New conference embodies small-town strength

Wade Vandervest is in his 16th season as head coach of the Algoma football team.

Each year Vandervest looks at his squad as a puzzle, and it’s his job to put it together.

“It’s a matter once again of fitting those pieces together,” he said.

Vandervest was referring to his players, but his comment also could sum up how Algoma and the rest of the Packerland Conference’s 11-player teams feel in being able to get back to a sense of normalcy once again in regards to their schedules.

After competing as a five-team conference the past two years in wake of the WIAA’s latest realignment for the region, the Packerland Conference teams are happy to be joining forces with Peshtigo and Coleman to form a viable league again.

“It’s nice to have a full conference schedule again, so you don’t have to play two teams twice,” Vandervest said.

This year marks the first season the Packerland, M&O and Northern Lakes Conferences have banded together in order to solve the schedule issues they’ve been facing for football. After all, that’s what hard-working people in small towns do – they help each other out when times are tough.

The three conferences have aligned to form large- and small-school leagues for their 11-player programs, while also having a league for their 8-player teams.

The league’s name, MONLPC, doesn’t look all that pretty.

That’s fine, because the teams that make it up aren’t interested in style points.

“I really don’t care what our conference’s name is,” Southern Door coach Pat McCarty said. “I’m just happy we have a quality conference.”

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Southern Door is likely the team to beat in the MONLPC-Large this season after winning back-to-back Packerland Conference titles.

The Eagles return junior Derik LeCaptain. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is a punishing runner and perhaps the best player in the conference.

“He’s just a quality kid on and off the field,” McCarty said. “I expect him to be even better than what he was last year.

“He’s got size and speed to create some matchup difficulties for opponents. We’re going to move him around and try to get him the ball just about any way we can.”

Southern Door certainly did that in a 46-40 victory over Winneconne last week. LeCaptain accounted for 423 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in the win and led the Green Bay area with 278 rushing yards

Southern Door’s Kyle Daoust (370) and Sam Gerend (190) also led the area in passing and receiving yards, respectively.

The MONLPC-Large is shaping up to have the football in the air a lot. Kewaunee’s Cody Bultman (301) and Sturgeon Bay’s Ethan Knipfer (239) were second and third, respectively, in the Green Bay area for passing yards in Week 1.

Oconto returns a lot of key players from its playoff team of a year ago and should contend with Southern Door for the conference title.

Algoma is slated for a nine-game schedule this season for the first time since 2012 after having trouble scheduling a third nonconference game for several years later in the season.

Coleman won the M&O Conference title last year by edging Peshtigo, which is joining the Packerland Conference for all sports this year.

“They’ve certainly been the two premiere leagues from the M&O Conference,” McCarty said. “You know there is a lot of tradition there and they’re used to winning, and I think it’s going to be a quality addition picking up those two teams.”

MONLPC-Large teams at a glance

Algoma: Senior lineman Aidan Wallace is a three-year starter and earned first-team all-Packerland Conference honors last year on offense, while junior Max Schoening also returns as a starter on the line. Senior Casey Nelson takes over at quarterback. Nelson threw for 173 yards and rushed for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 28-21 loss to Chilton last week. Sophomore Oliver Robertson, sophomore Jordon Deringer, junior Zach Dellis and junior Zach Schmidt are some of the players that will make up the young surrounding cast around Nelson.

Coleman: The Cougars have won three straight M&O Conference titles, but have 13 graduation losses from last year, including their entire offensive line. Coleman does return juniors Bryce Karban, Jake Zeitler and Jake Baldwin as two-way starters. Zeitler and Baldwin combined for 1,865 rushing yards last year, while Karban returns at quarterback.

Kewaunee: The Storm has 18 seniors this year and is hoping to contend for its first conference title since 2010. Senior quarterback Cody Bultman got off to a strong start in a win over Crivitz after he missed the beginning of last year with an injury, while 6-foot-3 senior Andrew Richard provides a versatile presence on both sides of the football.

Oconto: The Blue Devils made the playoffs for the first time since 2013 last season. Seniors Lucas Ruechel, Carson Moe, Bryce O’Connor and Evan Allen were first-team all-Packerland Conference choices on defense last year. Ruechel was a first-team all-conference offensive lineman as well.

Peshtigo: The Bulldogs are aiming to make the playoffs for a 10th straight year and should contend for the conference title with the experience they have returning on the perimeter. Sophomores Jared Jandt (running back) and Nick Nielsen (defensive back) both earned first-team all-M&O Conference honors last year. Senior Riley Reif was a second-team all-conference choice at defensive back and takes over as the starter at quarterback.

Southern Door: Junior Derik LeCaptain accounted for 1,847 yards from scrimmage and 22 touchdowns last year as a first-team all-Packerland Conference performer. Junior Kyle Daoust replaces LeCaptain’s brother, Nick, at quarterback. Senior Sam Gerend is a 6-foot-4 target at receiver, while senior Andrew Montana is a shiftier target on the outside. Senior Nick McCarty, a first-team all-conference lineman on offense and defense, is transitioning to fullback. Junior Max Pierre will take on a larger role at middle linebacker to help replace Tory Jandrin.

Sturgeon Bay: Senior Ethan Knipfer is back at quarterback after throwing for 1,675 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. The Clippers have to replace his top two targets, Connor Gajda and Trevor Jacobson, both of whom were first-team all-Packerland Confernce choices. Senior Brady Wodack was an all-Packerland Conference kicker and punter last year and led the team in Week 1 with 99 receiving yards.