WALWORTH, Wis. — Collin Frederick was a freshman in the fall of 2010, the season after the Big Foot football team had won its first ever WIAA Division 4 State Championship after back-to-back trips to the big dance.
And Frederick was a junior in 2012, a year in which the Chiefs returned to the state title game and finished runner-up to Somerset in a close 35-33 loss.
Now as co-head coach of Big Foot along with Tyler Heck, Frederick wants nothing more than to return those glory days back to Walworth, which hasn’t seen a playoff berth since 2014, the season after the two-way lineman graduated.
But he also realizes it will take some time.
“We are being honest with ourselves,” Frederick said. “And having those realistic conversations like about what is an achievable goal for us this year. Being realistic about that while also still pushing and challenging ourselves. This year, even as early in the season as we are, we're starting to feel some of that energy surrounding the culture and the way things are headed and are finding that people want to be a part of it.”
The co-head coach added that “you could call playing all of the games a success,” after the Chiefs were forced to forfeit three of their final four games on their way to an 0-9 record. They were outscored 226-32.
Frederick, who returned to the program as an assistant in 2019, and Heck, who has been on Big Foot’s coaching staff since 2015 and is also the head wrestling coach, know that rebuilding the numbers starts at the youth level.
The duo have been co-head coaches of the Big Foot Wolves Youth Football program since 2019. Frederick is the president with Heck the vice president of the organization.
“When we got into that, the vision was to restore Big Foot football at the high school level,” Frederick said.
Jace Daniels left the Chiefs after two seasons over the offseason to become the tight ends coach at his alma mater Northern Michigan University.
Frederick said after the hiring process didn’t turn up any ideal candidates, the two decided to take up the job.
“With (Tyler) being the head wrestling coach and me and my family owning a business (Austin Pier Service) in town, it didn't make a ton of sense for either of us to step up into this role on our own,” Frederick said. “It was a good opportunity for us to do it together. With Tyler in the school having more contact with the kids and the administration, that made that side of it easier. And it freed me up to kind of focus more on the football side of things. Our shared vision and shared goals are what is driving this and making this, what we found so far, to be a really successful setup.”
Heck’s long experience in the program has been a beneficial asset thus far.
“I didn't have to learn a whole lot about how we spend money on this or how to make sure I have all this taken care of. I kind of had that down,” he said. “So, I've been able to focus more on getting the guys here and being here. I help with the summer camp programs and summer lifting program. I've already been doing that.”
And the assistants around Heck and Frederick also sport plenty of pedigree.
Justin Bell, who has been on the staff for four seasons, will be calling the offensive plays with Frederick in more of a game management role. Dave Mizelle has been there for just as long while Frederick and Heck said they coaxed Greg Lueck, the head track and field coach, back into the program after a slew of seasons away.
The most impressive resume on the staff is that of offensive line coach Travis Frederick, the older brother of Collin.
Frederick, a three-time Beloit Daily News All-Area First Teamer and the BDN’s 2008 Player of the Year, was a standout on both sides of the line for the Chiefs from 2005-2008. He played both center and left guard at the University of Wisconsin from 2009-2012, earning All-Big Ten First Team honors in his final season, before being drafted 31th overall as the Dallas Cowboys’ first-round selection.
The elder Frederick was a First-Team All-Pro player in 2016, a second teamer twice and made the pro bowl five different times (2014-17, 2019). He retired after his seventh season, announcing the decision in March of 2020.
“I would say that Travis is our run game coordinator and coach Bell is running the passing game,” Collin Frederick said. “Travis did a lot of the game planning (in the offseason) and developed a new scheme for the season.”
And the entire coaching staff is embracing the idea of changing up things within the program.
