By Adam Roberts – 9/30/2020

This week, the Coulee Region will get a rare treat that has come up as a result of the pandemic: a unique high school football match up. Despite a school size difference of 764 students and a distance of 128 miles apart, the Onalaska (RV in AP Large Division, #4 in Wissports.net D3 Coaches Poll) and Edgar (#1, #1 D7) programs will face each other this Friday night, barring any sudden changes this week.

Before ESPN La Crosse 105.5 heads out to Onalaska for the first time this season, I got a chance to speak with one of the all-time greats who will be coaching opposite Tom Yashinsky and the Hilltoppers this week. Jerry Sinz has been head coach for the Wildcats since 1975, and during that time has complied numerous state titles and recorded a 432-85 overall record. That’s the second most wins in state history, behind only Bob Hyland of St. Mary’s Springs, my old ball coach. Sinz and I discussed this week’s matchup, their week one win over Athens, and building brotherhood when protocol dictates separation. Here’s a portion of that conversation.

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Adam Roberts: Looking at your Week One win over Athens, considering that this offseason was conducted very different circumstances, what did you see that you could take away from the game as a positive?

Coach Sinz: I think we were maybe a little too fired up initially. It was supposed to be our sixth game instead of our first and of course our practices are much, much shorter than they would be in a normal year. Offensively, we weren’t real sharp early, defensively I thought we played well. We actually scrimmaged Mosinee the week before and I thought we played a little bit better in the scrimmage. Though that was probably because the coaches could be on the field.

AR: We’re seeing a number of unique, match ups this season due to scheduling issues, including games this this that normally due to size difference probably wouldn’t happen. I know Coach Hyland flat out refused to ever have us at Springs play Fond du Lac due to the potential problems that can bring. This has to be interesting from a preparation stand point given the size difference, right?

CS: The last couple of years, we’ve scrimmaged against Menomonie, Medford, and we used to do so against Eau Claire Memorial; my nephew Mike coaches at Memorial, but they got out of it and now have a different arrangement so we’ve added [Eau Claire] Regis instead. We continually try to do that just to get our team ready for the toughest competition they might see; the last couple of years in nonconference we’ve played Baldwin-Woodville, and they’ve got about 500 kids. So we don’t make much of a point of that as coaches here.

AR: Speaking of Menomonie, you and head coach Joe LaBuda both are quite familiar with each other, obviously. What’s it like going one-on-one, even in a scrimmage, against a coach who with the Mustangs has had comparable success to yourself?

CS: Yeah it’s fun, we like it! The nephew I talked about at Eau Claire Memorial, he played for [LaBuda]. We enjoy competing against each other. It’s always a respectful, clean interaction. If we run something that works well against them, he’ll come up to me and go ‘Alright, show us that, slower’, and if they trick us with something, I’ll do the same. It’s competitive and inspiring, but yet it’s friendly!

AR: Your quarterback, Konnor Wolf…I know you said the offensive production was a bit iffy against Athens, but what things has Konnor improved most in from his junior to senior season?

CS: He definitely has improved his arm strength, and he’s a very fiery kind of a kid, a good leader. He actually threw the ball pretty darn well last week, we just flat-out dropped about two or three of them where he hit is guys right in the hands. So even though we went 5-11, he could have easily gone 8 or 9 for 11. And he’s improved his speed as well. We’re really happy with how he’s performing.

AR: Can you tell me a little bit about what I would call “The Edgar Way” for those who maybe have heard of the program’s success but maybe don’t know much about your coaching philosophy or scheme?

CS: Overall, just do your job, and don’t get overly excited over a great play or down on yourself after a bad one. We preach to take a game play-by-play, because the next play is the most important one. We also of course have to stress staying safe and healthy, especially this year. Schematically, we rely a lot on special teams. You may have noticed watching the Athens game, they just refused to punt to us. They have a very good punter and they constantly punted out of bounds. And teams have done that to us for years, they don’t want us to get anything going in the punt return game.

AR: Looking ahead to this week, Onalaska under Tom Yashinsky is very aggressive offensively, I mean I vividly remember the 62-55 shootout with Sparta in 2018. What will you need to see from your defense this week?

CS: Well this year we might just be blessed with the most speed we’ve ever had, so we’re hoping we’ll match up okay on the perimeter with them. But above all, don’t make mistakes, do your job, don’t get tricked, and then just play the game and have fun.

AR: Before I let you go, coaching a contact sport like football in a pandemic has to be one of the biggest challenges of your career, when all the protocol dictates that we need to be as separated as possible. That includes building relationships also; is there anything your boys have been able to do in order to build those relationships given that they can’t be as close as maybe they’d like?

CS: We’ve talked with the guys about having little hand signals that mean something to each other, little eye contact things. Yeah, you can’t high five, so they have signals instead that they give to one another. I spoke to the coaches about this the other day; I said basically that mankind is a social being and is also a creature of habit. When it comes to forcing the kids apart, I don’t think that’s a good direction to be following. I hope we can get through this soon, because the social distancing thing is definitely contrary to what we as coaches teach.

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Coverage Friday night begins with the High School Football Preview Show at 6pm on ESPN La Crosse 105.5, espnlacrosse.com, and TuneIn!

By Adam Roberts – 9/29/2020

While there won’t be a B1G Ten football game played for just under a month yet, that hasn’t stopped the AP from including them in their most recent poll.

The addition of the B1G, ACC, PAC-12, and SEC to the poll this week pushed out teams that had been performing well in their first few games of the season, such as Louisiana who despite a 3-0 record and a win over then-23rd ranked Iowa State are no longer ranked. The Week Five list includes five teams who haven’t played a down of football in 2020.

Trevor Lawrence and Clemson remain in the top spot for both the AP and Coaches polls this week, followed by Alabama. The B1G Ten teams ranked this week are:

6. Ohio State (4 1st place votes)

10. Penn State

19. Wisconsin

23. Michigan

Wisconsin begins the season October 24th at home against Illinois. You can hear every Badger football, basketball, and men’s hockey game on ESPN La Crosse 105.5!

By Adam Roberts – 9/29/2020

The story of the day in the NFL involves the Minnesota Vikings, and predictably in these times, it revolves around the virus that has so viciously disrupted everyday life.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has tweeted that three players for the Tennessee Titans have tested positive for COVID-19, along with five members of team personnel. On top of that, both they and the Vikings will suspend in-person club activities today.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen also reports that there were no positives when the Vikings were made aware of the situation this morning, but out of an abundance of caution the NFL ordered their facilities shut down for the next few days, as well.

The Vikings as a team released their own statement on the matter this morning:

The league has also informed both teams involved that depending on subsequent test results and developments this week, Minnesota’s game against Houston this week and Tennessee’s match up with Pittsburgh could be rescheduled.

This is a developing story, and will be updated once more details become available.

By Adam Roberts – 9/28/2020

Green Bay has not gone un-bitten by the injury bug that has plagued the NFL in a year without a postseason. Going into Sunday night’s contest against the New Orleans Saints, both wide receiver Davante Adams and defensive tackle Kenny Clarke were sidelined. That had many wondering if the dynamic Packer offense would struggle to produce, and if running back Alvin Kamara would have a field day against the Packers front seven.

But as we’ve learned, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has an uncanny ability to make those around him play great.

Rodgers passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers got past the Saints 37-30 in New Orleans. Rodgers favorite wideout target was Allen Lazard, whom he targeted six times for 146 yards and a score. Kamara did have success, particularly in the passing game where he served the role of QB Drew Brees’ primary checkdown target (13 total receptions for 139 yards and 2 scores as part of his 197 all-purpose yards), but Green Bay controlled the final quarter, scoring 10 points in the final nine minutes after being tied at 27 to start the fourth.

The 3-0 Packers host the winless Falcons Monday.

By Adam Roberts

The US Post Office has a creed that goes like this:

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

It seems that it was destiny for high school football in our area to follow the same mantra; neither snow nor rain nor COVID virus stays this area from experiencing the glory of Friday night lights. Although in fairness, the mood has definitely been dampened this evening.

