WFCA All-Star Charity Football Game recaps for 8-player, small school and large school

The 48th Annual Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Charity Football Games were held July 19-20, hosted for the 45th time by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, at Titan Stadium, in partnership with and to benefit the Children's Wisconsin Foundation.

Since the partnership began in 2007, the WFCA All-Star Charity Football Games have raised more than $5.7 million for the benefit of Children's Wisconsin, including $345,000 collected and donated this year by the participating athletes and coaches to support the cause.

Here are the results from each contest:

8-Player All-Star Game: North 36, South 34

Linebackers Bailey Schepp and Hunter Sabel, along with defensive back Treyden Marchenkuski, head coach Corey Rickert, and assistant coach Aaron Schepp all represented Oakfield on the South All-Star team in the 8-Player game, and altogether they raised a total of $4,800.

Despite Schepp and Sabel both being highly talented two-way players, with Schepp finishing as a top-5 passer in both yards and touchdowns in the 8-Player division and Sabel toting the ball for over 1000 yards rushing (top-20 in 8-player) with 19 touchdowns (tied for seventh), this past season, the dynamic Oaks duo played solely on defense.

In a back-and-forth contest throughout, with seven total lead changes, the South led at the half, 22-16, but the North All-Stars pulled ahead with just 30 seconds remaining when Denzel Sutton (Thorp) caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Lamb (Almond-Bancroft) to secure the win.

Bailey Schepp and Jedi Gbaja-Biamila (Green Bay NEW Lutheran) tied for the most tackles on the South team with eight apiece, and Gbaja-Biamila also recorded 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and fumble recovery. Marchenkuski followed closely with seven tackles, including one for a loss, and Moser had four tackles. Schepp also was credited with a pass breakup.

"Being a part of Oakfield football for as long as I have, it was just an honor to put on the Oakfield helmet for one last time," said Schepp, who will be attending Ripon College to play baseball, and plans to major in finance to become a financial advisor.

"I played my last (football) game, and although I'm a little emotional right now, I can just reflect on a great career that I've had with all my brothers. I just want to thank Coach Rickert and all the other coaches that have helped throughout the years. It's been a joy, so I'll always be a Mighty Oak."

Along with the honor of representing Oakfield, Schepp said the other part of the experience he enjoyed most was the opportunity to create new friendships with people he once viewed only as the competition to beat.

"They told us when we got here that this was going to be one of the best weeks of our life, and getting to know some of these guys from these other schools was amazing," Schepp said. "We truly created a brotherhood in a week with these guys that we were rivals with, and we never even really knew them (before)."

Although most were excited to participate, Marchenkuski had some reservations about what to expect while mentally preparing for the game.

"I came into this week iffy," said Marchenkuski, who plans to attend UW-Milwaukee, majoring in kinesiology and competing as a powerlifter with the goal of becoming a physical trainer or athletic trainer.

"I didn't know how I'd do, or if I'd even like it, but the only thing that made this worth it was the brotherhood I created with all these men. I'll remember them for the rest of my life. I want to thank Oakfield, the village, all my coaches. Football has taught me a lot of things. It's taught me everything I need to know about being a man and getting through life, and I want to especially thank Coach Schepp and Coach Rickert for being father figures and putting everything out there for me that they can."

As the lone member of the Oaks All-Star trio not continuing his athletic career, instead focusing on majoring in Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point, Sabel proudly reflected - similarly to Schepp - on the simple honor of being selected to represent their beloved Village of Oakfield.

"Being the three people from Oakfield, it was a great week with the boys," Sabel said. "It was probably one of the best weeks of my life, I'd have to say, and sharing it with the two guys from Oakfield made it a lot better. I haven't experienced something like this before and I probably won't ever again. It's a pleasure to play in a game like this and to spend a week with so much talent from all these guys."

The appreciation of sharing one last game with the boys was reciprocated by both Oakfield coaches selected to the 8-Player staff.

"I've coached a lot of kids, but these three I've coached in a lot of other sports too, so it was something pretty special to be able to spend another week with them," Coach Schepp said. "Quite the honor to be selected for this game, as a player or even as a coach, a complete honor. I'm thrilled I got to spend a week with all these great athletes and have one more game with these guys."

Added Coach Rickert: "It was a great week. Not only just being with the Oakfield guys one last time, but the rest of the players really bought in, and the guys bonded. Specifically, those three guys, they're special to me as people way beyond what they've been as football players. To be able to have one more week with them, one more game, means a lot."

Small School (D4-D7) All-Star Game: North 31, South 13

Berlin defensive back Wyatt Hamersma, Omro inside linebacker Jack Wellhoefer, and Winneconne running back Ethan Mathe all suited up for the North All-Stars, while Campbellsport running back Ben Timm was also selected but did not play.

Former Omro head coach Dave Wellhoefer, who stepped down following this past season after 30 years of coaching to consider retirement from football, also joined the North squad as an assistant on the coaching staff. Collectively, they raised $5,531.

"It was a great week to work with all the kids," Coach Wellhoefer said.

