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2014 Recap:  It was an interesting, and successful, year in the Badger-North. DeForest and Mount Horeb/Barneveld tied for the league lead with one loss apiece, while Reedsburg and Waunakee each finished with two conference losses. It was Reedsburg and Waunakee that made the deepest playoff runs however, advancing all the way to the state semi-finals. DeForest and Mount Horeb/Barneveld were no slouches either, getting to Level 3.

2014 Season Information (Standings, Stats, All-Conference)

2015 Preview:

Predicted Order of Finish:
1) DeForest
2) Waunakee
3) Reedsburg
4) Mount Horeb/Barneveld
5) Baraboo
6) Portage
7) Sauk Prairie

Players to Watch:

Matt Blome, RB, Mount Horeb/Barneveld:  Blome played behind all-league running back Wyatt Thompson, but still managed to rush for more than 800 yards with 11 touchdowns.

Jacob Erbs, LB, Reedsburg:  Erbs is one of the top high school linebackers in the state, likely to receive First Team All-Conference honors for a third time this year.

Connor Girten, OL, DeForest:  Girten has received First Team All-Conference recognition each of the last two years.

Chris Jepson, RB, Reedsburg:  Jepson saw considerable action as the fullback in the team's flexbone offense, and he could take on an even bigger role this season.

L.O. Johnson, RB, Waunakee:  Johnson hasn't played a down of varsity football yet, but he has incredible athletic ability (4.47 40) and great genes – his father, Lawrence, played for the Badgers and in the NFL for many years.

Noah Larson, RB, Baraboo:  Larson was a Second Team All-Conference choice after rushing for more than 500 yards with another 178 yards receiving.

Max Meylor, QB, Mount Horeb/Barneveld:  Meylor is one of the top quarterbacks in the state, earning First Team All-Conference recognition the last two years, throwing for more than 2100 yards with 26 touchdowns last season.

Jadon Sackman, RB, DeForest:  Sackman was a workhorse last year, rushing for more than 1900 yards 

Hunter Toppel, OL/DL, DeForest:  Like his teammate Connor Girten, Toppel is a two-time First Team All-Conference selection on offense, and last year added the same honor on defense.

Troy Ziegler, LB, Waunakee:  Ziegler, a First Team All-Conference pick, teams with Trevor Statz to give the Warriors an outstanding linebacking duo.

2015 Team Previews

1) DeForest had an interesting 2014 season. After the first four games, it appeared it could be a long season for the Norskies, as they were just 2-2, with one of the victories a 6-0 overtime win over a struggling Baraboo program. Head coach Mike Minick got things turned around however, and the team finished the season strong, including victories over Mount Horeb/Barneveld and Reedsburg en route to a share of the Badger-North title. A Level 2 playoff loss to Slinger should serve as plenty of motivation heading into 2015. DeForest will be one of the most experienced teams in the league, with an offense that should be able to put up some big numbers. Conner True took over as quarterback several games into the year and helped solidify that spot. At running back, Jadon Sackman led the state in rushing attempts, finishing with 375 carries for 1929 yards and 19 touchdowns. He'll run behind returning First Team All-Conference offensive linemen Connor Girten and Hunter Toppel, plus Honorable Mention pick Nathan Kemp. Leading receiver Jake Capstran is also back after recording 18 catches from his tight end spot. The defense should remain strong as normal. The Badger-North will be highly competitive at the top once again, with DeForest, Waunakee, Mount Horeb/Barneveld, and Reedsburg all ranked in the top 10 in their respective divisions.

2) Waunakee had a 5-5 overall record and Level 1 playoff exit in 2013, which was not the kind of season we've come to expect from the Warriors. However, we saw Waunakee turn things around last year. A pair of one-score losses to Mount Horeb/Barneveld and DeForest prevented them from finishing on top of the Badger-North, but they made a strong postseason run to Level 4, where they fell by one point in a heartbreaker to Waukesha West. There's no doubt the team will miss the production of All-State running back Troy Laufenberg, who not only ran for 2242 yards and 25 touchdowns, but transitioned to quarterback during the playoff run. They should remain well-stocked in the backfield though. Sam Musso and Jacob Royston are back at the running back spot, and talented sophomores L.O. Johnson and Javian Dayne (yes, the son of former Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne) could step in as well. Casey Marksberry spent much of the year as the starting quarterback, but is expected to move to receiver or defensive back, with the team likely to start a sophomore quarterback. Troy Ziegler (1st Team AC LB), Trevor Statz (HM LB), Alex Hansen (2nd Team DL), and Kyle Jensen (2nd Team DB) will be leaders of a defense that will be talented and experienced. The Badger-North will be as competitive as ever, but we're closer to seeing the Waunakee of old, which will make things even more interesting as the season progresses.

