Boyceville Bulldogs prepare to repeat as D-SC Conference football champions

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by Marlys Kruger

Sports Correspondent

BOYCEVILLE — After finishing 7-0 to win the Dunn-St. Croix championship a year ago, the Boyceville football team returned to the gridiron with their focus on one thing – winning another conference title and a state championship. The Bulldogs almost reached the second goal last year but lost a WIAA Level 3 playoff game to Edgar, who went on to capture the Division 7 state crown.

If Boyceville can reach those goals, they will have to replace 12 players lost due to graduation. Eight of those players were named to the all conference team including Nick Olson, Caden Wold, Braden Roemhild. Grant Kaiser, Peter Wheeldon, Paul Kurschner, Parker Coombs and Devin Halama while Treylin Thorson, JJ Kurschner, Zach Kersten and Connor Gilpin all played a big part in the successful season.

“We lost one of the most talented classes in the history of Boyceville,” Boyceville head coach Michael Roemhild said. “They all brought something different to the table and we lost a lot of varsity experience and winning attitude,” he added.

Coach Roemhild begins his sixth year leading the Bulldogs and posts a record of 36-15. The team returns the Dunn-St. Croix Conference offensive Player of the Year with quarterback Carson Roemhild as well as the D-SC conference defensive Player of the Year in Zach Hellendrung, a linebacker. Both are juniors. Also returning are Owen Rydel, who was a great defensive player and Landyn Leslie, another standout defensive player. Oliver Hoff returns as the lone starter from the offensive line and looks to be the leader while Owen Konsti and Jon Madison both contributed to the offensive line last season.

Returning letter winners include Roemhild, Leslie, Hellendrung, Mark Knopps, Rydel, Hoff, Madison, Konsti and Jack Kurschner.

Coach Roemhild has ten freshmen out for the team and expects many of them to challenge the older guys for starting spots on both sides of the ball.

“When you are trying to fill 70 percent of your offense and defense from the previous years, there are plenty of guys who are getting looks to reach our goals for the year,” he commented.

Coach Roemhild believes the strength of his team is that all of his players know how to win games. From varsity down to the middle school level last year, they are coming in with a total of one loss the previous year. He likes when players come in knowing how to win and are hungry to keep winning. The team weakness  obviously is going to be the experience (or lack of) in many positions.

Goals for the season are the same for every season, according to coach Roemhild.

“We want to win every game we play,” he said. “We don’t care about individual stats because in 20 years nobody remembers those, but they will remember the dates that get hung up on the banners in the gym,” he stated.

Roemhild expects Spring Valley will be a contender for a conference title because they are always one of the top teams and they are well coached. Glenwood City has a good core back and if they can stay healthy they are always dangerous, and Unity can be a wild card, being a crossover conference game with them.

The Bulldogs kick off the regular season this Friday, August 23 with a non-conference game in Independence.