A brand-new high school football season kicks off on Aug. 20, with 18, 11-player teams from Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties taking part.
Here is a list of the 36 best players to keep an eye on this season, in alphabetical order.
Griffin Abler, sr., New Holstein
Abler had a nose for finding the backfield on defense for the Huskies, making 16 tackles for loss and 78 total tackles. Of those 78, 60 of his tackles were solo. He was first team all-Eastern Wisconsin Conference at inside linebacker and second team offensive lineman.
Joey Anhalt, jr., Plymouth
Anhalt was second team all-East Central Conference as an offensive lineman last season.
Josh Anzia, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
Anzia, a first team all-Big East inside linebacker, led the Big East with 81 total tackles while having 41 solo tackles and 11 tackles for loss for the Rockets.
James Conrad, sr., New Holstein
Conrad made second team all-EWC at outside linebacker in 2025 and had 61 total tackles with 39 being solo.
Colton Dybul, jr., Random Lake/Ozaukee
Dybul splits time at linebacker and running back for the co-op and was honorable mention all-Big East at linebacker. Coach Cole Large expects big things from Dybul on both sides of the ball.
Noah Fictum, sr., Manitowoc Lutheran
Fictum earned second team all-Big East as an offensive lineman in 2025.
Jaquan Foth, sr., Manitowoc Lincoln
Foth ran for 994 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s been the focal point of Lincoln’s offense and should continue to see a heavy workload and was second team all-Fox River Classic Conference South as a junior.
RJ Griffen, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
Griffen was a first team all-Big East defensive end last season, having 12 tfl and four sacks.
T.J. Hagenow, sr., Mishicot
Hagenow earned second team all-Packerland as an offensive lineman in 2025.
Austin Knapp, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
Knapp made first team all-Big East at outside linebacker, making 65 total tackles and 26 solo to go along with eight tfl and four sacks.
Griffin Knight, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
Knight is a phenomenal athlete with the ability to make defenders miss in space and he used those skills to gain 626 yards and 10 touchdowns receiving. He was a second team all-Big East wide receiver while earning first team at defensive back after intercepting seven passes.
Ely Kohlman, sr., New Holstein
Kohlman caught 36 passes for 626 yards and nine scores for the Huskies last season, but Kohlman’s all-around abilities might be among the best in the area. Kohlman was first team all-EWC at a remarkable four positions: wide receiver, defensive back, kicker and punter.
Aaden Krause, jr., Manitowoc Lutheran
Krause will be taking over at quarterback for the now-graduated Jaymen Ott. Has a good grasp of the offense and has big play athletic ability according to Lancers coach Ryan Hulse.
Cole Kuhn, sr., Plymouth
Kuhn made 67 total tackles, 43 solo, but most impressively he had 20 tfl along with 3.5 sacks. He was unanimous first team all-ECC at both defensive end and tight end/fullback/H-back.
Brady Ledvina, sr., Mishicot
Ledvina was a second team all-Packerland offensive lineman while making first team at defensive line. He made 41 tackles with 18 being solo.
Brayden Lenz, sr. Valders
Lenz earned second team all-EWC honors at both running back and outside linebacker in 2025. He made 69 tackles, 39 solo, on defense while 827 yards and nine touchdowns at running back.
Lucas Lodel, sr., Reedsville
Lodel made first team all-Big East at kicker in 2025.
Jack Luebke, sr., Sheboygan Falls
Luebke made second team all-North Eastern Conference at defensive tackle last season.
Malachi Lukens, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
Lukens made second team all-Big East at offensive line in 2025.
Josiah Martin, sr., Manitowoc Lutheran
Martin will be the primary back this year after working in rotation last season. He’ll also be one of the Lancers’ leaders on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker. He was also honorable mention all-Big East at kicker.
Logan Muellenbach, sr., New Holstein
Muellenbach was a first team all-EWC defensive lineman, racking up 13 tfl and seven sacks.
Brody Mueller, sr. Valders
Mueller made second team all-EWC at inside linebacker, making 71 total tackles with 32 solo. He also had 14 tfl and 3.5 sacks.
Aiden Oldenhoff, sr., Kohler/Lutheran/Christian
Oldenhoff is the top returning passer with 1,891 yards which was tops in the EWC. He also had 23 touchdowns to six interceptions and was second team all-EWC at quarterback.
Blake Ott, sr., Manitowoc Lutheran
Ott was a second team All-Big East defensive end last season.
Noah Peterson, sr., Cedar Grove-Belgium
Peterson was first team all-Big East at punter while also earning honorable mention at defensive back.
Bronx Romanoski, sr., Plymouth
Romanoski earned unanimous first team all-ECC honors as an offensive lineman in 2025.
Conner Schaefer, sr. New Holstein
Schaefer, a first team all-EWC running back last season, was second in the EWC last season with 1,275 yards rushing while averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He also scored nine touchdowns.
Mason Schaefer, sr., Kiel
While no relation to the Huskies back of the same surname, Schaefer also averaged 6.4 ypc while racking up 1,052 yards and 11 scores. He was second team all-EWC at running back.
Harry Schroeder, sr., Howards Grove
Schroeder led the Big East with 1,660 yards passing as a junior and threw 14 touchdowns. He did throw 11 interceptions though so decision making will likely need to be improved this season.
Noah Steltenpohl, sr., Plymouth
Steltenpohl made unanimous first team all-ECC at offensive line in 2025.
Colton Thorison, sr., Manitowoc Lincoln
Thorison was first team all-FRCC South as a defensive end last season after racking up 10 tfl and 8.5 sacks.
Maximo Troka, sr., Plymouth
Troka earned second team all-ECC honors at outside linebacker, making 46 total tackles and 28 solo with seven tfl.
Dom Walter, sr., Kohler/Lutheran/Christian
Walter, an honorable mention all-EWC offensive and defensive lineman, has been a three-year starter for KLC and had seven sacks and 13 tfl as a defensive end last season.
Josh Watkins, sr., Plymouth
Watkins, an inside linebacker, made second team all-ECC having 65 total tackles with 49 being solo.
Brody Wieting, sr., Manitowoc Lutheran
Wieting was first team all-Big East at outside linebacker after leading the Lancers with 59 total and 38 solo tackles.
Carter Zimmermann, sr., Kohler/Lutheran/Christian
Zimmermann, a first team all-EWC wide receiver, was Oldenhoff’s top target, catching 60 passes for an EWC-best 883 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Who are the 36 football players to watch in Manitowoc and Sheboygan?
Reporting by Tom Dombeck, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tom Dombeck, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter | USA TODAY Network
