West De Pere defensive lineman Easton Deschane
The Tim Krumrie Award is given annually to the state's top senior defensive lineman as part of the WSN Senior Football Awards. The award is named after Tim Krumrie, a former Mondovi and University of Wisconsin athlete who would go on to star in the NFL for 12 seasons, including two Pro Bowl appearances.
The pre-season watch list was trimmed down to 25 semi-finalists, and five finalists for the award have now been selected. Winners will be announced the week of the state finals.
Easton Deschane is a versatile player on the edge of the Phantoms' defensive line. The FRCC-North Defensive Player of the Year this season for the league champs, He has recorded 58 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks as a senior, when he was a repeat First Team All-Conference choice. "Easton typically takes away half of the offense with teams choosing to run away from him," said head coach Chris Greisen. "We also ask him to drop in coverage where, because of his athleticism, he is able to run with most wide receivers."
Sawyer Hanlon took home First Team All-Conference and WFCA All-Region recognition last season, going for 46 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and six sacks. He was a First Team All-Conference pick again this year with 39 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks plus an interception. "He led the FVA in sacks as both a sophomore and a junior, and obviously commanded a lot of attention his season as a result of that," said head coach Chad Michalkiewicz.
Reggie Kloehn is one of the most explosive interior defensive linemen in the state, playing like he’s shot out of a canon at the snap of the ball. He frequently beats offensive linemen out of their stance and disrupts plays in the backfield. Last year as the VFA Co-Defensive Player of the Year he racked up 70 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and two sacks for the Polar Bears. He was the Defensive Lineman of the Year in the FVA this season with 55 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and two sacks. "We unfortunately do not have our records for TFL's but I am fairly confident he would be the record holder at Hortonville High School," said head coach Nick Reichert. "Reggie loves to compete and gives everything he has every Friday night."
Torin Pettaway is new to the game of football, just starting to play a couple years ago, but he certainly made a big splash last season for the Cardinals when he earned First Team All-Conference. He's on the road to more accolades this year, with 41 tackles, ten tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in just nine games. Long-levered and explosive, he’s a nightmare to contain up front. A whirlwind recruitment included multiple de-commitments, but he has switched his pledge back to Wisconsin for now. "He is dominant in his play and requires other teams to constantly double team him, cut him and/or run away from him," said Middleton coach Tim Simon.
Liam Shaw and Nicholas McCullough combine to form one of the best defensive line duos in the state, as both have big-time potential, produced at a high level, and know what it takes to be successful coming out of one of the state’s best programs. Last year Shaw was a First Team All-Conference selection, moving around the defensive front at times in the team’s 3-3 base set. He recorded 52 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and nine sacks on the year. This season he's among the state leaders with 13 sacks, adding 86 total tackles for the Warriors. "Liam is the best pass rusher in the history of Muskego football," said head coach Ken Krause. "He's a relentless player who eats, sleeps, and breathes football year-round."
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.
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