NRHEG to face Caledonia in state quarterfinals
NRHEG High School football seniors posed for a photo with the Section 2AA championship trophy. From left: Lucas Bailey, Sawyer VanMeldeghem, Tyler Jacobson, Jacob Schuller, Alex Buckmeier, Spencer Tufte, Quinten Arndt, Devin Buendorf and Brady Agrimson. The Panthers face Caledonia in the state quarterfinsals Friday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Burnsville High School. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is another state tournament appearance for the NRHEG Panthers.
That's how public address announcer Mark Domeier may have put it if the game were played in New Richland.
The Panthers shocked nearly everyone Friday night, knocking off WEM 46-6 at Janesville for the Section 2AA championship, their first-ever section crown in football. The victory avenged a 48-6 loss at the hands of the Bucs in the Panthers' homecoming game.
It's the first section championship for NRHEG football, though New Richland-Hartland won numerous titles including two state championships under coach Jim Simser in 1976 and '78. The Panthers, who have a strong winning tradition in football, have been seeded No. 1 in the section and reached the section finals but never before advanced to the state football tournament. This year the Panthers were seeded second, one spot behind WEM.
Panthers coach Marc Krueger needed only one word to describe how it feels: spectacular.
"I have yet to let the plaque out of my sight, going as far as buckling it into my car as I drove home," said Kruger. "The players joked about thinking I was going to sleep with it in my bed, and I'll be honest, I thought about it. Coaching has been a dream of mine my entire life, and to get this job and to have made it this far just sets up pieces to what has been the best year of my life."
Kruger said he never dreamed about a section title as practice started, but after two or three days he realized the Panthers could do something special.
"This team is loaded with talent and leadership," he said. "I felt that if we put all the pieces together, it could be a good year. I'm not sure I can say I knew it would be this good though. The boys deserve a ton of credit in their development."
Kruger had some words for the seniors.
"One extra point I wanted to make was for this group of seniors," he said. "Before the game they had time to talk to the team, and their biggest focus was on winning this title, not just for them, but for the community. It was an awesome moment."
How far can this year's Panthers go?
"I truly think that we have the leadership, skill, speed, talent and any other measurement needed to match up with anyone," he said. "Our goal is to hoist another championship trophy before the year is done. We get Caledonia in the first round, and that will be a real tough out."
Caledonia, with a rich winning tradition, is undefeated and riding a 51-game winning streak.
"It will be a great test," said Kruger. "And I look forward to it."
The Panthers, who improved their record to 9-2, will face Section 1AA champion Caldedonia Friday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Burnsville High School. The winner of that game plays in the state semifinals against Pillager or Paynesville Area Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Class AA state championship game is Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Members of the NRHEG squad include seniors Jacob Schuller, Tyler Jacobson, Sawyer VanMaldeghem, Lucas Bailey, Brady Agrimson, Devin Buendorf, Alex Buckmeier, Jack Hogstad, Quinten Arndt and Spencer Tufte, juniors Lonnie Wilson, Blake Ihrke, Mason Ferber and Hunter Knutson, and sophomores Kordell Schlaak, Austin Kofstad, Evan Reyna, Teddy Gushwa, Dakota Neste, Nathan Cross, Nick Staloch, Caden Beauvais, Riley Chicos, Thor Routh, Andrew Hoelscher, Max Seltun, Brandon Howieson, Conner Okland and freshman Ben Schoenrock.
The Panthers are guided by first-year head coach Kruger, who's assisted by Duey Ferber, Matt Schultz and Neil Fuchs.
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