By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

After one of the most successful seasons in the 13-year history of the Spencer/Columbus Catholic football co-op, the Rockets have reaped the postseason awards that come with it.

The Rockets had five first-team and five second-team selections to the 2014 All-Cloverbelt Conference Football Team, as voted on by the conference coaches.

Spencer/Columbus finished 6-2 and in third place in the Cloverbelt Conference and ended up 8-4 overall after winning a pair of WIAA Division 4 playoff games before losing in overtime to Little Chute in Level 3 of the postseason.

Running back Mitchell Susa, offensive lineman Travis Stelson, defensive lineman Zach Schneider, linebacker Hunter Hildebrandt, and defensive back Noah Zastrow were named to the first team for S/C.

Quarterback Calvin Lenz, offensive lineman Max Johnson, defensive lineman Dakota Andreae, linebacker Elijah Welsh, and defensive back Tim Bauer were named to the second team.

Susa had 406 yards rushing, 209 yards receiving, and nine offensive touchdowns to lead the Rockets’ offense during conference play.

Lenz finished with 624 passing yards and five touchdowns, and he rushed for 186 yards and scored seven times in the eight Cloverbelt games for S/C.

Hunter Luepke was an honorable mention choice as a specialist.

“We certainly received more individual recognition this year than in other years,” Spencer/Columbus coach Jason Gorst said. “That is a direct correlation to team success.

“All of our players should be proud of these awards regardless of whether or not they received them.”

The future remains bright for Spencer/Columbus, as only three of the all-conference players—Susa, Stelson and Schneider—were seniors. Luepke is a freshman, and Johnson and Zastrow are only sophomores.

“It is promising to know that we are returning eight of the 11 players that received recognition,” Gorst said.

Osseo-Fairchild quarterback Kyler Hagen and Stanley-Boyd running back Ronny Ponick were chosen as co-offensive players of the year. Stanley-Boyd defensive back Clint Warminski and linebacker Zach Turner were named co-defensive players of the year.

Stanley-Boyd’s Jeff Koenig was named Coach of the Year, and assistant Travis Schindler was picked as Assistant Coach of the Year after the Orioles finished the Cloverbelt season with a perfect 8-0 record.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

2014 All-Cloverbelt Conference Football Team

First Team Offense

Quarterback: Kyler Hagen, sr., Osseo-Fairchild.

Running backs: Connor Olson, sr., Altoona; Mitchell Susa, sr., Spencer/Columbus; Ronny Ponick, sr., Stanley-Boyd.

Wide receivers: Cody Carlstrom, sr., Osseo-Fairchild; Zachary Meyer, sr., Colby.

Offensive linemen: Nolan Kern, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Eric Jorgenson, jr., Colby; Austin Burzynski, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Josh Metzenbauer, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Matt Mercier, sr., Altoona; Travis Stelson, sr., Spencer/Columbus.

Specialist: Tanner Gaetz, sr. Colby.

First Team Defense

Defensive linemen: Adrian Lynn, sr., Colby; Adam Behling, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Zach Schneider, sr., Spencer/Columbus.

Linebackers: Zach Turner, jr., Stanley-Boyd; Hunter Hildebrandt, jr., Spencer/Columbus; McCoy Soppa, sr., Colby; Austin Schoen, sr., Fall Creek; Gunnar Kern, sr., Eau Claire Regis.

Defensive backs: Clint Warminski, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Noah Zastrow, so., Spencer/Columbus; Jaxon Brown, sr., Eau Claire Regis.

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Calvin Lenz, jr., Spencer/Columbus.

Running back: Tommy Cicha, jr., Eau Claire Regis; Noel Ortiz, so., Eau Claire Regis; Brian Giles, sr., Osseo-Fairchild.

Wide receivers: Devon Opelt, sr., Neillsville; Brett McChesney, sr., Cadott.

Offensive linemen: Nick Ciszak, jr., Stanley-Boyd; Noah Druckrey, jr., Altoona; Logan Peissig, sr., Colby; Alex Myhers, jr., Osseo-Fairchild; Max Johnson, so., Spencer/Columbus.

Specialist: Nate McDonald, sr., Neillsville.

Second Team Defense

Defensive linemen: Jake Halterman, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Dakota Andreae, jr., Spencer/Columbus; Konnor Denzine, sr., Colby; Caleb Schulz, sr., Fall Creek.

Linebackers: Steve Spaeth, jr., Stanley-Boyd; Derek Krejci, sr., Neillsville; Ben Turner, fr., Stanley-Boyd; Elijah Welsh, jr., Spencer/Columbus.

Defensive backs: Tim Bauer, jr., Spencer/Columbus; Trent Peterson, jr., Altoona; Nolan Matson, sr., Neillsville; Noah Schober, jr., Eau Claire Regis.

Honorable Mention Offense

Quarterbacks: Micah Burch, sr., Altoona; Seth Hause, so., Stanley-Boyd.

Running back: Cody Cline, jr., Fall Creek.

Wide receivers: Brandon Wekkin, sr., Altoona; Dominic Bourget, jr., Eau Claire Regis.

Offensive linemen: Kaden Bowman, fr., Osseo-Fairchild; Seth Lokken, sr., Eau Claire Regis.

Specialists: Hunter Luepke, fr., Spencer/Columbus; Richie Misischia, sr., Eau Claire Regis.

Honorable Mention Defense

Defensive linemen: Jason Kurth, jr., Neillsville; Trent Sell, so., Altoona; Lucas Bowerman, jr., Osseo-Fairchild; Sam Byrne, sr., Eau Claire Regis.

Linebackers: Eric Reetz, sr., Fall Creek; Jake Walker, so., Osseo-Fairchild; Bubba Davis, sr., Eau Claire Regis.

Defensive backs: Daylon DeSouza, sr., Eau Claire Regis; Brayton Meyer, sr., Fall Creek; Zak Ingersoll, so., Stanley-Boyd; Andy Hogden, sr., Colby; Jake Purdlick, so., Osseo-Fairchild.

Awards

Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Kyler Hagen, Osseo-Fairchild, and Ronny Ponick, Stanley-Boyd.

Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Clint Warminski, Stanley-Boyd, and Zach Turner, Stanley-Boyd.

Coach of the Year: Jeff Koenig, Stanley-Boyd.

Assistant Coach of the Year: Travis Schindler, Stanley-Boyd.