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Football Alumni Round-up: September 19th

09/19/2018, 11:00am CDT
By Colton Wilson

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 by 10 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Alumni Update

Another weekend of football in the books, another week filled with big days from Wisconsin High School alumni at all levels of post-high school play.

Nathan Stanley and Toren Young have become a formidable duo in the Iowa Hawkeyes backfield this year. Stanley, a Menomonie High School graduate threw for 309 yards and 2 scores as Iowa beat Northern Iowa 38-14. Young, a Monona Grove grad, rushed for 82 yards and a score. Defensively, Kristian Welch (Iola-Scandinavia) led the team in tackles for the second time this season and also recovered a fumble.

Late in the 4th quarter of the game between North Dakota and Sam Houston State, Sam Houston was stopped on a 4th and 2, short of the line-to-get, ensuring a 24-23 win for North Dakota. Baraboo High School alumnus Noah Larson made that tackle and 8 others as he helped lead his team to victory.

Owen Schommer had a busy day punting the ball in UW-River Fall’s 38-28 close loss to MO-Baptist. The Prescott High School grad punted 8 times; landing 5 within the 20 yard line and 3 within the 5 yard line. He averaged 48.1 yards per punt and was named the WIAC Special Teams Player of the Week. New Richmond High School grad and the WIAC rushing leader, Sam Altena, rushed for 142 yards and 2 scores for River Falls.

Milwaukee Riverside’s Omarri Johnson had a big game defensively to help UW-Stevens Point to a 51-28 victory over Dakota State. Johnson had 6 tackles and 2 interceptions; one of which he returned 33 yards for a touchdown. For his effort, Johnson was named the WIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

UW-Oshkosh faced its second Division 2 school in as many weeks and this time came out a winner 17-7 over Lincoln University. Quarterback Kyle Radavich accounted for both touchdowns, one through the air, and one on the ground for the Titans. The Whitnall product was named the WIAC Offensive Player of the Week.

UW-Whitewater received great contributions from alumni en route to a 73-0 shutout win over Middle Georgia State. Brennan Demark (Waukesha North) rushed for his first ever collegiate score. Teammates; Ronny Ponick (Stanley-Boyd), Ryan Wisniewski (Sparta), and Mitchell Dess (South Milwaukee) all found the endzone offensively. Tommy Matoska (Kenosha Tremper) returned an interception for a score as well.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference was scattered with many big days for Badger State alumni. Sean McGuire of Franklin High School threw for 360 yards and 3 scores in Western Illinois’ 31-27 victory over Montana.

FCS first ranked North Dakota State was led defensively by Cole Karcz to a 38-7 victory of North Alabama. The Germantown High School defensive lineman had 2 sacks for the Bison.

On the offensive line side of things, Sepestiano Pupungatoa (River Falls) and Jon Gruetzmacher (Merrill) helped lead a South Dakota State rushing attack to 379 yards and a 90-6 shellacking over Arkansa-Pine Bluff. 2015 Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch Award Winner and Kimberly High School grad, Blair Mulholland secured his first collegiate rushing touchdown, while Blake Kunz (Germantown) recorded his first receiving score.

The Norther Sun Intercollegiate Conference once again saw big performances of plenty from in-state athletes across the weekend. Offensive lineman don’t get the notoriety of the position players throughout football. However, Nick Zimmerman (Laconia), Elijah Perine (Homestead), and Nolan Kern (Regis) led a Sioux Falls rushing attack to 304 yards on the ground in a 39-21 win over Southwest Minnesota State.

Minneosta State-Moorhead quarterback Jakup Sinani threw for 238 yards and 3 scores in a 42-28 victory over Northern State. Sinani, an Oak Creek grad, also fed running back Zach Simmons (Xavier), as he ran for 84 yards and two more scores.

Bemdiji State saw two Badger State alumni quarterbacks throw for 3 touchdowns each in their 69-0 win over Minneosta Crookston. Jared Henning (Kettle Moraine Lutheran) and Alec Ogden (Monona Grove) led a potent offense through the air. This was Ogden’s first action in his collegiate career.

Winona State lost a close matchup to Upper Iowa 34-33 over the weekend. Sam Santiago-Lloyd (Brookfield East) rushed for 79 yards and a score for the Warriors. Isaiah Frandsen (Barron) had 101 receiving yards and 2 scores while Greg Rooney (Holmen) also had a receiving touchdown. On the other sideline, Skyler Lehman (Clintonville) led Upper Iowa with 8 catches for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Drake University was helped to a 52-12 victory over Missouri S&T by two wide receiver alumni. Steven Doran of Germantown High School had 5 catches for 112 yards and a score, while Mitch McFarlane of Winnebago Lutheran had 2 catches for 77 yards and 2 scores.

Melvin Gordon didn’t put up the gaudy yardage total he did last week, but he contributed greatly to the Los Angeles Charger’s 31-20 win over the Buffalo Bills. The Kenosha Bradford alumnus totaled 3 scores on the day.

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