By Don Stoner
Augsburg Sports Information Director
MINNEAPOLIS -- Welcome to another season of Division III football! We're back to bring you complete coverage of the Midwest region. As always, we welcome notes and comments as the season moves along.
This year, we will condense our coverage slightly. We will cover four conferences this season - the Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Midwest conferences. Another writer, Jim Rodenbush, will take over coverage of the Illini-Badger and CCIW in the newly created Central Region column.
Over the next four weeks, we will preview each of the four conferences. This week, we will cover the race in the Wisconsin conference. Next week, the race in Minnesota will be previewed.
As one of six conferences in the nation to receive multiple national playoff bids in the first season of the expanded format last year, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference made its mark as one of the top leagues in the nation. While neither Wisconsin-La Crosse or Wisconsin-Stevens Point advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs, the two teams return ranked in the Top 25 in several preseason polls. Wisconsin-River Falls might have been the hottest team in the league at the end of the regular season, and returns a solid lineup to contend with La Crosse and Stevens Point for the championship and the automatic berth to the playoffs.
But will the WIAC get multiple playoff berths again? The best guess is probably yes. The NCAA's West Region, home of the defending national champions and six of the Top 10 teams in the Street and Smith's preseason poll, is the strongest region in the nation. And the WIAC is considered the strongest conference in the region, so much so that other Division III opponents in the region rarely play WIAC teams -- even WIAC teams considered traditionally weak -- in nonconference games.
The telling indicator may come in the first two weeks of the season, when Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a 1998 playoff team that dropped to 2-8 last year, faces MIAC teams in consecutive weeks - perennial powerhouse St. John's and MIAC contender Augsburg. If the Blugolds emerge 2-0, the WIAC will cement its reputation as the dominant conference in the West. Emerging 1-1 or 0-2 will present some interesting question marks as the season progresses.
Here is a brief preview. We've separated the WIAC into three categories: Playoff Contenders, Potential Surprise Teams and Spoilers. Teams are ranked in D3football.com's predicted order of finish.
Playoff Contenders
1. Wisconsin-Stevens Point (9-2 overall, 6-1 WIAC in 1999)
Head coach John Miech's Pointers are talented, deep and strong, as they contend for their third consecutive WIAC title in 2000. Returning quarterback Dave Berghuis started the last six games of 1999 as a freshman, though two redshirts will challenge for the starting role. All-WIAC first team OL Jason Wagner leads a beefy and experienced offensive line that will block for 847-yard-rusher Wally Schmidt and protect the quarterback for a receiving trio that Miech calls his best receiving corps in years.
On defense, senior Jamey Kamrath, junior Jonah Roth and Kurt Trunkel return to a secondary that was second in Division III with 24 interceptions last year. Heath Novitzke, the leading tackler last season, paces the linebackers. The biggest question mark for the Pointers comes in the defensive line, which graduated three seniors last year. But three players that saw significant time last season - Jared Trosper, Dominic Litwin and Todd Prochaska - all return.
2. Wisconsin-River Falls (6-4, 5-2)
It was a tale of two seasons last year for the Falcons, as they followed up a 1-4 start with a five-game winning streak to close the campaign. This year, with 15 starters returning, the Falcons are aiming for greater consistency. Coach John O'Grady's trademark wishbone offense is solid, keyed by quarterback Cory Mueller, halfback Mark Shepherdson and fullback Andrew Kruger. Three offensive line starters are back -- tackles Carmen Pata and Jeremy Lilyquist and center Michael Snowberry.
The strength for the Falcons might rest in the defense, which led the WIAC in fewest points allowed (18.2 points per game) last year. While linemen Joe Green and Ben Kolstad have graduated, starters Jeremy Larson and Matt Roerig return. Nick Basham, who missed four games last year with a broken hand, is healthy this year. Mike Hayward and Ben Gray return at linebacker, and Brian Katlack, the team leader in tackles the last two years, returns to lead the seocondary.
