Football Level 3 Preview: Division 6
posted by Travis Wilson at 11/3/2009
Division 6 Bracket
Toughest Road So Far
Quite a few teams have had a pretty tough road in this loaded division, but the edge goes to Algoma, as the only team to have played and won two road games in Division 6. As a non-approved host site, Algoma played at third-seeded Brookfield Academy and won 61-23, then travelled to Kettle Moraine H.S. to play the host team Lake Country Lutheran. The Wolves won that one 27-13. They held two of the highest-scoring offenses in all of the state to a combined 36 points in two games.
Cinderella
That award goes to Fennimore, who has plenty of history on their side with four straight Level 4 trips coming into this season (although no wins in those games), but did not have Lady Luck with them during the 2009 season. Injuries ravaged the already thin team, leaving them with as few as 15 healthy players for practice at times and having to turn to their fifth-string running back at one point. They are finally beginning to get healthy (although two-way all-conference lineman Alex Zart has been out for the year since Week 2), with Joe Carl finally getting back into the offense. Carl missed much of the year and since his return has moved from quarterback (where he was an all-area selection last year) to running back.
Most Impressive
No team in Wisconsin has been as impressive this season as the Edgar Wildcats, and that has continued into the post-season. Want an idea of just how good the defense has been? The 7 points scored by Newman in Level 1 were the first points given up since Week 2 and just the 13th all season. It was such an unexpected breakthrough that the Newman player was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty for excessive celebration despite being down 41-7 in the fourth quarter. Edgar is second in the state, averaging 48.2 points per game, and leads the state with a ridiculous 1.2 points allowed per game.
The Matchups:
Glenwood City (9-2) vs. Hurley (10-1) Saturday 3 p.m. -- Little was known of Hurley coming into the playoffs, as it is always hard to get a read on the Midgets, who play in a conference mostly of Michigan schools. They acquitted themselves quite nicely however, posting a 32-6 win over a tough Thorp squad in Level 1 and knocking off previously unbeaten Flambeau 56-34 in Level 2. Glenwood City hasn't had an easy go of it either though, facing one-loss teams in both games. For Hurley, running backs Daulton Levra and Justin Rhenlund power the train, as both have over 1000 yards and 15 touchdowns this year. Levra is also an outstanding safety, bringing his athleticism to all aspects of the game. Glenwood City will turn to Garrett Bonte as the primary back, although Tyler Kuehndorf can hurt you with his arm if you're not careful. With Hurley's explosive offense, if the score is in the 30's, Glenwood City will likely be in trouble.
Edge: Hurley
Eau Claire Regis (10-1) vs. Fennimore (7-4) Saturday 5:30 p.m. -- This should be a good one. Both programs have had a lot of success this decade, and they'll also bring in quite the opposite philosophies on offense. Fennimore runs a spread set with lots of shotgun, Regis lines up and comes right at you with the run. Fennimore has attempted almost 200 passes this season, Regis just 31. Both styles have obviously been effective though. As mentioned, Fennimore has faced a lot of adversity with injuries this year, and the lack of depth could be a cause for concern. Not only will they be thin if injuries continue to strike, but they could be worn down by the relentless physicality of the Regis rushing attack. Sometimes overlooked when discussing the elite teams in D6, Regis is certainly no slouch. Their only loss this year came on a last second field goal to last year's Division 5 state champion Colby.
Edge: Eau Claire Regis
Edgar (11-0) vs. Pacelli (10-1) Saturday 5 p.m. -- The general consensus is that this is Edgar's title to lose, and if they do loose it would be one of the biggest upsets in recent history. Pacelli is the next team standing in the way of Edgar's relentless march to a title. The Cardinals feature a high-powered offensive attack led by running back Kyle Gramowski, who has gone for over 1500 rushing yards and scored 17 touchdowns on the ground. Kelvin Stroik has added nearly 900 yards on the ground while quarterback Andy Rice has thrown about 1400 yards. The only hiccup this year for the Cardinals was a 40-3 setback against Shiocton in Week 3, which seems like a lifetime ago. They've since gotten back on track and are hopeful to slay the dragon that is Edgar. For Edgar, they have dominated in every fashion of the game, with so many standouts it's hard to list. Quarterback Justin Sinz is the most noticeable figure for the Wildcats. He's passed for 17 touchdowns, thrown for nearly 1300 yards, and plays a mean defensive back on defense. Edgar likes to create turnovers and get out to early leads, something that has come very easily so far this year. If Pacelli can keep it close and control the pace of the game, they could force Edgar to do something that hasn't been done yet; play a full game, and then you never know what can happen.
Edge: Edgar
Racine Lutheran ( 9-2) vs. Algoma (8-3) Saturday 7 p.m. -- Racine Lutheran may feature the best player in the tournament, running back/linebacker Eric Oertel. The senior leads the state in rushing with 2431 yards to go with 26 touchdowns. He also is an outstanding linebacker on defense, which may be where he ends up playing at his chosen college, Pac-10 school Washington State. So far this year he has used his incredible combination of speed, strength, vision, and overall athletic ability to dominate the Division 6 field. For Algoma to win, they will have to at least contain him (which may mean allowing "only" 150 or so yards). For Algoma, Sid Geldmeyer has put together a solid season at running back, racking up over 1100 yards and 10 touchdowns. Quarterback Craig Kirchman has gone over the 1000 yard passing mark, while Jesse Kroll has been a big-play receiver, averaging nearly 20 yards per catch with 9 touchdowns. Look for Algoma to focus on gang-tackling Oertel, making him work on defense to expend energy, and do their best to keep him off the field.
Edge: Racine Lutheran
Division 7 and 6 breakdowns will be posted Tuesday, Divisions 5 and 4 on Wednesday, Divisions 3 and 2 on Thursday, and Division 1 on Friday.
Comments 1
On
11/3/2009 9:40:23 PM
onpackerland wrote:
Sid Geldmeyer has really broken through for Algoma durning the playoffs, running for 246 and 241 yards in the first two playoff games. In Lake Country Lutheran's defense the broadcasters on the radio said they were missing their starting running back against Algoma.
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