Medford’s big season nets plenty of GNC awards
ALL-GNC FOOTBALL
4 Raiders also fill 5 All-Region slots
It didn’t take long this season to determine the Medford Raiders were clearly a contender and that talent is on display with the release of the 2022 All-Great Northern Conference football teams.
The Raiders, who went 6-1 in league play and 8-3 overall under head coach Ted Wilson, achieved that success with a total of 14 players who earned at least one All-GNC honor from the league’s coaches in their annual post-season vote. The Raiders and Mosinee Indians were head and shoulders above the rest of the field this fall in the eight-team conference with Mosinee taking the title in the regular season’s second-to-last week with a 42-28 win over the Raiders.
Medford claimed five All-GNC firstteam spots on defense and four more on offense, including two-way honors for senior Charlie Kleist, and added four second-team awards on offense and two on defense. Three more players earned honorable mention at four positions and four honorable mentions to their list of honors.
Medford had the top-ranked offense in the GNC this fall, averaging 432.6 yards per game, according to the official conference statistics. Mosinee was about 31 yards behind. The Raiders’ 326 GNC points and 46.6 points per game also led the league by nine points over Mosinee.
That success was, as always, driven by the offensive line. There were high expectations for the line, which returned a wealth of senior experience and that line certainly got better and better as the season went on, allowing Medford to rush for 2,157 yards in conference play, far and away the most in the league. The line also pass blocked well enough for the Raiders to have some of their best run/ pass balance in recent years.
Seniors tackle Bryce Sperl and Alex Kraegenbrink were unanimous selections for the first team, while senior guard Braxton Crabb and senior center Will Haavisto earned second-team spots. Haavisto did so despite not playing on offense after a 38-14 win at Lakeland due to a hand injury. Senior guard Riley Brandner earned honorable mention.
Overall in 11 games, Medford ran for 270 yards per game and passed for 109 more.
Kleist was unanimously named the GNC’s top tight end after adding to the team’s blocking power and catching 13 passes in league play for 202 yards and four touchdowns. Overall he was credited with 19 catches for 287 yards and eight touchdowns. He had two-touchdown games in regular season wins over Ashland and Antigo.
The running game was powered by the tandem of seniors Peyton Gilles and Tukker Schreiner, with Gilles taking a first-team spot and Schreiner landing on the second team. According to conference statistics, Schreiner ranked third in the league with 743 yards in seven GNC games on 88 carries (8.4 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. Gilles was right behind him with 75 carries for 668 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns. Overall Schreiner finished with 1,168 yards on 156 carries with 16 touchdowns and 13 two-point conversions, while Gilles had 918 yards on 131 carries with 11 touchdowns and seven two-point conversions. Schreiner’s 92 points ranked second in the conference.
Schreiner had a huge night at Lakeland on Sept. 9 with 217 yards on 20 carries and three scores, including two long runs of 54 and 51 yards. He had 148 yards and two touchdowns in a 62-12 win at Hayward on Sept. 23, 164 yards and two scores in a 50-14 non-conference win at Amherst on Aug. 26 and 137 yards and two scores in a 36-14 WIAA Division 3 Level 1 playoff win over Lakeland.
Gilles got better as the year went on in his first season in the starting role. He had 143 yards on just 10 carries and an 87-yard touchdown in a 43-0 win over Merrill on Sept. 2. He had 136 yards and two touchdowns in a 66-0 win over Rhinelander on Sept. 30, 125 yards and a score at Lakeland and 135 yards and two touchdowns at Amherst.
Senior quarterback Logan Baumgartner had a banner year after returning from a knee injury that robbed him of most of his junior season. In most seasons, Baumgartner would’ve been a shoo-in first-team choice. This year, he was just up against Mosinee’s Gavin Obremski, who was able to put up some gigantic numbers in a pass-first offense.
In league play, Baumgartner was 39 for 62 for 871 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Overall, Medford’s statistics had Baumgartner at 61 of 113 for 1,209 yards and a schoolrecord 19 touchdown passes with just five picks. His career total of 33 touchdown passes also is a new school record, breaking the old mark of 31 set by 2001 graduate Matt Bub.
Baumgartner was 13 for 17 for 211 yards and three touchdowns in the shootout at Mosinee Oct. 7. He was three for five in a 36-6 win over Ashland on Sept. 15 with all three completions going for touchdowns and a total of 109 yards. He was seven for 12 for 83 yards and three scores in a 53-21 win over Antigo in the regular-season finale.
Along with Kleist, senior Tucker Kraemer was one of Baumgartner’s top receivers. He earned honorable mention at the receiver position after ranking third in the GNC with 50.6 receiving yards per game. Kraemer caught 13 balls in GNC contests for 354 yards on five touchdowns. Overall, he had 18 receptions for 459 yards and the five GNC scores. He had five catches for 79 yards and a 29-yard touchdown in the Mosinee loss.
