Area prep football teams look to transform losses into wins in 2024
For the Tri-County Area's prep varsity football teams, theme for the 2024 season will be: transformation
Transforming the close losses which cost Fall Creek, Augusta and Eleva-Strum playoff berths into victories.
Eleva-Strum head coach Nick Stowell says better discipline will help in this transformation. The Cardinals open the season tonight, Thursday, Aug. 22 at home vs. Glenwood City. Last season the Cards' finished 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the Dairyland with losses to Blair-Taylor and Cochrane-Fountain City at the end of the season ending their playoff hopes.
"Personal fouls caused by technique and penalties hurt us and our chances to get into playoffs," Stowell said. " We need to strive to be more connected as a team and to play as a team,"
The Cardinals return four of their five starters up front in Dan Segerstrom, Landen Nordeen, Alex Garduno Tavira and Brayden Olson and also return quarterback Brandon Hanner. Newcomer Jaxon Rindal looks to be nice addition. They also bring back Brayden Olson, Ty Fjelstad, and Reede Brown who were all second team all-conference on defense. But E-S lost its top ball carriers and all-league players like Alex Anderson and Ryan Julson to graduation along with lineman Jovanny Stevens. All the Redbirds' skill position players are new this season.
Winning the Dairyland Conference and at least making the playoffs for the first time since 2019 are the team's goals and Stovall thinks E-S should be up there along with defending champ Alma/Pepin and Cochrane-Fountain City. Augusta hopes to be up there as well in the DC or at least improve upon the 1-8 record it had last season, 1-6 in the conference. To do that head coach Derek Boldt says the teams has to get better in several areas as the Beavers begin their season this Friday, Aug. 23 at Cadott.
While Augusta suffered some bad losses they were also competitive in losses to Eleva-Strum, Melrose-Mindoro and Blair-Taylor to go along with their lone win over Independence/Gilmanton. Turn those around and the Beavers make the playoffs.
"We have to take care of the ball, make stops on defense and win the field position battle," Boldt said. "We also have to do a better job of finishing games and working together as a unit. I think we should win more than we did last year." Boldt said.
AHS graduated its only all-league player from last season, first-team defender Joe Shong. The Beavers return lettermen such as Beau Harmer, RB/LB, Noah Schroeder, RB/LB and linemen Matt Hoff, James Green, Bennett Sandberg and Dimitri Schroeder.
New Fall Creek head coach Marcus Wahleithner makes his debut this Friday, Aug. 22 as the Crickets long-time rival Altoona at Schultz Field beginning at 7 p.m. The Crickets had some agonizingly hard defeats last season, Cloverbelt Conference games they held leads in, that kept them out of the playoffs at 3-6 overall, 1-6 in the conference, such as to Durand-Arkansaw on Homecoming, Eau Claire Regis, Neillsville/Granton and Stanley-Boyd.
"We want to improve mental focus and conditioning to turn losses into wins," Wahleithner said.
FC loses some talented all-conference players in Isaac Steinke, Sullivan Monnier, Brian Birdsall, Jacob Wathke and Bo Vollrath but return an experienced quarterback in Nathan Kurtz along with running back Cullen Kramer. and linebackers Gus Pranckus and Lincoln Burr.
Wahleithner, who was an assistant coach to former head coach Tyler Mickelson last season, believes the Crickets can be in contention for the league title along with Stanley-Boyd, Mondovi and Regis this season but also sees a bigger picture of success than wins and losses.
"Being great young leaders doing life the right way that make connections with the school and community all while finding success on the football field is our main goal."
