It's fair to say that heading into last season, the Tomah Timberwolves were flying under most people's radars when evaluating potential playoff contenders in the Mississippi Valley Conference.
Prior to 2023, the Timberwolves had only made the playoffs one time since 2015, and that lone postseason appearance was in the fall of 2020 during a season dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
They'd gone 2-16 during the 2021 and 2022 seasons and, despite some promising core players, didn't necessarily jump off the page as a team primed to make a substantial leap in the right direction.
That was alright by them. Tomah relished in that underdog role and became perhaps the most reliably entertaining team in the entire MVC. Five of the Timberwolves' seven conference games were decided by a single possession, and one of those that did not came in Week 9, when Tomah thrashed Onalaska — who came into that game looking to complete a perfect 7-0 run through MVC play and clinch the outright conference title — by 25 points.
The Timberwolves dropped their first four games on their conference slate, only to respond by winning their last three to close out the regular season and clinch not only a playoff berth, but a Level 1 home game as well.
It was an autumn of seemingly nonstop thrills for Tomah and its fans, but the challenge now is for the team to find a way to reload and remain competitive after the departure of a large senior class of 16 players.
"Our motto last year and this year is 'the standard is the standard' here at Tomah football. Every year you compete for the conference, compete for a playoff spot. Every year our goal is to get to the playoffs," said Tomah head coach Joe Protz. "Stay hungry, get after it and take one game at a time. High school football, every game is a challenge, but just take advantage of each Friday night."
The list of top contributors from last year's squad who are gone includes leading rusher Logan Rufledt (a first-team All-MVC selection), leading receiver Eli Brown (also a second-team All-MVC defensive back), leading tackler Jeffrey Baumgartner (a second-team All-MVC linebacker) and three-year varsity starter Jayden Brieske at tight end and on the defensive line.
Additionally, the Timberwolves are tasked with replacing three starting offensive linemen following the departure of Jacob Squires (All-MVC first team), Andrew Rufledt (All-MVC second team) and Jake Spiers.
With so many key players gone, there will naturally be an increased responsibility on those returning starters still on the roster. That includes current seniors Jackson Steffel at quarterback, Aidan Klema at center, Atlin Steinhoff on the line and Bruce Rezin at linebacker.
Rezin, who was second on the team with 92 tackles in 2023, is also expected to play a big role at running back as he aims to become a two-way force for Tomah.
"I'm really hoping to improve on my keys," Rezin said. "Just reading that offensive line from a defensive standpoint. Being able to just not hesitate and hit, hit the hole where I'm supposed to. Get off the blocks and make the tackle. And offensively, just in the hole hard and trying to run through and run people over."
In addition to Rezin, juniors Shon Abbas and Tim Budde and sophomore Adam Brieske are all expected to be impact players both out of the backfield and in the linebacker corps. Junior Boe Rewey will slide into a vital role on the offensive line. Seniors Owen Buckendahl and Alex Boyko each have some varsity experience under their belts and will see their responsibilities ramp up at both wide receiver and defensive back.
"Last year we gave it everything we got every whistle, and we expect the same with this group, that they're going to fight," Protz said. "A lot of new faces, a lot of new positions for them, but we're going to give it our best effort every snap."
Given the level of roster turnover they experienced, it would be easy to underestimate or look past the Timberwolves again here in 2024. If that's the case, it's no skin off their back. They'd be perfectly content flying under the radar as they push ahead in their quest for a second straight playoff berth.
"Last year at the beginning of the MVC it was like 'hey, Tomah's not good at all. We can just run right through them.' This year, we're going to have the same underdog mentality," Jackson Steffel said. "People think 'oh, they lost so many seniors, and they can't replace them.' But we'll find guys, the people that are willing to step up and replace those seniors that we lost."
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