Medford’s defense was the GNC’s leader against the run, allowing just 672 yards for an average of 96 yards per game and ranked second behind Merrill at 196.4 yards overall per game. A fair amount of the yards given up did come late in games that Medford had well in hand.
The tone for the run defense was set up front where Schreiner and Haavisto at tackle positions and end Landen Viergutz were named to the first team. Schreiner was a unanimous pick. Senior end Ty Metz landed on the second team.
Among the highlight performances of the season for that group, Viergutz had eight total tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery in the Sept. 9 win at Lakeland, plus he had five solo tackles and two tackles for loss including a sack against Antigo. Schreiner had six tackles and forced a fumble at Mosinee, plus he had nine tackles and a sack in a 32-8 non-conference loss at New Richmond in the season opener. Haavisto had six tackles including one for loss against Merrill. Metz had two and a half sacks and three tackles for loss. He had six tackles and a half-sack against Merrill.
In the secondary, Baumgartner and Kleist were firstteam choices at the safety positions, while Kraemer got honorable mention at cornerback. Kleist played a big role filling in run gaps from his safety spot. He had 11 solo tackles in the win at Lakeland, including two for loss. He had eight tackles, including three for loss against Ashland. Baumgartner had two interceptions in the Lakeland game. He and Kraemer were among several players tied for second in the conference with two interceptions in GNC games. Kraemer got his picks against Merrill and Antigo. He had six tackles against Merrill and four solo tackles in wins over Lakeland and Antigo.
Baumgartner also ranked as the second-best punter, averaging 37.9 yards on nine GNC punts.
At linebacker, senior Alex Dittrich and junior Logan Kawa were first-year starters, but they improved and wound up among the team’s leaders in tackles. Dittrich earned second-team All-GNC honors, while Kawa got honorable mention. Dittrich had eight total tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss at Lakeland. He had four solo tackles, including three for loss against Merrill. Kawa was credited with 12 total tackles against Mosinee, including four solo stops and five tackles with one for loss at Hayward.
Mosinee senior Davin Stoffel swept the top individual awards. The wide receiver and linebacker was named the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year. His father, Kyle Stoffel, was named the Coach of the Year in his first year at the helm for the Indians, who, like Medford saw their season end in Level 2 of the WIAA Division 3 playoffs. Mosinee (8-2-1) lost to second-seeded Rice Lake 42-33 in the bracket, while Medford lost 4212 at top-seeded Onalaska. Medford beat Lakeland and Mosinee beat Shawano in Level 1.
All-Region
The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association released its 2022 All-Region teams on Tuesday morning and four Raiders filled five spots on the Region 1 Large Schools team.
The Region includes the Great Northern Conference, Big Rivers Conference, Mississippi Valley Conference, Fox Valley Association and Valley Football Association.
Not only was Kleist a two-way first-team choice in the GNC, he accomplished the same feat in the All-Region selection process as well.
Kleist was one of three players chosen as All-Region tight end/fullbacks. The others were Isaac Dechant of Kimberly and Cade Myszewski of River Falls. Kleist was one of 10 defensive backs placed on the team. He is the only GNC representative in that bunch, which includes four palyers from the Fox Valley Association.
Sperl and Kraegenbrink received All-Region honors on the offensive line, joining a lengthy list of 12 players. They are the only GNC representatives in the All-Region unit, which is led by three players apiece from the Fox Valley Association and Big Rivers Conference.
Schreiner got one of the seven All-Region awards presented to interior defensive linemen. He joins Connor Akey of Wisconsin Rapids, Nathan Drivas of Chippewa Falls, Jesus Gonzalez of Reedsburg, Harrison Grutza and Cal Hansen of Appleton North and Cade Myszewski of River Falls.
The coaches association will announce its All-State teams on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
Academic All-State
In October, four Raiders were named to Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Academic Team for 2022. They included Crabb, Kraemer, Viergutz and defensive back Miles Searles.
To be considered for that award, individuals must be senior letter winners with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.75.
Tukker Schreiner First Team Defense Second Team Offense All-Region Defense
Bryce Sperl First Team Offense All-Region Offense
Alex Kraegenbrink First Team Offense All-Region Offense
Will Haavisto First Team Defense Second Team Offense
Logan Baumgartner First Team Defense Second Team Offense
Landen Viergutz First Team Defense Academic All-State
Peyton Gilles First Team Offense
Braxton Crabb Second Team Offense Academic All-State
Tucker Kraemer Hon. Mention Offense Hon. Mention Defense Academic All-State
Ty Metz Second Team Defense
Alex Dittrich Second Team Defense
Riley Brandner Hon. Mention Offense
Logan Kawa Hon. Mention Defense
Miles Searles Academic All-State