3. Wisconsin-La Crosse (7-4, 6-1)
The Roger Harring era ended after 32 years with a WIAC co-championship last season. Larry Terry, who spent 12 seasons as offensive coordinator under Harring, takes over the head coaching reigns. Don't expect many changes in a lineup that Sports Illustratedranked fifth in its preseason national preview. The big question on offense will be who will replace WIAC MVP Jared Arn at running back and Joe Rivard at fullback. Juniors Ian Berg and Steve Czys are likely candidates. Quarterback Josh Boraas was solid last season, throwing for 1,934 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Nick Wagner returns as the top receiver. Starting All-WIAC OLs Cory Herrmann and Matt Repaal are gone to graduation, but three starters return.
On defense, several starters are gone, but the lineup is deep with players with key varsity experience. Jon Walters, an All-WIAC second-teamer at end, returns, along with Troy Coonen at defensive tackle. Three linebacker starters return - seniors Scott Baranczyk, Jason Ott and Jon Davis. Brian Portilla returns with his nine interceptions of a year ago at cornerback, and Jermy Unertl is a solid defensive back.
Potential Surprise Teams
4. Wisconsin-Whitewater (3-7, 3-4)
In any other conference in Division III, the Warhawks would be considered a favorite to win the championship. But in the WIAC, the Warhawks will face a difficult task in order to crack the top three and possibly grab a playoff spot. But the key to Whitewater's success may rest in a solid offense, where nine starters return, including nine of the 10 linemen on the team's two-deep lineup. Ashby Hibbs (34 receptions, 604 yards, 6 TDs) leads the receiving corps. On defense, eight starters are back, including All-American safety Jake Wolter is the team's leader, while Peter Katz leads the defensive line and all four linebackers are back.
5. Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2-8, 2-5)
Eau Claire's 2-8 record might have been the most misleading of any team in the country last season. Consider that six of those eight losses were by four or fewer points, and the other two were just by seven and 12 points. Not much of a margin for error. The Blugolds are young, with just 12 starters returning - six on offense and six on defense. But the entire starting offensive line is back, along with running back Darrell Souhrada, who has accumulated 29 touchdowns and 1,747 rushing yards the last two seasons. Todd Hoffner starts his second year as the Blugolds' head coach in 2000.
Spoilers
6. Wisconsin-Oshkosh (3-7, 3-4)
Phil Meyer takes over the Titans' head coaching duties, after Ron Cardo retired after 16 seasons. Meyer, who was the quarterbacks coach at Iowa State, gains some solid depth on offense, with eight starters back. Quarterback Alan Beversdorf, wide receiver Shannon King and running back Kyle Mayhugh all return. Defensively, lineman Rick Lewandowski and linebackers Lucas Jachthuber and Ryan Thompson are the top returners among eight defensive starters back in the Titan lineup.
7. Wisconsin-Platteville (5-5, 3-4)
Platteville could have been described as the surprise team of the year in the West Region last season (Pacific Lutheran didn't surprise hard-core D-III fans), as first-year coach Mike Emendorfer turned around a Pioneer team that had three consecutive 1-9 seasons prior to his arrival and the institution of his wide-open passing attack. Receivers Troy Gagner, Jason Leonard and Reggie Davis key the offense, but that's the only depth this year, as only 25 upperclassmen return to Platteville this season. All-WIAC linebacker Tony Lewis is the team's leader on defense.
8. Wisconsin-Stout (2-8, 1-6)
An experienced defense is back in Menomonie for the Blue Devils, but question marks abound in the skill positions on offense. Head coach Ed Meierkort calls the defense the best he's had at Stout, as there is plenty of depth, keyed by linebacker Jamie Spielman (101 tackles) and defensive back Tony Beckham (three interceptions). On offense, the entire line returns, but there are serious concerns at quarterback, as any of nine players - including five freshmen - will contend for the position. Running back Aaron Johnson returns to lead the skill players.
This column is drawn from a variety of sources, including the outstanding work and research of sports information directors from Division III schools all over the Midwest.
