - Marquette's Brock LaFace wasn't expected to play in this game, but he's sure making a big impact. He just scored from a couple yards out after picking up quite a few yards on the drive, making it 7-0 Marquette with 4:36 left in the first half.
There is uproar in the press box though, as Marquette has two Ram mascots here for the game. Both have been walking around without their heads on however. I thought that was an International Mascot rule, you do not take off your head.
Travis Wilson, 4:13 pm - We're about seven minutes into the game and Marquette is driving inside Falls' 20-yard line. Keep an eye on a few players in this game, as you'll be seeing them on Saturdays. For Falls, #4 Kyle French is a great kicker and has committed to the University of Wisconsin. Marquette features #13 Michael Trotter, a safety headed to Wisconsin as well; #44 Marcus Trotter, a linebacker getting interest from UW and holding offers from Indiana and several smaller programs; #46 Cameron Botticelli, a linebacker committed to Illinois State; #51 Nick Gral, a linebacker receiving interest from DI schools; and #79 Mark Scarpinatto, a junior defensive lineman beginning to get interest from a number of DI schools, including Wisconsin.
Travis Wilson, 3:51 pm - Marquette and Menomonee Falls are warming up. It looks like injured Marquette running back Brock LaFace will be playing in this one. I had though most everything we'd heard this week pointed to him not playing, but it looks like he may even start.
Travis Wilson, 3:43 pm - Its official, Waunakee wins the Division 2 state title 34-21. It is the programs third state title under Pat Rice.
Travis Wilson, 3:35 pm - Kimberly scores a late touchdown to make it 34-21, and dancing tacos commercial from Taco John's just came on the screen in the press box. After eating mostly just hot dogs the last two days, a Six Pack and a Pound sounds like filet mignon. Rick's Pavlovian response is kicking in.
Travis Wilson, 3:23 pm - That my friends is why the University of Wisconsin offered a scholarship to Waunakee's Jake Irwin. He broke through the line and swatted the ball out of quarterback Austin Rogers just as he was about to throw. Irwin scooped it up and showed good speed to take it to the house. What was a low-scoring, tight affair has been blown wide open. Its now 34-14 in favor of Waunakee with 5:40 left in the game. WSN is officially projecting Waunakee as the 2009 Division 2 state champs. They will join Reedsburg as state title winners from the Badger-North.
Travis Wilson, 3:11 pm - The fourth quarter is less than a minute old, but we have another score already. The running back tandem of Leo Musso and Kyle Acker keep pounding away at the Kimberly defense, and following a long Musso run, Acker punched it in for a score. The extra point snap was high, forcing the holder to scramble for it. Waunakee kicker Kassy McCarthy was leveled on the play and the Warriors couldn't convert, making the score 27-14 with 10:29 left in the game.
Travis Wilson, 2:54 pm - In addition to our obligatory visit from
Wisconsin State Journal writer Tom Oates, we also had a Craig Coshun sighting earlier. Unlike last year, I did not nearly run the diminutive broadcaster over rounding a bend in the press box, which would have spilled hot chocolate all over fancy pastel shirt and tie.
Travis Wilson, 2:51 pm - We've had some good back and forth action here in the third quarter. Both teams have opened up the offenses a litlte and socred on long touchdown plays. We're now tied at 14 all with 5:52 left in the third quater. Kimberly takes over on a punt at their own 28-yard line.
Travis Wilson, 2:50 pm - Sorry for the delay folks, we just received the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State team and I was posting that on the site. Edgar quarterback Justin Sinz and Racine Lutheran running back Eric Oertel shared Offensive Player of the Year honors. Kimberly defensive lineman Mike Hardy and Milwaukee Marquette defensive back Michael Trotter shared Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Sinz (QB and defensive back), Big Foot's Michael Walker (running back and defensive back), and Kenosha Tremper's Zac Epping (offensive and defensive line), Baldwin-Woodville's Jake Keefer (inside linebacker and tight end) were two-way selections.
To view the entire list,
click here to see the PDF file.
Travis Wilson, 2:24 pm - So the Waunakee band just got done performering. And now the Waunakee cheerleaders (all 6 of them) are doing a dance routine to "Boom, Boom, Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas. The concept of a dance team performing and then the cheerleaders performing is quite interesting. Apparently Kimberly has neither a dance team or cheerleaders who wanted to perform. This is wild and crazy stuff folks.
Travis Wilson, 2:16 pm - We're now being entertained by the Waunakee dance team, who must be pissed off at something. They came out "dance fighting" with each other, and have pantomimed punching each other several times along the way. I think this is called "krunk". Because there's nothing more "krunk" than WASPs from small towns in Wisconsin.
Travis Wilson, 2:14 pm - Waunakee and Kimberly head to halftime knotted at 7. Its definitely been a defensive battle. Waunakee has 177 yards at the half while Kimberly has 113. Both teams have one turnover as well. To update the week's Most Important Stats:
WSN Hot Dogs consumed: 11
WSN Hot Chocolates: 10
WSN Diet Cokes: 8
WSN Cokes: 3
WSN Sprites: 4
WSN Tex-Mex Quesadillas and fries at The Stadium Grille across from Camp Randall: 1
Travis Wilson, 2:11 pm - Just before halftime Kimberly wakes up from its slumber. Some nice runs by Colten Heagle and a few nice rollouts passes by Austin Rogers moved it inside the 5, and Heagle ran it in for the score. The extra point barely made it over the crossbar to even the score 7-7 with 1:16 left.
Travis Wilson, 1:57 pm - We've got our first score. A halfback option pass from Leo Musso to Jared Staege results in a touchdown for Waunakee, and Kassy McCarthy becomes the first female to score in a state final with the extra point. Its now 7-0 Waunakee with 6:58 left in the half.
Travis Wilson, 1:55 pm - We're still scoreless here at Camp Randall with 7:51 left. One of the stories of the finals has been Waunakee kicker Kassy McCarthy and whether she is the first female to play in the state finals. No one knew for sure, but she just missed an opportunity to almost assuredly become the first female to score in the state finals. She hit a 34-yard field goal attempt just right and Waunakee got no points off a nice drive. Kimberly fumbled it on the next snap though, so Waunakee is right back in business.
Travis Wilson, 1:40 pm - We've come to the end of the first quarter of this defensive battle, and as I predicted yesterday, we've got us a low-scoring affair. It's still 0-0, with the teams combining for just 137 total yards. A Waunakee fumble inside the Kimberly 20 didn't help anything either.
Travis Wilson, 1:24 pm - The defenses are out-performing the offenses in this one, with just 19 total yards between the two teams halfway through the first quarter. Irwin has blocked Hardy one on one several times, and done a pretty good job so far.
Travis Wilson, 1:11 pm - As we get started, the match-up to keep your eye on in this game is Kimberly's #88 Mike Hardy going against Waunakee's #64 Jake Irwin. Hardy is headed to Iowa next year and won the
Tim Krumrie Award presented by WSN, while Irwin is going to Wisconsin and was the
Joe Thomas Award winner.
Travis Wilson, 1:08 pm - Introductions for the D2 state title game are underway. This should be a great match-up between of the most successful programs in recent state hitstory.
On a totally unrelated note, one of the sportswriters sitting below us who shall go unnamed is apparently a fan of the hot dogs. He has a plate with three of them; the odd thing being he has no buns and no condiments. Must be on the Atkins diet.
Travis Wilson, 12:49 pm - West De Pere scores a touchdown on the last play, making the final score 34-27. Reedsburg takes the Division 3 title.
Travis Wilson, 12:39 pm - West De Pere tacks on a late touchdown, making it 34-21 with 48 seconds left. Yet another onside kick coming up. WDP recovers perhaps the best high school onside kick I've seen. That was executed to a "T". Kicker Randy Hill has done a very good job on both onside kicks today.
Travis Wilson, 12:26 pm - Reedsburg comes right back, showing the mettle of a champion. They recover the onside kick and shortly after, Shane Rockweiler takes a dive up the middle and break through for a long run inside the WDP five. A couple plays later he takes a dive in for a touchdown and its now 34-14 Reedsburg. Looks like my nephew Nathan will get to watch the fire truck escort the team back into town later today.
Travis Wilson, 12:18 pm - Not so fast my friends. After WDP turns it over on downs inside the Reedsburg 30, the Beavers are forced to punt. WDP bum-rushes Mazur and block his kick, returning it for a touchdown. Reedsburg now leads 27-14 with 4:06 left in the game. You'd expect an onside kick to be forthcoming for the Phantoms.
Travis Wilson, 12:04 pm - Things go from bad to worse for the Phantoms. Linssen's pass is picked off at the line by Jared Park, who returns it inside the 5. A Shane Rockweiler touchdown plunge (the extra point was missed) makes it 27-7. WSN is projecting Reedsburg as the 2009 Division 3 state champions.
Travis Wilson, 11:59 am - Will they find an answer for Chad Mazur? The answer is no. Mazur rips off a 66-yard touchdown run where he juked one defender in the backfield on a bootleg, and then broke two tackle attempts down the field. The two-point conversion is good and MY Reedsburg Beavers are up 21-7 and appear headed for OUR first ever state football title!!
Travis Wilson, 11:57 am - Reedsburg's Michael Hayes is the one that missed the extra point. He atones for that mistake in a big way by picking off a deep Linssen pass inside the 15-yard line. Reedsburg takes over with a chance to put some more room between themselves and the Phantoms.
Travis Wilson, 11:53 am - We've come to the end of the fourth quarter here with Reedsburg up 13-7. A few key questions that will determine the outcome of this one: Can WDP's offense get back to dominating the line of scrimmage and run it consistently like the first half? Will they remain patient enough to do that or start slinging it all around? Will they find an answer for Chad Mazur? Can Reedsburg avoid costly turnovers? Will the missed extra point come back to cost them a state title?
Travis Wilson, 11:46 am - Its been a fairly uneventful second quarter until the last play. WDP quarterback Michael Linssen threw an ill-advised pass across the middle that was picked off by Reedsburg. The Beavers now have it at their own 41-yard line. Will either team get going here and take control of this game?
And the answer to that is YES!! Reesdburg quarterback Chad Mazur drops back to pass on third and 10, and finding no one open slips out the right side. It looked like he'd pick up the first down a bit a more, but he split defenders and raced 59 yards for a score. The extra point is no good, making it 13-7 Reedsburg with 42 seconds left in the third quarter.
Travis Wilson, 11:33 am - The second half is underway and we're seeing a lot of the same of what we saw in the first. Reedsburg got the ball first and moved down the field pretty well. Matt Lennon and Chad Mazur both had nice runs. But their second fumble inside the WDP 40-yard line stops the drive dead. WDP is churning out tough yards behind their strong offensive line.
Travis Wilson, 11:23 am - By the way, Reedsburg's Nate Brey, who was injured last week against CMH, is here today. He's down on the sideline with his jersey and letter jacket on, in a wheelchair that is way too small for him, and a boot on his leg that is unfortunately way too big. He appears to be giving the team a little pep talk as they get ready for the second half.
Travis Wilson, 11:14 am - In the ever-enthralling game-within-a-game between the school's dance teams, West De Pere easily took the victory. Their routine to a techno re-mix of some kind was sharper and more imaginative than what we saw from the Beavers. Plus they used music from this decade.
Travis Wilson, 11:06 am - In a move that seemed to go against some of what Reedsburg has been able to do this year, the Beavers got the ball with about 1:20 left and were not aggressive, instead content to run it a few times and let the half come to an end with the score still 7-7.
In another very disappointing move, the Reedsburg dance team is not doing Thriller, instead performing to "Rhythm is a Dancer" by Snap. You know, that great dance tune that came out in 1992.
Travis Wilson, 10:57 am - Its a much quieter press box this morning than what we saw last night. Not sure if that's the horseradish mustard kicking in or what.
As to the game, its still 7-7 with 2:58 left in the half. WDP took over following a punt at their own 42.
Travis Wilson, 10:42 am - Reedsburg was moving the ball down the field once again, but a fumble by Andy Huber gives it back to WDP. The Phantom offensive line continues to push the Reedsburg D-line around quite easily. The Beavers are surely missing standout lineman Nate Brey, who suffered a severe ankle injury in last week's win over Catholic Memorial.
Travis Wilson, 10:35 am - We've reached the end of the 1st quarter here, and its still 7-7. A nice Chad Mazur punt pinned WDP inside their two-yard line.
As followers of yesterday's blog will recall, the horseradish mustard served here in the press box with the hot dogs was truly the talk of the day yesterday. It is a sensation I have never experienced before. I love spicy food and have had my share of it over the years. But this is something different. It isn't spicy in your mouth, rather the kick is felt in your sinus cavity. It literally feels like heat is coming out of your nose and eyes.
Travis Wilson, 10:23 am - Well, that was quick. WDP moved the ball down the field with ease, and a short pass from Michael Linssen to Jay Tollefson was converted into a touchdown. WDP's offensive line is moving the Reedsburg defense off the ball with ease. They're also using short passes and receiver screens to keep the d-backs off-balance. We're all tied up 7-7 with 2:38 left in the first quarter.
Travis Wilson, 10:18 am - Rick already has attacked the Coke machine. To update the week's Most Important Stats:
WSN Hot Dogs consumed: 9
WSN Hot Chocolates: 8
WSN Diet Cokes: 7
WSN Cokes: 1
WSN Sprites: 2
WSN Tex-Mex Quesadillas and fries at The Stadium Grille across from Camp Randall: 1
Travis Wilson, 10:14 am - Well, that was quick. After a three and out by WDP, Rburg's Matt Lennon returned the punt deep into WDP territory. Rburg converted a fourth and long and scored on a short touchdown run, making it 7-0.
I am a Reedsburg native, having lived there for three years (my wife was born and went to H.S. there and lived there most her life). I am officially claiming Reedsburg as my team, and if they win the title, will refer to it as the year "we" won a stae football title.
Travis Wilson, 10:06 am - And we're off. One quick note, West De Pere running back Beau Bellmore is playing after suffering a multitude of injuries late in the year. His availability for today was very much in doubt coming into the game.
Travis Wilson, 10:02 am - We're into warm-ups here at Camp Randall. We have a Beaver sighting! The Reedsburg Beaver mascot is here. Hopefully the Reedsburg dance team does their Thriller performance I saw them do earlier this year. Let's just say the Beaver makes for a scary zombie.
Travis Wilson, 9:48 am - Welcome to Friday state football!! We'll be blogging live all day with sights, sounds, and smells from the games, as well as in-game analysis. Make sure to refresh this page often for the latest updates.
All-WIAC Football Team Announced; Former Tosa East Star Jeff Donovan POY
by
Travis Wilson,
11/19/2009
UW-Whitewater’s Donovan Named Player of the Year; Leipold Claims Coaching Honor
MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Jeff Donovan was named the Player of the Year to lead the individuals selected to the 2009 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Football Team by the league coaches, while Warhawks head coach Lance Leipold was voted the George Chryst Coach of the Year.
Donovan, a senior quarterback, leads the WIAC with a 180.3 passing efficiency and 73.2 completion percentage, while ranking second with 247.0 yards of total offense per game and third with 244.7 passing yards per contest. He threw for more than 220 yards in seven games, including a career-high 353 yards against UW-River Falls on Oct. 24. Donovan also had a career-best five touchdown tosses (in just 13 attempts) against Midland Lutheran (Neb.) on Sept. 12.
His career totals include 32 games played, 5,188 passing yards, 36 touchdown passes and 402 completions on 595 attempts for a 67.6 completion percentage. UW-Whitewater has had an individual claim the WIAC Player of the Year trophy four of the last five seasons and nine times in program history.
Repeat selections on this year’s first team offense included: UW-Eau Claire’s Brett Schreiner and Cory Sartorelli, UW-Stevens Point’s Jared Jenkins, UW-Stout’s Craig Warminski and UW-Whitewater’s Levell Coppage and Jeff Schebler.
The first team defense repeat choices consisted of: UW-Stevens Point’s Matt Lunder, UW-Stout’s Marcus Ball and UW-Whitewater’s Troney Shumpert and Anthony White.
UW-Whitewater head coach Lance Leipold was voted the George Chryst Coach of the Year after directing the Warhawks to their fifth consecutive conference championship. He is in his third season in charge of the squad and owns a career mark of 37-3, including 20-1 in WIAC contests.
An All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. Named to the squad were: UW-Eau Claire’s Andy Prevost, UW-La Crosse’s Reid Oldenburg, UW-Oshkosh’s Justin Budiac, UW-Platteville’s Rob Crowley, UW-River Falls’ Connor Graves, UW-Stevens Point’s Jake Swank, UW-Stout’s Andrew Jeske and UW-Whitewater’s Max Wasikowski.
2009 All-WIAC Football Team
First Team Offense
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Weight, Hometown (High School)
Ryan Hansen, River Falls, Senior, Tight End, 6-3, 210, Grantsburg
Jeff Donovan, Whitewater, Senior, Quarterback, 6-5, 187, Wauwatosa (East)
Levell Coppage, Whitewater, Sophomore, Running Back, 5-8, 180, Oak Park, Ill.
Cory Sartorelli, Eau Claire, Senior, Running Back, 6-1, 204, Appleton (North)
Craig Warminski, Stout, Sophomore, Running Back, 5-10, 200, Stanley (Stanley-Boyd)
Jared Jenkins, Stevens Point, Junior, Wide Receiver, 6-4, 210, Milwaukee (Rufus King)
Aaron Rusch, Whitewater, Junior, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 168, Hartford
Brett Schreiner, Eau Claire, Senior, All-Purpose, 6-4, 245, Somerset
Nate Newholm, Stout, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-5, 255, Burlington
Robbie Ustruck, Whitewater, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-2, 280, West Allis (Hale)
Matt Weber, Whitewater, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-3, 285, Oregon
Shane Winterfeldt, Stevens Point, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-1, 310, Hortonville
Garth Coats, Whitewater, Senior, Center, 6-2, 282, Evansville
Kyle Martin, Stout, Senior, Punter, 6-1, 190, Hubertus (Kettle Moraine Lutheran)
Jeff Schebler, Whitewater, Senior, Kicker, 6-0, 182, Davenport, Iowa (Assumption)
Greg Klingelhutz, River Falls, Sophomore, Return Specialist, 5-9, 180, Chanhassen, Minn. (Holy Family)
First Team Defense
Marcus Ball, Stout, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-1, 225, Austin, Minn.
