By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
GREEN BAY – Second-year Green Bay West Wildcats head coach Skylar Liebzeit is the first to admit his team struggled this past alternate fall season in the spring.
But the young coach said his players have a renewed energy moving forward.
“The start of the season is like Christmas morning,” he said. “Lots of kids are coming back to football. The spring season threw them for a loop, and it wasn’t normal. Our upperclassmen, some of who had commitments in the spring, are returning to normalcy. Fall is football, winter is basketball and spring is for other sports. The spring season was good for the seniors who were getting one last go-around at it, but we’re ready for fall football – the way it should be.”
The Wildcats had low numbers in the spring, but Liebzeit said that’s improved.
“We have in the upper 30s (on the roster), but hopefully, that will increase even more as we move along,” he said. “We went into our Sheboygan South game (in the spring) with 14 players. We’ve been putting the focus on the kids. There’s been lots of turnover here, so it’s nice for them to see a familiar face. It’s a different feel this year.”
Liebzeit said his team wants to be competitive and win every game, but the main focus is the rivalry game with Green Bay East.
“This past season, it was tough to see 14 guys on one sideline and 15 on the other,” he said. “With improved numbers for each team, we should have more fun with it and make it feel more like a real football game. This year, we’ll at least have a little bit of depth – bodies wear out.”
Liebzeit said his team’s strength is familiarity.
“The kids are coming into the same offense this season,” he said. “We have a new defense, but that will play more into our team strength with our defensive line. Our lines on both sides of the ball are strengths. We’re young still, but the nice thing is, we have some great athletes coming in.”
Defensively, junior Jalen Brown returns.
“(Brown) was a second-team all-conference selection last season,” Liebzeit said. “He almost led the conference in tackles from his defensive end position in only three games played. He’s a great player for us. We also have (sophomores) Jaysean Wright and D’Wuan Hamilton back. We have some good-sized kids on the line.”
Liebzeit said his team is young but talented.
“We have kids who’ve played some football,” he said. “For the first time in four years, we’ll have someone new at quarterback after Jack Hemery graduated – that will be a challenge. We also have some freshmen who might see some varsity time.”
Green Bay West 2021 regular season schedule
8/20 – Clintonville (56-24 L)
8/27 – Manawa
9/3 – Menasha
9/10 – @ Notre Dame Academy
9/17 – Manitowoc Lincoln
9/24 – @ Sheboygan South
10/1 – Green Bay East
10/8 – @ Ashwaubenon
10/15 – @ Sheboygan North
• All games begin at 7 p.m.
To read the preview for Ashwaubenon, CLICK HERE.
To read the preview for Bay Port, CLICK HERE.
To read the preview for De Pere, CLICK HERE.
To read the preview for Green Bay East, CLICK HERE.
To read the preview for Green Bay Preble, CLICK HERE.
To read the preview for Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran/Oneida Nation, CLICK HERE.