2022 Superior Telegram All-Area Football Team

Dec. 2—SUPERIOR — The 2022 Superior Telegram All-Area Football team is loaded with upperclassmen — even more than our

2021 team which included eight seniors.

This year nine seniors, two juniors and one sophomore make up the honorees.

Seniors Luke Sedin, Tanner Kaufman and Jase Nelson of Northwestern High School are all repeat selections. They are joined by fellow Tigers Andrew Bourque (senior), Trevor Eliason (senior), Bryce Oswskey (senior) and Ian Smith (junior).

Seniors Carson Gotelaere, Jack Rivord and Bo Waletzko and junior Lucas Williams represent the Superior Spartans, while sophomore Jared Schultz represents the Northwood/Solon Springs Green Eagles.

Here's more on the players:

Luke Sedin

Northwestern

Sr. —QB/DB — Threw for 1,390 yards and 18 touchdowns (TD) on 70 completions; had five interceptions (INT) through the air. Rushed for 373 yards and seven TDs; fumbled the ball once. Recorded 21 tackles (TCK), 14 assisted tackles (ATCK) and four INT on the defensive side of the ball. Northwestern High School's all-time leader in career touchdown passes, career passing yardage, single season passing yardage and single season touchdown passes. — Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State honorable mention, defensive back; WFCA All-Northwest Region, quarterback; WFCA All-Northwest Region, defensive back; Heart O' North Conference Offensive Player of the Year; first team all-HON, quarterback; first team all-HON, defensive back. — "Luke was an unquestioned leader, on and off the field, for our football program," said coach Jovin Kroll. "He was a true dual-threat quarterback, winning games with his legs and through the air."

Andrew Bourque

Northwestern

Sr. —OL/DL — Notched 17 TCK, 11 ATCK and 1 tackle for loss (TFL). — WFCA All-Northwest Region, defensive line; first team all-HON, offensive line; first team all-HON, defensive line. — "Andrew was the centerpiece of the Tiger offensive line for the past two seasons. His dependability in center/quarterback exchanges was something the Tigers never had to worry about," Kroll said.

Trevor Eliason

Northwestern

Sr. —TE/FB/DE — Caught 15 passes for 354 yards and five TDs. Defensively, recorded 25 TCK, 10 ATCK, 12 TFL and 6.5 sacks. — WFCA All-State honorable mention, tight end/fullback; WFCA All-Northwest Region, tight end/fullback; WFCA All-Northwest Region, defensive end; first team all-HON, tight end; first team all-HON, defensive end. — "The growth Trevor displayed between his junior and senior years was remarkable; he developed into the top defensive end in the Heart O' North, and was a constant match-up nightmare for defenses as well," Kroll said.

Carson Gotelaere

Superior

Sr. —QB/DB — Gotelaere completed 37 of 72 passes for 547 yards and two TDs as the Spartans' quarterback. He also rushed for 265 yards and seven TDs. — "Carson is a fierce competitor and tremendous athlete who plays with a tough, physical style every snap," coach Bob DeMeyer said. "The start to his season was delayed due to being injured at camp in the summer. It was a testament to his toughness when he came back from that and played on both sides of the ball."

Tanner Kaufman

Northwestern

Sr. —RB/OL — Recorded 35 TCK, 18 ATCK, 17 TFL, 2.5 sacks, one fumble, two forced fumbles and one fumble returned for a touchdown. Offensively, Kaufman tallied 1,188 yards and 17 TDs on 135 carries; he fumbled the ball once. He also caught 10 passes for 206 yards and four TDs. — WFCA First Team All-State, outside linebacker; WFCA All-Northwest Region, outside linebacker; HON Defensive Player of the Year; first team all-HON, outside linebacker; first team all-HON, running back. — "Tanner pushed his teammates throughout the offseason to be better, and he was a great leader because he exceeded his own expectations for his teammates through his workouts and dedication to film, and through his growth in understanding the game," Kroll said.

Jase Nelson

Northwestern

Sr. —WR/DB — Nelson tallied 389 yards and four TDs on 25 receptions. Defensively, he recorded 25 TCK, 14 ATCK and three TFL. — WFCA All-Northwest Region, defensive back; first team all-HON, defensive back; first team all-HON, wide receiver. — "Jase was a special athlete for the Tiger football program: a rare three-year first team all-conference player," Kroll said. "Teams simply did not throw the ball his way. His length and range were exceptional in the secondary, and Jase was always such a positive voice in the defensive backfield."

Bryce Oswskey

Northwestern

Sr. —DB — Notched 16 TCK, 14 ATCK, one TFL, one forced fumble and three INTs. — WFCA All-Northwest Region, defensive back; first team all-HON, defensive back. — After years of having the football season cut short because of injury, Oswskey was able to recover from an ankle injury early this year to show what he was made of, Kroll said. "He was our best hitter in the secondary, and he had the knowledge to adjust secondary calls to shut down short passing games," Kroll said.

Jack Rivord

Superior

Sr. —RB/DE — Recorded 8 TCK, 57 ATCK, three TFL, two fumbles and one forced fumble. — Second team all-Big Rivers Conference selection. — The Spartans had to limit Rivord's playing time on offense so he could be fresh to play defense as he worked through an injury, DeMeyer said. "His value on defense was so high, we couldn't afford to have him off the field. Defensively, teams had to know where he was aligned and often schemed to run away from him," DeMeyer said.

Bo Waletzko

Superior

Sr. —OL — Second team all-Big Rivers Conference. — "Bo caught the attention of our opponents as an explosive, physical blocker who consistently finishes plays," DeMeyer said. "His physicality jumped off the film and even more so watching him live. Often going against bigger defensive ends, he was able to have success because of his athleticism, aggressiveness and solid fundamentals."

Ian Smith

Northwestern

Jr. —OL/ML — Tallied 49 TCK, 43 ATCK and four TFL. — WFCA All-Northwest Region, middle linebacker; WFCA All-Northwest Region, offensive line; first team all-HON, defense-middle linebacker; first team all-HON, offensive line. — "Ian Smith was the player opposing teams feared due to the ferocity, speed, and leverage that he displayed on the football field," Kroll said. "His lateral quickness chasing down running backs was exceptional, and he was the most explosive offensive linemen in the Heart O' North."

Lucas Williams

Superior

Jr. —WR/DB/P — "Lucas Williams is another dude that loves the physical side of the game," DeMeyer said. "Looking at his stature, running style, the way he blocks and especially how he comes up for run support as a safety, he has the presence of a very dynamic football player. Our opponents know who #16 is, and he's also caught the attention of college programs as a versatile athlete."

Jared Schultz

Northwood/Solon Springs

Soph. —QB/LB — Threw for 1,207 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions; rushed for 1,105 yards and 19 touchdowns on 121 carries. Defensively, Schultz recorded 45 TCK, 92 total tackles, three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. — Lakeland East 8-Man Offensive Player of the Year; First team all-Lakeland East-8 Man, offense and defense. — "Jared led the team in passing and rushing, going over 1,000 yards in each," coach Matt Hager said. "As a sophomore, he led the team in tackles and interceptions playing at the linebacker position."