SPASH QB WARZYNSKI NAMED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ON ALL-VALLEY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION TEAM
By Paul Lecker
Zaleski Sports
Stevens Point senior quarterback Riley Warzynski was named Offensive Player of the Year, Wausau West defensive end Daveon Gillespie was chosen as Defensive Player of the Year, and Wausau West coach Jason Foster was named Coach of the Year as the All-Valley Football Association Team was announced following the season.
Warzynski threw for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns, with just three interceptions, as Stevens Point tied with Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau West for the VFA title.
Gillespie had 31 tackles, including nine quarterback sacks for Wausau West.
Marshfield seniors Zak Glamann, Cam Dennee and Ryan Dolezal earned first-team honors on the 2021 All-Valley Football Association Team, as voted on by the seven conference coaches following the season.
Glamann, a defensive lineman, Dennee, an inside linebacker, and Dolezal, an outside linebacker, helped lead a Marshfield defense that allowed just 74 points in six conference games this season, which was the best in the VFA as the Tigers finished 3-3.
Dennee tied for the VFA lead with 43 tackles, Glamann had 33 tackles, including four for loss, and Dolezal had 28, including seven for loss for Marshfield.
Joining Warzynski on the first team from Stevens Point were offensive lineman Bryce Ehr, fullback/tight ends Daniel Zdroik, receiver Peyton Pumper, defensive back Tommy Drohner, and Ben Raczek, who was a first-team selection at both fullback/tight end and inside linebacker.
Pumper led the VFA with 32 catches for 346 yards and five touchdowns, and Zdorik added 18 catches for 241 yards and four scores. Raczek had 29 tackles, including eight for loss.
Wisconsin Rapids had seven first-team picks – offensive linemen Jack Blokhuis and Mitch Blockhuis, running back Leo Brostowitz, defensive end Connor Akey, inside linebacker Keagan Christy, outside linebacker Peter Rucker, and defensive back Jackson Schooley. Akey was the only junior to be selected to the first-team defense.
Brostowitz led the conference in rushing with 1,226 yards and 14 touchdowns in just six games, averaging 8.8 yards per carry.
2021 All-Valley Football Association Team
First Team
Offense
Linemen: Cayden Kershaw, jr., Wausau West; Jack Blokhuis, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Cole Stevens, jr., D.C. Everest; Bryce Her, sr., Stevens Point; Mitch Blokhuis, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Logan Burish, sr., Wausau West.
Fullbacks/tight ends: Joe Berens, sr., Wausau West; Daniel Zdroik, sr., Stevens Point; Ben Raczek, sr., Stevens Point.
Receivers: Ty Strehlow, sr., D.C. Everest; Peyton Pumper, jr., Stevens Point; E.J. Holt, jr., Appleton West.
Running backs: Colton Geurink, sr., Wausau West; Leo Brostowitz, jr., Wisconsin Rapids; Ben Vallafskey, jr., Appleton West.
Quarterback: Riley Warzynski, sr., Stevens Point.
Defense
Linemen: Zak Glamann, sr., Marshfield; Devyn Farrell, sr., Appleton West; Mitch Danielski, sr., D.C. Everest; Daveon Gillespie, sr., Wausau West; Connor Akey, jr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Inside linebackers: Cam Dennee, sr., Marshfield; Joe Berens, sr., Wausau West; Ben Raczek, sr., Stevens Point; Keagan Christy, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Outside linebackers: Peter Rucker, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Ryan Dolezal, sr., Marshfield; Max Buchholz, sr., D.C. Everest.
Defensive backs: Tommy Drohner, sr., Stevens Point; Reed Napiwocki, sr., Wausau West; Jackson Schooley, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Ty Strehlow, sr., D.C. Everest.
Kicker: Drew Klein, sr., Hortonville.
Punter: Ty Strehlow, sr., D.C. Everest.
Return specialist: Triton Schmidt, sr., D.C. Everest.
Second Team
Offense
Linemen: Brandt Rice, jr., Wausau West; Simon Raycher, sr., Marshfield; Jakob Wille, sr., D.C. Everest; Bodie Schanhofer, sr., Hortonville.
Fullback/tight end: Simon Witt, jr., D.C. Everest.
Receiver: Quinton Martin, sr., Stevens Point.
Running back: Brock Babiash, sr., D.C. Everest.
Quarterback: Sam Dodd, sr., Hortonville.
Defense
Line: Jaren Rohde, sr., Stevens Point.
Ends: Connor Seavers, sr., Stevens Point; Joey Carolfi, sr., Marshfield.
Inside linebackers: Carson Davczyk, jr., D.C. Everest; Brandon Dodge, sr., Appleton West.
Outside linebacker: Ashton Smola, sr., Stevens Point.
Defensive backs: Christian Chin, sr., Marshfield; Triton Schmidt, sr., D.C. Everest.
Kicker: Alec Schuster, sr., D.C. Everest.
Punter: Austin Simon, sr., Stevens Point.
Return specialist: Hunter Miller, sr., Hortonville.
Honorable Mention
Offense
Linemen: Devyn Farrell, sr., Appleton West; Noah Peterson, jr., Marshfield; Sean Arneson, sr., Stevens Point; Kaden Brooks, sr., Stevens Point: Sam Kray, sr., Wausau West; Luke Hafermann, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Receivers: Aiden Leist, sr., Hortonville; Gavin Fravert, sr., Marshfield; Carson Kvernen, sr., Marshfield.
Running backs: Matthew Trulen, sr., Marshfield; Hunter Strange, sr., Hortonville; Nick Cotter, sr., D.C. Everest; Austin Junemann, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Quarterback: Jack Berens, sr., Wausau West.
Defense
Line: Zach Roovers, sr., Hortonville; Nathan LaRue, sr., Wausau West; Adrian Kruger, jr., Marshfield; Cade Stankowski, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Ends: Isaac Dagit, jr., Marshfield; August Maurer, jr., Hortonville.
Inside linebackers: Ben Smith, so., Hortonville; Kyle Meyer, jr., Appleton West; Simon Witt, jr., D.C. Everest; Miles Sillas, so., Hortonville; Kale Roth, jr., Stevens Point.
Outside linebackers: Arlin Sangster, jr., D.C. Everest; T.J. Schierl, jr., Stevens Point; E.J. Holt, jr., Appleton West.
Defensive backs: Braden Kapitz, sr., Wausau West; Alec Schuster, sr., D.C. Everest; Chase Hinson, sr., Marshfield; Jabari Anderson, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Rolland Tremain, jr., Appleton West; Jared Marvin, jr., Appleton West; Marshal VanHandel, sr., Hortonville; Colin Wendt, so., Hortonville; Ryken Kohlbeck, sr., Marshfield; Ty Madlena, jr., Stevens Point; Max Theiler, sr., Wausau West; Will Matteson, sr., Wausau West; Brennan Huber, jr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Return specialist: Ben Vallafskey, jr., Appleton West.
Offensive Player of the Year: Riley Warzynski, Stevens Point.
Defensive Player of the Year: Daveon Gillespie, Wausau West.
Coach of the Year: