Conley Publishing - Special Sections
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/716814
ARROWHEAD The FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2016 • 7 20880 W. Enterprise Ave., Brookfield www.snkpump.com Water filtration and purification Water conditioning and filtration COMPLETE WELL PUMP & PLUMBING SERVICE Residential • Commercial • Industrial 24 Hr. Emergency Service CALL 262-782-7190 All Plumbing Repairs & Installation Water Heaters (Standard & Tankless Style) Well & Sump Pumps, Pressure Tanks Drain Cleaning & Emergency Service Full Service Interior Remodeling and Additions! 262-782-7185 Visit our showroom: Monday - Friday • 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Design Selection Installation WHEN IT COMES TO WATER, ONE CALL DOES IT ALL! WATER TREATMENT SPECIALISTS 251488005 By Todd Hansen Freeman Correspondent TOWN OF MERTON — Fritz Rauch believes champi- onships are won on the defen- sive side of the field. The new Arrowhead foot- ball coach was considered one of the best defensive coor- dinators in the state when he helped Homestead to four state titles in his 15-year stint (20 years overall) in oversee- ing the Highlanders defense. In his new position, Rauch should be all smiles, then, as the Warhawks return numer- ous starters on defense, including three players who have Division I scholarship offers. "As a defensive coach, I get to work with some fantastic athletes every day," said Rauch, who was the Grafton head coach last season after leaving Homestead. "From a team perspective, I think per- sonally the way I will develop this program is the way I worked at Homestead, which was we were going to use defense as kind of the back- bone of what we did. "If we play great defense, we certainly should have a chance. I probably spend as much time in the offensive meeting room as I do the defensive side, but it has been my experience through some very successful seasons that defense is a tremendous moti- vator for a football team, and certainly we have a great group of young men coming back." The Warhawks, despite giv- ing up 49 points in the state championship game last year in their fourth consecutive trip to the finals, Arrowhead allowed only 14.2 points per game a season ago. Defensive starters back include senior lineman Jake Powell (6-foot-1, 220 pounds), senior linebacker Noah Har- vey (6-4, 210) and senior line- man Nate Schultz (6-4, 260). All three players have schol- arship offers from Division I programs. Also back on defense as full- or part-time starters from last year are senior lineman Alex Panos (6-1, 200), senior line- backer Collin Thiel (5-11, 200), senior linebacker Noah Rum- mel (6-1, 180) senior line- backer Matt Anderson (6-1, 175), junior defensive back Chandler Pulvermacher (6-2, 185), senior defensive back Mitchel Grothey (6-1, 175) and junior linebacker John Doleschy (6-1, 185). Schultz and Thiel were both first team all-conference last year, while Powell and Harvey were second-team selections and Rummel received honorable mention. "We've got eight to 10 guys on defense back who had starting experience during that playoff run last year and they're going to be the heart and soul of the defense," Rauch said. "Our strength defensively is certainly our Defense to be strength Rauch era at Arrowhead begins See ARROWHEAD, PAGE 8 From Page 6 span. "We've been to the play- offs five of the last six years, so the bar's been raised. "We've definitely seen a lot of kids work hard this offsea- son because they want to keep it going." The Warriors enter this sea- son with a lot of new names atop the depth chart. Gradua- tion hit the roster hard, as the Warriors lost 15 players who received all-conference recog- nition. But the Warriors' junior var- sity team has gone 16-1 over the past two seasons to give a positive outlook for this sea- son. "Yeah, there are a lot of new names, and that's kind of how it's been for six years now," Krause said. "There seems to always be a new group of guys. "We tell the (junior varsity) kids they're playing the same guys. As long as they work hard, we should be competi- tive." Senior defensive lineman Jorin McGuire (6-foot-5, 295 pounds) was a second team all-conference pick and will lead a lot of new faces on defense. Senior linebacker Mitch Suderland (6-2, 230) and junior linebacker AJ Spychala (6-1, 215) were starters last sea- son. Senior Alex Kalsisnig (6-2, 215) was a second team all-con- ference tight end last season, but will likely rotate all over the field between different skill positions. Senior Tim Sprengel (6-3, 240) will move from center to left tackle as he is the lone returner up front on offense. "We have a bunch of new starters, and they are looking good," Krause said. Senior linebackers Shane Dombrowski (5-11, 205) and Kyle Hammitt (6-2, 175), junior linebacker Brady Bloomer (6- 0, 190), senior defensive back John Ciepluch (6-1, 178) and junior defensive backs Rob Zolecki (6-0, 185) and Sam Scholz (5-11, 175) are expected to step up on defense this sea- son. Senior running back Michael Madia (5-7, 175), jun- ior running backs Justin Kotarak (5-11, 185) and Cody Krause (5-9, 195), junior tight end Matt Faust (6-1, 195), jun- ior lineman Sam Kurth (5-11, 205) and senior lineman Joe Meyer (5-11, 210) will be called upon on offense. "We've just got to get better every day," Krause said. "So far through our contact days and two-a-days, we've gotten better. That's got to continue every practice, every session, every day. We've got to get bet- ter and better." Muskego Matt Cohen/Freeman Staff Muskego works on its run game during a preseason practice.