Wisconsin Heights’ Best of the best

This was a year like no other. The high school sports world came to a screeching halt on March 12 as the COVID-19 pandemic struck. And sports never started up again. Still, the Star News would like to recognize Wisconsin Heights’ elite performances of the shortened 2019-’20 school year. Last week, we honored the top girls teams and this week we’ll pay homage to the boys.   Team of the Year: Football The 2019 season was a joyride packed with more success than most people saw coming. What’s even more exciting is things could be even better in 2020 for the Vanguards. Wisconsin Heights’ football team finished the year 7-2 overall and went 4-2 in the Great 8 Conference. Considering Heights had just five seniors, the 2020 campaign could be more of the same. “It’s hard to believe how fast this goes, and how much this group has grown,” Heights coach Trevor Steiner said after the 2019 season ended. “They really did an incredible job all year.   “I felt we could do some things that people were not going to expect, but not to the level they performed throughout the year. I loved how coachable the kids were, always open to correction, and adjusted when they needed to. I was also super pleased with our mental toughness as a team. It got stronger as the year went on.   “We had a big hiccup in the middle of the season, and instead of blaming, complaining, and defending poor play, the kids took off in the right direction and got better. That was really exciting to me as a coach.” Heights senior Jack Fields was named first-team all-Great 8 Conference as both a wide receiver and a defensive back. Senior quarterback Ozur Kepler and junior offensive lineman Dakota Lueck were also named first-team all-conference. Senior wide receiver Ace Ayers, sophomore linebacker Hudson Smith and sophomore defensive lineman Jaeger Schoenemann were named second-team all-league. Junior Connor Herrling was named honorable-mention all-conference as both an offensive and defensive lineman. Senior running back Willy Hanson was named honorable-mention at both running back and linebacker, and punter Hunter Walz received honorable-mention honors as a specialist. With several key players expected back this fall, the Vanguards could be poised for a huge season. “It’s kind of fun to think about (2020) when you had all kinds of success with only five seniors, and our JV had an outstanding year too,” Steiner said. “But I will tell you that the first thing I am going to say when I address the kids and coaches (this) fall at our first meeting is that we are not going to compare that team with this team.   “We will be different, our opponents will be different. We’ll take each day and try to be the best we can be on that day. This is what I said this past August, and I believe it more than ever now. “I’m sure we will have some new looks and different twists on how we do some things because of having different personnel. But our passion, persistence, and daily business-like mentality must stay the same.”   Coach of the Year: Trevor Steiner, football Steiner, who coached the Vanguards in 2010, returned to the head job in 2019 after highly-successful Jeff Supernaw stepped down. Steiner then did his part to keep a good thing going. Heights took some huge graduation hits after the 2018 season. But Steiner led a young team to a 7-2 season where the Vanguards got better almost every week. “I have to say how blessed I was to have the situation that I had,” Steiner said. “Tremendous support throughout the school and community, incredible kids, coaches, and parents. It’s easy to be a coach when that’s the formula you are working with.   “I know winning games solves a lot of problems, but at the end of the day you have to walk your talk. I had never been around 8-player football. I was asked to take over for a very successful coach and from my perspective there was a level of expectation to continue the success.   “The kids deserve all the credit, our staff simply showed them the path. They’re the ones who actually had to perform day to day, and boy did they.”   Performance of the Year: Christian Patzka, cross country Christian Patzka set his goal 12 months ago. He never wavered, and he most certainly delivered. Patzka, a standout cross country runner for Wisconsin Heights/Barneveld, finished fifth at the state meet in 2018. And as Patzka headed home from the race held at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids, he had just one target in 2019. “I would say that I had no other goal than to win (state),” Patzka said. “I had been waiting for this moment since last year’s state meet and I did not want to settle for second.” Mission accomplished. At the 2019 WIAA Division 3 state meet, Patzka didn’t settle for anything. Instead, Patzka raced to an individual championship, finishing his Vanguards’ career in style. Patzka completed the 5,000-meter course in 16 minutes, 8.7 seconds, while Matthew Marcinske of Birchwood was second in 16:14.5. “To finish my senior year with a state title means everything to me,” Patzka said. “Going into my first cross country meet my freshman year, I was supposed to be on JV.  If someone told me right after that meet that I would go on to win the state meet, I think I would have a very hard time believing them.  “I know it sounds cliché, but if you set your mind to something and you always work hard and pursue that dream, you will get it. Winning that state title was one of the most emotional days of my life and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything this world has to offer.” Patzka knew many runners would expend too much energy at the start of the race, so his early goal was simply to be in the top-10 after one mile. Patzka completed his first mile in 5:02 and was in ninth place. Patzka moved up to sixth place after two miles, then grabbed the lead early in the third mile. At that point, there was no catching Patzka as he continued to pull away from a gifted field and brought a gold medal back home. “The last 400 meters was his hard-fought victory lap, sprinting for every second as the crowds cheered him on,” Wisconsin Heights coach Sara Boutelle said of Patzka. “He went into the race believing winning was possible, and he proved his worth with a great strategy and smart running.” Patzka was thrilled with how the race played out, too. “The last mile I knew I had to push myself and use the downhills to my advantage,” Patzka said. “At the awards ceremony, the other runners told me, ‘I didn’t know that someone could run downhill that fast.’  “I had knowledge of all of the other runners in my race and I did not think that the Birchwood kid would be so close to me, but I knew I had enough energy left in me to handle everyone. I took the lead right after the second mile and I held it through the finish. Seeing that finish line was the most memorable experience.” Patzka’s sensational race closed the book on a terrific career that he plans to continue in college next year. “My thought going into this meet was that I had to be both physically and mentally tough,” Patzka said. “I knew I had the ability to win it and I knew that I had to be smarter and more tactical in the race than any other runner. “I couldn’t have done anything without the help of Coach Sara Boutelle, Coach Lucas Caminiti, and Billy Boutelle. I would also like to thank my teammates for always supporting me and my parents for always leading me in the right direction. I am eternally grateful for this experience.”   Newcomers of the Year: Sam King, soccer/swimming and Derek Adler, basketball King, a freshman, was third on the Vanguards’ in both goals (eight) and points (11) during soccer season. After a banner first year, it appears the sky is the limit for King.  “Sam is a very talented soccer player,” Heights coach Bartlett Holmes said. “Prior to the start of the season I wondered how he would manage playing against 18-year olds. He played some very physical matches and never backed down.   “Sam scored against Sugar River as a freshman. That is epic. He is able to read a defense and play right through them. I can’t wait to watch him play next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.” King also had a terrific winter in the water, helping the Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights swimmers finish ninth at the WIAA Division 2 state meet. King was part of the Eagles’ 200-yard freestyle relay team that finished fourth and the 200-yard medley relay team that finished ninth. King also finished fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke. “He’ll come back next year in Division 2 as the second-ranked 100 breaststroker,” Sauk/Heights coach Todd Wuerger said of King. “That’s pretty amazing for a freshman.” Adler had a strong first year on the hardwood, averaging 5.7 points per game for a Wisconsin Heights team that went 11-12. Adler also drew the opponent’s top scorer many nights. “Derek’s just a gamer,” Heights coach Zack Colby said. “He’s fearless and pretty skilled with the ball. “You tell him to guard their best player and he says, ‘OK coach. I’ve got it.’ He’s the type of kid you want to coach.”   Senior Athlete of the Year: Jack Fields, football Fields had an unforgettable season on the gridiron, earning first-team all-conference honors at two positions. Fields caught 43 passes for 1,092 yards and 15 touchdowns, and also had 42 tackles and three interceptions on the defensive side. “I really considered him to be the pulse of the team,” Vanguards coach Trevor Steiner said of Fields. “A guy that was business every day. His daily attitude was to do what we do how we do it. He never backed down to anyone at any time this season. A real rock for the team.”   Game/event of the Year: Boys basketball — Wisconsin Heights 62, Barneveld 61 Wisconsin Heights and Barneveld High Schools form co-ops in multiple sports. Many students have known each other for years. The friendly rivalry can be intense. And when the two schools met in boys basketball in early January, they gave the crowd a thriller. Heights led host Barneveld, 62-61, in the final seconds and the Eagles got a terrific look at a potential game-winning shot. Fortunately for the Vanguards, the shot rimmed out and Heights escaped with a one-point win. “We had some missed opportunities late that allowed them back in the game, and I give Barneveld a lot of credit for cutting the lead down at the end like they did,” Heights coach Zack Colby said. “They executed some nice sets late, we missed a few free throws and the next thing you know they have a good look at the buzzer to beat us.” De’Shawn Barsness was terrific for Heights, finishing with a game-high 26 points and eight rebounds.  Cole Cribbs added six points and 10 rebounds, while Devin Brabender had six points and eight rebounds. Everett Buol and Derek Adler both had seven points, as well.   “It was nice to see some production from other guys, but this production needs to continue to increase if we’re going to be competitive in conference games moving forward,” Colby said. Barneveld led throughout the first half and took a 37-30 lead to the locker room. “I give them a lot of credit for coming out with energy and taking it to us early,” Colby said of the Eagles. “We trailed pretty much the entire first half.” Heights got rolling in the second half, though, and surged to a 10-point lead. The Eagles chipped away down the stretch and had a chance to win in the final seconds. But Heights dodged a bullet and went home happy.