Little Chute brings physical, punishing style of play into state football title game
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Perhaps no one has better perspective on what’s different with the Little Chute football team this season than Ted Evers.
Evers was the head coach for the Mustangs the past six seasons before stopping down after last season, but he remained on the staff to coach the offensive line when Mark Krommenacker was hired to replace him.
“There’s a lot of talent in this group,” Evers said after the Mustangs’ 35-25 state semifinal win over Columbus. “And, you know, we kind of took our lumps a little bit two years ago, and then last year we had a solid year, but nothing like this.”
The Mustangs are 12-1 and headed to the WIAA Division 4 state championship game against undefeated Winneconne at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. It’s a rematch of the season opener, which the Wolves won 14-6 on Aug. 22.
Little Chute is making its second trip to the state finals and is looking for its first title. The Mustangs lost to Somerset 28-16 in the Division 4 title game in 2014.
So what’s been the biggest difference for the Mustangs this season from the team that went 6-4 last season or the 5-5 team in 2023?
“This doesn’t happen without Coach Krommenacker and the energy that he brings, and I think the scheme that he brings and just the whole package that he brings,” Evers said. “We have some pretty good pieces in place, but it took him coming here, I think, to get us over the top.”
Krommenacker took over the Little Chute program after seven seasons as head coach at Appleton East. He guided the Mustangs to the North Eastern Conference title with a 7-0 record and was voted the league’s coach of the year.
The coaching change at the top was significant, but the rest of the staff remained mostly intact.
“It’s cool because the coaches — it’s not like the coaches that were here last year [are gone] — they’re still with us and we’re all on the same page, we’re all aligned,” Krommenacker said. “We’re all going in this together. There’s no hurt feelings. It’s everybody aligned in the mission.”
The mission from the first day has been to play physical football and punish teams with a relentless rushing attack in the Flexbone/Wing-T option offense.
The Mustangs have four players with more than 500 yards rushing this season, led by junior Reece Joten. He has 1,675 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground, including 262 yards and three TDs in the semifinal win over Columbus.
Junior quarterback Jaden Hermsen has 866 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground and has attempted only 48 passes all season, including none against Columbus.
Krommenacker said the physical style of play is something the coaches preached to the players starting with offseason workouts and have continued the message throughout the season.
The Mustangs have to be more physical than the team on the other side of the line of scrimmage, because there are no surprises when it comes to what they want to do when they have the ball.
“It’s not like we have thrown the ball too much,” Krommenacker said. “They know what’s coming, but it makes it way better when they know what’s coming and you’re still able to do that. And we’re able to do that because the offensive line can move people back, move the line of scrimmage, and they proved that right here [against Columbus] and I’m so proud of those guys to finish the game like that.”
Joten, who was the offensive and defensive player of the year in the North Eastern Conference, credits Krommenacker and the offensive line for his success.
“Coach is really smart. He knows answers for almost anything the defense has put at us, and I think if we keep counting on him he’ll definitely help us to succeed,” Joten said.
The offensive line includes senior Gavin McInnis, who was voted offensive lineman of the year in the North Eastern Conference, and senior Noah Faccio, who joined McInnis as unanimous all-conference.
“Our offensive line, they’re unstoppable in so many ways, and I think that if I keep running behind them and everyone keeps running behind them, we got a good chance,” Joten said.
With a new coach and only 14 seniors on the roster, the Mustangs were a work in progress when they faced Winneconne in the season opener.
Both teams are playing at a high level now, which should make for a physical and entertaining rematch in the championship game.
“These guys believe and when you believe and everybody’s on the same page and everybody’s disciplined, special things can happen,” Krommenacker said. “That’s the one thing I’m so proud of these guys. It’s been fun because these guys like each other. We have a lot of fun. They’re pretty loose, and it makes it a lot of fun.”
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: WIAA Division 4 high school football state championship game preview
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos