BRC PREVIEW: BRC more balanced than years past
Spartans open conference play at HudsonBy: By Don Leighton and Dan Tracy, For The Telegram, Superior Telegram
- SHS Football
The following is a “Have Fun or Get Out of the Way” column by Don Leighton and Dan Tracy and their alter egos, Lance Boyle and Cy Brewer, which runs occasionally in The Superior Telegram.
The Superior High School football team opened the season against two of the top programs in the state. After losing at Stevens Point and then at home to D.C. Everest, the Spartans begin Big Rivers Conference play tonight at Hudson.
The 2010 Spartans are dramatically different than the team of a year ago, which needed to win one of its last two games against River Falls or Eau Claire North to make the playoffs. SHS failed to do so after allowing a combined 62 points to the Falcons and Huskies, who occupied the last two spots in the BRC standings when they played the Spartans.
Earlier in the season the Spartans handed Hudson, eventual co-champion with Menomonie, its only regular-season loss. They also defeated Chippewa Falls and allowed 13 points in the two victories, so suffice it to say, “It was a dark and dreary day” when they were eliminated from the playoffs.
Moving ahead to 2010, Superior must rebuild due to the loss of starters on both sides of the ball. There are 22 new starters from last year’s team.
Robbie Dembroski takes over at quarterback for three-sport letterwinner Kellen McCoshen. Zac Erickson returns as the only running back that saw much action, and the offensive line is led by Shawn Mattson. Cam Stanley and Anthony Valentine will protect their defensive end positions, but gone are all-conference graduates Niko Bogojevich and Ethan Taylor from last season’s tough defense.
Dembroski has the responsibility of leading the Spartan offense, which saw coach Bob DeMeyer add some new wrinkles to the double-wing offensive sets. A more balanced attack of run and pass will result.
Senior captain Cody Kitch returns from an injury to shore up the offensive line. He will get help from fellow captain Cole Schorr, who moved to the line, where he excelled as a sophomore, after beginning the season as the fullback. Jack Bergum, spelled by Spencer Koski, will be at fullback with Erickson and Colten Lorenz at the wings. Stanley has great hands and will quickly become Dembroski’s favorite target.
Points will be at a premium for Superior this year. If the Spartans don’t turn the ball over, good things can happen. Not too many prognosticators for the BRC feel Superior has much of a chance, but with each game the Spartans will improve.
Can they make the playoffs? Most say no, but we feel they can, if they take care of the ball.
“We are young and inexperienced, but what matters is that 78 kids are all believing in the same goals, come to work each day striving to get better and to stay together,” DeMeyer said. “If we do that, we’ll be alright.”
Superior’s game at Hudson begins at 7 p.m. and may be watched live on ifan.com.
The BRC appears to be more balanced than in past years. Here are capsule previews of all the teams.
Chippewa Falls (1-1)
Non-conference games: 27-13 win over Holmen, 30-14 loss to Cedarburg.
Conference opener: at Eau Claire Memorial.
Under head coach and UW-Superior alum Chuck Raykovich, the Cardinals will be led by last season’s leading rusher in the BRC, running back Brad Huempfner who ran for 1,045 yards and 16 touchdowns. Huempfner and senior quarterback Tyson Kalien will be protected by an offensive line that returns four starters. Returning defensive backs Caden Cook and Tyler Kinderman lead an experienced Chi-Hi secondary.
Eau Claire Memorial (2-0)
Non-conference games: 28-21 win over La Crosse Logan, 22-14 win over La Crosse Central.
Conference opener: vs. Chippewa Falls.
The Old Abes are 2-0 to begin the season for the first time since 2006. Head Coach Paul Kling’s squad boasts two of the best athletes in the conference in running back Ricky Caldwell and wide receiver/defensive back Clint Larsen. A three-year starter, Caldwell ran for 126 yards and a score last week, while Larsen shined in Week 1 returning both a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns. Third-year starting linebacker Avery Sega anchors a senior-laden defense.
Eau Claire North (0-2)
Non-conference games: 38-26 loss to La Crosse Central, 20-16 loss to La Crosse Logan.
Conference opener: at Rice Lake.
Under new coach Ben King, the Huskies played the La Crosse schools closer than expected, losing by a combined 16 points. The Huskies spread attack is led by senior Mitch Degrasse at quarterback whose biggest target is 6-foot-5 tight end Grant Lokken. The defense looks to senior linebacker Greg Button, who led the conference with nine sacks last season to go along with 59 total tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Menomonie (2-0)
Non-conference games: 22-14 win over Marshfield, 27-21 win over Wausau West.
Conference opener: vs. River Falls.
With 217 wins in the last 21 seasons, legendary coach Joe Labuda leads the Indians in their quest for a 20th consecutive trip to the WIAA playoffs. The Menomonie defense will be tough this season led by a Division I recruit at linebacker in Brent Stout. Offensively, the Indians will spread the ball around with a pair of running backs in Joey Neeb and Aaron White and the quarterbacking duo of James Nelson and Neico Stokke.
Rice Lake (2-0)
Non-conference games: 21-14 win over Medford, 28-21 win over New Richmond.
Conference opener: vs. Eau Claire North.
The only Division 3 school in the BRC may seem small but will play big this season behind coach Dan Hill’s wishbone attack. Leading the bone under center will be junior Kody Novinska, a dual-threat quarterback which will either keep the ball or hand off to a pair of talented backs in Chris Ester and Brennan Smith. The Warrior defense is led by senior linebackers Matt Smith and Taylor West.
River Falls (1-1)
Non-conference games: 26-7 loss to New Richmond, 30-12 win over Ellsworth.
Conference opener: at Menomonie.
After finishing at the bottom of the conference in 2009, coach John Bennett stepped down and former Prescott head coach Jason Wolf stepped in to lead the Wildcats in 2010. The River Falls offense will feature three returning seniors in quarterback Ryan Kusilek, 6-4 wide receiver Jack Herum and running back Nick Zimmerman, the conference’s leading rusher in non-conference play. The offensive and defensive lines return three starters apiece highlighted by James Kozak and Talal Adams on defense.
Hudson (1-1)
Non-conference record: 35-6 loss to Wisconsin Rapids, 30-10 win over Farmington (Minn.).
Conference opener: vs. Superior.
The returning co-conference champions started 2010 with only two returning starters on either side of the ball from an offense that had six ball carriers go over 200 yards and a defense that allowed only 10 points a game last season.
Junior Luke Miller has taken over the reins at quarterback for the Raiders after losing last year’s starter Davy Branson to injury. An all-conference specialist as a sophomore, Tyler Smrcina returns in the defensive backfield and in the return game for coach Adam Kowles.
Dan Tracy is Superior High School graduate and now a pre-journalism and mass communications student at Iowa State University. He may be reached at dtracy@iastate.edu. Opinions and/or story ideas can be e-mailed to dleigh1273@aol.com.
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