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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Postseason football has become a routine for the Marshfield High School football program.
The Tigers qualified for the WIAA playoffs for the seventh-straight season, and 25th time over the past 28 years, bowing out to New Richmond in a hard-fought Division 2 Level 1 battle.
The pursuit of another playoff run for Marshfield will only get tougher as a statewide conference realignment has the Tigers looking at a seemingly tougher road.
Along with the normal Wisconsin Valley Conference foes in D.C. Everest, Wisconsin Rapids, Stevens Point and Wausau West, Eau Claire Memorial and Eau Claire North join the fray for football only beginning this season.
The seven-team Wisconsin Valley Conference will also have one matchup per season against an opponent from the seven-team Big Rivers Conference that includes Hudson, Chippewa Falls, Rice Lake, Superior, New Richmond, Menomonie and River Falls. This year’s crossover matchup for Marshfield will be its conference-opener, as it hosts Rice Lake on Sept. 6 following nonconference matchups with New Richmond at home on Thursday, Aug. 22, and at Menomonie on Aug. 29.
“We’re playing three solid teams those first three games,” veteran Marshfield coach Denny Goettl said. “We’re the smallest school in our conference now, so we have to really buck up. The conference, you have to deal with it one game at a time, the old cliché. New Richmond has turned into a great program, you have to get off the schneid and get one right away, then hopefully that propels you.”
Goettl said he and his coaching staff spent some time in the offseason visiting a number of college programs in an effort to change up the monotony of practice and find ways to better prepare the players to play multiple positions.
“We have an A, B and C section of our practice, where the B section of getting those guys ready to play (another position) if someone is injured,” Goettl said. “Practice is really fast, high octane, no guys sitting around because of what we’re doing.”
He mentioned a number of defensive players that he would like to see get some reps on offense as well, including all-conference linebacker Dawson Meissner (at tight end), defensive back Jackson Anderson (at tailback) and linebacker Caleb Dennee (at fullback).
“Our philosophy is if I can teach you longer in practice (at one position), you are going to be better in the fourth quarter than a kid on the other team that is playing the whole game,” Goettl said. “You’ll have more energy and we’ll win. But sometimes, you may have to. We haven’t had to do a lot of that, but we might have to. We have too many guys on defense that are just sitting there.
“We’re going to play our guys that can play. The only things that hinders you is the practice time, with the two-way guys, but if we can keep that rotation of skills during practice time, I think they’ll get it. They’re smart kids and good athletes.”
Senior Chase Robinson is the front runner to take over at quarterback, according to Goettl, with senior receiver Brooks Hinson the top target in the passing game.
Hinson led the Tigers with 39 catches for 508 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, earning second-team all-Valley Football Association honors at receiver, while also grabbing first-team honors as a return specialist and honorable mention accolades at safety.
Junior receiver Jakob Sadowska and senior tight end Josh Peters will also be part of the passing game, with senior Grayden Rode taking over as the team’s top tailback.
The defense should be the team’s strength again as Meissner, a first-team VFA pick at linebacker, returns to anchor a unit that allowed 19 points per game a year ago. Senior defensive end Simon Dagit is also back, along with linebackers Owen Griesbach and Ethan Richardson, among others.
“The group of seniors, I think 26, 27 of them, they’re coming in ready,” Goettl said. “I like what we have here. We have some real nice young kids coming up that can push for playing time.”
Watch every Marshfield Tigers football game this season on zaleskisports.com.
Marshfield Tigers Football Schedule
Thur., Aug. 22 NEW RICHMOND, 7 p.m.
Thur., Aug. 29 at Menomonie, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 6 RICE LAKE, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 13 at Eau Claire Memorial, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 20 D.C. EVEREST, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 27 WISCONSIN RAPIDS, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 4 at Wausau West, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 11 EAU CLAIRE NORTH, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 18 at Stevens Point, 7 p.m.
(Home games in CAPS, at Heiting Community Stadium, Marshfield High School)