CAMBRIDGE -- The Cambridge Class of 2025 has been playing high school football together for a long time now.
With many starting on the team as sophomores, the Blue Jays went 1-8 with a young squad in 2022.
However, the varsity experience paid off. Cambridge hit the weight room that offseason and in 2023, the Blue Jays went 5-5 and qualified for the playoffs.
“That sophomore year is a tough one, especially when you have to start and you don’t have a ton of leadership around you,” second-year Cambridge football coach Rob Nelles said. “But they’ve done well in the classroom, weight room and now they can lead on the football field with the experiences they’ve had.”
Last season, Cambridge upset state-ranked Marshall and all five of its losses came by 10 points or fewer. The improvement from the 2022 season showed the brightest during Cambridge’s Level 1 playoff game against Lancaster.
Facing off against a strong rushing attack, Cambridge fought until the end before losing 16-8 after state-ranked Lancaster ran out the clock after converting a first down.
With their win against Marshall and the close losses, the Blue Jays and their large junior class showed they could compete with anybody.
“When we were sophomores, I don’t want to say we gave up, but we didn’t keep going as hard,” senior linebacker Drew Holzhueter said. “Last year, we didn’t give up and didn’t quit until the last whistle. This year we just have to figure out how to win those close games.”
This upcoming season, Cambridge is the favorites. The Blue Jays are picked to win the Eastern Suburban Conference and are ranked ninth in the WisSports.net Division 6 preseason rankings.
“We have big goals,” senior quarterback Matt Buckman said. “We’re not worried about what other people have to say, but we’re just going to show up every day and work hard.”
It’s easy to see why the Blue Jays are favorites in the conference. Cambridge brings back a total of 13 seniors, including its top passer, top-three rushers and top-two pass catchers from last year.
“It’s great for us because we’ve built that chemistry the last couple of years, growing together,” senior wide receiver Kiefer Parish said. “Getting the younger guys better with us, carrying them with us, will make us better as a team.”
Returning at quarterback, Buckman earned All-Region honors and was selected as the Player of the Year in the Eastern Suburban Conference. Buckman threw for over 2,000 yards, 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.
Entering his third season as a starter, Buckman has thrown for over 3,500 yards and has scored a total of 47 touchdowns.
Buckman was also the team’s leading rusher last year, tallying 327 yards with four touchdowns. Along with Buckman, Holzhueter and Parish return as three-year starters at the skill positions.
At running back, Holzhueter earned first team all-conference honors. He had 290 rushing yards with two touchdowns, while also notching 533 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
At wide receiver, Parish was named all-region and first team all-conference. Parish caught 42 passes for 628 yards and scored 10 touchdowns last year.
Along with the trio of seniors, Cambridge brings back junior running back Owain Nelles, who led the Blue Jays with six rushing touchdowns.
Senior running back Kyle Polster and junior wide receiver Mason Sonnenberg are also expected to see more snaps on offense after playing on varsity last year.
At offense line, senior Aiden Sperle, junior Danny Swain and senior Arden Vandeneinde return as starters, but two spots are open after graduations.
“Getting them into the weight room, and just giving them tips and stuff,” said Vandeneinde on how the veteran lineman will help get the new starters up to speed.
With many returning starters playing on defense as well, the Blue Jays are loaded with experience on that side of the ball too.
At linebacker, Sperle and Holzhueter were both named to the all-conference first team. Holzhueter led the team with 144 tackles, while Sperle led the defense with seven sacks.
Owain Nelles was named to the all-conference second team at linebacker. The junior tied for second on the team with 84 tackles.
Vandeneinde (49), defensive lineman Travis Colts (48) and Parish (40) were also some of the top tacklers from last year.
With some starting defensive linemen and cornerbacks graduating, coach Nelles anticipates Polster, junior linebacker Xavier Pulver, senior defensive lineman Bryce Duckert, junior safety Jett Horton and senior defensive back Clayton Stenjem to see more action.
With all the experience returning, Cambridge is poised for a fun season, likely contending for a league title in the new-look Eastern Suburban Conference.
Horicon/Hustisford and Clinton, two teams who beat the Blue Jays in 2023, have moved to the Capitol Conference with Palmyra-Eagle and Dodgeland getting shifted to the Trailways Conference.
Conference newcomers Deerfield, Poynette, Pardeeville and Fall River/Rio are all eager to get back to the playoffs after missing out a season ago.
The title race, however, could well come down to Marshall, Waterloo, Markesan and Cambridge, the four original teams who have been in the conference since 2021.
“If we hang tough in some of these close games like we lost last year, and if the good sons we have are still hitting the books and the weight room, I think we’ll be pretty good,” coach Nelles said.
Cambridge opens the season Friday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. against Randolph at Cambridge High School.
2024 Blue Jays Schedule
Aug. 23 Randolph
Aug. 30 at Cambria-Friesland
Sept. 6 Poynette
Sept. 13 at Deerfield
Sept. 20 Waterloo
Sept. 26 at Marshall
Oct. 4 Pardeeville
Oct. 11 at Fall River/Rio
Oct. 18 Markesan
**All games start at 7 p.m.
Blue Jays Roster
Name Grade Position Height Weight
Travis Colts 11 RB/DL 5’8” 151
Jett Horton 11 QB/DB 5’11” 159
Kiefer Parish 12 WR/DB 5’11” 182
Ian Nelles 9 QB/LB 6’1” 163
Matthew Buckman 12 QB/DB 6’4” 180
Cal Nottestad 11 WR/DB 6’4” 165
Evan Harbort 9 WR/LB/DL 6’2” 184
J’Kari Crawford 10 WR/DB 5’11” 156
Trevor Polster 10 WR/DB 5’6” 121
Aiden Vang 9 WR/DB 5’8” 124
Oscar Brown 9 WR/LB 6’1” 163
Drew Holzhueter 12 WR/LB 6’1 190
Ben Fisher 12 WR/DB 5’11” 135
Christian Terland 11 WR/LB 6’0” 164
Curtis Peterson 10 WR/DB 5’7” 113
Xavier Pulver 11 RB/DL 5’8” 176
Ayden Osborn 10 WR/DB 5’10” 151
Nick Ellickson 12 WR/DB 5’8” 140
Ben Baker 10 WR/LB 5’11” 175
Kyle Polster 12 WR/LB 5’9” 153
Nathan Rahn 9 WR/DB 5’10” 133
Clayton Stenjem 12 WR/DB 5’10” 138
Cash Cunningham 9 RB/DB 5’9” 143
Owain Nelles 11 RB/LB 5’11” 160
Mason Sonnenberg 11 WR/DB 5’7’’ 135
Oden Jaskolski 11 RB/DL 6’0’’ 160
Alan Dys 9 WR/DB 5’8” 121
Grant Morgan 9 RB/LB 5’9” 145
Arden Vandeneide 12 OL/DL 5’10” 210
Dalton Johnson 9 OL/DL 5’9” 207
Danny Swain 11 OL/DL 5’11” 188
Jack Baker 10 OL/LB 6’2 174
Blake Nottestad 9 OL/LB 5’11” 176
Ali Melendez 10 OL/DL 5’11” 202
Aiden Sperle 12 OL/LB 5’10” 165
Garrett Wendricks 12 5’11” 160
Ty Terland 10 OL/DL 5’11” 218
Arshenyo Chen 12 OL/DL 6’0” 226
Ben Radloff 10 OL/LB 5’8” 170
Logan Cox 9 OL/DL 5’9” 165
Johnathon Reyes 10 OL/DL 5’10” 182
Wishley Chen 9 OL/DL 5’11” 160
Wyatt Beattie 10 OL/LB 5’9” 162
Bryce Duckert 12 OL/DL 6’1” 253
David Rhoden 10 OL/DL 5’10” 200
TJ Terland 10 OL/DL 5’11” 202
Sam Incha 11 OL/DL 6’5” 226
Jack Hood 10 WR/DL 6’3 141
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