Multiple-sport athletes lead Brookfield East

Brookfield East’s Joe Rux knows he is in a good situation.

In the fall, some of his players play in a football program that is a power in the Greater Metro Conference and won a state title in 2016. In the spring, some of his athletes will jump to a track and field program that has won multiple state titles this decade.

The Spartans’ second-year basketball coach gives some of the credit for his program’s quick resurgence to the culture of those programs and the school in general.

How do you go from winless in league play to a state qualifier in two years? It helps to have some help.

“Certainly the ability to have success was already in the building,” Rux said. “It’s always positive when you can start with culture.”

The Spartans, who are making their first state tournament appearance since 1979, are an ideal advertisement for the multisport athlete. Many of their top players are standouts elsewhere.

Leading scorer Patrick Cartier was an allconference receiver in football. Sophomore guard Sam McGath was the football team’s starting quarterback. Senior Peyton Simon received all-conference mention in football.

Junior Riley LeTourneau plays baseball. Thomas Francken, the team’s No. 3 scorer, participated in track and field.

That success has helped breed success in the basketball program.

“We have a lot of multiple sport athletes. That’s one of our strengths,” Rux said. “I don’t know that we have a kid in our program right now – there might be one – that doesn’t play multiple sports.”