"Not just the best from an athletic standpoint, but they were high character, smart kids. It was great to be with (my son) Jack for that last week, getting to coach him one last time. After stepping away - I'm not coaching this year, this might be my last game I coach, I don't know! - but that kind of makes it even more special, getting to share it with Jack. The kids did a great job, and today we didn't panic after we got down early. They just kept plugging away and we've got some great athletes; they all just did wonderful."

Mayville defensive lineman, Cole Legas, joined a pair of fellow Flyway Conference comrades in Winnebago Lutheran offensive linemen Oscar Blohm and William "Chop" Simmons on the South All-Star team. The trio combined for a whopping total of $10,635 in donations, led by Legas - the top fundraiser of this year's event with $9,750 raised personally.

WFCA helps raise $345,000 for charity: This year's WFCA All-Star Charity Football Games raises over $340,000 for Children's Wisconsin

On the field, the South got out to a hot start, posting a 13-0 lead in the first quarter; but the North responded by shutting out their opponents the rest of the way, scoring 31 unanswered points to earn a commanding victory.

After racking up 111 yards of offense in the first quarter, the South All-Stars were limited to just 120 yards the rest of the way thanks to a stifling North defense. In the second half, the North All-Stars intercepted three passes, one of which was returned for a 32-yard touchdown by Teegan Streit (Edgar), and another which was picked off by Hamersma. The North also recovered a fumble, taking advantage of sloppy offensive play from the South after losing their momentum early.

"The experience this week was awesome," Hamersma said. "A great group of guys; we connected really well, and it showed on the field. We struggled the first quarter, but after we locked it down and made some plays. We came back and handled adversity really well. It's something that I'll never forget, being a part of what these guys did."

Mathe toted the ball four times for 32 yards, including a 30-yard burst in the second quarter, and recorded a single catch for 13 yards. Wellhoefer was credited with a single tackle.

"It was cool seeing everyone coming from different places in Wisconsin and the cross-town rivalries getting along," Mathe said. "It really showed us coming together and taking that 'dub', coming from behind. It was a fun week and I'll remember that forever."

Added Timm: "I wasn't here this week at all, but I was getting updated, and the boys were telling me how they were doing and how practices were going; so, I knew that as soon as everyone got together, we were going to get along. As soon as we got (to the stadium), the energy was high and I knew, despite the little bit of a rocky start, we were going to come out on top."

Similar to what Mathe said, Legas said the parts of the experience he enjoyed most was seeing rivalries turn into friendships, and the inherent respect of knowing the men he shared the field with were equally talented.

"There's a lot of rivalries (amongst) the small schools, so the way the guys came together so closely and put their egos aside, and their rivalries aside, in such a short amount of time was really cool," Legas said.

"Playing in the game was an amazing experience. Just knowing that the guy next to you is as good as you are, and they're going to do their job just as good as you're going to do yours, and you can trust everybody - it's really easy to go out there and play your best when you know that you're playing with the best guys. Playing up to that level is a really cool thing."

Added Simmons: "It was nice to learn from all the new guys and coaches, and to get together, bond with, and perform with a group of guys that have the same interests and competitive level as you, they're not playing football 'just because.'"

As for their plans at the next level: Mathe and Wellhoever will stick around to play for UW-Oshkosh, Timm will play at Ripon College, Legas and Blohm will play at UW-Platteville, and Simmons will join Hamersma at Augustana College.

Large School (D1-D3) All-Star Game: South 48, North 14

The South All-Stars earned sweet revenge after the North forced a running-clock in last year's contest, nearly setting a new WFCA All-Star Game points record while also snapping a four-year losing streak.

The South previously won eight consecutive games from 2011 to 2018.

Fond du Lac running back Tanner Dalske, offensive lineman Caleb Kottke, and tight end/fullback Max Mengel were each selected to represent the North and raised a combined total of $2,812.

Dalske carried seven times for 13 yards while Mengel was not cleared to play due to a previous injury.

"It was a great time meeting a bunch of new guys from all around the North side of the state," Dalske said. "A lot of great guys, great coaches. We tried to do our best; although the score doesn't show it, we did our best out here. As for my four years at Fond du Lac, football has been the best experience of my life, and I'm so happy I got to do it with guys like these two, right here (Mengel/Kottke).

Added Mengel: "It was a great experience, this week, meeting a bunch of new people. It didn't end how we wanted it to, but it was still really fun. It's a cool way to finish your high school career."

Added Kottke: "The guys that I met this week are guys that'll end up being my friends for the rest of my life. The connections we made over the week, it's unmatched, and I hope the best for all of them. The score didn't come out the way we wanted it to, but we all played our asses off and I'm proud of all of us. The four years at Fondy really taught me a lot, and I wouldn't be here without that; so, thank you to everyone who helped me get to this place and hopefully I can transfer that (knowledge) to my time at UW-La Crosse."

Mengel will also continue his football career, at Winona State, while Dalske - formerly committed to play with Kottke at UW-La Crosse - has decided to enter the trades with the goal of becoming a carpenter.

To contact Lance LeQue, email him at LLeQue@gannett.com , or follow him on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, @LanceLeQue .

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This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: WFCA All-Star Charity Football Game recaps for 8-player, small school and large school