Twelve seniors, some of which are multi-sport standouts, will carry the torch as Lakeside Lutheran's football team hits the field in 2024, when they will play in a new conference and for a new head coach.
Longtime defensive coordinator Matt Doering takes over for Paul Bauer, who retired after an impressive 23-year run as head coach, and will guide the Warriors into the Badger Small Conference.
"Paul built a solid program over 20 years plus and all our current coaches coached over the years with Paul, who set up the program for success beyond him," Doering said. "I've been telling people I hope when you come watch us play we’re still that hard-nosed competitor but respectful too and doing it the right way for the right reasons.
"Scheme wise, I'm still running the defense and Andy Asmus is back as offensive coordinator. Those guys really know what they are doing offensively. There will be a few tweaks, but no major changes."
Lakeside, which went 8-4 last season and reached Level 3 of the playoffs, will have a new quarterback after Kooper Mlsna graduated, with senior track stalwart Ben Krauklis and sophomore Jack Thiele fighting for the starting gig. There's a chance junior Logan Scheitinger-Strohm, who is recovering from midsummer surgery, could join the fold as a potential signal-caller in the weeks ahead.
"Kooper is a big loss because he was just so solid and efficient at running our offense," Doering said. "Ben has kind of been the quarterback in the senior class and he was the backup last year. He has a ton of speed and agility.
"Jackson played quarterback on JV last season and is a nice athletic kid who is working hard and moving forward quickly. Whoever doesn't win the QB spot will be utilized at a different position."
Seniors Kaycee Guzman and Issiah Sampson return at running back, where senior Jonathan Schmidt and juniors Owen Marty and Carter Flack could also see time in the team's veer offense.
"Kaycee and Issiah, another track guy, are quick," Doering said. "Ben could be a weapon at tailback too, something we saw in the Level 3 game against Catholic Memorial last year. All three of those guys know our system, where yards will show up and have breakaway speed. Owen has been fighting hard for reps and Jonathan and Carter both give us hard-nosed inside guys. We'll likely deploy some of these running backs in receiver positions and force defenses to defend them."
Two seniors -- Phil Becraft and Robert-John Darden Jr. -- are in line to contribute as wide receivers.
"Phil is a good perimeter blocker who will do whatever we ask," Doering said. "He can catch any type of ball. RJ brings that explosiveness. He wants to catch the ball and make plays."
Three players are in the mix to see time at tight end.
"Nathan DeNoyer came in with a good offseason of work and he understands the offense," Doering said. "As a senior, I see him having a desire to win a spot. Juniors Carson Scheitinger-Strohm and Jacob Marty are also in the mix and we like what they bring to the pass game."
Lakeside returns four of its five starters on the offensive line, where senior right tackle Thomas Dwyer, a South Dakota State recruit, and junior left tackle Jackson Stein, who is receiving scholarship interest, will be valuable assets.
Senior Alex Baehr played center last season and could start there again, or at a guard spot. Sophomore Billy Gibson is in line for another interior offensive line gig with junior Will Stuebs and sophomore Andrew Nass fighting for snaps at the final spot up front.
"Thomas, a returning first team all-conference pick, is a three-year starter now and a mainstay at right tackle, where he's played the last couple years," Doering said. "Jackson gives us a second lineman who is 6-foot-6 and 280-plus pounds, which is a nice place to start.
"Alex has been huge in the center spot, which is not simple when we're asking him to do different stuff and snap to different targets, which he hits, and still block effectively. Billy is a hardworking kid who can block well in space and in tight."
On the team's four-man defensive front, Doering would love to use rotations to cut down on guys being full-time two-way players. He foresees Dwyer being a fixture in the trenches, with Baehr, who can play defensive end or outside linebacker, and Stein likely seeing regular time as well. Junior Corban Meyer, a near 300-pounder who came on late last season inside, along with junior Lincoln Coates, Nass and Stuebs are competing for snaps as well.
At the linebacking level, Lakeside has some solid returnees to lean on.
"Inside linebacker Jonathan Schmidt has a good motor and has really bought into what we are trying to do," Doering said. "We could see Jacob Marty and Carson Scheitinger-Strohm here as well.
"On the outside as a hybrid linebacker and safety, Guzman played well there for us late in last season. Senior Ryan Schultz is back after an injury and Fleck is working hard to see time. DeNoyer, senior Nick Bode and junior Landen Smillie are in the fold as well."
Three secondary starters return in the form of Krauklis, Darden Jr. and Becraft with Sampson and Owen Marty other likely candidates to pitch in on the backend of the defense.
"We're hoping junior Tyler Schuld gets healthy in time to compete for a spot back there so we can have a six-guy platoon to reduce the number of guys playing both ways," Doering said.
Realignment remains a fluid process in high school football with conferences changing shape every other season. Lakeside got bumped from the Capitol, a high-end league for medium-sized schools, to the fairly rugged Badger Small, a predominantly Division 3 league.
Three-time defending conference winner Mount Horeb/Barneveld figures again to be the team to beat. Stoughton reached Level 4 a season ago with Edgewood, Portage and Sauk Prairie rounding out the six-team league, which is required to play two crossover contests with Eastern Central Conference teams. Lakeside drew Plymouth and Port Washington, both of which are ranked in the top 10 in the WisSports.net Preseason Division 3 rankings.
"We do have to make a jump, but I don't know if the jump is huge," Doering said. "There's a lot of unknowns both ways in playing so many unfamiliar teams.
"I'm a big believer in doing things well a week at a time and the end goal takes care of itself. We really do preach going 1-0 each week. Not unlike in the Capitol, if we can get playoff eligible in the Badger Small, we’ll be tested to the point where we won’t be surprised at all by anyone in the playoffs."
Lakeside qualified for the playoffs 19 times under Bauer, including in the last seven seasons. The last six seasons, starting with the Level 4 team in 2018, have been particularly impressive for the Warriors, who have nine playoff wins in that time frame including two appearances in Level 3 and two more in Level 2.
In another new wrinkle, Lakeside opens the season at home against Lake Mills, the first-ever Crosstown Rivalry Week 1 affair.
2024 Warriors Schedule
Aug. 23 Lake Mills
Aug. 30 at Lake Country Lutheran
Sept. 6 Port Washington
Sept. 13 at Plymouth
Sept. 20 Sauk Prairie
Sept. 28 at Edgewood, 1 p.m. Breese Stevens Field
Oct. 4 at Mount Horeb/Barneveld
Oct. 11 Portage
Oct. 18 at Stoughton
**All games start at 7 p.m. unless indicated otherwise
Warriors Roster
Grade Last Name First Name Height Weight Positions
12 Baehr Alex 6'4" 203 OL/DL
12 Becraft Phil 5'10" 146 DB/WR
12 Bode Nick 5'11" 155 WR/LB
12 Darden RJ 5'8" 164 WR/DB
12 DeNoyer Nathan 6'2" 165 TE/LB
12 Dwyer Thomas 6'8" 273 OL/DL
12 Guzman Kaycee 5'10" 180 RB/LB
12 Krauklis Ben 6'1" 178 QB/RB/DB
12 Monday James 6'4" 177 OL/DL
12 Sampson Issiah 5'8" 137 RB/DB
12 Schmidt Jonathon 5'10" 196 RB/LB
12 Schultz Ryan 6'0" 178 TE/LB
11 Coates Lincoln 5'11" 220 OL/DL
11 Daniel Joseph 5'7" 149 WR/LB
11 Dollard Josh 6'3" 165 WR/DB
11 Flack Carter 5'10" 171 RB/LB
11 Gallatin Fred 5'10" 133 RB/DB
11 Genz Cooper 6'0" 229 OL/DL
11 Hallman Zach 5'9" 160 RB/LB
11 Henning Madden 6'3" 162 WR/DB
11 Marty Owen 5'10" 160 RB/DB
11 Marty Jacob 6'0" 185 TE/LB
11 McKinney Karson 5'10" 146 WR/DB
11 Meyer Corban 6'2" 317 OL/DL
11 Murray Sabastian OL/DL
11 Opperman Jackson 6'2" 221 OL/DL
11 Schauff Noah 5'9" 152 WR/DB
11 Schuld Tyler 5'8" 146 WR/DB
11 Seavert Caleb 5'10" 166 RB/LB
11 Smillie Landon 6'2" 170 TE/LB
11 Stein Jackson 6'8" 292 OL/DL
11 Strohm Logan 6'1" 173 QB/TE/LB
11 Strohm Carson 6'1" 174 TE/LB
11 Stuebs Will 6'5" 222 OL/DL
11 Tasker Bryce 6'3" 182 TE/LB
10 Gibson Billy 6'2" 206 OL/LB/DL
10 Nass Andrew 6'2" 281 OL/DL
10 Schmidt Mathias 5'10" 161 RB/LB
10 Thiele Jack 6'0" 164 QB/DB
10 Wolfgram Landon 5'11" 184 OL/LB
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