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

Pictured above is Tyler Biadasz as a senior at Amherst tackling Hunter Luepke as a sophomore at Spencer/Columbus Catholic in the 2015 WIAA Division 5 Championship game; won by Biadsz and Amherst 42-0. 

Fast forward eight years and the two are now teammates for the Dallas Cowboys. Luepke is in his rookie season and this past weekend scored his first career NFL touchdown in a 38-3 win over the New England Patriots. Biadasz is in Year 4 in the league and started his 40th career game at center for the Cowboys. Once foes on the gridiron, Luepke and Biadasz start for one of the best teams in the NFL.

Leo Chenal is becoming more and more of a playmaker for the reigning NFL Champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Grantsburg grad recorded six tackles, including one for loss, in a 23-20 win over the New York Jets this past Sunday night.

The New Orleans Saints struggled in a 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past weekend, but a former Brown Deer and Wisconsin alum was extremely efficient despite limited snaps. Zack Baun, the 2014 WSN Dave Kreig award winner for best senior quarterback in the state, played just ten snaps on defense but recorded four tackles. Baun has struggled to find consistent playing time over his four year career.

Most NFL running backs don't make it past Year. Melvin Gordon III is in Year 9 in the league and on his third team. The former Kenosha Bradford standout began this season on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad but was activated after a series of injuries in the Ravens running back room. In his career, Gordon has rushed for over 6,500 yards and 55 touchdowns and caught 312 passes for 2,513 yards and 14 scores.

Austin Ertl is in his senior season at Miami (OH) and the former Wauwatosa West grad has been a solid contributor from the defensive line. Ertl has racked up 82 tackles and two and a half sacks in his collegiate career. This past week in a 23-3 win over Kent State, Ertl had four tackles, one for loss, a sack and batted down a ball in the Redhawks victory.

A week after getting his first career interception, Nate Valcarcel scored his first defensive touchdown for Northern Illinois in a 35-33 loss to Toledo. The Whitnall alum had four tackles and returned a fumble 50 yards for a score in the third quarter for the Husky defense.

North Dakota State suffered its first loss of the season to South Dakota 24-19 and dropped from its #2 rank in the FCS Coaches Poll. However the contributions from alumni continued for the Bison. Offensively Joe Stoffel of River Falls hauled in his third touchdown catch of the season while Sam Jung of Neenah had a team high eight tackles on defense.

Sam Hafner was a Second Team All-Pioneer League defensive lineman last season at Valparaiso. This season the De Pere grad is continuing his torment on opponent's backfields. In a 16-15 win over Southwest Minnesota State Hafner had five tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. For Southwest Minnesota State Avery Johnson of Lomira had five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

It's been discussed every week the sheer amount of alumni that play for the Minnesota Duluth football team. This week a former Badger State alum won player of the week honors for the Bulldogs.

In a 38-14 win over Winona State, Cumberland grad DaShaun Ames did a little bit of everything. Ames threw a 20 yard touchdown, recorded a rush, hauled in a catch and also returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown to start the second half. Ames was named the Northern Sun Special Teams Player of the Week.

Other alumni stood out in this game. Highland's Drew Hennessey had three and a half sacks. Both Andrew Klopp of Baldwin-Woodville and Marcus Glodowski of Amherst had interceptions. Appleton West's Sam Pitz had three catches, all touchdowns, brining his season touchdown total to six while Fond du Lac grad Kyle Walljasper had 295 yards of total offense and three touchdown passes. For Winona State, Sylvere Campbell of Martin Luther and Cooper Nelson of Sun Prairie combined for nine catches for 180 yards and both scored a touchdown.

DaShaun Ames wasn't the only alum who won Northern Sun honors this week. In a matchup of top 10 teams, fourth-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato held off ninth-ranked Bemidji State 27-24. Jacob Daulton of Hudson was a terror for the Mankato defense. Daulton had a team high ten tackles, a sack and an interception. For his performance, Daulton was named the Northern Sun Defensive Player of the Week. Nathan Gribble of West Salem and Colby Hartig of DeForest helped lead the Mavericks rushing attack to 295 yards, clearing lanes in the trenches.

