Senior-laden Wisconsin Rapids football team hopes to continue upward trend
WISCONSIN RAPIDS - Expectations are running high for the Wisconsin Rapids football team with the regular season opener less than two weeks away.
"Our goal this year is to make it to state," senior wide receiver Isaiah Westfall said. "This is the team that can do that."
The Raiders are coming off a 2016 campaign that saw the team finish 5-3 in the Valley Football Association Southern Division and 6-4 overall.
RELATED:Rapids looks to continue success
RELATED:Rapids beats SPASH in overtime for Ol' River Jug
It was the fourth consecutive year the Raiders improved their record both overall and in the conference. It was also the first time Wisconsin Rapids reached the playoffs since 2011.
For the Raiders to improve for a fifth straight season, coach Tony Biolo can turn to a strong senior class for leadership.
“This is our best senior class, numbers wise, that we have had in a long time," Biolo, entering his 15th season, said. "A lot of guys are coming back with playing experience from last year's team."
To make a deep run in the playoffs, Wisconsin Rapids will first need to replace Ben Olson, a dynamic, first team all-conference quarterback from last year.
Senior Jacob Mancl will open the season as the Raiders' starting quarterback. To ease in their new quarterback, the team will look to get the ball in the hands of a pair of dynamic senior playmakers in Westfall and running back Isaac Pelot.
Westfall earned first team all-conference honors last fall after racking up 800 receiving yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. Pelot rushed for 797 yards and found the end zone five times before receiving second-team honors.
Biolo also expects receiver Keegan Hewitt and running back Nash Coombs to help Mancl while playing pivotal roles on offense. While Biolo has a handful of athletes to turn to, he knows the offensive line will be key to moving the chains.
"The heart of our offense is really going to be our offensive line, who are all back," the coach said. "Everything revolves around the trenches. If you can move people and the protection is good, then everything works out."
As a unit, the Raiders' offense averaged just shy of 30 points a game last season, a number the team thinks it can improve upon in the upcoming season.
"We have to start the game strong instead of giving up a three-and-out right away," Pelot said. "In the second half, we have to come out with fire and finish the game strong, not let up and let the other team come back."
On defense, senior Nathan Hepp leads the charge after collecting first-team honors as an outside linebacker last season. Senior defensive backs Zachary Wendt and Thomas Grube join Zachary Langemeier, who earned second-team honors last year, in a stout Raiders' secondary.
Although he doesn't yet have the inside linebacker positions filled, Biolo knows the defensive line will be strong behind senior lineman Frank Hartman and Peter Aspros.
"I think we have a really solid defense," Biolo said. "If we can stop the run, we will be in good shape because we have a great secondary to stop the passing game."
Wisconsin Rapids, now a member of the VFA-West Division in the new VFA three-division look, opens the regular season against VFA-North foe Kaukauna at South Wood County Field on Friday, Aug. 18.
Morgan Rode can be reached at 715-345-2258, or by email at mrode@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter as @MRode23.