CADOTTAs a first-year head coach, Cadott’s Todd Rykal is not only excited for his team to hit the field this season, but is also keeping everything in its proper perspective.
“The only thing I can think of is that this is my first year as a head coach and we are a very young team. I think the question for me and the students will be how can we grow up and get better together and impact this season positively and set the stage for long-term success for Cadott football,” Rykal told the Leader-Telegram.
The team’s last conference title and trip to state was in 1999 and its two top returning players from last season are running back and inside linebacker Warren Bowe (592 yards and three touchdowns.) and inside linebackers Owen Fasbender.
Noting that Cadott has lost a lot of seniors from last year to this season, the newcomers Rykal expects to have an immediate impact on the squad are Blaine Mengel, Jackson Barone, Aiden Rykal and Everett Forcler.
“Blaine has been on the offensive line the last three years, but he has worked hard to transform his body and we think he will have a big impact for us at tight end and linebacker,” the head coach said.
As for Barone, Rykal noted that “Jackson is another kid who has been working hard to transform his readiness for the football season and we will look for him to have an impact at wide receiver and at the linebacker position.”
The head coach noted that Aiden “will be taking the reins at quarterback this season, so we will look to him to be a leader and be able to make some plays for us in the backfield. Aiden also saw some significant time in the defensive backfield, so he will be an anchor for us there.”
Finally, the head coach said of Forcler: “Everett is pretty new to football, but he has been working hard and he will help solidify us up fronton the line and he will also be splitting time at linebacker and on the defensive line.”
GRANTSBURGGrantsburg won the Lakeland Conference last season with a perfect conference record of 6-0 and 12-1 overall.
Top returning players to the team that went to the state semifinals last season include Ian Burkman, linebacker and 1st Team All-Conference who had 110 tackles last season; Norm Jensen, 1st Team All-Conference center; Zach Carlson, 1st team All-Conference offensive tackle; Dane Lozier, 1st Team All-Conference defensive back who had four interceptions for Grantsburg last season; and QB Brock Matheny, who passed for 1,538 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023.
“We are excited to have four returners on the offensive line to go along with our quarterback and All-Conference players Ian Burkman and Dane Lozier,” Grantsburg head football coach Adam Hale, who starts his 13th season leading his team, told the Leader-Telegram, adding, “We have a number of positions that are up for grabs on defense, though, and that will be the question mark starting the year.”
Newcomers the head coach expects to make an impact on the squad this year are Caden Matheny, WR/OLB; Bubba Quimby; OL: and linebacker Henry Quintana.
The squad has 19 total conference titles to their credit overall.
LADYSMITHLadysmith’s gridiron team hopes to build upon a successful 2023 campaign that saw them go 4-2 in the Lakeland Conference, which was good for third place. The squad went 8-4 overall last season and iTS last conference title was in 2006.
Head Coach Kirk Yudes is looking to a big number of returners to keep this year’s team in the running for the 2024 Lakeland Conference title.
“With 12 returning seniors, the Lumberjacks have high expectations (for) the season,” Yudes told the Leader-Telegram. “The senior class is the heart and soul of the program and has started to return a sense of pride to a program that struggled to 23 straight losses three years ago. The team knows it will be a tough conference with Grantsburg and Cameron both returning quality teams that made deep playoff runs.”
Notable returners with their stats from last season are Tim Meltz QB-All-Region quarterback that had 25 TDS 1 INT and 1,558 passing yards/four INT as a corner; Braeden Little-46 rec 546 yds 10 tds, two kick-off returns for TD, and one punt return TD/5 INT as DB; Doug Stevenson-27 rec 485 yds eight TDS; Elias Mikunda-OLB 77 tackles; Manny Moore-MLB 95 tackles; and Jackson Summerfield RB/LB-371 yds five TDs 5.6 yds/carry and 49 tackles.
Newcomers Yudes hopes will have an immediate impact on this year’s Ladysmith team include Carter Soltis, LB/RB; Ashton Clark, WR/DB; Austin Schultz, DL/OL; and Louis Zimmer, EDGE/TE.
UNITYUnity High School has a new coach, but Trent Nyhus is an experienced one, coming from Turtle Lake.
The coach’s outlook for his squad is simple. “(We have a) new offense system that will help our team speed take advantage of the field,” he told the Leader-Telegram.
Returners the coach will look toward to guide this squad include, Jack Ross, 1st team all-conference linebacker and 2nd team all-conference running back; Payton Merrida, honorable mention all-conference wide receiver; Isaiah Fugate, tight end/OLB; and quarterback and D-back Evan Johnson. Newcomer Josh Pouliot, wide receiver/DB, is expected to make an impact on this squad, too.
Unity was fourth in the Lakeland Conference last season with a 3-3 record, and went 6-5 overall. The team’s last conference title was in 2019.
Nyhus is looking forward to the team’s schedule and mentioned that the team will have its Military Night game against conference rival Webster on Oct. 11.
CAMERONCharlie Roherty had a great first season as Cameron High School’s head football coach and he hopes to duplicate that success in year number two.
Coming off a 9-3 2023 campaign, Cameron won the Heart O The North Conference with a conference record of 7-2, its fifth conference title overall. They have joined the Lakeland Conference this season.
“We have a very dynamic puzzle to put together. We have a great mix of returning players and new. The talent is there, we need to see if we can put it all together. If we can, we can fare well,” the head coach told the Leader-Telegram when asked what his outlook on the upcoming season was.
“Cameron is looking to hold up the positive trend upward as returning Heart O North champs. The program is strong and will be eager to prove ourselves in a new conference,” Roherty said.
Returning players who hope to continue the team’s winning ways include, Tyler Phillips — OL/DL First team all conference Heart o North, all region; Micheal Reynolds — OL/DL First team all conference Heart o North, all region, honorable mention all state; and Cole Peterson — RB/LB first team all conference.
Those Roherty expects to make an impact this year include senior WR/DB Jax Manor making his second year debut. His first year playing was last year. “Tremendous upside. Going to play a huge role for us on Friday nights,” the head coach said.
He also mentioned sophomore QB AJ Guerra. “As a sophomore he is one of the most athletic quarterbacks that I have worked with. Looking for him to make some big plays for Cameron under the lights,” Roherty said.
WEBSTERWebster’s Scott Haskins, entering year number three as head coach, was candid about the squad’s strengths and weaknesses as the upcoming 2024 gridiron season fast approaches.
“Our team’s strengths are our strong leadership by our upperclassmen and teamwork. Our weakness is that we are still a very young football team,” Haskins told the Leader-Telegram.
Returning players include Bradon Nutter, Bryant McKinnley, Ronald Hatch, Clayton Shutt and Jacob Ford. Newcomers who Haskins expects could make an impact this season include Ben Macelree, Jacob Fornengo, Ty Cook and Kenny Schwendiman.
The Webster team was 2-4 in the Lakeland Conference last season and last won a conference title in 2013, which was its ninth overall conference title. The team’s last trip to state was in 2013.
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