16 Pioneers earn WIAC recognition, Rakers named Scholar-Athlete

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Football team had 17 different players receive All-WIAC recognition for their efforts during their 2019 season that ended with a 7-3 record. Seniors Drew Rakers and Walter Ollie eached earned multiple WIAC honors.

Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete:
Senior Drew Rakers - Longsnapper (Elm Grove, Wis.) was named the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete for his efforts on and off the field in his four-year career with UW-Platteville. Rakers, an Eagle Scout majoring in environmental engineering, has maintained a 3.916 cumulative GPA in his time at UW-Platteville. On campus, Rakers is a member of Chi Epsilon (Civil and Environmental Engineering Honor Society), Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honor Society), Platteville Society of Environmental Engineers and has served as an engineering and mathematics tutor. The longsnapper was also named 2nd team All-WIAC Special Teams for the second consecutive season.

A two-year team captain, Rakers secured All-WIAC second team honors this year for the second straight season. Entering the 2019 campaign, he earned a spot on the Free Agent Football Division III Pre-Season All-America First Team and the Special Teams U All-American Watchlist. Rakers was selected UW-Platteville's Special Teams MVP in 2018.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93. He oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership. Sparger arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including as an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71.

All-WIAC 1st Team:
Senior Hank Westemeyer- Offensive Lineman (Johnston, Iowa) - Westemeyer started in all 10 games for the Pioneers in 2019 to earn his second All-WIAC honor of his career.  The offensive line shielded UW-Platteville's way to leading the conference in pass efficiency completing 227-of-377 attempts. Leading running back, Wyatt Thompson averaged 11.15 yards per carry while the Pioneers finished second in first downs in the WIAC with 132 passing and 73 rushing. Westemeyer was recently named Academic All-District for maintaining a 3.80 cumulative GPA while studying Civil Engineering.

Junior Colin Schuetz - Quarterback (Aviston, Ill.)  - Schuetz threw for 2,873 yards, 25 touchdowns while completing 60.8% of his passes to earn his first WIAC honors. Schuetz added three rushing touchdowns, had five 300-yard passing games and two 4-touchdown games. Schuetz guided UW-Platteville to finishing first in the WIAC in pass efficiency.

Senior Wyatt Thompson - Running Back (Mt. Horeb, Wis.) - Thompson ran for 624 yards (5.0 per carry) and had eight rushing touchdowns. Thompson added 26 catches out of the backfield for 194 yards and a touchdown. Thompson had season highs of 125 rushing yards, 81 receiving yards and three rushing touchdowns.

Senior Tyler Reinhardt - Safety (Slinger, Wis.) - Reinhardt earns his first All-WIAC 1st team recognition after being named All-WIAC 2nd Team in 2018. Reinhardt led the Pioneers defense with 77 total tackles including four games with 10+ tackles. Reinhardt had six tackles for loss including one sack, three interceptions, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

All-WIAC 2nd Team:
Sophomore Carter Brehm - Offensive Lineman (Dysart, Iowa) - Brehm started in all 10 games for the Pioneers in 2019 to earn his first All-WIAC recognition. 

Junior Donald Allender - Wide Receiver (Youngstown, N.Y.) - Allender led the Pioneers with 78 points and had nine receiving touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns. Allender had 45 catches for 776 receiving yards including a 90-yard touchdown against UW-La Crosse.

Senior Tyler Knigge - Wide Receiver (Waukesha, Wis.) - Knigge led the Pioneers in receiving yards with 900 on 65 catches and added eight touchdowns. Knigge had 5+ catches in every game this season for the Pioneers.

Senior Walter Ollie - Defensive Back (Pearl City, Ill.) - Ollie led the Pioneers with six pass breakups and finished the season with 49 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and an interception.

Freshman Andrew Schweigert - Placekicker (Sussex, Wis.) - Schweigert was second on the Pioneers in points scored with 63 including seven field goals and 42 extra points. Schweigert went 7-of-8 on field goals and 42-of-45 on extra point attempts.

