By Greg Bates
Correspondent
DE PERE – One thing has been apparent this alternate fall football season – the De Pere football players are having fun, and why shouldn’t they be?
The squad is 5-0 with an offense that’s been tough to slow down and a defense allowing only 6.8 points per game – that’s a recipe for fun.
De Pere kept its memorable season rolling Friday, April 23, as it scored on its first five possessions in blowing out visiting Manitowoc Lincoln, 40-0.
“They’re embracing every opportunity to compete,” De Pere head coach Chad Michalkiewicz said.
This is the first time De Pere has won five games in a season since 2015.
“It feels good,” said senior wide receiver/defensive back Maddax Shinners. “We’ve had lackluster seasons the previous years, and this is our coming-out party.”
The victory was a coming-out party for the duo of Shinners and quarterback Gabe Herman.
The pair has been playing well all season, but against Lincoln, the two were unstoppable.
Herman was 9-for-11 passing for 239 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
The sophomore also ran for a pair of 2-point conversions and threw for one more 2-point conversion.
Shinners was just as impressive, hauling in six catches for 130 yards, with three touchdowns and one 2-point conversion.
The two laughed when they heard their gaudy statistics for playing just one half and 1:17 of the third quarter before getting pulled for the second-string unit.
“Studs,” Shinners laughed. “Studs.”
“It was a good team win,” added Herman.
Shinners has 22 catches this season, seven for touchdowns.
The pair built its chemistry during the summer months, and it has kept getting more polished each game.
“Saturday mornings, Gabe would text me and say, ‘Let’s go throw,’” Shinners said. “As Gabe said, we worked every day this summer and did every route in the book. It showed in our 7-on-7, and it’s showing on the field. This kid is a special young talent.”
Shinners announced in January he’ll be playing football in the fall at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
In his first five games this spring, he’s averaging 98.6 receiving yards per game and 22.4 yards per catch.
“There’s no shame in the D-II scholarship he earned, but he’s one of those players who missed out on not playing in the fall,” Michalkiewicz said about Shinners. “He added lots of bulk; he’s a 4.5 (second) 40 (yard) guy with a huge frame. He’s a big-time football player.”
After the De Pere defense stopped Lincoln at its 33 on the opening drive, the Redbirds went to work.
Facing a fourth-and-goal at the 7, they had the perfect call: a middle screen pass to running back Adam Timbrook for a touchdown.
He added a 2-point run to put the home team up 8-0.
“I don’t want to jinx it, but we’ve scored on our first drive every game of the season so far, and that’s a testament to our coaching staff doing a great job game-planning and a testament to the kids, understanding what we’re trying to do and executing,” Michalkiewicz said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing – to score on your first five possessions means you don’t have pre-snap penalties, you’re not making mistakes, you’re catching the football and you’re making the right blocks. You still have to execute, so that’s a tough feat.”
Generally, on the Wednesday for a game, Michalkiewicz said he’ll script the first 10 offensive plays.
Michalkiewicz was asked if the scripted plays included two touchdowns this week.
“That would be bold to say,” Michalkiewicz said laughing. “Sometimes for fun on a Thursday, we’ll go through our first 10, and I’ll say, ‘Hey, there are two or three touchdowns in there.’ That’s the intention. You’re giving them looks you think will work.”
De Pere scored next on a Shinners 33-yard catch and 2-point conversion catch to make it 16-0.
On the third drive, the Redbirds went with some trickery, as Timbrook took a pitch, scrambled around and then found Shinners in the end zone for a touchdown.
“That was the play call, but we told him, ‘You don’t have to throw it – it’s still a regular toss,’” said Michalkiewicz. “He cut back and set his feet – he must be watching the quarterback in between periods at practice. You saw good football players make good football plays – it was fun to watch.”
Up 24-0 after a 2-point run by Herman, De Pere got the ball back at its 39 with 47.1 seconds remaining in the first half.
Michalkiewicz wanted to give his sophomore quarterback an opportunity to see what he could do in that situation.
“Coach says, ‘Give Maddax one shot and if not, we’ll run the clock out and go into halftime with the lead,’” Herman said. “I gave Maddax a chance, and he did what Maddax does.”
Herman heaved the ball 50-55 yards in the air, and Shinners split two defenders and pulled down the ball at the Manitowoc 6.
“After about 20 yards, I saw (Lincoln was in) double coverage,” Shinners said. “I wasn’t sure if Gabe was throwing me the ball. I turned around, and it’s coming. I didn’t know if I was going to have to back up for it or keep running. As Gabe does, the ball found me.”
The next play, Herman hit Shinners for a 6-yard touchdown.
Herman added the 2-point run to make it 32-0.
Getting the ball first after halftime, De Pere had a third-and-7 at its 28.
Herman rolled out, avoided multiple sack chances and hit Nicholas Kerkhoff.
He cut across the field and raced for a 72-yard touchdown.
Timbrook got a 2-point run.
For how impressive De Pere’s offense was, the Redbirds’ defense was stout.
The Ships had a mere 51 yards on 30 plays and were 0-for-6 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down.
This is De Pere’s second shutout this season.
“Swarming to the football, they’re well-coached,” Michalkiewicz said. “Our defensive staff does a great job. It’s the D-line getting to where they’re supposed to, the linebackers understanding where they fit and trusting the D-backs behind them. It’s a good mesh of 11 guys doing their job.”
De Pere’s next game will be a conference crossover Friday, April 30.
The Redbirds, the No. 1 seed in their division, will host second-seeded Sheboygan North (4-1).