Komis, Steinbrecker a productive pair for G.B. Southwest
Photos courtesy of Duke Dutkowski
Their production speaks volumes.
Josh Komis and Nathan Steinbrecker have provided the Green Bay Southwest football team with over 300 tackles and 4,500 yards from scrimmage in a combined 71 starts.
However, their impressive numbers only scratch the service of how much the pair of four-year starters have meant to the Trojans’ success.
“I’m dreading the first Monday after everything is all done and realizing those guys aren’t going to be with us anymore,” Southwest co-head coach Tim Birr said.
“They’ve provided a ton of leadership. I’m not just talking on the field, but off the field, too. You can always count on those two guys to be in the weight room when they are supposed to be. They take care of business when it comes to the classroom. They’re great examples for the younger kids. They’re the complete package.”
The Trojans got quite the package deal when Komis and Steinbrecker entered the program and immediately found spots in the starting lineup.
The running back and linebacker have become known as the heart and soul for Southwest, which squares off against Bay Port Friday in a clash between the last two undefeated teams in the Fox River Classic Conference.
“They’ve been like having extra coaches on the field,” said Southwest co-head coach Pat Wallace about the pair of 2016 first-team all-FRCC players. “The way they’ve developed in our system, and the way they’ve matured in their physical capabilities, has been outstanding. There is some real pride with these guys and what they’ve been able to accomplish and the way they relate to the people at Southwest.”
Komis and Steinbrecker usually do most of their work on opposite sides of the line of scrimmage. But they do spend some time on the field together in the rare instances the Trojans have to punt since Komis is the punter and Steinbrecker is the long snapper.
The pair first crossed paths in the lunch line at Lombardi Middle School in advance of a big game between their respective teams at the time.
“(Komis) was like, ‘Who is this Steinbrecker kid on your team? I heard he’s pretty good,’” Steinbrecker recalls. “I looked around and was like, ‘Are you talking to me?’ He didn’t know it was me. That’s how we became friends. He was the quarterback back then. We called him ‘Curly Komis’ because he had the big, curly hair. He was really good and still is.”
Komis has rushed for 724 yards and 11 touchdowns for a balanced Southwest offensive attack that is averaging 35.0 points per game this season.
“I’m glad I don’t have to tackle him on Friday nights,” Steinbrecker said. “He’s one of the hardest runners I’ve ever seen. I think what separates him is his legs are just like tree trunks.”
Komis has averaged 6.5 yards per carry in totaling 3,804 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns in his career. The 5-foot-11, 230-pounder has accumulated 539 receiving yards and four touchdowns in addition to passing for 202 yards and a pair of scores.
“He really bulked up,” Wallace said. “I thought he was putting some weight on to the point where he was going to slow down. But here he goes amazing me again. He gets the ball and just has this knack. He’s shifty when he needs to be and knows when to put his head down and get some tough yards. That’s something that’s tough to coach.
“Credit to him, he had to learn to be a backup offensive lineman this year because we lack depth. How many coaches have to convince their four-year starter that if we go down in a game this week I have to move you in as the No. 5 or No. 6 lineman? There’s not many kids that would do that. He will.”
Komis has missed only one game in his high school career due to injury.
Injuries on the team are what led Komis to seeing an expanded role as a freshman perhaps sooner than he expected. Meanwhile, Steinbrecker played safety for about a quarter in his first high school game before being moved to middle linebacker.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pounder has recorded 309 tackles, 48 tackles for loss and four sacks in his career and has never missed a start.
“I think it’s truly awesome to watch him,” Komis said. The (offense) will do a bunch of fakes in the backfield and he’ll just be there to make the tackle. He has a football instinct that you can’t coach and it’s really something to watch.”
The production of “Steiny” is amazing when you consider he’s not that big. He joked that he’s 5-10 on a good day.
There have been plenty of those this season as Steinbrecker has recorded 69 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack to help the Trojans secure a playoff spot for a third straight year.
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“He’s that foundation that we’ve really been relying on the last four years he’s been with us,” Birr said.
“He has that knack for the ball. He drives me crazy sometimes because I don’t know how much film he watches, but he just has a knack for the football. It’s just natural instincts. Some guys are just born with that.”
Komis and Steinbrecker said they feel like brothers with how close their team is.
Southwest doesn’t possess great numbers on its roster, but it has a large number of three-year starters among its juniors and seniors.
The Trojans are hoping that experience can lead them to the program’s first conference title since 2012.
“We don’t have three- or four-star (college) recruits on our team, but we come to play on Friday night,” Steinbrecker said. “That’s what makes our team so unpredictable. Every year we haven’t been picked anywhere near the top of the conference and we kind of take that with a grain of salt because we’ve been playing together for so long that we know what we can do.”
Great. So proud of Josh. Keep up the good work.