Pulaski capable of making a special run
PULASKI – Different.
It’s not a word you would usually use to describe a team that returns nine starters from an offense that averaged 350.6 rushing yards per game last year.
The Pulaski football team would prefer to be called different, though.
“The mentality that our guys have is we’re just a little bit different than everybody else,” Pulaski coach Jerad Marsh said. “We’re a separate community than most of the ones we play. Most of the teams in the conference are part of Green Bay or parts of Sheboygan or Manitowoc. We sit 20 miles in the middle of nowhere and are off the beaten path and kind of isolated.”
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The Red Raiders’ seniors have come a long way down that beaten path, going from a one-win squad in 2015 to back-to-back WIAA Division 2 playoff appearances.
Pulaski not only hopes to make another playoff run this season, but has the potential to make a run at winning its first conference title since 1998.
The difference in being able to accomplish that lofty goal will come down to the Red Raiders winning close games this year.
Three of their losses last year were by a combined seven points. Pulaski’s season ultimately ended with a 27-17 loss in the second round of the playoffs at Green Bay Southwest, which went on to the D2 state semifinals.
“That really comes down to being accountable and being a group that is accountable to each other,” Marsh said about the close losses.
Pulaski accounted for a lot of real estate on the ground last year with its Single Wing offense averaging 6.7 yards per carry and 47 touchdowns. It ranked first in the FRCC by averaging 358.6 rushing yards per game in conference play.
Senior Dylan Hendricks carried a bulk of the workload. The North Dakota State recruit averaged 8.2 yards per carry in totaling 2,039 yards and scoring 27 touchdowns.
Dustin Graf, the team’s second-leading rusher last year with 1,103 yards, will have to be replaced. But it returns a stable of experienced backs in senior Lucas Gracyalny, senior Alec Jonet and junior Brock Egnarski to pair with Hendricks.
The offensive line returns seniors Liam Fahey, Chasten Fatla, Dustin Van Lannen and junior Bennett Sheedy in addition to senior tight end Nathan Przybylski. Fahey was the FRCC co-offensive lineman of the year last season.
While the offense has the makings of being pretty good at opening up holes again, the defense features quite a few holes to fill from a unit that ranked second in the FRCC (222.6 yards per game allowed) and made a conference-high 14 interceptions.
There are five all-conference players to replace, including first-team choices in linebackers Andrew Egnarski Zach Marohnic and defensive back Kendall Karcz.
Still, the Red Raiders return senior linebackers in Hendricks and Michael Berna along with senior defensive back Logan Lukasik. Meanwhile, Gracyalny recorded a team-high 13 tackles for loss as an honorable mention all-conference choice at defensive end.
“We’re excited to plug them in and see how they all fit together,” Marsh said.
“Our guys take pride in being a Pulaski group. It’s not one of many. It’s just us out here. They really like to represent their community.”
Pulaski at a glance
Coach: Jerad Marsh, 6th season, 19-31
Last year: 6-5
All-conference players to replace:
Andrew Egnarski, OLB, 1st team
Zach Marohnic, ILB, 1st team
Kendall Karcz, DB, 1st team
Mitch Mleziva, DL, 2nd team
Dustin Graf, QB, HM
Preston Olp, DB, HM
All conference players returning:
Dylan Hendricks, sr., RB/ILB, 1st team/2nd team
Liam Fahey, sr., OL, 1st team
Dustin Van Lannen, sr., OL, 2nd team
Lucas Gracyalny, sr., DE, HM
2018 Schedule
Aug. 16 at G.B. Southwest
Aug. 23 Sheboygan North
Aug. 30 at Sheboygan South
Sept. 7 at G.B. Notre Dame
Sept. 14 Bay Port
Sept. 21 De Pere
Sept. 28 at Ashwaubenon
Oct. 5 G.B. Preble
Oct. 12 at Manitowoc
Alums playing college football:
Kylar Crouse, Concordia-Mequon
Joe Franks, UW-Oshkosh
Dominick Hendricks, UW-Oshkosh
Michael Kane, Lake Forest College
Kevin Ruechel, UW-Stout