By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
The stated goal for the Elkhorn Area High School football team as it embarks on 2016 is to finish in the top half of the Southern Lakes Conference and advance to the WIAA Division 3 playoffs.
The Elks slipped last season after winning a share of the SLC title and advancing to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. 2015 ended with Elkhorn needing to beat a woeful Westosha Central squad in the final game of the regular season to avoid last place in the conference.
To the Elks’ credit, the program responded with a 27-0 win on the road against the winless Falcons at Paddock Lake. The victory meant the Elks finished seventh in the SLC with a record of 1-6. Elkhorn finished 2-7 overall.
The Elks, which play in the WIAA’s Division 3, lost three games by fewer than two touchdowns in 2015, and open their 2016 season Friday with a non-conference game at Waukesha North.
North is a Division 1 school that plays in the Classic 8 Conference, widely considered Wisconsin’s best for high school football. North defeated the Elks 35-0 last season at Elkhorn in the home opener for both teams.
Elkhorn plays Division 4 squad Lakeside Lutheran, which is in Lake Mills, Aug. 26 in the program’s home opener.
The Elks open conference play Sept. 2 at archrival Delavan-Darien.
“I expect this group to make the playoffs and contend to be one of the top teams in the conference,” said Tom Lee, in his eighth season as head coach of the Elks. “We have to win four games in conference to make the playoffs.”
Elkhorn opens play this season with 21 returning letter winners, three 3-year starters on defense and a battle to be starting quarterback.
Carm Consolino started at wide receiver and Braeden Mohr started in the defensive backfield last season. The two are each competing to be the starting quarterback this season.
The experience is greater, at this point, on defense than on offense.
Defensive lineman Richie Heidemann, and linebackers back Ryan Shilts and Tyler Robers are three-year starters on defense. Shilts is moving to linebacker after previously playing in the defensive backfield.
Bryce Jacobson led the Elks in tackles last season from his position in the backfield and moves to the front seven with a switch to linebacker this season. John Palmer and Riley Remington will also play linebacker.
Mohr will start for a second season in the defensive backfield, and Dakota Biefeld is expected to contribute at both linebacker and tight end.
“Our defense will be experienced,” Lee said. “We add a great group of junior linemen, with great size, on the offensive side of the ball.”
Lee said Evan Blanton, Hunter Hummel, Nathan Welsh, Braeden Martin, David Eucker, Tyler Meyer and Myles Shumaker will contribute on the offensive and defensive lines.
James Welsh, Jeremy Lightsey, Wesley Wilkins, Colton Loomis and Jacob Wilging will be featured in the defensive backfield and at wide receiver.
Heidemann and Shane Bjerning return as starters on the offensive line.
The Elks will play conference home games Sept. 9 against Wilmot, Sept. 30 against Badger and Oct. 14 against Central. The Elks play Sept 16 at Waterford, Sept. 23 at Union Grove and Oct. 7 at Burlington. All games, home and away, start at 7 p.m.
Lee said he expects the Elks to battle Burlington, Badger and Wilmot for supremacy in the SLC. Waterford and Badger shared the SLC title last season. Waterford has won a piece of the SLC five years running and Badger advanced to the Division 2 state semifinals last season.
Waterford, Badger, Wilmot and Union Grove in Division 2 and Delavan-Darien in Division 3 advanced to the WIAA football playoffs last season.