Charlie Dercks, Stevens Point, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-4, 270, Little Chute
Matt Lunder, Stevens Point, Junior, Defensive Line, 6-2, 250, Waunakee
Tim Stephenson, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 235, Lanark, Ill. (Eastland)
Anthony White, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-0, 215, Milwaukee (Bay View)
Tom Bruins, Platteville, Senior, Linebacker, 6-3, 245, Waupun
John Jones, Stevens Point, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 245, Oregon
Kyle Supianoski, Whitewater, Senior, Linebacker, 6-0, 225, Tama, Iowa (South)
James Taraboi, Oshkosh, Senior, Linebacker, 6-2, 220, Grafton (Cedarburg)
Quincy Hudson, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-9, 165, Milwaukee (Bay View)
Troney Shumpert, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-8, 180, Milwaukee (Bay View)
Kendall Wade, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 175, Milwaukee (Bay View)
Matt Winney, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-3, 205, Green Bay (Preble)
Second Team Offense
Patrick Mengelkoch, Stout, Junior, Tight End, 6-4, 225, Champlin, Minn. (Champlin Park)
Jared Beckwith, Stevens Point, Senior, Quarterback, 6-0, 205, Baraboo
Kyle Paulson, Eau Claire, Senior, Quarterback, 6-5, 219, Amery
Taylor Edwards, River Falls, Sophomore, Running Back, 6-1, 190, Janesville (Parker)
Reid Oldenburg, La Crosse, Senior, Running Back, 6-1, 235, Burlington
David Goodman, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, 6-2, 184, Neenah
Aunton Terry, Platteville, Senior, Wide Receiver, 6-1, 210, Waukesha (North)
Joe Burkeland, Platteville, Junior, All-Purpose, 6-1, 195, Hollandale (Pecatonica)
John Sherman, Stout, Senior, All-Purpose, 6-3, 235, Cokato, Minn. (Dassel-Cokato)
Alex Mueske, Oshkosh, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-5, 295, Merrill
Kyle Schulz, La Crosse, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-1, 285, Evansville
Tyler Smith, La Crosse, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-2, 270, Middleton
Michael Tharp, Platteville, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-6, 310, Bettendorf, Iowa
Andrew Gebel, La Crosse, Senior, Center, 5-11, 275, Oshkosh (West)
Kris Rosholt, Whitewater, Sophomore, Punter, 6-3, 229, Reedsburg
Tony Smidl, Platteville, Senior, Kicker, 5-11, 180, Oshkosh (West)
Tyler O’Kane, La Crosse, Freshman, Return Specialist, 6-1, 195, Prairie du Chien
Second Team Defense
Justin Ankley, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-4, 285, Racine (Case)
Jon Baldwin, Whitewater, Junior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 247, Spring Grove, Ill. (Richmond Burton)
Pierce FollansbeeDelong, Stevens Point, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-2, 285, Cumberland
Mike Lenzendorf, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-1, 300, Eastman (Prairie du Chien)
Greg Towner, Stout, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-2, 235, Onalaska
Aaron Johnson, La Crosse, Senior, Linebacker, 6-0, 240, Wisconsin Dells
Ryan Leis, Eau Claire, Senior, Linebacker, 6-3, 232, Alma Center (Lincoln)
Cole Lowell, River Falls, Senior, Linebacker, 6-0, 210, White Bear Lake, Minn.
Lane Olson, Whitewater, Junior, Linebacker, 5-10, 195, Racine (Horlick)
Bryan Blum, Stevens Point, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 215, Baraboo
Matt Guertin, River Falls, Sophomore, Defensive Back, 5-10, 180, Mounds View, Minn. (Irondale)
Joe Mleziva, Stevens Point, Junior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 205, Casco (Luxemburg-Casco)
Paul Wick, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-10, 185, Franklin
Honorable Mention Offense
John Novak, Whitewater, Junior, Tight End, 6-5, 278, Michigan City, Ind.
Travis Bordeau, La Crosse, Junior, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 190, Menasha
Jordan Wells, Whitewater, Senior, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 185, Elgin, Ill.
Tyler Butzler, Stout, Sophomore, Offensive Line, 6-5, 300, Tomah
John Nicholas, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Offensive Line, 6-4, 290, Oneida (Seymour)
Tyler VandenWyngaard, Stevens Point, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-4, 285, Kaukauna
Al Wolf, Eau Claire, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-1, 286, Green Bay (Notre Dame)
Honorable Mention Defense
Andrew Evanoff, Eau Claire, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-2, 256, Plover (SPASH)
Randy Langer, Platteville, Junior, Defensive Line, 6-2, 255, Milton (Edgerton)
Kyle Scofield, Stevens Point, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 235, Green Bay (Preble)
Ben Arata, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-11, 195, Menomonee Falls
Zach Christopherson, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-11, 210, Hartford
Justin Crooks, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 220, Wausau (East)
Dustin Drath, La Crosse, Junior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 195, Manawa (Little Wolf)
Derek Dreher, La Crosse, Junior, Defensive Back, 6-2, 200, Verona
Nate Heard, Oshkosh, Junior, Defensive Back, 6-1, 180, Milwaukee (Lutheran)
Mike Larson, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Line, 5-11, 231, Ashland
Brian Snyder, Platteville, Junior, Defensive Back, 5-10, 210, Mt. Morris, Ill. (Oregon)
All-Sportsmanship Team
Justin Budiac, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Running Back, 5-8, 180, Mukwonago
Rob Crowley, Platteville, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 220, Lyndon Station (Mauston)
Connor Graves, River Falls, Senior, Tight End, 6-2, 220, Grantsburg
Andrew Jeske, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-11, 195, Glenwood City
Reid Oldenburg, La Crosse, Senior, Running Back, 6-1, 235, Burlington
Andy Prevost, Eau Claire, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-3, 298, Galesville (G-E-T)
Jake Swank, Stevens Point, Senior, Wide Receiver, 6-4, 205, Oregon
Max Wasikowski, Whitewater, Senior, Running Back, 6-0, 235, Cudahy
Player of the Year: Jeff Donovan of Whitewater
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: Shay Lehman of Stout
George Chryst Coach of the Year: Lance Leipold of Whitewater
Thursday State Championship Live Blog!!
by
Travis Wilson,
11/19/2009
Listen Live Follow "Rick Thoughts" from our own Rick Hamilton on our WSN Twitter page (You'll have to refresh this page for the latest updates)
Travis Wilson, 9:24 pm - That'll do it folks, Big Foot takes home their first state title, winning 42-13 over Kewaunee. We'll be back tomorrow with action beginning at 10 am as Reedsburg takes on West De Pere in Division 3.