Concordia-St. Paul beat the University of Mary 37-34 behind 295 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Racine Case's Robby Carrillo, Burlington Taylon Hensley and Fox Valley Lutheran's Jake Edwards start for the Bears offensive line and moved the line of scrimmage all day. Notre Dame grad Daniel Hornacek had 32 of those yards on the ground and a touchdown. Defensively, Ben Rehl of Mukwonago had a team high 12 tackles and two sacks and Blake Siebert of Cumberland had one and a half sacks.

The WIAC began conference play this week and we are going to highlight most of them here as many former football standouts continue to shine in the conference.

UW-La Crosse started conference play off with a 45-40 win over UW-Stout. Quarterback Keyser Helterbrand continues to show out for the Eagles. The Hudson grad passed for 297 yards and four touchdowns and added 130 yards and two more scores on the ground. Helterbrand was named the WIAC Offensive Player of the Week. Punter Ryan Krueger flipped fields all day for La Crosse, punting it five time for 249 yards and a long of 63. The Marshfield grad averaged 49.8 yards per punt and was named the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Despite the loss, Mitch Waechter of St. Mary's Springs threw for 283 yards and four scores and rushed for 100 yards for Stout. Matt Pomietlo of Chippewa Falls rushed for 100 yards while Will Knutson of Kettle Moraine, Patrick Corcoran of Melrose-Mindoro and Raith Bauer of Mondovi all had touchdown receptions.

UW-Whitewater beat UW-Oshkosh 37-21 in a battle of top 20 teams. Leading the way for the Warhawks was Monona Grove alum Alec Ogden at quarterback. The former quarterback for Middle Tennessee State and Bemidji State threw for 262 yards and a score and rushed for one as well. Menomonee Fall's Tamir Thomas and Arrowhead's Alijah Maher-Parr combined for over 200 yards on the ground and a touchdown each.

For Oshkosh, Dan Fynaardt of Catholic Memorial had 98 yards receiving and a score and Trae Tetzlaff of Waukesha West had two receiving touchdowns. Defensively Kyle Dietzen of Omro had an interception and Carson Raddatz of Fond du Lac had a team high eight tackles and a forced fumble.

UW-Eau Claire beat UW-Stevens Point 24-17 and another former alum was the top signal caller in the game. Winneconne grad Harry Roubidoux threw for 370 yards and two scores and added one on the ground for the Blugolds. Bonduel alum Isaac Garside had seven catches for 137 yards and Nolan Stans of Spring Valley had a touchdown reception.

Ripon College is another Division 3 school with a former alum at the quarterback position playing well. Despite a 36-33 loss to Cornell College, Wausau West alum Jack Berns threw for 240 yards and three scores. Ashwaubenon's Connor Ramage rushed 26 times for 139 yards and two scores for the Red Hawks. Defensively Clay Ritschard of Argyle had a team high 12 tackles, one sack and a pass breakup.

Jacob Laurent was a weapon at the kicker position for the Carroll Pioneers this past week despite a 23-19 loss to Augustana. The Kenosha Indian Trail grad went four of five on field goals and one for one on PATs, making kicks from 22, 25, 34 and 44 yards. Laurent was named the CCIW Special Teams Player of the Week.

St. Norbert College took down Lakeland University 24-21 this past weekend. Defensively Sam Barnett was all over the field for the Green Knights. The Holmen grad had a team high 13 tackles, two for loss, two sacks and returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown. Barnett was named the NACC Defensive Player of the Week for his dominance defensively.

Lastly, Carleton was highlighted last week and will be once again as two former alumni won Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player of the week honors for the Knights in a 36-35 win over Concordia-Moorhead. Defensively Isaac Simons of Lake County Lutheran had a team high eleven tackles and also hauled in an interception as he earned MIAC Defensive Player of the Week. Offensively for the Knights, Nathan Streiff was unstoppable at wide receiver. The New Glarus grad had a program record 17 catches for 190 yards and three scores. Streiff scored the game winning touchdown with 20 seconds left in the game as he was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Week.