3) Reedsburg has become a D3 powerhouse under head coach Brian Pottinger, as they've shown that a runner-up finish in 2008 and state title in 2009 were no flukes. The Beavers have won at least one playoff game in three straight years, and last season surprised many people by advancing to the state semi-finals before going down to eventual champion Wisconsin Lutheran. Along the way they avenged regular season losses to defending D3 champion Monona Grove and Badger-North co-champion Mount Horeb/Barneveld. As the page turns to 2015, Pottinger has some big-time holes to fill at the skill positions in his flexbone offense, as quarterback Austin Schyvinck and running backs Dylan Peterson and Lucas Muchow, the top three rushers from a year ago, will be gone. Chris Jepson saw plenty of time at the important fullback spot, and could be joined in the backfield by Cal Mazur, who made some noise carrying the ball as well. Jack Yager could be in line to inherit the quarterback spot. “We will be polar opposites as far as experience with the defense returning eight starters and the offense just two,” Pottinger said. Over on defense, the Beavers will have one of the best linebacking duos in the area, with First Team All-Conference choice Jacob Erbs and Honorable Mention selection Dalton Hahn coming back after combining for 293 tackles last year. Despite the loss of First Team All-Conference pick Noah Geffert, the secondary should be solid behind the return of Mazur and Zeffary Smith. Mike Olson and Matt Reinfeldt are potential breakout performers up front.

4) Mount Horeb/Barneveld has continued to build a very successful and consistent program under head coach Travis Rohrer, with postseason victories in seven straight years, including 9 playoff wins in the past four seasons. The team hasn't been able to get over the hump with a trip to Madison, but it seems only a matter of time before that occurs, and this could be that season. Quarterback Max Meylor is one of the best in the state, coming off a junior season that saw him throw for 2187 yards with 26 touchdowns while completing 63% of his passes. He's also a threat in the running game. His top two receivers from last year, First Team All-Conference picks Riley Coon and Nathaniel Osterloo, will graduate, but tight ends Trey Recknor and Terek Nesheim are back and played big roles in the passing game last season. At he running back spot, 1000-yard rusher Wyatt Thompson moves on, but Matt Blome is more than ready to step into the featured back role after going for 833 yards and 11 scores. There is talent back on defense, but the unit has to replace eight players that received some form of All-Conference recognition. As they've done for several years, look for the Vikings to battle Waunakee, DeForest, and Reedsburg at the top of the Badger-North.

5) Baraboo has struggled considerably over the last decade, with no playoff trips since 2006 and canceled seasons at the lower levels of play. Finally, things could be turning around. While they didn't get the “W”, last year's 6-0 overtime loss to DeForest may have been a bit of a turning point in the program. It showed they were capable of competing against the Big 4 that has dominated the league in recent years, and it would not be a surprise to see the Thunderbirds get an upset win over one of those teams this season. Second year head coach Steve Turkington has brought stability to the program, which returns 19 letterwinners, with eight starters back on offense and five on defense. “Strong, aggressive defensive play carried us most of last season,” Turkington said. “We expect more of the same this year. Offensively, we return eight starters and some role players that have matured physically, and we expect better output on that side of the ball.” Not only does quarterback Tony Spink come back, so does versatile Second Team All-Conference running back Noah Larson.

6) Portage, like Baraboo, has struggled on many levels the last few years, with no playoffs since 2007 and canceled lower level games as well. The Warriors also hope that things are getting going in the right direction, with Sean Stout at the helm. “We return three starters on the offensive line and the leading rusher from the past two seasons,” Stout said. “We lack experience at quarterback and a go-to receiving threat however.” Like the offense, there are a total of six starters back on defense as well.

7) Sauk Prairie has been stuck in the same position as Portage and Baraboo, finding itself in the bottom three of the league and out of the playoffs for quite some time. The team has another new coach this year, as Scott Mirkes takes over for Joe Marx. The Eagles return starting quarterback Josh Holler and second-leading rusher Austin Powell as they try to move up the standings.

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