Defending Division 1 champion Kimberly among the top storylines as high school football season gets underway

The Kimberly football team isn't approaching the 2023 season as an opportunity to defend last season's WIAA Division 1 state championship.

The Papermakers are looking at this season as a chance to form their own identity and write their own chapter as one of the state's platinum programs.

Kimberly kicked off the season with practice Tuesday at Papermaker Stadium along with the rest of the state's football teams. The program's quest to win another state title is one of the top storylines heading into this season for area teams.

The Papermakers finished 13-1 last season and beat Mukwonago 34-30 in a memorable title game last November. It was Kimberly's eighth state title and first since 2017. The team kicks off the regular season Aug. 17 at home against Milwaukee Marshall.

"It actually kind of fits into what we talk about," Kimberly head coach Chad Michalkiewicz said about his team looking ahead at a new chapter. "We do mental skills training and we talk about being able to park things and move on and live in the present. I don't know if you can defend a state title at the high school level when half of your team is new. Certainly the program is focused on building relationships as a group and getting the team's identity formed."

Papermakers senior defensive lineman Sam McGivern agreed.

"That's all we were preaching this whole offseason," he said. "As soon as the state game was done, it was over with. We can look back and be happy about it, but we have work to do."

Kimberly's strengths this season should sound familiar: rugged offensive and defensive lines, a potent running attack, a senior quarterback ready to make his mark and a defense that has talent on all three levels.

Gavin Tyson, a 5-foot-9, 184-pound senior, ran for 588 yards on 111 carries and seven touchdowns last season and is expected to carry the bulk of the load in the run game. Kimberly has a number of young receivers looking to contribute including Brennen Grams, Bryson Vieth and Lance Doering.

"I think we have a lot of guys who want to make plays and worked their butts off in the summer," Tyson said. "We're trying to keep the legacy going and keep up the culture that we've been doing for the past several years."

Kimberly's starting quarterback will be Carson Pendleton. The 6-3 Pendleton has a multi-sport background and Michalkiewicz views that as a positive.

"You look at his older brother (Caden) and (last year's starting QB) Seth Miron and you look at Carson, they're basketball players and they play elite level competition on the basketball court," Michalkiewicz said. "I really think that helps with handling adversity. And Carson has a lot of moxie. I like his decision-making and ability to throw the football. He's going to be a really good Kimberly quarterback."

The offensive line had a solid offseason in the weight room, according to Michalkiewicz, and he expects them, along with two-year starting tight end Abe Coronado and fullback Jaxon Powell, to be the heart of the offense.

Defensively, Kimberly has one of the state's premier defensive lineman in McGivern as well as a number of returning playmakers in linebackers Brody Beck and Sam Dudek as well as defensive backs Thomas Myers and Cody Obermann.

The possibility of a repeat championship for Kimberly is one of several storylines for the Post-Crescent coverage area. Here are seven more to watch as the season unfolds.

Who will join Kimberly as favorites in the FVA?

Appleton North has historically been a top rival for Kimberly, but last season also saw Neenah and Kaukauna step to the forefront.

Neenah tied Kimberly atop the FVA last season with a 6-1 mark and was 9-2 overall. Quarterback Evan Vanevenhoven had a breakout season, passing for 995 yards and rushing for 1,185. He'll be the focal point of the offense with speedster Grant Dean expected to carry the ball as well as continue his play as a top defensive back. Senior offensive lineman Nate Cleveland (5-10, 255) returns along with tight end Luke Keller, who should also figure prominently in the offense as a blocker and receiver with Connor Briones (6-3, 185) back at linebacker.

North has several top senior athletes this year in returning first-team all-conference offensive lineman Jack Modder (6-3, 274) and linebacker Brock Arndt (6-3, 223). Defensive lineman Brady Lamon (6-2, 200) and linebacker/defensive back Christian Pride (6-0, 180) also garnered honorable mention honors last season. Quarterback Luke Kritzer is also back after starting last season, along with running back Jack Robinson.

