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2023 Recap:  Homestead ran away with the North Shore title in 2023, finishing two games clear of anyone else in the league. The Highlanders would fall in Level 2. Cedarburg was second, making a nice run to Level 3. Nicolet and Slinger also made the playoffs, with Slinger advancing to Level 3. West Bend East and Hartford also snuck into the postseason, giving the North Shore six playoff squads.

2023 Season Information (Standings, Stats, All-Conference)

2024 Preview:

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Homestead
2) Slinger
3) Cedarburg
4) Hartford
5) Nicolet
6) Whitefish Bay
7) West Bend East
8) West Bend West

Players to Watch:

Harry Bortolotti, RB, Whitefish Bay: Bortolotti was a First Team All-Conference selection last year, rushing for 1,183 yards and 17 touchdowns along with five, two-point conversions.

Bentley Hickman, RB, Homestead: Hickman posted one of the best seasons of any sophomore running back, going for an impressive 1,234 yards in the tough North Shore Conference, averaging 112 yards per game.

Tommy O’Hagan, QB, Homestead: O’Hagan was a First Team All-Conference selection last year when he threw for 1,368 yards with 12 touchdowns, adding three scores on the ground as well.

Michael Thiede, QB, Slinger: Thiede led the North Shore Conference in passing last year, throwing for 1,736 yards with 20 touchdowns as a First Team All-Conference selection.

Logan Zahour, WR/DB, Cedarburg: Zahour is a three-year varsity standout on both sides of the ball and one of the top players not only in the North Shore, but in the state. He led the team in receiving last year and had nearly 500 yards of rushing to go with it, earning First Team All-Conference on both sides of the ball.

2024 Team Previews

1) Homestead went unbeaten in the North Shore Conference last year, finishing two games ahead of anyone else in the league. However, the playoffs was a different story, with the Highlanders dropping a 17-16 decision to rival Cedarburg in Level 2. "We have some experience coming back for 2024," said head coach Drake Zortman. "We really need to find a couple of offensive linemen, a tight end, and a running back/slot receiver on offense. Those are some major holes. Replacing Sean West in the special teams area will be difficult in addition to everything he did for us on offense. Six of our front seven on defense return, but we do have some holes to fill in the secondary." Not only does senior quarterback Tommy O'Hagan return for the Highlanders, so does dynamic junior running back Bentley Hickman, who went for more than 1200 yards with 11 touchdowns as a sophomore last season.

2) Slinger was a distant tied for third in the North Shore Conference last year, three games behind league leaders Homestead. All of the losses were competitive though, coming by a combined 22 points. The Owls found their groove in the playoffs, knocking off Beaver Dam and Germantown before falling to Sun Prairie East in Level 3. Veteran head coach Bill Jacklin likes the team's speed coming back, including a solid backfield group that will feature quarterback Michael Thiede and running back Kaleb Burkel. Chase Jacklin will be a three-year starter up front for an offense that returns six starters. The defense brings back seven starters, though Jacklin has some concerns about inexperience up front.

3) Cedarburg played a bunch of close, competitive games last year, and were able to come out on top enough to qualify for the playoffs. The close games continued, as the Bulldogs scored tight victories over Hortonville and Homestead. The run came to a close in a Level 3 loss to Kaukauna. Cedarburg should remain in the conversation once again, thanks in large part to the return of one of the state's best and most versatile players in senior Logan Zahour. He was First Team All-Conference on offense, defense, and utility last season. Also returning is tight end Luke Leair, the son of head coach Brian Leair.

4) Hartford had a bit of a late season swoon, dropping four of the final five games and ending up on the proverbial playoff bubble. They managed to sneak in via tiebreakers, and gave second-seeded Sun Prairie East quite the scare before ultimately falling 38-31. Head coach John Redders returns six starters on offense and five on defense, with 23 letterwinners back. “We’ll be very athletic at the skill positions with some returning offensive and defensive line options,” said Redders. Dane Meinerz and Turner McManigal are key two-way players for the Orioles as they try to get back towards the top of the standings.

5) Nicolet was third in the North Shore Conference last year, qualifying for the playoffs for a third straight season after just one postseason appearance in school history prior to that. The Knights even earned a home playoff game, but unfortunately were upset by Monona Grove in Level 1. Several players who have been a huge part of the run of success have graduated, including 1500-yard rusher and leading tackler Ben Ott, standout receiver Adrian Thomas, and disruptive defensive lineman Damarcus Chappell. Sawyer Broenniman is back after leading the team in passing and finishing second in rushing, likely to take over a role more similar to Ott’s.

6) Whitefish Bay narrowly missed out on the playoffs last year, finishing 3-6 overall but dropping several very close games in conference action. It marks two consecutive years the Blue Dukes have finished just outside of playoff contention. Head coach Jake Wolter will have some solid playmakers coming back in the backfield this year, including All-Conference running back Harry Bortolotti, who ran for more than 1100 yards last season. Chase Wolter saw some valuable varsity game reps at quarterback as a freshman a year ago, which should help him heading into 2024.

7) West Bend East qualified for a second straight playoff appearance in 2023, going 5-4 in the regular season. The Suns would drop a very tight game to New Berlin West in the first postseason game, however, 7-6. There’s a change this year, as Mike Kozlowski takes over as the head coach from Jeff Rondorf. He welcomes back four starters on offense and four on defense. The offense relied heavily on Kaleb Schepp last year, as he rushed for more than 1400 yards. His graduation, along with quarterback Owen Carlson and second-leading rusher Cutler Schmidt, leaves some holes at the playmaking spots.

8) West Bend West did not win a game last season, as the Spartans have not tasted victory since early September of the 2022 season, a span of 15 games. Second-year head coach Taylor Ripplinger, a 2013 Arrowhead graduate, will have a more experienced roster this year, with 31 returning letterwinners and seven starters back on both sides of the ball. “Up front will have some size but need experience,” said Ripplinger. “Skill players are young but have a lot of talent. Sophomore and Junior classes coming up have had very successful JV teams and we will rely on their development.” Junior running back Noah Reinhart was having an excellent 2023 season, averaging better than 100 yards per game, until an injury sidelined him.

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.