Arrowhead is on a mission this season
Each day the Journal Sentinel will count down the area's top teams heading into the start of the prep football season Aug. 22.
No. 6 Arrowhead
You bet Fritz Rauch wants some carryover.
When Arrowhead opens the season next Friday against Waukesha South, he wants to see the grit and confidence his team played with during its final eight games last season.
“We've got to start in Game 1,” he said. “We can't wait until adversity comes to think we can turn this on. We've got to start now.”
Arrowhead has been a slow starter during Rauch's tenure. The team is 2-7 during the first three games of the three previous seasons. That included an 0-3 start last season that came at the hands of two teams that went on to win state titles (Muskego and Catholic Memorial) and another that reached the Division 1 semifinals (Marquette).
The opening third of the season will be tough again – Arrowhead plays at Muskego in Week 2 and plays host to Brookfield East in Week 3 – but the Warhawks enter the year with a team that appears capable of improving on last year's 7-4 mark.
Players with starting experience are back at 14 positions. Ten individuals received some level of all-conference recognition. The only position group that doesn't have an all-league performer returning is the quarterback. There is more stability at the upper reaches of the coaching staff, too. This marks the first year under Rauch that the offensive coordinator returned for a second year.
“You cannot substitute the value of going through a Classic 8 season … That's No. 1,” Rauch said. “Number two, we've had a great offseason. We're bigger, stronger, faster. The kids are more physically confident athletes. Number three, we have great senior leadership.”
Among the returners are two allleague offensive linemen, seniors Mason Carnell and Loic Venon. The squad's leading rusher, Josh Nielsen, and No. 2 receiver, senior Robbie Smydom, are also back.
On the other side of the ball, threeyear starter Owen Arnett, a senior safety, is back, as is senior John Henry Schlager, a second-team all-league pick at tackle, and a loaded linebacker corps that include Ball State recruit Dalton Elrod, fellow seniors Brady Riphenburg and Johnny Orlando and junior Everett Fawley.
“Our team is really looking forward to 2019,” Rauch said. “Our theme is that we're on a mission and we're excited about seeing where that takes us.”