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Wisconsin Sports Network and WisSports.net are happy to announce Catholic Memorial's C.J. Goetz as the 2017 recipient of the John Anderson Award as the most outstanding senior linebacker in Wisconsin, part of the WSN Senior Football Awards.

Goetz is a returning WFCA All-State selection, cementing his status as elite player with a dynamite performance in last season's state title game.

In just eight regular season games in 2017 he totaled 118 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and a pair of sacks. He is a four-sport athlete who earned postseason conference honors in baseball and basketball last season and placed in the shot put at the WIAA Track and Field Meet.

The 6-4, 234-pound Goetz committed to Wisconsin in the off-season and earned WFCA All-State recognition for a second straight season earlier this week.

Finalists for the award were Goetz, Josh Berman of Menasha, Mike Bruner of Homestead, Brad Dati of Brookfield East, Reggie Jennings of Brookfield Central, Nick Leszczynski of Brookfield Central, Mason Platter of Menomonie, Clay Schueffner of Saint Mary's Springs, Marty Strey of Sun Prairie, Mike Timm of Kettle Moraine, and Ben Turner of Stanley-Boyd.

Past winners include Arrowhead's Derek Landisch (2010), Wisconsin Rapids' Vince Biegel (2011), Green Bay Southwest's Nathan Paup (2012), Mukwonago's Dominic Cizauskas (2013), Wausau West's Jake Whalen (2014), Menomonie's Mason Stokke (2015), and Bay Port's Matt Lorbeck (2016).

The award is named after John Anderson, a former Waukesha South standout who received All-Conference and All-State recognition on both offense and defense for the Blackshirts. He would go on to star for the University of Michigan for four seasons where he twice earned All-Big Ten honors. Anderson would be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft and go on to a successful 12-year career. Upon his retirement he was the Packers all-time leader in tackles with 1,020 (the Packer only have stats compiled since 1975) and still holds that record today. He was named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1980's and the Packers Hall of Fame in 1996.

The voting panel for the WSN Senior Football Awards consisted of:  Travis Wilson, WSN General Manager and Head Football Writer;  Norbert Durst, WSN Content Manager; Dennis Semrau, ESPN Madison; Justin Hull, WSCO The Score 95.3 in Appleton; JR Radcliffe, NOW Newspapers; Dan Barwick, WSN Contributor; Colton Wilson, WSN Content Producer; Fan Vote

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.