Between the majority of Mississippi Valley Conference and Coulee Conference schools not playing this evening, a number of last-second game cancellations, and the constant sense that the season will be a day-to-day situation, it’s easy to feel less excited for football this fall than any fall before it. Everyone has an opinion on whether or not games should even be happening, but objectively it is at least a tad positive that, even amidst a global pandemic, SOME familiar traditions remain.

The Coulee Region only has three games to follow along with this week, but hey, we’ll take what we can get!

 VS 

LUTHER @ BOSCOBEL (ESPN La Crosse 105.5)

Luther has been one of the most affected teams in Wisconsin when it comes to all the conference realignment of the last few years, Since 2018, they have been members of the Coulee, SWAL, and now Scenic Bluffs conferences, and with the Scenic Bluffs choosing the spring football option this year Luther will face a combo of Six Rivers and Ridge and Valley schools. Their first of the R&V teams is Boscobel, a Wayne Otto-led unit that is seeking just its third win since 2016 tonight. The 2019 unit struggled mightily on offense, scoring in the double-digits just once against Cambridge in a 49-14 losing effort in addition to four shutouts.

That’s not to say tonight won’t be a closely contested contest, as the ’19 Knights squad was able to produce only one winning effort of their own against Cashton 21-14. Still, a number of Luther’s losses last year were closely contested; NOT the case for the Bulldogs.

Matt Schiebel’s offense this season will likely run through senior back Lyndon Byus, who has made it plain he doesn’t mind busting through contact to gain yards. A stout offensive line core should give Luther the edge.

Prediction: Luther 28 Boscobel 7

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ONALASKA @ TOMAH

48 hours ago, these two teams were scheduled to visit Westby and host Sparta, respectively. But with Sparta switching to virtual learning earlier this week and Westby pausing their football operations, the two teams had to scramble to find a match up. As luck would have it, this ends up being a much more interesting game than I think many are giving it credit for.

With regards to returning players, the two X-factors in this game will be the Hilltoppers’ wideout Landon Peterson and the Timberwolves’ QB Justin Gerke. Peterson was now-graduated Austin Larson’s favorite target last season racking up 12 TDs. Meanwhile, Gerke was a 1,000 yard passer last year who’s season highlight was a 265 yard, 3 TD performance against La Crosse Central, albeit in a 24-21 losing effort.

In addition, tonight will be new head coach Joe Protz’s debut for Tomah, and while it will be his first time manning the ship, the majority of his coaching staff are returning from the final year of Brad Pluegger’s tenure. Also, Protz himself has been an assistant with the team for the last 10 years. The familiarity will help the new coach approach the contest tonight with a level head. I think Onalaska takes this one, but don’t count out the Timberwolves, especially if Gerke has a hot arm.

Prediction: Onalaska 30 Tomah 21

  VS 

VIROQUA @ MAUSTON

Viroqua is one of technically three Coulee Conference schools that has decided to push ahead with their fall seasonl; they’ll play new-arrival Aquinas next week (for now) while fellow rookie school Altoona plays Highland tonight and may likely play schools in the Eau Claire area for travel reasons.

Most of Viroqua’s offense this season will flow, similar to Luther, through its running back: senior Nick Schneider, a former offensive lineman. And while Viroqua didn’t exactly turn heads last year at 1-8, they had some close looks including a three point loss to an eventual 11-2 Prairie du Chien school.

That said, many who have voted on our Twitter page believe Mauston to be the easy pick this week. Despite having to find an answer to losing quarterback Cade Hall to the graduation bug, the Golden Eagles do return their leading rusher and receiver from last year in Kraig Armstrong and Jack Luehman, respectively.

Look for Viroqua to try and exploit a stout yet senior-lacking Golden Eagles offensive line, and for Mauston to try and feel Luehman on what figures to be a good night weather-wise for passing throughout Western Wisconsin: light winds and no precipitation.

Prediction: Mauston 34 Viroqua 14