Almond-Bancroft finds motivation for season By NICK BRILOWSKI Special to The Gazette As much success as the Almond-Bancroft football enjoyed during the 2000 season, it is a blowout loss in the opening round of the WIAA playoffs that motivates the 2001 squad and has left a bad taste in its mouth. After dropping a 62-6 decision to Wisconsin Rapids Assumption in the playoffs, Eagles' head coach Rodney Wedig hopes the team's second-place finish in the Central Wisconsin Conference Small Division and its third playoff appearance in school history will be a stepping stone to bigger and better things in 2001. "We bring that up every day in practice," Wedig said of the playoff loss. "I think they have to build on that. I had the feeling that was probably the one game we underachieved last year and I think that some of that might have been that some of the kids were just happy to be there. And I don't think you can do that any more." After posting a 3-6 record in 1999, A-B surprised many people by posting a 6-4 mark in 2000. The Eagles' 6-2 record in conference play saw them finish only behind Wild Rose. Even though A-B must replace a number of talented seniors from last season's squad, Wedig is hopeful that a number of this year's juniors, who saw extensive playing time last year as sophomores, will continue the strong efforts they displayed a year ago. "There's some very talented individuals there that we're going to count on to really carry the load for us," Wedig stated. "They did a great job stepping in last year but we're expecting big things from them this year." Perhaps one of the Eagles' most significant keys to their improvement in 2000 was the improvement of the team's play on defense. After finishing dead last in defense in the CWC in 1999, A-B skyrocketed to second last season. "One of our main goals is to finish first in the conference in defense," Wedig said. "That was one of the things in the scrimmage we struggled a little bit with just because we're plugging in new people." Offensively, the Eagles must replace a pair of record-breaking starters, quarterback Chris Leary and receiver Matt Cummings. Leary, a three-year starter, threw for a school season-high 11 touchdowns in 2000 while Cummings broke a single season mark with 49 receptions. The Eagles must also replace Charlie Warzynski who was a two-way All-CWC selection a year ago. In the conference, Wedig feels that Iola-Scandinavia and Port Edwards' experience will help them field strong squads along with Rosholt and Tigerton. Coincidentally, those four teams comprise the opening four games on the Eagles' schedule. A-B opens its season Friday night when it hosts Port Edwards. Here's a look at the Eagles position by position: Quarterback The Eagles will look to a pair of signal-callers to replace departed three-year starter Chris Leary. Juniors Dave Johnson and Joel Erickson will assume the duties on an alternating basis. Running backs With the losses at quarterback and receiver, the Eagles may shift their focus to the ground game and junior Jacob Warzynski. As a sophomore, Warzynski rushed for 815 yards. Chris Lamb (99 yards, one touchdown in 2000) is also expected to start in the backfield after breaking his wrist last season. Jason Sanchez and Gabe Lopez will also battle for playing time. Receivers While replacing Cummings' production from last season may be impossible for one individual, A-B will turn to a committee of receivers to keep the passing game alive. Vince Konczak, Ricky Wellens, Brian Scheel will look to battle it out for playing time. Meanwhile, Adam Berry will likely handle the tight end duties. Offensive line Another area of concern is the front five where just Heslyn Menadue and Zach Mykisen return as starters holding down the guard postions. Dusty Warzynski will handle the center postion. The tackle spots are still wide open with Tony Harn, Jacob Barden, Todd Phelps, Riley Helbach and Fred Clark looking to break the lineup. Defensive line Three starters return up front for the Eagles with Dusty Warzynski, who led the team with 9.5 sacks last season, headlining the unit. Also returning are Berry and Menadue. They will likely be joined by Mykisen who saw extensive action a year ago. Phelps currently holds the edge at nose guard. Linebacker Jacob Warzynski, Konczak and Lamb will hold down the linebacker spots while depth at the position is a concern. Wedig stated that other individuals may be moved around in order to provide backups at the position. Defensive backs The secondary will feature four newcomers to the starting lineup. Johnson, Scheel, Lopez, Sanchez will all see playing time while Wellens will back them up. Special teams Erickson, the All-CWC kicker in 2000, returns to handle both the kicking and punting duties. Johnson, Lopez and Jason Sanchez will share the returning duties.