By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
GREEN BAY – The Notre Dame Academy football team started the 2019 season with a win but then lost eight straight to the end year.
“We’re not used to that,” said head coach Mike Rader. “That wasn’t Notre Dame football. We have a history of winning and a good tradition. Sometimes it doesn’t happen the way you want it to. Our seniors this year recognize what happened last season and want to rectify that.”
The Tritons’ only local opponent this season is West De Pere, and Rader said he has mixed emotions about the seven-game schedule.
“I’m excited to play new teams, but I’ll also miss playing in the FRCC (Fox River Classic Conference),” he said. “It’s an extremely competitive schedule – six of the seven teams were playoff contenders last year and are about the same size as us. Marquette lost to Bay Port in the (WIAA Level 3) playoffs last season. We enjoy playing against the local schools, but we’ll have to take a year off from doing that.”
Other FRCC football members Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, De Pere, Green Bay East, Green Bay Preble, Green Bay Southwest, Green Bay West and Pulaski moved their fall sports to the spring.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, the Tritons’ numbers are up.
“I’d guess we’ve seen a 15-percent increase in the number of players this year,” said Rader. “Many programs are in the same boat as us. It’s great to have – last year our numbers weren’t good.”
Hogan Anderson will move from quarterback to tight end this season.
Quarterback Sam Lagowski started the final game of 2019 against Manitowoc.
Running back James Arett, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last year and garnered second-team all-conference honors, has graduated.
Will Zellner, the starting safety last season, will also be in the backfield this year.
“I’m stoked we get to play this fall,” said Zellner, the only returning all-conference player to this year’s roster. “My senior season is something I’ve dreamed about for a long time. Our athletic director (Matt Koenig) did a great job putting a schedule together.”
Rader said Daniel Hornacek will also be in the mix at running back.”
“Daniel isn’t real big, but he’s a competitor,” he said.
Defensively, Rader said his team doesn’t have much size, but it has athletes.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys we can plug into different positions,” he said. “We played lots of guys last year. At one point toward the end of last season, we had eight sophomores in the game at one time on defense. They saw time and should step up this year.”
Offensive lineman Joel Meglic, a first-team all-conference player, also graduated.
Rader spent the last five minutes of a recent practice discussing COVID-19 protocols with his team.
“It’s weird, and I keep telling the kids that,” Rader said. “The kids are being flexible, and they’re doing a good job of following things. But, they’re still kids, and we have to remind them sometimes. There are enough new things we have to follow to make it a distraction, and that’s part of the challenge – keeping the kids focused on football. We’re all simply happy to be out here.”
2020 Notre Dame Academy football schedule
Sept. 25 – @ Kaukauna
Oct. 2 – @ Martin Luther
Oct. 9 – @ West De Pere
Oct. 16 – Marquette
Oct. 24 – Madison Edgewood (3 p.m.)
Oct. 30 – @ Menomonie
Nov. 6 – Menasha
Editor’s note: All games begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.