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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Spencer/Columbus Catholic had four players named to the first team of the 2016 All-Cloverbelt Conference Football Team, which was voted on by the nine conference coaches following the regular season.
The team was released following conference champion Eau Claire Regis’ win in the WIAA Division 6 state championship game on Nov. 17.
Running backs Noah Zastrow and Hunter Luepke, offensive lineman Max Johnson, and linebacker Carson Hildebrandt were named to the first team for Spencer/Columbus, which finished 6-2 (8-3 overall) and third in the Cloverbelt standings.
Coaches are only allowed to nominated players for all-conference at one position, eliminating any both-way all-conference selections.
Sophomore Logan Zschernitz was the Rockets’ lone second-team selection at offensive line.
SC sophomore quarterback Jarred Mandel, senior offensive lineman Rylie Schmidt, senior defensive lineman Max Weber, and junior linebacker Adam Walter were among the honorable mention picks.
Zastrow was named Co-Offensive Player of the Year, along with Stanley-Boyd senior quarterback Seth Hause. Zastrow, a first-team all-state choice as a utility player by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, rushed for 1,358 yards and 18 touchdowns, caught six passes for 233 yards – all for touchdowns – and threw for another 207 yards and a pair of TDs overall this season for the Rockets.
Luepke ran for 1,057 and 15 touchdowns and also caught a team-high 13 passes for 226 yards and five touchdowns. He was the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2015.
Hildebrandt was the Rockets’ leading tackler with 84.
Zastrow, Luepke, and Johnson were repeat first-team all-conference performers.
2016 All-Cloverbelt Conference Football Team
First Team
Offense
Quarterback: Seth Hause, sr., Stanley-Boyd.
Running backs: Hunter Luepke, jr., Spencer/Columbus; Noah Zastrow, sr., Spencer/Columbus; Connor Klatt, sr., Altoona.
Wide receivers: Aaron Morrow, sr., Colby; Brandon Herrick, jr., Stanley-Boyd.
Linemen: Tyson Klement, sr., Colby; Max Johnson, sr., Spencer/Columbus; Nathan Scheidler, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Jered Olson, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Cole Struck, sr., Altoona.
Defense
Linemen: Eric Hoffstatter, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Noel Ortiz, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Trent Sell, sr., Altoona; Laith Kidess, jr., Eau Claire Regis.
Linebackers: Dylan Leffel, sr., Colby; Ben Turner, jr., Stanley-Boyd; Ben Sokup, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Carson Hildebrandt, so., Spencer/Columbus.
Defensive backs: Mathew Karl, sr., Colby; Caleb Brickner, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Brandon Milas, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Zak Ingersoll, sr., Stanley-Boyd.
Specialist: Jake Prudlick, sr., Osseo-Fairchild.
Second Team
Offense
Quarterback: Paul Petit, sr., Eau Claire Regis.
Running backs: Ethan Ritger, jr., Fall Creek; Ryan Ponick, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Jake Burns, sr., Eau Claire Regis.
Wide receivers: Sam Forden, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Dominick Grimm, sr., Cadott.
Linemen: Matt McCann, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Hunter Johnson, sr., Osseo-Fairchild; Logan Zschernitz, so., Spencer/Columbus; Jake Maenner, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Tom Vanderwyst, sr., Fall Creek.
Second Team
Defense
Linemen: Kaden Bowman, jr., Osseo-Fairchild; Jake McInnis, sr., Fall Creek; Tanner Kurth, sr., Fall Creek; Zayne Johnson, sr., Altoona.
Linebackers: Nate Manor, sr., Fall Creek; Kolten Wright, jr., Altoona; Aaron Schneider, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Sam Stone, sr., Eau Claire Regis.
Defensive backs: Alex Rocksvold, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Mitch Adrian, jr., Altoona; Collin Meyer, jr., Stanley-Boyd; Nate Meyer, jr., Colby.
Specialists: Issac Koehler, sr., Altoona.
Honorable Mention
Offense
Quarterbacks: Trevor Stuttgen, sr., Colby; Jarred Mandel, so., Spencer/Columbus; Mike Emery, jr., Cadott.
Running back: Kyle Sromek, sr., Osseo-Fairchild.
Wide receivers: Sam Burzynski, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Isaac Bryan, sr., Neillsville/Granton; Ethan Dahl, jr., Osseo-Fairchild.
Linemen: Rylie Schmidt, sr., Spencer/Columbus; Brock Kostka, jr., Osseo-Fairchild; Teho Chwala, jr., Stanley-Boyd; Azi Ivkovich, sr., Altoona.
Defense
Linemen: Max Weber, sr., Spencer/Columbus; Henry Wojtczak, sr., Cadott; Alex Swim, sr., Cadott; Eric Bentler, sr., Stanley-Boyd.
Linebackers: Adam Walter, jr., Spencer/Columbus; Brandon Wright, jr., Stanley-Boyd; Bennett Bowe, jr., Cadott; Marcus Bourget, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Joe Kastel, sr., Osseo-Fairchild; Jamie Gunderson, sr., Altoona; Ryan Taitano, sr., Fall Creek.
Defensive backs: Ross Cornellisen, sr., Fall Creek; Caden Boettcher, so., Osseo-Fairchild; Matt Drilling, jr., Cadott.
Specialist: Koby Gutsch, sr., Altoona.
Head Coach of the Year: Bryant Brenner, Eau Claire Regis.
Assistant Coach of the Year: Earl Erickson, Eau Claire Regis.
Co-offensive Players of the Year: Seth Hause, Stanley-Boyd and Noah Zastrow, Spencer/Columbus.
Defensive Player of the Year: Noel Ortiz, Eau Claire Regis.