Prep football preview: Conference by conference

Dennis Semrau  —  8/27/2008 7:53 am

BIG EIGHT

Contenders: 1. Middleton. 2. Sun Prairie. 3. Verona.

Overview: Verona, which won at least a share of the last three Badger South titles, has joined the Big Eight to make it a 10-team conference. There will be a nine-game league schedule with no nonconference games, so it will take a 5-4 record to earn a WIAA playoff berth.

Favorite: Middleton, the coaches' favorite to win the title, last won a conference championship in 2004. The Cardinals return seven starters on offense, led by University of Wisconsin recruit OL/DL Ryan Groy, and RB Brooks Braga. But Middleton has to replace 10 starters on defense, including all-league DL Andy Gabrysiak.

In the mix: Sun Prairie graduated 18 starters, including 2,000-yard QB Lee Brekke. RB Karl Huemmer will help speed up the reloading process along with all-league RB Sean Marshall, who will be sidelined early with eligibility issues. ... Verona, which advanced to the Division 1 state semifinals last year, is 31-3 over the past three seasons. QB Trevor Burmeister, who started the Wildcats' last nine games in 2007, is back to lead the offense. The defense will build around second-team all-Badger South LB Sam Riebau and honorable mention picks DL Nick Chenoweth and LB Jake Stangl. All-Badger South first-team PK Adam Means also returns.

Others to watch: Defending league co-champion La Follette has a new coach in Mike Harris. The Lancers will be led by all-league RB D.J. Fuller (1,246 yards, 14 TDs) and TE/LB Ross Elliott (12.2 yards per catch and 57 tackles) ... Madison West is a darkhorse contender behind all-league RB Leighton Settle (1,341 yards, 15 TDs), QB Sam Daly and experienced offensive and defensive lines ... First-year Madison Memorial coach Rick Saenz will look to WR/DB and return specialist Quentin Badger to provide some excitement for the Spartans, who also return FB/LB Pat Ritchie, TB/ILB Ace Davis and OT/DT Mike Kuchenbecker ... Madison East junior QB Drew McAdams will have a new target in junior WR Marquis Mason, one of the state's top basketball prospects, who played football as a freshman but sat out last season.

BADGER NORTH

Contenders: 1. DeForest. 2. Waunakee. 3. Reedsburg.

Overview: Circle the date of Oct. 3 on your calendars, when Waunakee is at DeForest in Week 6 for what is expected to be the showdown (again) for the Badger North title.

About the favorite: DeForest is the prohibitive favorite to unseat Waunakee as conference champion. All-state DE Drew Barman returns along with one of the state's top RBs in Tylur Lengfeld and all-state candidates OG Brandon Haney and C Richard Skaife. Also back are several all-league candidates, including QB Tyler Benzine and DB Mike Johnson. The Norskies' only losses last season were to Waunakee in conference play -- DeForest got its revenge in the Division 2 playoffs -- and to Kimberly in the Division 2 state championship game.

Warriors still loaded: Waunakee returns one of the state's top kickers in Andrew Weber. The Warriors also return OT Allen Baures, a unanimous all-league selection, and OG Travis Triggs along with OL Jake Irwin, who has been mentioned as one of the state's top juniors. Chris Severson, a returning second-team all-league DE, will anchor the defense along with LB Austin Goetsch.

Others to watch: Reedsburg returns eight starters on offense, including RB Matt Pingel and four-year starting QB Tyler Mazur ... Portage OL/DL Jake Hohlstein earned unanimous all-league honors on defense last season and is a returning Division 2 state champion heavyweight wrestler ... Baraboo could be a darkhorse behind WR/DB Chris Siebert, who earned second-team all-league honors on offense and defense, and OL/DL Taylor Jahn ....Mount Horeb-Barneveld has a new coach in Travis Rohrer, who was an assistant last year at Watertown. The Vikings also return one of the state's top wide receivers in Riley Koval (1,179 yards, 8 TDs).

BADGER SOUTH

Contenders: 1. Monona Grove. 2. Madison Edgewood. 3. Milton.

Overview: Fort Atkinson and Milton replace defending Badger South champion and Big Eight-bound Verona, and McFarland, which joins the Rock Valley North. Milton was co-champion of the now-defunct Southern Lakes Conference last season.

About the favorites: Monona Grove, which started six sophomores at times last season, returns nine players who earned at least honorable mention all-league honors in 2007, including DE Will Stearns, who was a first-team pick as a sophomore ... Madison Edgewood will be led by all-state candidate OL/DL Ian Watkins and versatile first-team all-conference junior QB Mario Minnaert, who also handles the Crusaders' kicking duties, TE/P Joe Curtin and DE Corey Elfman are both returning all-league second team picks.

Others to watch: Curt Miller takes over as head coach at Monroe, which returns first-team all-league WR Mitch McArdle and welcomes back Mitch Tordorf, who will compete at QB after two years away from the game ... Oregon returns 10 starters on offense, including QB Aaron Nelson and second-team all-league RB Matt Knipfer ... Stoughton P Eric Gerber converted five fake punts last year en route to first team all-league honors. Also an honorable mention pick at DB, Gerber takes over at QB this season

CAPITOL NORTH

Contenders: 1. Lodi. 2. Lakeside Lutheran. 3. Poynette.

About the favorite: The coaches' favorite to win its second title in three years, Lodi returns offensive player of the year Keith McBride (1,892 yards, 21 TDs) and first-team all-league DB Tony Zeman but has some big holes to fill on the offensive line.

