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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
A day prior to playing for a state championship, Stratford senior football player Ben Barten picked up another award on Wednesday as he was named the Tim Krumrie Award winner, the award given to the most outstanding senior defensive lineman in Wisconsin by Wisconsin Sports Network and WisSports.net.
Barten, a two-time all-Marawood Conference first-team selection at both offensive and defensive line, and winner of two consecutive Marawood Lineman of the Year awards, has been a key part of Stratford defense that did not allow a point until the Division 5 state semifinals against Amherst. The Tigers, last year’s D-5 state runnerup, will be playing for the state title on Thursday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison against Lake Country Lutheran. Read the preview here
Barten has 58 tackles, 13 for loss, and three quarterback sacks this season for Stratford.
Barten, a University of Wisconsin recruit, was also named to the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association all-state team on both offense and defense for the second year in a row.
Other finalists for the award were Cade McDonald of Hudson, Max Meeuwsen of Bay Port, Gavin Meyer of Franklin, Justus Ojo of Hartford, and Raishein Thomas of Racine Park.
Past winners of the award include Kimberly’s Mike Hardy (2009), Edgar’s Jeff Raymond (2010), Marshfield’s Trevor Peterson (2011), Brookfield East’s Alec James (2012), Hartland Arrowhead’s Billy Hirschfeld (2013), Mequon Homestead’s David Pfaff (2014), Amherst’s Tyler Biadasz (2015), Franklin’s Hawk Wimmer (2016), Kimberly’s Boyd Dietzen (2017), and Waunakee’s Reed Ryan (2018).
The award is named after Tim Krumrie, a Mondovi High School graduate who went on to play at the University of Wisconsin and 12 years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Wisconsin walk-on led the Badgers in tackles all four seasons he played in Madison and was a three-time All-Big Ten selection. The 10th-round draft pick by the Bengals went on to play in two Pro Bowls (1987 and 1988), make 161 starts, and play in Super Bowl XXIII.
Other WSN/WisSports.Net state award winners include:
*Dave Krieg Award (top quarterback): Johnny Davis, La Crosse Central.
*Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch Award (top running back): Tyler Tenner, Racine Lutheran.
*Al Toon Award (top wide receiver): Chimere Dike, Waukesha North.
*Joe Thomas Award (top offensive lineman): Jack Nelson, Stoughton.
*John Anderson Award (top linebacker): Riley Nowakowski, Milwaukee Marquette.
*Jim Leonhard Award (top defensive back): Amaun Williams, Milwaukee Riverside.
*Kevin Stemke Award (top punter/kicker): Jack Van Dyke, Neenah.