Depth, experience to follow Elk Mound football to Cloverbelt Conference
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THE 65 MEMBERS of the 2020 Elk Mound football team are shown in this aerial photograph. The team will open the season this Friday, September 25 at home versus the Eau Claire Regis Ramblers. It is the first season for the Mounders in the Cloverbelt Conference. For safety reasons due to COVID-19, Elk Mound school officials are not allowing any team photos to be taken this year. —photo submitted
by Laura Giammattei
Sports Correspondent
ELK MOUND — Strength in senior numbers will be the highlight of the 2020 season for the Elk Mound football team. Out of a deep 65-player roster, 18 seniors will lead the Mounders through somewhat uncharted territory, as they shift from the Dunn-St. Croix (D-SC) to the Cloverbelt Conference.
Elk Mound will not make this shift alone, however, as familiar D-SC teams Durand and Mondovi have also moved to the Cloverbelt Conference. Other teams in the Cloverbelt are Fall Creek, Neillsville/Granton, Osseo-Fairchild, Regis and Stanley-Boyd.
“We are excited for the challenges of entering a great football conference like the Cloverbelt,” head coach Dave Lew said. “I feel that we will need to play our best, week in and week out and let everything else take care of itself.”
Lew predicts the Mounders will stake their claim as one of the top four teams in the Cloverbelt, along with Regis, Mondovi and Stanley-Boyd. “Regis is always a tough tradition, Mondovi won the D-SC last year and Stanley-Boyd has a rich football heritage.”
He added that while these teams have solid track records, Elk Mound will give them a run for their money, as they field a healthy crop of seniors this year, 10 starters on defense and eight starters on offense.
Of the returning seniors, five are 2019 all-conference selections and include Nate Lew (first team linebacker; honorable mention utility player; 2019 Voted Team Defense MVP), Ben Heath (second team wide receiver and defensive back), Alex Johnson (second team offensive lineman; honorable mention defensive lineman), Major Gunderson Morris (honorable mention defensive lineman) and Reese Brunner (first team defensive lineman).
Seniors Michael Jenson (wide receiver) and Ethan Levra (running back, linebacker), Aidan Balts (offensive lineman) and Antonio Meyer (offensive lineman) are returning letterwinners who are no strangers to the field, having started in all the games in 2019. A junior to keep an eye on this season is Avery Kaanta, a running back who finished his sophomore year with 34 attempts for 236 yards and three touchdowns.
Adding to Elk Mound’s depth are eleven more returning letter winners and nearly 40 underclassmen looking to gain experience and time on the field.
While Elk Mound has strength in numbers, Lew said they are lacking depth in certain positions, which will be something they will work on improving as the season progresses.
“Overall, our main goals are to have a fun, safe and complete season,” Lew said. “We are very happy as a program and school to be able to give our student athletes the opportunity to play football in 2020.”
Coach Lew is entering his eighth year as head coach for the Elk Mound varsity team. He holds an overall record of 38-34 with two D-SC titles in 2017 and 2018. He is assisted by Kevin Garnett, Brandon Powell, Jon Chisholm, Abe Ferguson, Dan Hay, Steve Lippert, and Drake Biolo.
Elk Mound starts the 2020 season off with home field advantage as it hosts Eau Claire Regis this Friday, September 25. The Mounders travel to Fall Creek the following week, Friday, October 2.
2020 Roster
Seniors: Aidan Balts, Ryan Bohl, Reese Brunner, Blake Burlingame, Zane Clemmens, Major Gunderson-Morris, Mason Hay, Ben Heath,Aaron Heuer, Michael Jenson, Alex Johnson, Ethan Levra, Nate Lew, Sam Lor, Antonio Meyer, Gabe Moschkau, Mitchell Ruppelt
Juniors: Vincent Biegel, Quintin Erdman, Ethan Johnson, Avery Kaanta, Braedon Pederson, Matt Rowan, Devan Scheffler, Carson Steinhorst, Brex Todd
Sophomores: Tate Anderson, Aiden Bartholomew, Ryan Bartig, Marcus Barum, Carson Baskin, Diesel Brenden, Jerome Delikowski, Isaac Hay, Josh Livingston, Ethan Oas, Brock Rowan, Nathan Svee, Evan Webster, Alex Woodford
Freshmen: Jace Acker, Brady Amble, Zane Brice, Preston Brueggen, Kaeden Burlingame, Landon Cassellius, Tyler Gagner, Carter Garnett, Kaleb Gilbertson, Austin Gummer, Gabe Jenson, Lucas Johnson, Riley Krall, Dayne Laney, Jay Meyer, Grandt Mueller, Jacob Osborne, Devin Ploeckelman, Kaden Russo, Drew Smiskey, Carson Streifel, Gavin Sundeen, Braedon Thatcher, Carter Vieth, Sam Wenzel