This story is sponsored by: All Insurance of Marshfield
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield High School football will look to hit the reset button after a discombobulated 2020 campaign that saw cancellations, last-minute schedule changes, and just one win on the field.
The Tigers, who officially finished 2-6 with a forfeit figured in, were 1-6 on the field with their only win coming in a postseason game against Stanley-Boyd.
Marshfield lost by a point to Wisconsin Rapids and by only two to Hortonville, and also played tough games against Chippewa Falls and Hudson before falling in the end.
The Tigers bring back a number of players who saw significant time last year, including second-team all-Valley Football Association second-team defensive lineman Zak Glamann, a senior, and junior quarterback Trevor Foemmel, who played in the final five games and threw for a season-high 273 yards in the finale against Hudson.
Junior offensive tackle Noah Peterson returns to line this season and likes what he sees heading into the opener Friday against Fond du Lac.
“I think the offense is going to be really good this year,” Peterson said. “(Trevor is) a great quarterback. Not only can he throw the ball, but he can move around and that’s what you really need in a quarterback. I think our offensive line is going to be able to give him some time. He’s intelligent and will be able to call out all of the defenses and stuff like that.”
Veteran head coach Denny Goettl is happy with the competition created in training camp.
“I think our offseason went extremely well,” Goettl said. “We revamped the programs, implemented bringing in all of our athletes, girls and boys, we added extra sessions and we had more kids than we had in a lot of years.
“I do think we have some nice athletes on this team. There are 24 linemen, a lot of sophomores that are linemen but not many skill players in that group. There’s not too many (spots) set in stone and there’s a lot of kids working hard to get spots.”
Juniors Jeff Marsh and Garrett Willuweit, and seniors Matthew Trulen and Christian Chin will compete for carries in the offensive backfield, with Foemmel looking for new receivers to step up to replace a pair of second-team all-VFA selections Wyatt LeMoine and Simon Slade, who both graduated.
Seniors Carson Kvernen and Gavin Fravert look to be the leading candidates at the wide receiver position, Goettl said.
“Replacing those guys is going to be tough, they were great players,” Kvernen said. “We’ve just got to do our jobs, play consistently and staying healthy. Last year we weren’t able to get a lot of reps with Slade and Wyatt there, but now being able to get reps with Trevor, we’re getting our timing and it’s coming along.”
Seniors Ryan Lindemann, Lucas Kittl and Simon Raycher are among those returning to the offensive line.
Defensively, safeties Camren Dennee and Keegan Cliver, along with Glamann are among those returning after seeing playing time in 2020.
Marshfield opens its 2021 season at Fond du Lac at 7 p.m. Friday. All Tigers’ games this season will be live-streamed at zaleskisports.com.
“We have to see how we put things together,” Goettl said. “We’re going to be there if we get kids to play together. It’s a culture thing I’ve been preaching a little bit.”
Marshfield Football Schedule
Fri., Aug. 20 at Fond du Lac, 7 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 27 SLINGER, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 3 HORTONVILLE, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 10 GRANTSBURG, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 17 at D.C. Everest, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 24 WAUSAU WEST, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 1 at Appleton West, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 8 at Wisconsin Rapids, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 15 STEVENS POINT, 7 p.m.
(Home games in CAPS, at Heiting Community Field, Marshfield High School)