2017 HS Football Previews : St. Mary’s Springs Ledgers

The 2016 season for St. Mary’s Springs certainly fell
short of where the team was used to being and wanted to be when the season
ended. The Ledgers, coming off of back-to-back State Championships and four
titles in five years saw the season end at the hands of Darlington in Level
Four of the WIAA Playoffs. Springs comes into this year once again the favorite
in the Flyway Conference race, but will have the task of replacing some key
seniors who contributed to their success.


“The ones we are going to have the hardest time to
replace are the linemen”, Ledgers coach Bob Hyland said. Michael Buetow, a
unanimous first-team all-conference selection and Lineman of the Year in the
Flyway Conference who also earned All-State honors departs, along with Mason
Steffes, another all-conference selection. Who will replace those key linemen? “I
am really excited about our sophomore linemen” says Coach Hyland. “We’ve got a
sophomore line that probably averages 6-foot-one or better, so if those kids
can continue to develop, we’ll be in great shape”.


Also gone on offense for St. Mary’s Springs are
unanimous first team all-conference selections Blake Bauer at quarterback and
Fintan Floyd at running back. Bauer threw for over 1,700 yards and 13
touchdowns in 2016, while rushing for another 7 scores. Meanwhile, Floyd ran
for just over 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2016.


All is not lost for the Ledger offense; however, as
coach Hyland expects Senior Mitch Waechter, who was an all-conference receiver
and defensive back last season, and Cade Christensen to contend for the
starting job. Running Back Clay Schueffner returns as well for the Ledgers
offensive attack. Schueffner ran for 969 yards last season with 20 touchdowns
and was a first-team all-conference selection on both offense and defense.
Schueffner has earned scholarship offers from a number of college programs
during the offseason, including Indiana State, St. Cloud State and Winona State
among others.


The Ledgers schedule for 2017 includes another challenging
non-conference slate. Springs will open with Markesan and face both teams who
played in the Division 5 State Championship Game last year, Amherst and Cedar
Grove-Belgium.


2017 St. Mary’s Springs Schedule:


8/18: At Markesan – 7:00 pm

8/25: Amherst – 7:00 pm

9/1:  At Watertown Luther Prep – 7:00 pm (Game against North Fond du Lac cancelled – NFDL will not field a varsity team in 2017)

9/8: Cedar Grove-Belgium – 7:00 pm

9/15: Winnebago Lutheran – 7:00 pm

9/22: At Omro – 7:00 pm

9/30: Laconia – 1:00 pm

10/6: At Mayville – 7:00 pm

10/13: Lomira – 7:00 pm


Listen to the 2017 KFIZ High School Football
Preview Show, Friday August 11th at 6:00 pm on KFIZ. You can hear
the interview with Springs head coach Bob Hyland in its entirety along with
other coaches from around the area. The show is brought to you by AirTech
Heating in Fond du Lac. 


Read Other 2017 Previews: 


Fond du Lac

Oakfield

Winnebago Lutheran