Travis Wilson, 9:20 pm - WSN is projecting Big Foot to win the 2009 Division 4 state title.
Travis Wilson, 9:11 pm - Remember that part about stopping Mike Walker? Yeah, still hasn't happened. He ripped off a long run to get them inside the third, then bounced one outside for yet another score. Big Foot goes up 42-13 with 3:46 left in the game. Four games, four mostly non-competitive games. Kind of disheartening. Hopefully tomorrow's games are better.
Travis Wilson, 9:00 pm - We've made it to the fourth quarter, with Big Foot still up 35-13, although Kewaunee is driving thanks to a great catch by Mike Lux. Delebreau threw a jumpball basically into five guys, and Lux showed good leaping ability and incredibly strong hands to pull it in.
Travis Wilson, 8:49 pm - For a minute it looked like Kewaunee might get right back in it. Mike Lux returned the kickoff and nearly broke it for a score before going down at the Big Foot 40. A couple plays later though, Delebreau tossed a wobbler that came up about 15 yards short of where he wanted it, resulting in an easy pick. Kewaunee has to face Walker once again.
Travis Wilson, 8:44 pm - Yeah, remember what I said about stopping Michael Walker? Kewaunee didn't do it on that drive. On third and short, Walker took a pitch and went about 50 yards un-touched for a score. Big Foot is now up 35-13. They don't do an All-Tournament team in football like they do in other sports, but if they did, Walker would undoubtedly be the leading vote-getter. He's beginning to eclipse the horseradish mustard as the most talked about item in the press box.
Travis Wilson, 8:42 pm - Rick and Nick have both left the building, leaving me to hold down the fort here in the press box. More hot dogs and horseradish mustard for me.
Travis Wilson, 8:38 pm - Kewaunee shows some life. A nicely balanced drive ends in a short touchdown run, although they miss the extra point and its now 28-13. Kewaunee ran the ball with a purpose on that drive, which opened up some lanes to throw it. They will need to stay balanced if they want to continue the momentum. Of course they'll have to stop Michael Walker at some point or what they do on offense won't matter too much. One way to keep him from getting the ball is to squib kick on kickoffs, but then you end up with situations they are in now with Big Foot taking over at their own 45 yard line.
Travis Wilson, 8:30 pm - Mike Walker coughs up the ball on the second play of the half, but Nate Nagel and his blindingly write shoes falls it. Kewaunee gets their first stop in what seems like a long time. Kewaunee muffs the ensuing punt, but are very fortunate to fall on it. Could this mean better things in store for the Indians?
Travis Wilson, 8:17 pm - Michael Walker is the MVP of the state finals so far. He's got 19 carries for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 2 catches for 51 yards and 1 more score. And its only halftime.
Travis Wilson, 8:09 pm - We've reached halftime, with the score 28-7 in favor of Big Foot. If this game holds true, that will make all three of the teams that played today that also played in last year's finals all coming out with wins. Reedsburg and Kimberly have to like that trend.
Travis Wilson, 8:06 pm - Stop me if you'd heard this one, the rout is on. After a Delebreau interception, Walker takes a screen pass inside the five-yard line and scores on a short touchdown run, making it 28-7. Kewaunee continues to have no answer for Walker running or catching the ball.
Travis Wilson, 7:58 pm - Kewaunee has no answer for the multi-dimensional skills of Big Foot's Mike Walker. Lining up in the slot, he runs a little bit of a fade and catches a beautiful ball from Dowden, making it 21-7.
Here's some video of an interview we did with Walker before the season:
http://www.wissports.net/media/wsnplayer.aspx?312 Actually, I apologize, the direct link isn't working for some reason. That link takes you to the Video Player, where in the upper right of the screen there is a menu where you can select Football, and then Big Foot. Walker's interview will be along the bottom where you can then click on it.
Travis Wilson, 7:45 pm - Mike Walker continues to get to the edge with ease, and bounces one to the outside for a score from about 15 yards out. Its now 14-7 in favor of Big Foot. I may have to redact an earlier statement that this will be a low-scoring game if Walker continues to get in space this consistently.
Travis Wilson, 7:39 pm - Mike Walker's triangle button must be stuck (Playstation reference), because he keeps trying to jump over guys who aren't tackling him low. Twice now he's done that. He needs to hit square for spin or "X" for speed burst occasionally.
Travis Wilson, 7:35 pm - Rick's friend in the orange gloves goes off the field and we're back to live action following the quarter break. On the first play of the second quarter, Kewaunee quarterback Doug Delebreau hooks up with standout receiver Mike Lux for a long touchdown. We're notted at 7.
Travis Wilson, 7:29 pm - Big Foot rolled down the field behind several Michael Walker runs, and scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass off play-action from Dowden to Alec McGreevy. With just over 2 minutes left in the first quarter, its 7-0 Big Foot.
Travis Wilson, 7:23 pm - While the offenses have gotten a lot of attention coming into this one, the defenses have been the stars so far. I wouldn't expect this one to be too high-scoring. If one team gets to 20 I have to think they will be the winners.
Travis Wilson, 7:10 pm - We're underway. For the second time today, we have a quarterback wearing a number in the twenties, as Big Foot quarterback Steve Dowden sports #22. Have these kids been watching old college videos of Heath Shuler at Tennesse?
Travis Wilson, 6:54 pm - As we sit here watching Kewaunee and Big Foot warm-up, I want to take this opportunity to thank the folks that have been following us here today. As people head home from work and school our viewership usually goes down in the evening, but we should double our page views on this year's Thursday blog as compared to last year's Thursday blog. We're at about 9100 page views right now, after totalling about 5500 last season. So thanks for viewing, and please feel free to chime in on the Comments section.
Travis Wilson, 6:31 pm - Springs and Arcadia both put in the second-teamers, and Springs continues to roll. A short touchdown run will make the final score 42-7, marking the second straight game we'll have end in a running clock.
Travis Wilson, 6:21 pm - The towel has officially been thrown in by Arcadia. Facing a fourth and 13 inside their own 30 yard line, the Raiders punt it away. WSN is projecting St. Mary's Springs as the 2009 Division 5 state champion.
