Running game, conference title focuses for G-E-T football in 2024

The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School football team has established one of the most efficient rushing attacks in the Coulee Conference across the past two seasons, and the Red Hawks will again rely on its ground game in 2024.

The Red Hawks, which open the season Aug. 23 at home against Mondovi, seek their third consecutive berth to the WIAA Division Five playoffs this year but strive to find more wins in the process.

Coach Paul Anderson’s team finished fourth in the Coulee last season with a 4-3 record and ended the year 4-6 overall. Multiple key cogs from last year’s team return, including 20 seniors.

“We want to win the conference. That’s our main goal,” Anderson said. “And then we don’t just want to be in the playoffs, we want a home game since we haven’t done that since I’ve been here, and do some damage in the playoffs.”

Defending D5 state champion Aquinas, Westby and West Salem finished ahead of G-E-T in the Coulee standings last fall, and the conference likely remains tough in 2024.

Senior halfback Kyle Seiling will lead the Red Hawks on offense one year after sharing the title of Coulee Conference Player of the Year. Seiling eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark and scored 10 touchdowns in 2023.

Seiling said last week his team aspires to win more this fall. That starts with establishing its run game in the Aug. 23 opener against a Mondovi team that finished 9-2 last year.

“It’s definitely something we can build on,” Seiling said of the team’s offense. “Last year we started off slow. The first game of the season is the most important so if you get a good amount of rushing yards, you can build off that.”

One question mark for G-E-T revolves around senior Max Knapmiller, who will miss at least the start of the season due to injury and finished last year with 593 yards and six scores. Filling that gap in the offense means a mix of carries for seniors Oliver Remus and Omar Jimenez, as well as sophomore Isaiah Carroll. 

Senior fullback Gunnar Johnson also figures to see more touches this fall, Anderson said.

“Unfortunately we’re waiting to hear for (Knapmiller’s) clearance yet, so we’re hopeful to get him back this season,” Anderson said. “But we have other guys getting reps that I feel comfortable with. … We’ve got the guys and a quarterback who’s gotten better at running, too. So I feel better than when I heard last week that Max might not be here to start the season.”

Senior quarterback Ben Hansen returns for G-E-T and completed 32.2-percent of his throws for 333 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023, his first season starting. He echoed Seiling’s hope for growth after learning last year as a junior.

“I think (winning) conference is a reasonable goal, and you’ve gotta set your goals high,” Hansen said. “I just think if we can let bad plays not affect us and just realize what’s done is done and move on, it will really help us a lot.”

Four of the team’s top five tacklers from a season ago return this fall. Seiling led the team with 61, while Jimenez accounted for 60, senior Jackson Burns had 48, and Johnson recorded 47.

Experience shows in the defense, with 10 seniors and one junior starting. At a full-contact summer camp in June, G-E-T defeated teams from Milwaukee, Chicago and Rochester on the heels of defense.

“We really looked good defensively. The defense stepped up every time. They’re experienced across the board as a senior-dominated group,” Anderson said.