“When we look back at it after the season, we felt that it was a culture issue as a whole,” Frederick said. “That has really been the focus is coming in and laying out our expectations. It took a lot of communication and work on our end as coaches to get on the same page as far as what we want that to look like and what that verbiage is going to look like. Once that kind of came together, the kids have done a really, really good job of buying into it. We've seen a lot of growth and maturity out of the upperclassmen and guys stepping up and being leaders and doing things the right way.”
Evan Henningfeld returns as the starting quarterback for his senior season.
Last year he went 26-for-76 with 276 yards and one touchdown with nine interceptions, but Frederick said the Chiefs hope to support Henningfeld with a better run-game this season.
“Evan is the leader of this team,” the co-head coach continued. “He's got plenty of talent and he's absolutely the right kind of guy. He's the kind of kid that if you could take 11 Evans out there, you'd do it because he's coachable, he's present, he works hard, he prepares and does everything the right way.”
Senior Brady Wojcik, who had five catches for 76 yards last season, will help in all facets of the game.
“He's an asset offensively, defensively and on special teams,” Frederick said. “One of those kids that we want to get the ball in his hands as much as we can. Konnor Gloss is another receiver that's dangerous with the ball in his hands. Carter Ries and Owen Smith are two big ones in the passing game as well. Carter's playing a more pivotal role in terms of being a little bit more flexible. He'll play some in the backfield, he'll play some LB and split out some on the line as an extra tight end. He's got the right kind of body and the right mindset. Owen is a physically gifted player. That doesn't come around often at schools this size. We'll plan on taking advantage of him in the pass game and the run game. He's an excellent blocker, as well.”
The backfield will also feature the addition of senior Josh Martinez, a transfer from WIAA Division 2 State champion Badger.
“He has excellent patience, vision and toughness,” Frederick said. “He plays a lot bigger than he thinks he is physically.”
Frederick added that the offensive line may be a little undersized, but are strong and efficient.
“Part of that is putting them in a position to succeed,” Frederick said. “Scheming them into good spots and being able to use leverage and angles to help compensate for some of what we lack in size.”
While positions are still being locked down, Ryan Swaney and Jake DeMarco are expected to be important up front. Aidan Clary is a younger player with plenty of potential on the line and Ben Lavariega will be the center.
Heck said one of the players he is most excited about on the defensive side is Wojcik.
“If you get him in any position where he can take the ball, he's going to make plays,” the co-head coach continued. “He's going to lay some hits, but if the ball is in the air, there's a chance that he's coming down with it. And he did that last year. I think he had four or five interceptions in the three conference games that we played.”
Heck added that Gloss has a similar skillset and will be crucial in the secondary while Ries and Martinez will feature as middle linebackers.
“Josh has been working hard to really understand the defense,” Heck continued. “At Badger, he was an outside linebacker. And so coming inside is completely different than what he's been doing the last couple of years, but he's been really running with it.”
Lavariega will be a stout presence on the defensive line and Smith should benefit from a position change on that side of the ball.
“Owen making the move from outside linebacker to defensive this year lets him hone in on what his real skill is defensively, and that's disrupting the offensive line and getting to the quarterback,” Heck said.
The Chiefs will have their work cut out for them in the Capitol Conference, where five of the seven teams made the postseason last year.
Lodi and Columbus are two of the best teams in Wisconsin while the addition of Clinton and Hustisford/Horicon, both of whom made the playoffs last season, make for a tough slate.
“Playing them well this year to that point is a big point of emphasis for us,” Frederick said. “Even in the teams that have better numbers and maybe better talent on paper, having the mental fortitude to hang tough in those games and play our games and do what we can do will keep some of those a little closer.”
2024 SCHEDULE:
AUG. 23: WHITEWATER; 30: at Black Hawk/Warren (Ill.).
SEPT. 6: at Turner; 13: LODI; 20: at Columbus; 27: HORICON/HUSTISFORD.
OCT. 4: CLINTON; 11: at Lake Mills; 18: AURORA CENTRAL CATHOLIC.
• NOTE: All kickoffs 7 p.m.
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