Prep football preview: Badger ready to make another run in Southern Lakes

If you’re looking for a team that is built for the long run, Badger would be a good choice.

The Badgers have not only won four Southern Lakes Conference titles in the past six season but over the past five years, they’ve won 10 playoff games. Three times during that stretch, including the past two seasons, the team has reached the state semifinals in Division 1.

Will this year be another résumé-building campaign for the conference's defending champion?

Blessed with a large number of experienced players, Badgers is expected to be in the hunt for its third straight league title.

Its place atop the standings is far from guaranteed, though.

Wilmot also has a strong team returning and it's hard to count out Waterford, which has won at least a share of five of the last six titles.

Here is a closer look at the conference.

BADGER

Coach: Matt Hensler, 11th year.

2016 record: 12-1, 7-0 (first).

Returning all-conference players: Alex Evans, sr., T-DE; Will Keller, sr., RB-DB; Sarek Hoerth, sr., OL-DL; Austin Flower, sr., DB; Andrew Camilieri, sr., TE.

Other key players: Nathan Borst, sr., NG; Nick Aufmuth, sr., DB; Colin Jackson, sr., DB; Braden O’Laughlin, sr., RB-LB.

Outlook: A number of players who helped the Badgers reach the state semifinals in Division 1 the past two seasons are back to help the team defend its conference title. Hensler said 22 players entered the year with starting experience, including “eight to 10” who were full-time starters. The big challenge will be to have some of those returning players step up to roles as playmakers. The individuals who fit that category last season graduated.

BURLINGTON

Coach: Steve Tenhagen, fourth year.

2016 record: 4-5, 3-5 (fifth).

Returning all-conference players: Grant Tully, sr., RB-DB; Nick Kluge, sr., QB.

Outlook: The Demons will feature one the area’s top passers in Kluge. He completed 51% (112 of 218) of his passes for 1,650 yards and 12 touchdowns last season when he also ranked second on the team with 476 rushing yards. Tully led the team with 29 catches for 470 yards and four touchdowns.

DELAVAN-DARIEN

Coach: Bret St. Arnauld, fourth year.

2016 record: 6-5, 4-3 (fourth).

Returning all-conference players: Michael Maldonado, sr., RB-LB; Jaxson Sawtelle, sr., WR-DB.

Other key players: Dakota Williams, sr., QB-LB; Eric Norton, sr., WR-LB; Justin Johnson, sr., OL-DL; Zach Silverman, sr., OL-DL; Will Cook, sr., OL-DL.

Outlook: Last year the Comets hurt themselves often with untimely penalties. St. Arnauld hopes the team has grown out of those mistakes this year. The team has holes to fill at the skill positions, but overall has back an experienced and deep squad from the unit that reached the second round of the playoffs in 2016 and dropped games to the Southern Lakes top two teams, Badger and Wilmot, by less than seven points.

ELKHORN

Coach: Tom Lee, eighth year.

2016 record: 1-8, 0-7 (eighth).

Returning all-conference players: None.

Other key players: Braeden Mohr, sr., QB; Dakota Biefeld, sr., RB; Michael Lois, soph., TE; Nick Rockweiller, jr., WR-DB; AJ Conrady, jr., OL-DL; Connor Denius, soph, LB.

Outlook: The heart of the Elks this season rests with Mohr and Biefeld and in the secondary where three of four starters returned. Biefeld, who ranked second on the team in catches (10) and first in yards (209) last season, moves to tailback. He’ll be running behind a re-tooled line that returns two starters.

UNION GROVE

Coach: Craig McClelland, third year.

2016 record: 4-5, 2-5 (sixth).

Returning all-conference players: Jack Pettit, sr., WR-DB.

Other key players: Alec Spang, sr., QB-DB-K; Jacob Ross, sr., WR-DB.

Outlook: The Broncos will miss last year’s league offensive most valuable player Matt Nelson, who is playing at Minnesota-Mankato. Finding a quality replacement at quarterback will be key. So will improving defensively. The team was able to go toe to toe with most teams offensively but struggled to stop them.

WATERFORD

Coach: Adam Bakken, seventh year.

2016 record: 7-3, 5-2 (third).

Returning all-conference players: Dan Noll, sr., LB; Aaron Chapman, sr., WR-DB; Ben Michalowski, sr., RB.

Other key players: Jack Trautman, sr., DE; Zach Stiewe, sr., OL.

Outlook: The Wolverines have been the league’s most consistent winners since Bakken took over. Last year’s third-place finish was their lowest during his tenure. This year they've got great size and Bakken says the team's speed is the best he's ever had at the school. Michalowski led the team with 1,089 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Chapman was its leading receiver with 16 catches for 331 yards and three touchdowns.

WESTOSHA CENTRAL

Coach: Tyson Mengel, fifth year.

2016 record: 2-7, 1-6 (seventh).

Returning all-conference players: Niko Lemke, jr., DL.

Other key players: Jaden Jackson, sr., QB; Adam Simmons, jr., RB; Myles Kazumura, soph., RB; Nic Frederick, sr., WR.

Outlook: The Falcons will try to build on a season in which they snapped an 18-game conference losing streak. The seventh-place finish was their best since 2012 when they were sixth.

WILMOT

Coach: Keiya Square, first year.

2016 record: 8-2, 6-1 (second).

Returning all-conference players: A.J. Frisby, sr., QB-DB; Robert Brent, sr., RB-DB; Zack Christopherson, sr., RB-LB; Jacob Gerzel, sr., DB.

Other key players: Alex Willemark, sr., OL; Cullen Ketterhagen, jr., WR; Kade Carlson, jr., WR; Hunter Valach, sr., WR-TE, DB-LB; Kevin Brenner, jr., WR-LB.

Outlook: This could be the Panthers' year. They return 15 starters from a team that lost 27-21 to Badger in Week 6 in a game that decided the conference championship. Among that group is Frisby, a top quarterback, Brent, who gained a team-high 1,154 yards last season, and Ketterhagen, who was second on the team with 10 catches and 192 yards. Square is a former Delavan-Darien standout who led the girls basketball programs at that school and at Wilmot to league titles.