Travis Wilson, 6:14 pm - Springs answers back in a big way. An Anthony Parker touchdown run with 8:21 puts them back on top 35-7. Parker is a tough, physical runner who rarely goes down on first contact.
Travis Wilson, 6:06 pm - Arcadia has picked up some nice plays lately, and we've got ourselves a game heading into the fourth quarter. It's now 28-7 in favor of Springs, and Arcadia just took over after Springs failed on a 4th and 18 attempt, where a punt wouldn't have gained them much yardage.
Travis Wilson, 5:41 pm - To update today's Most Important Stats:
WSN Hot Dogs consumed: 7
WSN Hot Chocolates: 6
WSN Diet Cokes: 5
Travis Wilson, 5:35 pm - Springs QB Mitch Beau is carving up the Arcadia defense. First he lofted a perfectly placed pass to Dan McEssy for a big gainer down the sideline, then gashed the defense for a touchdown run. Beau was a finalist for the
Dave Krieg Award presented by WSN (as was Brian Fliess from today's first game), but ultimately the award went to Oshkosh West's Trey Demler.
Travis Wilson, 5:15 pm - Some crazy stuff at the end of the half, including n interception that was then fumbled back to Springs, a dropped interception by Arcadia, and finally a halfback pass that was nearly completed behind the defense somehow on the last play. Ultimately, none of it effected anything as we're still at 21-0 in favor of Springs at halftime.
The snappy Arcadia band is on the field, performing tunes unknown (there's too much ruckus from all the prep sportswriters scrambling for food behind us).
Travis Wilson, 4:58 pm - As we've said every game so far today, the route is on. Springs is totally confusing Arcadia with their option game, and have also been successful running from the "I" and throwing it. The Ledgers have already wracked up 209 yards of offense. A short Brian Fellers (not to be confused with Tracey Morgan's "I'm Brian Fellows!" from SNL) touchdown run makes it 21-0 Springs with about 3 minutes left in the half.
Travis Wilson, 4:49 pm - Springs dodges a bullet as Kyle Tamke returned the kickoff into the end zone, but stepped out of bounds back at the 45 yard line. Springs picks off a pass a few plays later, and the refs incorrectly rule the Springs player down inside the one yard line, when in fact his momentum took him into the end zone which should have resulted in a touchback and the ball at the 20. Doesn't matter much though, as a great catch by Erik Marten on third down and then a nice Anthony Parker run has the ball at the Raiders 35.
Arcadia could look back at that Tamke return where he clearly stepped out several times as the high-water mark of the game.
Travis Wilson, 4:42 pm - We could be looking at our third straight non-competitive game, as Springs converts an Arcadia fumble into an Anthony Parker touchdown run, making it 14-0. Springs has good size in their backfield with quarterback Mitch Beau and running back Anthony Parker, and the duo has been tough for the Raiders to stop.
Travis Wilson, 4:38 pm - We've come to the end of the first quarter, the score is Springs 7, Arcadia 0.
Travis Wilson, 4:29 pm - Arcadia had a few nice plays on that drive, but ultimately Springs made big plays too often. Mitch Beau goes in a QB sneak and its 7-0 with 2:16 left in the first quarter.
Travis Wilson, 4:25 pm - Arcadia picked up a lot of nice yardage on their first drive, but poor execution on the final two plays led to a turnover on downs inside the Springs 20. They proved they could move it both in the air and on the ground against the Springs defense though.
Meanwhile, Springs has marched down the field with relative ease and have it at the Arcadia 16. Still no score 9 minutes into the game.
Travis Wilson, 4:23 pm - One incredible stat from the Regis-Edgar game quick: Regis had the ball for 37 minutes and 25 seconds, Edgar only had the ball for 10 minutes and 35 seconds.
Travis Wilson, 4:06 pm - And we're underway. Can Arcadia continue their Cinderella run or will Springs' dominance continue. The Springs defense is relatively small, but fast and swarming. Arcadia will need to pound away with Brock Haines and Reid Christ.
Travis Wilson, 3:56 pm - We're about ten minutes away from kickoff here in the Division 5 title game. Arcadia's band is one of the most immaculately dressed bands I've ever seen. They sound good too, as the music is carrying all the way up here to the press box. If their football team performs this well, we could really have a ball game.
Travis Wilson, 3:40 pm - We have a Nicholas Kartos sighting. He and Rick are repping the greater Fond du Lac metro area. By the way, he'll be on the halftime show on the Big 1070, which you can listen to by clicking on the Listen Live button above.
Travis Wilson, 3:11 pm - The shutout has become a game within a game here. Regis has not taken out any starters, and marched down the field. Likewise, Edgar still has every starter in. Regis even used a pair of timeouts to stop the running clock.
It all comes down to this. Regis quarterback Hayden Hougen does a couple pirouettes in the backfield and races to the corner, scoring with 5 seconds left. Edgar loses the shutout, but will settle for a 46-7 win and a state title.
Travis Wilson, 3:02 pm - Edgar scores again after Regis went for it on fourth down inside their 25 and failed to convert. It's now 46-0, leaving only the shutout in doubt.
Regarding snack updates, there are no changes since the last posting. Nick will be here shortly though and we should see an increase in those numbers.
Travis Wilson, 2:41 pm - WSN is now projecting Edgar to win the 2009 Division 6 state title.
The questions now turn to a grander scale. What do you think folks? Is this Edgar team the greatest Division 6 team of all time? How do you think the Wildcats would do if they played in Divisions 5 or 4, heck even 3?
Travis Wilson, 2:39 pm - The running clock is now in effect. Yet another long Sinz touchdown pass, this one to Dakota Heidmann makes it 39-0 and we still have 6:55 left in the third quarter.
Travis Wilson, 2:30 pm - Good Golly Miss Molly. Edgar keeps it up, scoring just 44 seconds into the second half on a long touchdown pass from Sinz to Derek Durkee. We're now just one score away from a running clock, something Edgar has had in all but one game this year.
Travis Wilson, 2:15 pm - To update today's Most Important Stats:
WSN Hot Dogs consumed: 5
WSN Hot Chocolates: 3
WSN Diet Cokes: 4
Travis Wilson, 2:07 pm - Its now halftime and the Regis dance team is on the field, performing to an unknown song. In game action, Edgar is up 25-0 and showing themselves to be every bit as dominant as they have been all year and as people had predicted.
Travis Wilson, 2:03 pm - The big backs from Edgar are just hammering away on the Regis defense. They move quickly down the field and give it to scatback Jorie Skrzypchak to run it in. Edgar is now up 25-0 with 25 seconds left in the half. It looks like the blowout that many expected is on.
Travis Wilson, 1:49 pm - Its been mostly back and forth with not much offense here in the second quarter. Edgar had a nice punt return that picked up an extra 15 yards on a Regis late hit, and as I type, Sam Lemmer takes it in from about 25 yards out. The extra point is good and Edgar goes up 18-0 with 6:06 left in the half.
Travis Wilson, 1:34 pm - We've come to the end of the first quarter, and its 11-0 Edgar. Regis has the ball on their own 32. The Ramblers have ripped off some nice runs, but Edgar has been closing things off a little quicker on this drive. Regis' MO is churning out yards and controlling the ball, but it may be tough to sustain drives against this Edgar defense. If Edgar starts closing off the outside, it will be even tougher.
Travis Wilson, 1:29 pm - Edgar's Justin Sinz kicks a field goal and makes it 11-0 with 1:05 left in the first quarter.
Travis Wilson, 1:26 pm - Edgar is threatening to score again after a big pass interference call gave them great field position. In case you missed it,
as first reported on WSN, Edgar's Justin Sinz picked up a scholarship offer from Purdue on Tuesday.
Travis Wilson, 1:19 pm - By the way, Edgar's Justin Sinz pulls the Mr. Rodgers act following kickoffs. He runs to the sideline and is handed his regular shoe, which he changes into from the kicking shoe he uses on kickoffs. He's got it down pretty good. I know our kicker did the same thing in high school, and we actually practiced it to get the timing down and make sure we could get it done in the time needed.
Travis Wilson, 1:15 pm - After moving the ball with relative ease, Regis faced a fourth-down and two at the Edgar 38 and went for it. Edgar pursued the pitch and made a big stop. We'll see if this was a preview of things to come, or if the Edgar defense will bounce back strong.
With Edgar facing a third and 10, Justin Sinz fired a pass across the middle that was just barely tipped by the defense, it went right into the hands of Edgar's Dylan Smith who went in for the score. The two-point conversion is good and its 8-0 Edgar with 5:48 left. We're only about six minutes in but this has been a great start!!
Travis Wilson, 1:09 pm - Regis gets the ball first. Their double-tight, double-wing offense has got them several big plays so far. A penalty wipes out what would have been a 30 or 40 yard run though. Edgar as you may know has given up just 13 points all year, and none in the first three quarters. Regis continues to be able to get outside of the Edgar defense with pitches and pulling blockers.
Travis Wilson, 12:50 pm - Someone from FSN left their wireless microphone on the table next to us while getting a hot dog. Rick and I were contemplating stealing it and trying out for Telly Hughes' job. Also, a female reporter wearing Uggs from what appears to be one of the TV stations has been walking all over the field like she owns it. Went up to the Regis coach on the field for a pre-game interview while he was calling offensive plays in warm-ups. She was granted a brief interview; I'm guessing Telly Hughes would have been re-bufffed.
Travis Wilson, 12:44 pm - Edgar and Regis are warming up right now. Edgar is in their pastel green jerseys with white pants, green helmets, and yellow facemasks; Regis is in white jerseys and green pants with green helmets.
Travis Wilson, 12:25 pm - Catholic Central recovered the onside kick and picked up a first down to run out the clock. Our final in the Division 7 state final: Catholic Central 27, McDonell Central 15.
Travis Wilson, 12:19 pm - In the words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend". Looking like they were going to be content to run out the clock and take their silver ball, McDonell's Luke Ryba took an inside handoff and broke free for a 68-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion makes it 27-15 with 1:46 left. An onside kick is forthcoming.
Travis Wilson, 12:15 pm - Catholic Central's Brian Fliess stretches across the goal line for an insurance score and after a blocked extra point, leads 27-7 with 2:01 left. WSN is officially projecting Catholic Central as the winner of the Division 7 WIAA State Football Title.
Travis Wilson, 12:06 pm - McDonell finally seemed to have some good things going on a couple passes, but a ten-yard loss on a sack on first down puts them in a bad spot. -4 net rushing yards for the Macks this game. As I type Catholic Central finally catches an interception and will have the ball at the McDonell 36 yard line with 5:57 left in the game, holding a 21-7 lead.
Travis Wilson, 12:01 pm - McDonell has the ball on their own 35 after a CC punt with 7:52 left in the game. They
have to get something on this drive, or the D7 title game is likely over. They need to find a way to get the ball to Derek Watton and let him work in open space. Maybe a deep fade to take advantage of his height or a bubble screen and let him work.
Travis Wilson, 11:52 am - We've reached the end of the third quarter, and it's 21-7 in favor of Catholic Central. I'll take this opportunity to update the stat everyone is most interested in.
WSN Hot Dog Consumption: 3
WSN Hot Chocolate Consumption: 1
WSN Diet Coke Consumption: 3
Travis Wilson, 11:45 am - Catholic Central is clicking again, which means Brian Fliess is putting Barry Sanders-esque moves on defenders. He just juked the safety to score and make it 21-7.
Travis Wilson, 11:39 am - Its interesting, roles have kind of reversed offensively for these teams. McDonell Central is running mostly shotgun spread now, while Catholic Central has gone to the I formation quite often.
Travis Wilson, 11:36 am - McDonell Central wasts a great opportunity, fumbling inside the 25. Catholic Central had a 3rd and short after recovering the fumble, but a mis-handled snap kept them from getting an opportunity to convert, forcing them to punt it back to McDonell Central. However, a roughing the kicker call on McDonell results in a 15 yard penalty, effectively resulting in a turnover. CC now has the ball at their own 42 yard line.
Travis Wilson, 11:33 am - Wow, what a momentum changer. CC quarterback Brian Fliess rolls out and doesn't tuck the ball away on a sack. McDonell Central scoops it up and returns it to the 27. This could be huge.
