KFIZ Sports Two-a-Days : Oakfield Oaks

2017 was a magical season for the Oakfield Oaks football
team. The Oaks recorded an unbeaten 10-0 record – including a win in the Eight-Player
Jamboree at D.C. Everest High School. Can Oakfield football match that success
in 2018? The challenge is in front of them, and will certainly be made tougher
with the departure of seven seniors. Oaks head coach Corey Rickert when talking
about those seniors said “They’re special guys. The leaders that we had on that
team were really good guys – good football players, but also just great guys.
They put their heart and soul into the team for four years and to be able to finish
it the way we did made it special.”  All
seven of those seniors – James Kottke, Alex Chiavetta, Brady Laabs, Eric Jacob,
Eli Liebelt, Brandon Williams and Ethan Tapp – also competed in the Wisconsin
Football Coaches Association All-Star Game in July.

As for Oaks football in 2018, Coach Rickert says there are
some questions going into the season. “We’re trying to figure out where we are
at Quarterback. We’ve had some competition start and we will see where that
goes.” Rickert mentions Michael Kottke, Austin Balthazor, Jacob Cedar, Bill Altangerel
and Javaun Mielke as players to watch for the upcoming year. Rickert says “Right
now what we’re doing is just challenging our guys and letting them know its
open competition and that the opportunities are there for playing time for a
lot of people.”

As for Eight-Player football in the state of Wisconsin, the
number of schools that have entered the ranks continues to grow. 32 teams now offer
eight-player football around the state, and with that the WIAA will begin
offering and eight-team playoff to determine a state champion this year, with a
16-team playoff beginning in 2019.

 

2018 Oakfield Football Schedule:

8/17: Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah

8/25: At Madison Abundant Life/St. Ambrose

8/31: At Port Edwards

9/8:   At McDonell
Central

9/14: Wisconsin Heights

9/21: At Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah

9/28: Madison Abundant Life/St. Ambrose

10/5: Port Edwards

10/13: McDonell Central