Marquette has pieces that could put it over top
In advance of the high school football season, the Journal Sentinel will take a closer look at the top teams in the Milwaukee area.
Today the countdown continues with our seventh-ranked team, Marquette.
Why not Marquette?
That is the question coming from 35th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, where one of the signature programs of the Greater Metro Conference is preparing for another season. In a conference in which six of the eight teams are expected to contend, the Hilltoppers have some pieces that could put them over the top.
Here is a closer look at what we mean.
Three reasons to like Marquette
Owning the trenches: When it comes to our preseason picks a common thread is great line play. Marquette fits that bill with four returning starters. Two of those players, seniors Luka Kowalik and Brian Beidatsch, have been offered college scholarships. That unit, along with the team's experienced receiving corps, will make the game easier for the new starting quarterback, likely junior Luke Novotny.
Potential on defense: For a team that graduated five all-conference players on defense, there are potential playmakers on each level of the unit. Senior Luke Wronski, a projected starter in 2019 who sat out the season, is back and drawing Division III interest. Senior Elijah Cephus, who has an offer from Division I St. Thomas, and Joe Cafaro, the team's third-leading tackler last season, will be anchors at linebacker and senior Gus Kasun could be an anchor in the secondary.
Peace of mind: The pandemic made last season unsettling for everyone, but especially for Marquette. A month before the season, the program had a sudden, unexpected change at the top when long-time coach Jeff Mazurczak resigned and then a late start to the season as the school worked to meet the city's health safety guidelines. This year coach Keith Klestinski, who served in an interim capacity last year, had an entire offseason to prepare for the role and make additions to the coaching staff.