Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Many high school football standouts in Wisconsin go on to big things at the college level and in the pros, and this is our spot to recognize those athletes each week and help you keep up with what is going down on some of your favorite players from the past. If you have alumni news, please send it to Colton Wilson by 10 p.m. on Tuesdays.

The WIAA High School Football playoffs begin in just a few days around the state, which means only five weeks remain until football is over. The NFL is close to hitting the midway point, entering week eight this upcoming weekend, while college football has surpassed the halfway mark thus far.

Alex Erickson has spent most of his first four seasons in the NFL as the punt returner for the Cincinnati Bengals. This past weekend, the former Darlington High School standout saw his involvement in the offense increase dramatically. Alex was targeted 14 times in the pass offense, hauling in eight catches for 137 yards as the Bengals lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-17. The targets, receptions, and yards were all career highs for the fourth year veteran.

It seems that big receiving days was a theme this past weekend for former alumni around the country. Mitchell Adrian hauled in 11 catches for 202 yards and two scores in Saint Scholastica’s 40-34 loss to Greenville College. The Altoona alum has been producing all year as he is second in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference in both receiving yards (612) and touchdowns (9).

A pair of Division 2 athletes also had great days catching the ball this past Saturday.

Jordan Janssen was named the 2015 WSN Al Toon Award winner while attending Kimberly High School. This past weekend, he had a career high 104 yards receiving on four catches, including a touchdown, as Michigan Tech downed Davenport University 30-17.

In the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), Payton Rose has been the top wideout statistically all year for Lindenwood College. This past weekend the Cumberland grad recorded another big game through the air as Lindenwood took down Saginaw Valley 35-31. Payton hauled in six catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He currently leads the GLVC in receiving yards (641) and touchdowns (9).

In sticking with the huge days at wide receiver, the matchup between UW-La Crosse and UW-River Falls did not disappoint as La Crosse won 63-49. River Falls was led in defeat by Hudson High School grad Alex Herink who had 17 catches for 266 yards and two touchdowns. Teammate Alex Traxler of Platteville High School had eight catches for 109 yards and two scores. For the winning Eagle’s, Oshkosh North’s Cameron Sorenson had eight catches for 297 yards (37.1 yards per catch!) and three touchdowns. South Milwaukee’s Jake Simuncak added two receiving scores. Kicker Ryan Beirne of West Salem was busy, connecting on all nine extra points en route to being named the WIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

In other WIAC play, UW-Whitewater continued it’s dominance shutting out UW-Stevens Point 38-0. Jacob Erbs of Reedsburg had seven tackles and returned a fumble 46 yards for a touchdown for the stifling defense. Lancaster’s Nathan Tranel tied the team lead with seven tackles and helped in suffocating the Pointers offense. Tranel was named the WIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Former Homestead standout Julius Wilkerson got his first ever start for Division 2 Wayne State this past weekend in a 42-41 thrilling overtime win over Ashland College. Julius made the best of his opportunity and more. He had an astounding 23 tackles to lead the way for Wayne State. Julius added two tackles for loss and one and a half sacks on his memorable starting debut.

Wideouts weren’t the only former alumni recording huge offensive days last weekend in college football. Sam Santiago-Lloyd of Brookfield East rushed a career high 39 times for 231 yards and two scores as Winona State beat Bemidji State 27-14. He couldn’t have had such a great day without the work up front by offensive linemen Payton Dachel (Bloomer), Tanner Weinfurter (Stratford), and Jordan Haddad (Homestead), as well as fullback Jack De Groot of Kimberly.

Wisconsin Lutheran’s Joshuah Kren and Lakeside Lutheran’s Austin DeNoyer have been darn near unstoppable on the ground this year for Martin Luther College. The duo ranks third and fifth in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference in rushing and put together a heck of a day in a 24-14 win over Westminster. Joshuah carried the ball 19 times for 205 yards and two scores while Austin rushed the ball 24 times for 191 yards. Derek Gulrud (Lakeside Lutheran) and Carrington Cunningham (Wisconsin Lutheran) start on the offensive line opening up the running lanes for the backs.

St. Norbert College rocked Beloit College 66-0 over the weekend and got contributions aplenty from alumni. Nate Ihlenfeldt (Notre Dame), Ben Kohl (Oshkosh West), Charlie Hietpas (Little Chute), and Matt Vanden Heuvel (Denmark) all had rushing touchdowns. Plymouth’s Samuel Staehling added two receiving touchdowns, while Kendall Karcz of Pulaski High School returned an interception 30 yards for a score for the defense.

North Dakota has gotten many contributions from in-state alumni throughout the season and Noah Larson has been one of those contributors. Larson, a Baraboo native, had 14 tackles in a 30-26 win over Cal Poly. Two former Muskego alums start on the offensive side of things for the Fighting Hawks. Ryan Tobin starts at left guard while Brett Finke is the primary fullback.

Special teamers don’t get the adulation they deserve too often in the game of football. Punters and kickers aren’t on the field often and when they are, they seem to be heavily scrutinized when they fail. David Collins handles both the kicking and punting duties for Carthage College. This past weekend against Millikin College, the Pewaukee High School grad made sure people wouldn’t forget him. In their second to last drive, Carthage ran a fake punt on fourth and 16 that saw David complete a pass for 36 yards and a first down. That conversion set up a go-ahead touchdown. Millikin scored to bring the score even before Collins booted a 46 yard field as time expired giving Carthage a 53-50 win. David was named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin’s Special Teams Player of the Week.