Travis Wilson, 11:26 am - The halftime stats are in. McDonell Central has just 10 net rush yards in the first half. They will not win if anything close to that is repeated in the second half. Standout receiver Derek Watton was held without a catch as well. Catholic Central has averaged over 5 yards per carry, and Brian Fliess has been sharp throwing the ball. Again, looking at the stats you'd think CC was up by two or three touchdowns right now.
The second half is underway, with Catholic Central getting the ball first.
Travis Wilson, 11:17 am - In case you missed it, we announced the winners of our 1st Annual WSN Senior Football Awards last night. Here are the winners (click on the award for the full article on each player):
Dave Krieg Award (Most Outstanding Senior Quarterback): Trey Demler, Oshkosh West
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch Award (Most Outstanding Senior Running Back): Steve Lichtfuss, Appleton North
Al Toon Award (Most Outstanding Senior Wide Reciever/Tight End): Lechein Neblett, Madison Memorial
Joe Thomas Award (Most Outstanding Senior Offensive Lineman): Jake Irwin, Waunakee
Tim Krumrie Award (Most Outstanding Senior Defensive Lineman/Linebacker): Mike Hardy, Kimberly
Jim Leonhard Award (Most Outstanding Senior Defensive Back): Michael Trotter, Milwaukee Marquette
Kevin Stemke Award (Most Outstanding Senior Kicker/Punter): Kyle French, Menomonee Falls Travis Wilson, 11:13 am - McDonell Central has to feel a little fortunate to only be down 14-7 at half. They were out-gained 165-57, and over half their yards came on one play due to a broken coverage from CC. CC has also hurt themselves at times. They picked up a blocking in the back penalty on a big gainer late in the second quarter or would have been in great position to add another score. They've also dropped or not capitalized on about three or four McDonell passes that they should have picked off.
Travis Wilson, 11:07 am - Despite moving the ball pretty well this half, Catholic Central is conservative, choosing to head to halftime up 14-7 over McDonell Central. The Catholic Central dance team is on the field busting to "Boom, Boom, Pow" by the Black-Eyed Peas. Look for Rick's full evaluation of all dance teams on the Twitter page.
Travis Wilson, 11:04 am - The teams have exchanged punts for the latter part of the second quarter here. As mentioned, McDonell Central has pretty much abandoned the run and is now running their own version of the spread. It hasn't worked too well, and there's been several deep balls they're very fortunate weren't picked off.
Catholic Central will take over on their own 36 with 1:24 remaining in the half. If they can get a score heading into halftime, it would be huge.
Travis Wilson, 10:56 am - The Macks were able to punch in a touchdown to bring the score to 14-7. They've got the ball back again, and have gone to their own version of a shotgun spread offense.
Travis Wilson, 10:44 am - A blown coverage by CC allows a McDonell receiver to get wide open for a big play inside the 20. McDonell has to punch this in, and are facing a third and five from the 11 yard line.
Travis Wilson, 10:36 am - Now we know why Brian Fliess wears #20, he's the high school version of Barry Sanders. He was hit in the backfield, spun away, went by another guy and raced about 20 yards for a Catholic Central touchdown.
Travis Wilson, 10:30 am - We've come to the end of the first quarter and Catholic Central holds a 7-0 lead and is driving. The Hilltoppers have looked like the better team so far, and have been able to get yards in bunches. Defensively, they've stuffed the McDonell run game, and the Macks haven't taken advantage of opportunities in the passing game. Is yet another D7 blowout in the works?
Travis Wilson, 10:23 am - McDonell coach Todd Brown said his team had seen a couple spread offenses this year, but they likely haven't seen one as explosive or well-executed as Catholic Central's. After marching down the field for a touchdown on their first possession, Catholic Central was stopped on their second however.
Defensively, as expected CC is stacking the line of scrimmage daring the Macks to throw it. They did take a shot deep, but it was picked off. There will be one on one opportunities for them, and they'll have to convert on those.
Travis Wilson, 10:12 am - Catholic Central quarterback Brian Fliess is one of the few quarterbacks in the state to wear a number above 19. Going against tradition, he sports the number 20.
Travis Wilson, 10:09 am - Got questions on the state championships, check out our
State Football FAQ with info on tickets, parking, times, TV/radio, and more.
Travis Wilson, 9:56 am - Welcome folks, blogging live from Camp Randall Stadium. We're only minutes away from kickoff in the Division 7 match-up between Catholic Central and McDonell Central. Remember, if you stuck at work or unable to watch the games, you can listen to every single game live online at
TheBig1070.com.
Esala up to 5 scholarship offers
by
Marlin Lee,
11/19/2009
My how a month can change things.
Just over a month ago Ashland offensive lineman
Aaron Esala (6-4, 305) had plenty of college recruiting interest coming his way, but nothing in terms of official scholarship offers. Fast forward almost exactly a month and Esala has quickly become one of the state's hottest recruits netting five scholarship offers in a relatively short period of time.
First St. Cloud State offered, then Minnesota-Duluth, followed by North Dakota State, and now Division I-FCS North Dakota and Division II Winona State have also tossed their hats into the ring.
“I was at Winona State University on November 7th for an unofficial visit and they offered me a scholarship,” Esala told WSN on Wednesday evening. “Didn't talk any numbers yet, but Coach (A.J.) Blazek did say I am his No. 1 guy.”
Then came the offer from the Fighting Sioux.
“Last night I got a call from Coach (Greg) Breitbach at the University of North Dakota and they offered me a scholarship,” Esala explained. “I'm not sure when, but I'm going to set up an official visit with them.”
The scholarship offers from North Dakota and Winona State weren't the only exciting pieces of news Esala had to share though. It appears a Division I-FBS school is also entering the picture and making a late season push for Esala's services.
“The University of Wyoming called my coach last week and wants some senior film on me,” Esala said. “I know nothing about the school or their football program, but I'm definitely excited about it.”
No stranger to Wisconsin, the University of Wyoming has twice dipped into the Badger State in recent years securing commitments from former Chippewa Falls offensive lineman Nick Brousseau and former Waukesha North quarterback Brian Kuhtz. Both players have since transferred out of the program though with Brousseau now a member of UW-Eau Claire's football team and Kuhtz a student at UW-Whitewater after a brief stop at North Dakota State.
Ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 6 offensive lineman in the class of 2010 by WSN, Esala was recently named first-team all-conference, Sea Range Conference Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman and the Sea Range Conference Player of the Year.