Football: Five Panthers make all-conference lists

OCONTO FALLS — A quick glance at the Oconto Falls High School football team’s record doesn’t do the team justice, as the 2-7 mark doesn’t show just how competitive the Panthers were on most weeks.

Coaches around the North Eastern Conference showed their respect for Oconto Falls, with five Panthers earning all-conference honors after the regular season concluded.

While no Oconto Falls players made the first team, three landed on the second team for their play on defense.

Senior Mitchell Manns made the second team as a defensive back, while juniors Daylen Hischke and Adam Haines made the list as defensive linemen.

Manns, who also was named to the honorable mention team as a running back, punter and utility player, finished the season with a team-leading 89 total tackles while also recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass.

On offense, Manns led the team with 208 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 323 yards and two more scores.

“It means a lot to know that coaches notice me and see what I am able to do,” said Manns. “Also having this be my last year, it feels good to go out on my best year and having coaches notice what I am doing on the field.”

Haines, who was also an honorable mention selection as an offensive lineman, finished the season with 27 total tackles and forced a fumble. He also recorded eight tackles for loss and three sacks.

“I’ve been putting a lot of work into football since tearing my ACL as a freshman,” said Haines. “I played varsity last year and learned a lot from the seniors I played with, and this year being a totally new line around me, I felt more of a leadership role then ever. It really means a lot to me being selected as all-conference on both sides of the ball.”

Hischke accumulated 34 total tackles to earn his second team spot on defense. He also had 13 tackles for loss and two sacks.

Hischke was named to the honorable mention team as a wide receiver too, finishing with 185 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Two Oconto Falls seniors, Joey Walters and Jarod Parsons were also honorable mentions for their play on offense.

Serving as the team’s quarterback, Walters finished with 806 passing yards and six touchdowns.

Parsons caught three of those touchdowns, while accumulating 138 receiving yards. He made the honorable mention list as a tight end/fullback.

Manns was tabbed the team’s Most Valuable Player, while Owen Seidl and Dylan Thomson were named the Most Improved.

Haines was the team’s Linemen of the Year, while Logan Joachim and Hunter Mallien were given the Team Over Me award. Owen Heinke picked up the Hero Award.

After starting the year 0-7, Oconto Falls ended the season on a two-game winning streak. The Panthers will hope to carry that momentum over to the 2020 season, when the Panthers join the MONLPC.

The Panthers will be in the conference’s West Division, with the division being rounded out by Northland Pines, Tomahawk, Crandon, Niagara/Goodman/Pembine, Coleman, Crivitz and Menominee Indian.

“The last three games (of the season) was the most fun I’d had playing the game in a long time,” said Hischke. “Adversity brings you down, anyone knows that, but the privilege of getting this (all-conference) award makes me want to come into this new conference and just work harder than everyone else.”

sports@newmedia-wi.com