It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows anymore in Reedsville as reality has set in. The Panthers will no longer have #4 around. Brennan Dvorachek might’ve been one of the most gifted athletes at any level, and he absolutely dominated in the Division 7 high school football playoffs. A 10-point loss to Cedar Grove-Belgium on October 8th didn’t slow down Reedsville as they had every intention of playing through the middle of November. That vision ultimately became a reality, and a 17-0 shutout over then undefeated Coleman resulted in the Reedsville Panthers claiming their first football state championship.
Before Reedsville even began to think about the playoffs, they were a part of one of the wildest regular seasons in recent history. Three teams in the Big East conference finished 6-1. Other than Reedsville, Cedar Grove-Belgium and Hilbert stood atop the standings. This is where things got interesting…
Cedar Grove-Belgium def. Reedsville
Hilbert def. Cedar Grove-Belgium
Reedsville def. Hilbert
Hilbert and Cedar Grove-Belgium put on the game of the year which resulted in a 42-41 Hilbert victory, but looking at the bigger picture, Reedsville wound out on top. The only team to defeat Reedsville was defeated by Hilbert, who was defeated by Reedsville. Reedsville beat the team that beat the team who beat them. Got it?
Reedsville was able to host three playoff games, and they certainly didn’t let that experience go to waste. Combined, the Panthers outscored their opponents 135-39 in those three games. The playoff routing didn’t end there as Reedsville confidently headed to Ripon where they smashed Cashton 47-8. Many questioned how Reedsville could handle the dynamic duo of Kinzinger and Bieber from Coleman, but Reedsville didn’t.
Reedsville did what they do best, pounded the ball, took time off of the clock, and played outstanding defense. Kinzinger and Bieber accounted for over 2500 rushing yards together during the season. Reedsville held them to 60 yards combined in the state tournament. Reedsville didn’t throw the ball once. Every single play was some sort of run, and the Panthers 14-0 lead at halftime never folded. Aaron Frederick didn’t overcoach, he kept it simple. A few questionable play calls by Coleman resulted in them being shut out, 17-0, in the first game at Camp Randall.
Where Are They Now?
Brennan Dvorachek possessed a 119.5QBR on the season which is mind-blowing when you realize he still threw 118 passes even with his 1687 rushing yards. Dvorachek could not be stopped. 17 of his 63 completions were for a touchdown, and he managed to finish the year only throwing two interceptions. 17 touchdowns not enough for you? Good, we’re just getting started. Brennan rushed for 26 touchdowns and only fumbled the ball once. The fact that Dvorachek and Weston Liebzeit, both 2022 graduates, combined for 39 touchdowns, two fumbles, and just over 200 rushing yards per game is astonishing.
Liebzeit was two carries shy of 100 on the season. He turned those attempts into roughly half of Dvorachek’s yards, 862 with 13 touchdowns to end the year. Cole Ebert, another 2022 graduate, was another huge asset offensively. Ebert had 11 more carries than Liebzeit yet finished with over 200 less yards and three touchdowns shy of Weston’s total. Safe to say, Liebzeit was a beast.
Gavin Totten, Dvorachek’s favorite end-zone target, also found himself graduating in 2022. Totten finished 3rd in receiving yards with 208, but seven of his 12 receptions resulted in a touchdown. Remarkable. Liebzeit again deserves some attention as he hauled in five touchdown passes and was just 16 yards shy of the Panthers leading receiver. Leading the way for Reedsville was Ryan Taddy, finally a name who didn’t graduate in 2022.
Ryan Taddy is going to be a huge focal point of Reedsville’s offense this season. He’s coming off of a 27-reception season, one shy of doubling Liebzeit. Taddy led the way with 377 receiving yards, even though he only finished with two touchdowns. The question that lies is, will Reedsville have a strong passing attack?
Looking Ahead
In the 2021 season, Reedsville threw the ball 120 times. Brennan Dvorachek threw the ball 118 of those… The only other players to attempt a pass were Weston Liebzeit (a 15-yard trick play TD pass), and Ayden Sebo. Sebo was listed as a QB/CB on the depth chart last year, so it might be his time to shine in 2022. The 2024 graduate will have two seasons to develop and make this offense his own.
Going back to the 2019 season with Dvorachek as quarterback, there were only six passes not thrown by him. Liebzeit has three of those six while Ryan Taddy had a pair in that 2019 season to go along with Sebo’s one incompletion thrown last year. A rebuild isn’t a question at this point, it’s a reality.
There are still some great names left on this Reedsville squad. Dain Totten, a feisty linebacker who led the team in total tackles last season is sticking around for another year. Another member of the Dvorachek family, Camden, will undoubtedly have a huge role as he’s a Panther for the next two seasons. Camden Dvorachek was third in total tackles and tied for second in the tackles for loss category.
Both Adler Strenn and Casey Braun Jr. finished one tackle behind Camden. Braun Jr. was one of the five Panthers to finish with two interceptions on the season. These are two more huge names that are sticking around. While this’ll be Casey’s senior season, Adler is in the same class as Camden. Defensively, Reedsville is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
The Schedule
Reedsville will open their season at home this Friday, August 19th as they host Mishicot. Kevin Fix’s D6 Mishicot squad is from the Packerland conference, but it’ll be a full house in Reedsville to support the two local teams. After a 4-8 season, the Indians are looking to play spoiler as Reedsville looks to go back-to-back.
Titan Stadium is the destination the next week as Reedsville heads to UW-Oshkosh for a date with Lourdes Academy. That August 26th game begins a stretch where four of Reedsville’s next five games will be on the road, but the one they get at home is a big one. All of the Panthers have their calendar set to September 9th, a rematch with Cedar Grove-Belgium, the only team to hand them a loss last season. Two of Reedsville’s final three games will be at home, including the huge Hilbert game on October 7th. The Big East isn’t getting any easier this season, and it’ll be an uphill battle for a Reedsville team that lost so many of their offensive weapons.
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