Kaukauna returns three-year starter Finnley Doriot at quarterback. He helped lead the Ghosts to within a game of the Division 2 state championship last fall. He threw for 2,054 yards and 19 touchdowns and has one of the state's top lineman − Mitch Verstegen (6-5, 280) − blocking for him. Karson Ernst (6-3, 290) is another top lineman returning with linebacker Tyler Jezeski and safety Carson Van Dinter leading the defense. Verstegen is heading to Indiana to play collegiately with Van Dinter on his way to Iowa State.

What's the next step for Appleton East and Appleton West?

Appleton West has had four head coaching changes the past 10 seasons and will be led onto the field this season by Dominick Thompson who, along with Jon Lamers, helped take over the Terrors last season when Jeremy Clifton abruptly resigned. West finished 3-8 last season and ended the season on a high note with a 14-7 win over Stevens Point. Thompson, a 2015 Appleton West graduate, hopes to bring stability to the Terrors as they look to climb up the Valley Football Association standings. Quarterback Ryder Hoffman is a returning starter for West.

Appleton East finished 0-7 in the Fox Valley Association and 1-8 overall, with its lone win against Appleton West. The Patriots competed in most of their losses under head coach Mark Krommenacker. East was 0-9 in 2021 after winning seasons in 2020 (4-3) and 2019 (6-4). Senior offensive lineman Jacob Junkins and defensive lineman Zander Streim anchor both sides of the line for East, but the team will be debuting new starters at quarterback, running back and receiver.

How does Menasha replace AJ Korth?

The Bluejays offense will have a new starting quarterback for the first time in three seasons after the graduation of AJ Korth, the team's leading passer and rusher last season. Menasha returns its top three receivers (Ty Schwartzkopf, Parker Weinandt, Jon Younger) for head coach Jeramie Korth and the trio accounted for nearly 900 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns. Menasha's main competition in the Fox River Classic Conference-South has been Notre Dame and expect those two teams to duke it out again in 2023.

Who will win the North Eastern Conference?

Little Chute (7-0 NEC, 11-1 overall), Freedom (6-1, 11-2) and Wrightstown (5-2, 7-3) finished as the top three teams in the NEC last season and look to headline the conference this season as well.

The Mustangs return all-NEC first-team pick Charlie VandenBurgt (1,663 yards, 15 touchdowns) at quarterback but lose their top running back, receiver and offensive lineman from last season. Freedom has a new head coach in 2017 alum Charlie Jadin and lost top playmakers RB/DB Carter Kriewaldt and QB Matt Wyngaard. Carson Clausen is a returning all-conference performer at tight end and defensive end for the Irish.

Wrightstown has solid building blocks to start the season with offensive lineman Charlie Garvey and running back Landon Helphrey, the team's leading rusher from last season.

Can Shiocton build on its 2022 success?

Shiocton may have surprised a few in the Fox Valley by reaching the WIAA Division 7 state championship game after finishing third in the CWC-Large during the regular season and 11-3 overall. The Chiefs lost some major components from their state runner-up squad, but do return top receiver Bennett Schmidt (45 catches, 894 yards, 7 touchdowns). Shiocton will be a young team with question marks at several key positions.

Will Clintonville's Kade Rosenow have another banner season at QB?

Rosenow, a 6-5 senior, was one of the area's breakout players last season and helped lead the Truckers to the playoffs and a 7-4 record overall. He totaled 2,383 yards on 135-of-228 attempts. His 32 touchdown passes were among the state's best. He'll have one of his favorite targets back in junior receiver Samuel Wegener (43 catches, 751 yards, 13 touchdowns). Coleman is the odds-on favorite to win the Northwoods, but don't be surprised to see Clintonville figure in the conference title chase.

How will St. Mary Catholic fare in 11-player football?

The St. Mary Catholic football team returns to 11-player football this season after a short stint playing the 8-player game. The Zephyrs were 17-0 combined the past two seasons playing 8-player and return to the conventional game as a member of the Trailways Conference.

SMC last played 11-player football in 2018 and finished 0-9. The Zephyrs return a talent at running back in senior Ashton Post (5-10, 165), who ran 104 times for 1,155 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. That included a 15-carry, 245-yard, five-touchdown game against Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah.

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Wisconsin high school football season underway as teams begin practice