Waukesha West program comfortable with change
Prior to the 2020 prep football season, the Journal Sentinel will unveil its preseason top 10. Today we take a look at the area's seventh-ranked team.
The ability to adjust is one of a coach's greatest attributes.
At Waukesha West, coach Steve Rux and his staff have become comfortable with change. They've won big with passing teams and enjoyed great success running the ball.
This year their ability to plug players into the right spots will play a large role to how they fare in the Classic 8 conference.
“Each year we take a look at our personnel and try to make the best team possible,” Rux said.
Three moves for this season symbolize that philosophy: Senior Tyler Hug's from receiver to quarterback, senior Dan Kujawa's from tight end to receiver and senior Gavin Black's from guard to defensive tackle.
That kind flexibility could lead to West's sixth top-three finish in the Classic 8 in the past seven seasons.
For the past two years the key to success was throwing the ball. Brooks Blount threw for 6,491 yards before graduating last spring. Hug, who caught 54 passes for 914 yards and nine touchdowns last season, succeeds Blount at the position but won't be asked to carry the offense the way Blount did.
“He was one our top two receivers (last year) and he spins it really well throwing the football,” Rux said. “We haven't had to change a lot as far as our passing concepts.”
As the backup QB last season, Hug's move was expected. The changes for Kujawa and Black are example of looking at the lineup and figuring out not only where a player fits but how it helps the team get stronger.
Kujawa was listed as a tight end last season when he caught 33 passes for 386 yards and five touchdowns, but he was moved around a lot. The move to flanker gives West the chance to put another capable tight end on the field while continuing to take advantage of Kujawa's versatility.
Black started the past two years at guard, but with a number of young, promising players coming up the ranks on the offensive line, he is set to play full time at defensive tackle.
“We played him on the offensive line out of need and this year our need is on defensive line,” Rux said. “He's doing really well over there.”
Black has been West's top defensive lineman, poised to be an anchor for a unit that returns its top three tacklers: senior safety C. J. Grisar and senior linebackers Tate Peters, and Alex Gerstner.
That unit returns eight starters, experience which when combined with the unit's exceptional speed gives West another reason to have high expectations this season.
“The big thing is staying healthy, especially going through what everybody is going through right now, making sure we're staying as safe as we can be and still playing football with all the COVID stuff,” Rux said. “That's the big question. Can we stay healthy?”