Sophomore Hunter Grams - Punter (Dane, Wis.) - Grams had 47 total punts and pinned the opponents inside the 20-yard line 14 times with just one touchback. Grams averaged 36.3 yards/punt and had a season long of 59 yards.

Senior Drew Rakers - Longsnapper (Elm Grove, Wis.) Rakers earns his second consecutive All-WIAC 2nd team honor by completing his longsnapping career without a bad snap. Rakers was also named the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete.

All-WIAC Honorable Mention

Senior Bryce Arneson - Defensive Lineman (Barneveld, Wis.) - Arneson started all 10 games and totaled 23 tackles including 6.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks and one pass breakup.

Junior Jackson McMahan - Defensive Lineman (Belleville, Wis.) - McMahan led the Pioneer defensive with 5.5 sacks on the season. McMahan totaled 42 tackles including 24 solo tackles. McMahan had 11.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and had three pass breakups. 

Senior Antonio-Jose Ramos - Linebacker (Hartland, Wis.) - Ramos finished third on the Pioneers with 56 tackles including 39 solo tackles. Ramos had 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and two pass breakups.

Senior Jordan Zilbar - Linebacker (Dover, Fla.) - Zilbar finished second on the Pioneers with 61 total tackles and 37 solo tackles. Zilbar led the Pioneers with 14 tackles for loss including five sacks. Zilbar had three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. 

Senior Walter Ollie - Returner (Pearl City, Ill.) - Ollie earns special teams honorable mention along with his 2nd team defense recognition. Ollie had 19 kick returns for 480 yards (25.3/return) and a long of 63 yards. Ollie had 17 punt returns for 118 yards (6.9/return) and a long of 21 yards.

All-Sportsmanship

Junior Brett Burant - Offensive Lineman (Stevens Point, Wis.) - Burant earns All-Sportsmanship honors after appearing in nine games for the Pioneers in 2019.

2019 All-WIAC Football Team
First Team – Offense
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Justin Kasuboski, Oshkosh, Junior, Tight End, Omro, Wis.
Kyle Gannon, Whitewater, Junior, Offensive Line, Waukesha, Wis. (West)
Hank Westemeyer, Platteville, Senior, Offensive Line, Johnston, Iowa
Alex Wipperfurth, Oshkosh, Senior, Offensive Line, Sauk City, Wis. (Sauk Prairie)
Quinn Meinerz, Whitewater, Junior, Offensive Line, Hartford, Wis.
Mike Olsen, Oshkosh, Junior, Center, Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)
Evan Lewandowksi, La Crosse, Sophomore, Quarterback, Lake Zurich, Ill.
Colin Schuetz, Platteville, Junior, Quarterback, Aviston, Ill. (Breese Mater Dei Catholic)
Alex Peete, Whitewater, Junior, Running Back, Ringwood, Ill. (Johnsburg)
Wyatt Thompson, Platteville, Senior, Running Back, Mount Horeb, Wis.
Alex Herink, River Falls, Senior, Wide Receiver, Hudson, Wis.
Cole Spieker, La Crosse, Sophomore, Running Back, Brainerd, Minn.
Ryan Wisniewski, Whitewater, Junior, Wide Receiver, Sparta, Wis.
Kevion McDonald, Stout, Senior, All-Purpose Back, Hopkins, Minn.

First Team – Defense
Mackenzie Balanganayi, Whitewater, Junior, Defensive Line, Palatine, Ill.
Jordan Brand, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, Chicago, Ill. (St. Rita)
Brady Heimer, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Line, Kimberly, Wis.
Sam Romanski, Eau Claire, Senior, Defensive Line, Wausau, Wis. (East)
Kaleb Kaminski, Whitewater, Junior, Linebacker, Tomahawk, Wis.
Victor Martinelli, Eau Claire, Junior, Linebacker, Milton, Wis.
Rusty Murphy, La Crosse, Junior, Linebacker, Cudahy, Wis.
Nick Noethe, Oshkosh, Junior, Linebacker, Blue Mounds, Wis. (Mount Horeb)
Peter Kissling, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Back, Oregon, Wis.
Donovan Lucas, Stevens Point, Junior, Defensive Back, Milwaukee, Wis. (Brown Deer)
Mark McGrath, Whitewater, Junior, Defensive Back, Lisle, Ill.
Tyler Reinhardt, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Back, Slinger, Wis.
Jed Schlegel, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, Baldwin, Wis. (Spring Valley)

