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| Will Straka and his UW-Platteville teammates are unbeaten, No. 6 in the country, and focused on what lies in front of them. UW-Platteville athletics photo |
By Brian Lester
D3sports.com
Two wins against nationally ranked opponents might turn the heads of outsiders. Within the UW-Platteville football program, however, the feeling is a little different.
No one is surprised.
Not even after the Pioneers knocked off a pair of nationally ranked WIAC contenders in back-to-back weeks, edging UW-La Crosse in overtime 30-27 two weeks ago and dominating UW-River Falls 28-7 this past week.
“Obviously it’s been part of our plan for three years here,” head coach Ryan Munz said. “I took over three years ago and we talked about changing expectations and changing the standards, and what we want to accomplish. From day one, one of our goals was to be a top five team in the nation.”
Well, halfway through the 2024 season, Platteville is really close to the goal, sitting sixth in the D3football.com poll and it is the lone unbeaten in the WIAC at 2-0. The Pioneers are 5-0 overall.
“What’s cool to see the last two weeks is our hard work has paid off,” Munz said.
That was as evident as ever in last Saturday’s win against River Falls, which came into the contest boasting the highest scoring offense in NCAA Division III. The Falcons were averaging 61.5 points per game and more than 500 yards per outing.
Against Platteville, their starting quarterback got knocked out of the game, they didn’t score until the fourth quarter and managed 320 yards.
“It was really special,” junior linebacker Will Straka said. “We knew it was going to be a challenge facing the No. 1 scoring offense, so I have a lot of pride in being part of a group that held them scoreless for three and a half quarters. I’m really happy. Really proud. And I’m excited to see what’s coming in the next couple of weeks.”
Straka is the leading tackler for the Pioneers, racking up 40 tackles and is one of seven on the team with 20 or more stops. Platteville is allowing an average of 272 yards, including just 84 on the ground.
The defense wasn’t supposed to be that good this season after being hit hard by graduation. And yet, it just keeps on hitting.
“What people don’t understand is we lost eight or nine starters, so we had the challenge of putting a good squad together,” Munz said. “The schematics still work. It was just about getting new guys into the schemes.”
The Pioneers found a way and have been a surprise to many.
“Nobody thought our defense would be as good as what it is, except for us,” Munz said. “It’s always fun going into a game and proving people wrong, and to showcase what we have.”
Straka has been showcasing what he has on the defensive side of the ball. After recording just 13 tackles in his first two seasons, he’s in the midst of a breakout season.
“A lot of us have had a year or two to develop and learn from the staff and the older guys who were in front of us,” Straka said. “That has played a big part in our game this year. We’ve established our new brand of Pioneer defense, which is still fast, physical and together, but now it’s new guys stepping up.”
Offensively, the Pioneers have been pretty good, rising to the occasion when it’s mattered most.
Senior quarterback Michael Priami threw for three scores against River Falls after having two touchdown tosses of 40-plus yards in the fourth quarter of a comeback win over La Crosse. He had three touchdown passes in that one as well.
Those are some of the highlights of what has been a breakout year for Priami, who threw for 1,949 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, but already has 1,268 passing yards and 18 touchdowns in 2024.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be the quarterback of this program and lead our guys through it,” Priami said. “I’ve been starting three years and have gone through ups and downs, and have been challenged to be the leader that everyone looks to. I’ve really taken it to heart.”
He noted team chemistry has been instrumental in what the Pioneers have done so far as an offensive unit. They are averaging 420.4 yards per game.
“I think really all our chemistry on offense and being together and trusting each other,” Priami said. “The offensive line has played their butts off. They’ve played great for me and always do. Our receivers have created separation catching the ball, and really, our coaches have a great game plan for us every week. They have put us in the best spot possible to win these games, and have given us the belief we can do it.”
Munz said the offense has done a good job of capitalizing on opportunities.
“There have been some opportunities that we’ve taken advantage of. We are making plays when they need to be made. Not just on offense, but in all three facets,” Munz said. “You have to be able to score points to win, and we’ve been able to do that.”
Munz said the fact that this team is so close is a big part of why it has been successful.
“I think it's the brotherhood,” Munz said. “In my opinion, this is the closest team I’ve seen so far as far as caring for each other and working off each other,” Munz said. “They believe in their abilities and believe they are going to play a high level of football every week.”
Of course, the work isn’t done. That trend has to continue.
“It’s about us coming back to work every week and doing a good job of preparing, and not letting our heads get too big,” Priami said. “We want to keep it going. Keep preparing the same and keep doing what we’ve been doing up to this point.”
Straka agrees.
“We’ve had some big performances and just have to keep playing ball,” Straka said. “We can’t let our heads be in the clouds. We have to keep showing up to practice, the weight room and to the film room. If we keep doing those things, it will show results on game day.”
Munz said it’s important for the team to stay locked in and continue doing the little things, especially in the WIAC, where he knows 'you don't get an opportunity to take a breath until the season is over.'
But if you ask him again if he’s surprised by the success, he’s not.
“Everyone else wants to know what’s going on in Platteville. We’ve been preparing for this for a long time, and the fun part for us as a program is we are right where we should be, where we expected to be and where we believe we could be.”
