2023 Record: 11-1 overall, 7-0 in Flyway (1st)
Lost in Level 3 against Kewaunee (30-0)
Key Losses: LB Brendan Gaertig (Defensive POY), QB Max Bauer (1st team), TE John Coon (1st), S/WR Sam Lucas (1st/2nd), OL/DL Luke Schwartz (2nd), DL Weston Huempfner (2nd), CB Riley Brenner, OL Adam Wilcox
Key Returners: OL/TE/LB Noah Moul (1st), OL/DL Caden Pitz (1st), QB/S Ben Anderson, WR Armani Fisher
Springs football reloads.
The Ledgers don’t traditionally have rebuilding years and despite losing eight all-conference performers from a season ago, they enter this season as the Flyway favorites once again.
Coach Bob Hyland enters his 54th season leading the Ledgers with 514 wins and 17 state championships. Reports suggest this will be Hyland’s final year at the helm.
Hyland has obviously built the sustained success at Springs and the consistency that Ledgers football rolls out every year.
Despite having two conference championships in the past three seasons, the current group of seniors has not won a state championship, which is something senior Ben Anderson said he hopes the team can accomplish.
“Definitely want to get that conference championship and this group hasn’t been to state,” Anderson said. “We haven’t won state, so winning state would be nice.”
The last appearance in a state title game was in 2021 when the current seniors were freshmen.
Anderson is one of three returning players in the Flyway with experience at quarterback, where the Ledgers have to replace Max Bauer, the first team all-conference QB last year.
Bauer threw for 1,270 yards and 13 TDs and also led the rushing attack with 913 yards and 11 more scores on the ground.
Anderson said he learned from getting the chance to sit behind both Bauer and Cullen King, who was the QB the two years prior.
“I really liked watching Max run the ball,” Anderson said. “He wasn’t afraid to hit and he definitely brought some good energy to the field.
“Cullen had a tight spiral and he always was talking about reading the defense and figuring out how to pick them apart. So just learning off of both of them has prepared me well.”
Although Springs will have to replace production in the passing game from departed seniors John Coon, Sam Lucas and Jameson Ahern; the Ledgers do have plenty of talent returning on the line, including Caden Pitz and Noah Moul.
Both Pitz and Moul were first team selections on both offense and defense. Moul was unanimous in both areas.
Moul also hopes to have his hands on the ball more this fall if he’s asked to play more tight end.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Moul said. “I’m just going to try and get some catches, help with blocking and then I guess we can be a better line then.”
Pitz said the personnel that comes back for the Ledgers is plenty talented enough to achieve the goals they have set for themselves.
“We definitely have the players but it's just in the weight room we've got to lift, go to show up to our agility stuff and get faster and stronger to put the team together,” Pitz said.
Anderson mentioned Moul as well as juniors Will Stellmacher and Jack Holzman as players he expects to be weapons for the Ledgers this season. Armani Fisher is the top returning receiver, averaging 17.6 yards per reception last season and scoring on two of his five catches.
Springs had the best defense statistically last season and both were big reasons why.
Moul is the second-leading returning tackler in the Flyway behind Blake Heltemes from Campbellsport. Moul had 105 total tackles while forcing three fumbles, recovering a fumble and picking off two passes, one of which he took back for a TD.
Moul said he was able to have success because of the play of the defensive line in front of him, which he hopes can perform similarly this season.
“Hopefully our line can still stay consistent like last year, which I think it will, it's a good look right now,” Moul said. “Then it comes back to our secondary linebackers, which we have good strong guys up there like Tayte Shoofs, he’s returning again and we’re hoping to see some good things off of him.”
Anderson was also an honorable mention cornerback in 2023.
It is the first year of the WIAA competitive balance taking effect, which means Springs will compete in Division 5 this season because of its recent success.
Moul said he thinks playing in the Flyway, which is made up of D4 (Campbellsport, Mayville) and D5 teams, prepares them for success in a new division.
“It’s going to be a little bit harder but I think our team’s still built to the game and it’s not going to be that hard for us,” Moul said.
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