Raiders rely on experience to compete for CC title


            Kaden Updike returns as the starting quarterback for the Raiders. He helped lead the team to a 5-1 record during the 2020 alternate fall season played last spring.            (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)

The 2021 fall football season will be a different one for the Arcadia Raiders, but they hope having experienced players will help overcome some of the new aspects.

When Arcadia’s season kicks off at home against Lancaster on Friday night, it will be the start of the second season in 2021 the Raiders have played. Arcadia was one of three schools in the newly aligned Coulee Conference that elected to compete in the 2020 alternate fall season, held last March and April. That means the season-opener against Lancaster will actually be the seventh game Arcadia has played this year — though the team will be different without the graduated seniors.

The 2021 fall season marks a full return to the Coulee Conference for Arcadia, but it won’t be the same conference Arcadia is used to.

The Coulee was disbanded for the 2019 season in order to accommodate schools in the South Central and South West conferences. Most of the familiar Coulee teams return to the conference this season, including Black River Falls and Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau — two teams that competed in the spring season with Arcadia, but were not in the same conference in 2019. Westby and Viroqua are also back in the Coulee after playing in the SWC with Arcadia in 2019. Coulee newcomers include La Crosse Aquinas and Altoona, both played in the 2020 fall season. 

What isn’t different for Arcadia is actually playing on the field.

Coach Derek Updike said he is returning an experienced squad, with several key players from last spring’s 5-1 campaign. 

 Included in that group is Kaden Updike, the coach’s versatile son who threw eight touchdown passes last spring, could also play some running back and earned Wisconsin Football Coaches Association all-region honors for his play on defense — which included a 93-yard interception returned for a touchdown against Kewaunee.

The Raiders are also set to return leading rusher Ryan Sokup. The senior ran for 351 yards and five touchdowns last year, coming on late with 145 yards against G-E-T and 129 at BRF to close out the season. 

Junior Cameron Boland got off to a strong start on both sides of the ball for Arcadia last year. He ran for 93 yards on offense while intercepting a pass and returning a fumble for a touchdown on defense before injury ended his season after three games. 

The team also returns some key players up front including Richard Gomez, Logan Bremer and Jack Ziegeweid. 

Egan Pauly got playing time as a wide receiver and as a defensive back last year, where he intercepted two passes. The junior has also played quarterback in the past, where he could be used to spell Updike this year.

Another player with experience is Brett Rebhahn, who did not play for Arcadia. Rebhahn’s family moved to the district during the 2020-21 school year, after he had already played in the fall season for De Soto. He was a running back on offense and the team’s second-leading tackler on defense. 

Updike sees his team as the kind of group that will right and find ways to win. Their flaw, however, is a lack of players. The Raiders barely have enough players to field a junior varsity squad, beginning the year with 30 athletes out for football. As a result, the team will likely need to stay healthy to compete in the conference.

During the spring season, the Raiders managed to find a way to win multiple close games. Updike hopes that carries over to the fall as the team begins a slate of new opponents for the second season this year.

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