DON’T Ever, Ever, Ever GIVE UP!
SCF Head Coach Grant Belisle
When your season only has nine games and you start 0-4, the season begins to look very bleak. St. Croix Falls Assistant Coach Rod Sempf kept telling me, “We are the best 0-4 team in the state.” That is when my eye roll comes into play. Head Football Coach Grant Belisle said, “People have to realize we graduated 18 seniors off last year’s team, so we had a lot of new players learning new positions. But at that point, what do you say to a team of teenagers that is 0-4? Don’t worry, we’re going to win the conference, or we’re gonna go to state? Umm? They may only be teenagers, but they are not stupid. This group of young men proved to be very goal-driven and resilient because they worked hard and believed. These kids won the next five games, clinching a playoff spot and a number five seed. These kids never gave up!
Let’s just get right to it. First, they traveled to Neillsville to meet up with the fourth seed, and just like that, they won six games in a row. Oh boy, now the number one seed Colby. This game had to be moved to Stanley because Colby’s field was underwater after a big rainstorm. Make that seven straight wins in a row. Now, onto the number two-seeded Northwestern Tigers in Northwestern. Keep in mind that the Tigers had already beaten the Saints in the regular season. Make that eight straight victories in a row and onto the state semi-finals. Yes!
A team that started 0-4 is now playing to get to the state championship at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Still, first, they must travel to Rhinelander to play the number third-seeded Wrightstown for the honor of playing for a state title. Unbelievable! While doing what seemed impossible, this group of young men, the Saint Croix Falls Saints’ Football Team, had to travel approximately 1092 miles, an average of 273 round trip miles per game in the comfort of a school bus.
Yes, Wrightstown ended our Cinderella story that night, but the Saints sure made this community so proud. A Community that showed up! A Community that traveled to watch all those games, or they watched on the WE ARE Network or whatever streaming service they could get their hands on. A Community that fed them on Thursday evenings and packed lunches for the team for their looooong road trips.
How about community member Isaac Nelson, a local airplane pilot?
Let me tell you, Mr. Nelson went above and beyond. When St. Croix Falls beat Colby, a situation unfolded that is what dreams are made of. Head Coach Grant Belisle’s daughter, Lucy, was set to play in the WIAA State volleyball semi-finals in Green Bay on Friday afternoon. It would have been literally impossible for Grant to watch his daughter in a once-in-a-lifetime experience and be to Northwestern to coach the football team on the same day. But Mr. Nelson stepped up and made it possible. Pilot Nelson, Grant and his son Griffin, and Mr. Nelson’s two daughters flew to Green Bay and watched the St. Croix Falls Saints’ volleyball team win their semi-final game to move onto the State Championship, then flew Coach Belisle to Shell Lake, where an assistant coach picked him up to drive to the Northwestern game with time to spare before game time.
I can’t tell you the respect I have for this man, Mr. Isaac Nelson, for what he did that day; it touched not only my heart but many a Saints fan’s heart. Thanks, Isaac, for what you did!
My wife and I love watching the parents of the players as their sons make outstanding plays. Watching them beam with pride as their child’s name is announced is one of the best things about sports for us, and in the second half of this season, there was plenty to beam about.
Let’s get to some reasons why the Saints could do what they did. How about three State Honorable Mention players from a team not in the state championship?
Aiden Meador was Mr. Everything! He was a treat to watch on both sides of the ball. “Hulk” Logan Bockman, was a rock and a beast that anchored both the offensive and defensive line. Willem Hoefler roamed and patrolled the secondary. The ground this kid could cover was unbelievable.
Photo Credit: Chris Folkestad
It took 11 offensive and defensive players, special teams, substitutes, and practice players who practiced every day, came to play every single game, and every single down to have a season that the Saints enjoyed.
Two young men who made a huge difference coming out for football this year were Griffin Marko and Kellen Kelly. They combined for 182 tackles from the linebacker and corner positions. And yes, Grif and Kellen, your dads saw you and were beaming with pride, too.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the leadership of the quarterback, Jayden Adams. Wow, what composure qualities he displayed all year long. He passed to targets like sure-handed, Jared DeSmith, Willem Hoefler, and Joe Petherbridge. Adams was well protected by Logan Bockman, Kasey Johnson, Isaac Boche, Dylan Christie, Eli Prokop, Logan Fangmeier, Joe Petherbridge, and Caden Folkestad. Also, Mr. Scoop and score Isaac Briggs was a constant contributor on defense. Cameron Steek was a solid reserve running back, along with Peyton Steffen. Cole Steffen was a vital cog on the defensive end of the ball.
This old coach knows that this team couldn’t have accomplished what they did if it hadn’t been for you guys working hard in practice against the starting line-up. I just have to mention the names of these kids who put in just as much work and didn’t get the accolades, but they made this team better every week: Tyler Tourville, Owen Broten, Payton Kelly, Shane Backes, Rowan Prokop, Alex Hoff, Carson Marks, Brody Allram, Connor Weber, Jack Shober, Zachary Danielowski, Garett Bradt, Sam DeSmith, Mitchell Erickson, Eli Larson, Levi Linngren, Jacoby Meilke, Micah Nwachukwu, Drake Peterson, Brett Sladky, Isaac Tate, Isaiah Tate, Owen Wallace, Nate Boesel, Lucas Schwegman, Deven Richardson, Dominic Jaurez, Wyatt Bennett, Jason Ly, Levi Berg, Payden Nichols.
The football coaches of this Saint’s team – wow! What a job you did in turning a team around from an 0-4 start to the state semi-finals. Grant Belisle and Rod Sempf, you both belong in the Football Coach’s Hall of Fame. Coaches of the Year are usually the coaches from teams that go undefeated or are State Champions. In this case, in my mind, you guys, with your staff of young coaches, Brock Phernetton, Zack Clark, Graidy Guggisberg, Chad Allram, and Jesse Rose, along with the knowledge and experience of Doc Bont, deserve coach of the year honors.
After this fairy tale season, is the cupboard bare for the Saints next year? Heck no, seven of the 11 players on defense are back. That includes the all-staters, Bockman and Hoefler, along with leading tackler Marko.
This group of SCF athletes has already provided the school district and community with so much excitement and so much to be proud of this year, and the year isn’t even half over. How many schools can boast about two major fall sports teams being in the final four? The Saints may have to build a new trophy case, but one thing we all know for sure: they never ever, ever, gave up, and winning never gets old.