Gridiron Club Focus Nov. 3, 2009 By VERN CAHAK
The Antigo High School Red Robins didn't win a championship or playoff game but they accomplished some good things individually and collectively during the recently concluded 2009 season.
Coach John Lund's gridders possessed the school's most potent offense in 22 years on the way to taking undisputed second place in the Great Northern Conference with a 5-1 record and a winning 6-4 overall mark. AHS is 10-2 in its first two years in the GNC.
The Robin offense produced 308 points during the season, the most by an Antigo team since 1987. And that team played 12 games instead of 10.
Five Antigo players put up some impressive numbers, combining for 235 points and 2,816 rushing yards.
Senior Keagan Marten led the Robins in scoring with 66 points on 11 touchdowns and in rushing with 892 yards on 129 carries.
Senior quarterback Skylar Cameron, who climaxed an outstanding career with a pair of touchdown runs and 129 yards against LaCrosse Central, finished with 54 points on nine TDs and 501 rushing yards.
Junior speedster Nico Fulsom tallied 50 points and gained 840 yards on the ground in just 90 carries for a nine yard average to finish second in rushing and third in scoring.
Junior Kolten Martin rounded out that talented group with 30 points and 583 yards in 163 rushing attempts.
And we can't say enough about junior soccer player Ryan Pikka, who became one of the most proficient placekickers in Antigo history. He converted 35 of 40 extra point attempts and actually had just three misses as two of his kicks were blocked.
His 35 PAT's rank second highest ever at AHS behind the 38 posted by Craig Schmidtke during Antigo's 12-game season in 1987. He surpassed the 34 conversions by Dan Rettinger during Antigo's 1978 state championship year and matched last season by career record breaking kicker Joe Hoffmeister.
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Thanks to Steve Welnetz, we have some impressive defensive statistics by the Red Robins. Although Antigo pass interception records are not available, the Robins of '09 very likely set a new school standard with 16 interceptions during the nine-game regular season.
Nick Marciniak picked off six enemy passes, which may be an individual AHS record. Kyle Geiger had four interceptions totaling 185 yards and returned two of them for touchdowns, including a 90-yard runback. Collecting two picks each were Cameron and Kolten Marten while Alex Shinners and Alex Deacy had one each. Shinners returned his theft for a touchdown.
Mike Waldvogel led the Robins in tackles with 68 solos and 18 assists, Cameron was in on 85 tackles, including 64 solos and 21 assists, and Keagan Marten ranked third with 61 and 18.
Other leaders included Justin Schutt with 44 tackles and 15 assists; Geiger, 37 and 19; Marciniak, 27 and 11; Eric Hendrickson, 20 and 10; Matt McMahon, 20 and nine; and Shinners, 20 and seven.
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This has been a historic year for Merrill High School football and the Antigo Gridiron Club congratulates the Bluejays on their great season. Back on Sept. 19, when Antigo suffered a 28-14 loss to Merrill after playing the Jays to a 14-14 tie heading into the final period, there was speculation that the Red Robins played poorly and should have won. But as the season progressed, it was apparent that Merrill had a very good football team. It won the Great Northern Conference championship with a 6-0 record for its first title in 30 years.
The Bluejays finished 8-1 during the regular season and then won their first playoff game in history, whipping Tomah, 42-7, in a Division 2, Level 1 game. That was followed by even a greater accomplishment when they knocked off perennial power Menomonie, 13-6 on Saturday, breaking the Indians’ 18 game streak of reaching the Level 3 playoffs.
Coach Tom Tourtillott's team faces a monumental assigmnent this weekend in Level 3. The Bluejays meet 10-1 Marshfield, which beat LaCrosse Central, 27-20. The Tigers handed Merrill its only defeat of the season, 24-0 early in the season. The winner meets the Kimberly-Pulaski survivor in the semi-finals the weekend of Nov. 13-14.
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