Aquinas football’s Tom Lee named AP coach of the year

From forfeiting games five years ago, to state champions and coach of the year.

That’s the rollercoaster for Aquinas High School football coach Tom Lee, who took home the coach of the year honor Thursday from the Associated Press.

The Blugolds capped off an undefeated, 14-0 season with a 28-26 state championship over Mayville.

Two players were named second team All-State, including:

• QB – Jackson Flottmeyer, 6-6, 216, Jr.
• ALL-PURPOSE – Calvin Hargrove, 5-6, 145, Jr.

Aquinas senior WR Quinn Miskowski was named “high” honorable mention, along with Logan senior DL Martell Owens.

The championship comes five years after Lee’s Aquinas football team was forced for forfeit a game back in 2016 and proceeded to go 3-24 over those next three seasons (2016-2018).

The tides turned for the Blugolds with a 7-4 record in 2019, as the number of players on the team grew from in the 20s to over 70 this season.

Lee is a 1990 Aquinas graduate and took over from assistant to head coach in 2013.

This season, Aquinas averaged nearly 50 points, while its defense kept half of its opponents under 10.

2021 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL- STATE FOOTBALL TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Myles Burkett, 6-2, 205, Sr., Franklin

COACH OF THE YEAR – Tom Lee, La Crosse Aquinas

x – unanimous selection

OFFENSE FIRST TEAM

QB – Myles Burkett, 6-2, 205, Sr., Franklin

RB – x-Simon Bauer, 5-8, 175, Sr., Durand

RB – Alijah Maher-Parr, 5-9, 165, Sr., Arrowhead

RB – Blake Schraufnagel, 6-1, 180, Jr., Mayville

OL – Joe Brunner, 6-8, 315, Sr., Whitefish Bay

OL – Carson Hinzman, 6-4, 275, Sr., St. Croix Central

OL – Evan Malcore, 6-6, 270, Sr., Sun Prairie

OL – Joey Okla, 6-3, 295, Sr., Arrowhead

OL – x-Billy Schrauth, 6-6, 295, Sr., St. Mary’s Springs Academy

WR/TE – Andrew Keller, 6-6, 215, Sr., Waunakee

WR/TE – Jackson Trudgeon, 6-1, 185, Sr., Madison Edgewood

PK – Gavin Lahm, 6-2, 210, Sr., Kaukauna

ALL-PURPOSE – Robby Michael, 5-10, 160, Sr., Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian

ALL-PURPOSE – Zander Rockow, 6-1, 220, Jr., Eau Claire Regis

OFFENSE SECOND TEAM

QB – Jackson Flottmeyer, 6-6, 216, Jr, La Crosse Aquinas

RB – Cole Berghorn, 6-1, 210, Sr., Lake Geneva Badger

RB – Brycen Cashin, 6-0, 180, Sr., Stevens Point Pacelli

RB – Max Grand, 5-9, 190, Sr., Ellsworth

OL – Ashton Beers, 6-6, 300, Sr., Slinger

OL – Evan Oberg, 6-4, 250, Sr., DeForest

OL – Alex Pethan, 6-2, 295, Sr., Oak Creek

OL – Will Schroeder, 6-1, 260, Sr., Appleton North

OL – Chad Schuster, 6-6, 285, Sr., Franklin

WR/TE – Keaton Arendt, 6-1, 190, Sr., Franklin

WR/TE – Sam Peiffer, 6-2, 185, Sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium

PK – Michael Karlen, 5-7, 165, Sr., Stanley-Boyd

ALL-PURPOSE – Reed Breckheimer, 6-0, 221, Sr., Hilbert

ALL-PURPOSE – Calvin Hargrove, 5-6, 145, Jr., La Crosse Aquinas

DEFENSE FIRST TEAM

DL – Gabe Alyousef, 6-2, 275, Sr., Oak Creek

DL – Joe Brunner, 6-8, 315, Sr., Whitefish Bay

DL – Wes King, 6-5, 280, Sr., Appleton North

DE/OLB – x-Isaac Hamm, 6-5, 240, Sr., Sun Prairie

DE/OLB – J. T. Seagreaves, 6-6, 234, Sr., Monroe

ILB – Jack Baretz, 6-3, 218, Sr., Franklin

ILB – x-William Campbell, 6-2, 235, Sr., Kaukauna

ILB – Luna Larson, 6-2, 200, Sr., Baraboo

DB – x-Alex Belongia, 6-3, 190, Sr., Rice Lake

DB – Logan Engeseth, 6-2, 190, Sr., DeForest

DB – Daniel Martens, 5-11, 185, Sr., Franklin

PUNTER – x-Tyler Ebel, 6-5, 230, Sr., DeForest

DEFENSE SECOND TEAM

DL – Eddie Loesch, 6-1, 230, Sr., River Falls

DL – Kian Preimesberger, 6-1, 235, Sr., Mount Horeb/Barneveld

DL – Mila Stephens, 6-0, 380, Sr., Waukesha Catholic Memorial

DE/OLB – Addison Ostrenga, 6-5, 225, Sr., Sun Prairie

DE/OLB – Andrew Jeske, 6-2, 200, Sr., Colby

ILB – Langston Lathan, 6-2, 235, Waukesha Catholic Memorial

ILB – Max Sheridan, 6-2, 190, Sr., Pewaukee

ILB – Owen Vogelsberg, 6-1, 210, Sr., Potosi-Cassville

DB – Hayden Konkol, 6-4, 180, Sr., Denmark

DB – Tyler Dahlhauser, 5-9, 175, Sr., Monona Grove

DB – Cole Toennies, 6-2, 180, Sr., Middleton

PUNTER – Jack Casey, 6-0, 180, Sr., Somerset

HIGH HONORABLE MENTION

Gage Boegli, RB, Sr., Brodhead/Juda

Colton Brunell, RB, So., Columbus

Colton Buttke, OL, Sr., Brodhead/Juda

Aidan Driscoll, PK/P, Sr., Waunakee

Brennen Dvorachek, QB/DB, Sr., Reedsville

Cayden Ellis, DL, Sr., Waunakee

Colin Girdaukas, WR, Sr., Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian

Mason Goettl, OL, Sr., Chippewa Falls

Luke Haertle, QB, Sr., Lake Country Lutheran

Sam Haeuser, ILB, Sr., Racine St. Catherine’s

Kaden Hooker, DE/OLB, Sr., Waunakee

Charlie Jarvis, DB, Sr., Waukesha Catholic Memorial

Brent Jeske, RB/LB, Sr., Colby

Nick Jorndt, ILB, Sr., Whitefish Bay

Jerry Kaminski, QB, Jr., Sun Prairie

Beau Kopp, QB/DE/P, Sr., Cuba City

Cortez LeGrant, RB, Jr., Sun Prairie

Logan Matthews, DB, Sr., Franklin

Chase Matthias, RB/ILB, So., Two Rivers

Quinn Miskowski, WR, Sr., La Crosse Aquinas

Reese Osgood, WR, Sr., Franklin

Martell Owens, DL, Sr., La Crosse Logan

Thomas Raemisch, ILB, Jr., Waunakee

Ben Rehl, DE/OLB, Sr., Mukwonago

Kenny Satori, ILB, Sr., Denmark

Jake Young, OL, Sr., Mukwonago

HONORABLE MENTION

Jack Alexander, OL, Sr., Middleton; Mason Armstrong, ILB, Jr., Verona; Ben Benes, OL, Sr., Maple Northwestern; Boston Brindley, DB, Jr., La Crosse Central; Michael Bunyan, TE/DE, Sr., Port Washington; Cody Cotton, RB, Sr., Union Grove; Tony Cummings, ILB, Sr., Hurley; Cole Ebert, FB/DL, Sr., Reedsville.

Riley Fischer, LB jr., Mukwonago; Bryce Frank, DB, Sr., Marshall; Trevor Garske, QB, Sr., Mosinee; Matt Getgen, RB, Sr., Wisconsin Dells; Zach Gloudeman, OLB, Sr., River Valley; Elijah Gray, RB, Sr., Middleton; Davis Hamilton, TE/ILB, Sr., Sun Prairie; Nolan Harris, ILB, Sr., Mosinee; Joe Hartlieb, QB, Sr., Madison Edgewood; Keagan Henschel, DE, Sr., Fond du Lac.

Reid Jamerson, DE, sr., Whitefish Bay; Jack Janke, DB, Sr., Ellsworth; Ethan John, TE, Sr., Oak Creek; Quentin Keene, QB, Sr., Waunakee; Luke Kokat, TE, Sr., Union Grove; Nate Kollath, QB, Jr., Sussex Hamilton; Westen Liebzeit, HB/DB, Sr., Reedsville; Cal Martine, RB, Sr., Appleton North; Vitto Massa, QB, Sr., River Falls; CJ McConkey, LB, Sr., West Salem; Max McGuire, OL, Sr., Darlington; Braeden Ott, RB, Sr., Nicolet; Sam Paar, LB, Sr., Oak Creek

Owen Pawlikowski, WR, Sr., Kimberly; Brady Potaczek, WR, Sr., Stanley-Boyd; Derek Ransanici, DB, Sr., Hurley; Gilbert Rodriguez, DE, Sr., Oak Creek; Matthew Schecklman, QB, Sr., Appleton North; Austin Schlies, OLB, Sr., Maple Northwestern; Davontre Smith, RB-LB, Sr., Menasha; Cole Trimborn, WR-DB, Sr., Nicolet; Evan Tyler, OLB, Sr., Hudson; Isaac Vanden Bush, RB, Sr., Luxemburg-Casco; Casey Verhagen, WR/DB, Sr., Kohler/Lutheran/Christian; Ben Wesolowski, QB, Sr., Wittenberg-Birnamwood

Tanner Zepczyk, OL, Sr., River Falls

TOP PHOTO: FILE – The Aquinas High School football team is the 2021 Division 5 state champions.