First Team – Special Teams
Jaydon Haag, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Placekicker, Sparta, Wis.
Alec Benzinger, Stout, Junior, Punter, Waukesha, Wis. (Mukwonago)
Donovan Lucas, Stevens Point, Junior, Return Specialist, Milwaukee, Wis. (Brown Deer)
Mitchell Berghs, Oshkosh, Senior, Special Teams Player, Pewaukee, Wis. (Hartland Arrowhead)

Second Team – Offense
Jonte Webb, Stevens Point, Senior, Tight End, Marinette, Wis.
Jalen Burks, Stevens Point, Senior, Offensive Line, Milwaukee, Wis. (Riverside)
Jared Hunter, River Falls, Junior, Offensive Line, Luck, Wis.
Levi Ross, River Falls, Senior, Offensive Line, St. Francis, Minn.
Drew Shrader, Eau Claire, Junior, Offensive Line, Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)
Carter Brehm, Platteville, Sophomore, Center, Dysart, Iowa (Union)
Bailey Roux, Stout, Junior, Center, Rice Lake, Wis.
Austin Belot, Eau Claire, Junior, Running Back, Neenah, Wis.
Joey Stutzman, La Crosse, Sophomore, Running Back, Lake Zurich, Ill.
Donald Allender, Platteville, Junior, Wide Receiver, Youngstown, N.Y. (Lewiston-Porter)
Levy Hamer, Stout, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Chicago, Ill. (St. Laurence)
Tyler Knigge, Platteville, Senior, Wide Receiver, Waukesha, Wis. (South)
Jake Simuncak, La Crosse, Junior, All-Purpose Back, South Milwaukee, Wis.

Second Team – Defense
Ryan Flathers, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Line, Lewiston, Minn. (Lewiston-Altura)
Brandon Kolgen, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Defensive Line, Appleton, Wis. (North)
Trenton LaCombe, Oshkosh, Junior, Defensive Line, Seymour, Wis.
Mason Olson, Stout, Senior, Defensive Line, Clear Lake, Minn. (Becker)
Jacob Erbs, Whitewater, Senior, Linebacker, Reedsburg, Wis.
Kameron Kryzanski, Stevens Point, Junior, Linebacker, Thorp, Wis.
Max Praschak, River Falls, Senior, Linebacker, Somerset, Wis.
Luke Wilz, Stout, Senior, Linebacker, Manawa, Wis. (Little Wolf)
Kollyn Beyer, Oshkosh, Junior, Defensive Back, Mount Horeb, Wis.
Felix King, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Chicago, Ill. (John Adams)
Walter Ollie, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Back, Pearl City, Ill.
Nate Tranel, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, Lancaster, Wis.

Second Team – Special Teams
Andrew Schweigert, Platteville, Freshman, Placekicker, Sussex, Wis. (Hamilton)
Hunter Grams, Platteville, Sophomore, Punter, Dane, Wis. (Lodi)
Jake Simuncak, La Crosse, Junior, Return Specialist, South Milwaukee, Wis.
Drew Rakers, Platteville, Senior, Special Teams Player, Elm Grove, Wis. (Brookfield East)