Around the league: Lakeside Lutheran graduated eight first-team all-league selections from a 10-1 team. But the Warriors return first-team all-league RB Nick Cooper and DE Eric Whiting ... Poynette will rely on three-year starter RB/DB Brett Rice, who earned first-team all-league honors on offense and second-team on defense, and Cole Janisch, who earned first-team honors at TE and punter. First-team DL Jake Erickson also returns ... Lake Mills, which won its last conference title in 1988, is celebrating its 110th year of football and 100th year on its game field.

CAPITOL SOUTH

Contenders: 1. Marshall. 2. New Glarus-Monticello. 3. Cambridge.

About the favorites: Marshall, unbeaten in league play in the two-year history of the conference, will build around a trio of returning all-league first-team picks in QB Alex Koeller, LT Ben Bomkamp and LB Bryan Weisman ... New Glarus-Monticello returns first-team all-conference ILBs Tory Boley and Parker Havens, who anchored a defensive unit that allowed only 9.2 points per game ... Cambridge is building its title hopes on two-way all-conference OL/LB Kiefer Zuelsdorf and second team pick RB/Return specialist Colin Clagus.

Around the league: Belleville-Albany four-year starting RB Adam Askey has graduated, so the Wildcats will have to rely on a defensive unit that returns second-team all-league LB Tommy Stadelman and DB Tyler Argall Wisconsin Heights returns eight starters from a defense that allowed 23 points per game ...Waterloo DB Zach Hahn, a first-team all-league pick, is one of three returning starters from a defensive unit that allowed just 10.1 points per game in 2007.

ROCK VALLEY NORTH

Contenders: 1. Evansville. 2. McFarland. 3. Jefferson.

Overview: Former Badger South member McFarland joins previous Rock Valley schools Edgerton and Evansville and former Southern Lakes schools East Troy, Jefferson and Whitewater to form the Rock Valley North. Each school will play five league games in the division and two crossover games against teams from the Rock Valley South that count in the league standings.

Around the league: Evansville, which is 50-9 over the past five seasons, returns two-way starters QB/DB Andrew Keister and RB/LB Derek Cashore, who both earned first-team all-league honors on offense and defense ... Edgerton QB Bryan Gregory is the school's all-time leader in passing yards, completions, attempts and passing TDs ... McFarland RB/LB Nick Scheupbach earned Badger South second-team honors on offense and defense last season.

SIX RIVERS

Pecatonica-Argyle returns first-team RB Lee Vlasak and G/DE Kevin Berg. DB Andy Bohlman leads seven returning starters on defense. Defending conference champion Black Hawk returns all-league second team LB Shane Jackson, a four-year starter, and OT Michael Marty.

SW WISCONSIN

Scott Tolzman, the school's athletic director and former Belmont head coach, takes over at Dodgeville. The Dodgers graduated 16 starters but return first-team all-league WR Trevor Runkle and DL Tony Unbehaun and second-team pick RB Mike Lodahl ... River Valley returns six starters each on offense and defense led by second-team all-league DB Scott Liegel but has to replace all-league PK Brett Bakkum and P Garrett Peck.

LARGE/SMALL TRAILWAYS

Deerfield returns first-team all-league DL Brandon Shaw and DL John Podmolik and second-team DB Mike Hommen on defense. QB Mason Lund and RBs Shaw and Mike Zickert will lead the offense ... Madison Abundant Life is looking to improve a defense that allowed 41.4 points per game in 2007.

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ELITE 11

Drew Barman -- FB/DE -- DeForest -- sr. -- 6-2 -- 225

Second-team AP All-State pick with 106 tackles and 14 sacks

Ryan Groy -- OL/DL -- Middleton -- sr. -- 6-5 -- 300

UW recruit who started at right offensive tackle the last two seasons

Jake Hohlstein -- OL/DL -- Portage -- sr. -- 6-1 --260

Unanimous All-Badger North; won D2 state heavyweight wrestling title

Andrew Keister -- QB/DB -- Evansville -- sr. -- 6-0 -- 185

Rock Valley Back of the Year amassed 1,920 all-purpose yards and 19 TDs

Riley Koval -- WR/DB -- Mt. Horeb-Barn. -- sr.6-0 -- 165

Second-team AP All-State pick with 63 catches for 1,179 yards and eight TDs

Tylur Lengfeld -- RB -- DeForest -- sr. -- 5-10 -- 200

Ran for 2,201 yards and 25 TDs to lead Norskies to D2 state title berth

Keith McBride -- RB -- Lodi -- sr. -- 5-11 -- 195

Capitol North offensive Player of the Year ran for 1,892 yards and 21 TDs

Leighton Settle -- RB/DB -- Madison West -- jr. -- 6-1 --175

All-Big Eight pick ran for 15 TDs and returned two kicks for scores

Richard Skaife -- OL -- DeForest -- sr. -- 6-0 -- 240

Unanimous All-Badger North pick and three-year starter at center

Ian Watkins -- OL/DL -- Edgewood -- sr. -- 6-3 --275

Unanimous All-Badger South pick eyeing college at Harvard and Yale

Andrew Weber -- K/RB/DB -- Waunakee -- sr.5-11 -- 172

Unanimous All-Badger North pick made all seven FG attempts and 50-of-53 PATs

Dennis Semrau  —  8/27/2008 7:53 am