Honorable Mention – Offense
Jared Zausch, Whitewater, Junior, Tight End, Saukville, Wis. (Ozaukee)
Ben Peterson, Eau Claire, Senior, Offensive Line, New Richmond, Wis.
Alex Richardson, La Crosse, Junior, Offensive Line, New River, Ariz. (Boulder Creek)
Alex Bongers, La Crosse, Sophomore, Center, Nerstrand, Minn. (Bethlehem Academy)
Ben Beckman, River Falls, Senior, Quarterback, Blaine, Minn.
Sean Borgerding, Stout, Sophomore, Quarterback, Spring Valley, Wis.
Riley Kallas, Oshkosh, Senior, Wide Receiver, Winneconne, Wis.
Derek Kumerow, Whitewater, Junior, Wide Receiver, Bartlett, Ill. (South Elgin)
JT Parish, Whitewater, Junior, Wide Receiver, Cambridge, Wis.
Cam Sorenson, La Crosse, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Oshkosh, Wis. (North)
Alex Traxler, River Falls, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Platteville, Wis.
Ryan Wisniewski, Whitewater, Junior, All-Purpose Back, Sparta, Wis.

Honorable Mention - Defense
Bryce Arneson, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Line, Barneveld, Wis.
Berkley Corvino, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Defensive Line, Weston, Wis. (D.C. Everest)
Justin Hansen, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, Beloit, Wis. (Turner)
Brandon Hughes, Oshkosh, Junior, Defensive Line, West Allis, Wis. (Brookfield Central)
Jackson McMahan, Platteville, Junior, Defensive Line, Belleville, Wis.
Charlie Sanders, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Line, Hampshire, Ill. (Burlington Central)
Aaron Wisecup, Stout, Senior, Defensive Line, Monticello, Minn.
Zachary Zillmer, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Line, Black River Falls, Wis.
Matt Anderson, Whitewater, Senior, Linebacker, Rockford, Ill. (Lutheran)
Logan Heise, Oshkosh, Junior, Linebacker, Wausau, Wis. (West)
Tory Jandrin, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Linebacker, Forestville, Wis. (Southern Door)
Antonio-Jose Ramos, Platteville, Senior, Linebacker, Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)
Nevada Laabs, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Linebacker, Merrill, Wis.
Andy Metcalf, River Falls, Junior, Linebacker, La Crosse, Wis. (Logan)
Jordan Zilbar, Platteville, Senior, Linebacker, Dover, Fla. (Strawberry Crest)
Jared Churak, Eau Claire, Junior, Defensive Back, Huntley, Ill. (Marian Central)
Calvin Shilling, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Back, South Milwaukee, Wis.

Honorable Mention – Special Teams
Sean Parker, La Crosse, Junior, Punter, Portland, Ore. (Westview)
Walter Ollie, Platteville, Senior, Return Specialist, Pearl City, Ill.
Connor Wears, La Crosse, Senior, Special Teams Player, Amery, Wis.
Donovan Lucas, Stevens Point, Junior, Special Teams Player, Milwaukee, Wis. (Brown Deer)
Justin Prostinak, Whitewater, Senior, Special Teams Player, Milwaukee, Wis. (Lake Country Lutheran)

All-Sportsmanship Team
Brett Burant, Platteville, Junior, Offensive Line, Stevens Point, Wis. (Pacelli)
Nathan Clark, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Back, Wales, Wis. (Kettle Moraine)
Mike Kremer, Oshkosh, Junior, Linebacker, Eagle, Wis. (Whitnall)
Ben Laube, Eau Claire, Senior, Defensive Line, Eau Claire, Wis. (Memorial)
Dylan Peterson, Stout, Senior, Defensive Line, Stratford, Wis.
Matthew Saager, Whitewater, Senior, Offensive Line, Lodi, Wis.
Sam Shafer, Stevens Point, Senior, Defensive Back, Prescott, Wis. (River Falls)
Mike Williams, River Falls, Senior, Offensive Line, St. Paul, Minn. (White Bear Lake)

Offensive Player of the Year:  Cole Spieker of La Crosse
Defensive Player of the Year:  Mackenzie Balanganayi of Whitewater
Special Teams Player of the Year:  Jaydon Haag of Oshkosh
Newcomer of the Year:  Kobe Berghammer of Oshkosh
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete:  Drew Rakers of Platteville
George Chryst Coach of the Year:  Pat Cerroni of Oshkosh