In his senior season, Monte Noffke averaged about 23 carries per game.
He was the unstoppable driving force behind the Gillett High School football team’s offense.
So when Noffke got only four carries in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Football Game, it was quite a different feeling.
“It took some getting used to, but it was easy adjusting because I trust everybody on the team,” Noffke said. “I knew we could get the job done no matter who was touching the ball.”
It certainly didn’t matter who got the carries as long as his team won. The All-Marinette and Oconto Conference running back made sure of that. The North squad scored the only touchdown of the game, in overtime, as it beat the South 10-3 in the Small Division game Saturday afternoon at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh.
“It was an awesome experience playing for the North,” Noffke said. “I couldn’t be more happy about the victory. It was a nice victory. When we got into overtime, everybody kept their heads up and played strong.”
Noffke, who recently graduated, wasn’t Gillett’s only representative at the game.
Tigers coach Rick Kamps was chosen by North head coach Shane Obrigewitch, who is the coach at Lourdes Academy, to coach the defensive backs.
“It’s hard to put it into words. It’s an unbelievable experience,” Kamps said. “I’m so thankful Coach O gave me the opportunity to be a part of the staff. It’s probably the highlight of a coaching career to be involved in something like this.”
Kamps, who was a defensive back during his playing days and broke into coaching helping out the secondary, said his players really believed in the system implemented during the week leading up to the game. His players responded by only surrendering 91 yards in 54 plays.
“Our kids performed awesome on defense,” Kamps said. “DBs, we had a pick. We played really well. We didn’t give them anything.”
When Kamps wasn’t coaching the defensive backs and North’s offense was on the field, he was watching Noffke.
“He had a couple of nice runs today, so I think he showed people what he could do against that kind of talent,” Kamps said.
Noffke, who started for three seasons for the Tigers, capped off his senior year by rushing for 1,691 yards on 228 carries (7.4 yards per attempt) and 31 touchdowns.
Noffke had a 3-yard rush in the opening quarter, but then was held to runs of 1 yard and zero yards twice. He enjoyed running behind some big offensive linemen.
Heading into the game, Noffke’s goals weren’t too lofty.
“Do my best and get positive yardage every time I touched the ball,” Noffke said.
Noffke had a great week leading up to Saturday’s game and got to bond with his teammates. Early in the week, Noffke missed some action because he was vomiting and feeling under the weather.
“It took a day or two because I was sick, so I kind of hung in my bed a little bit,” Noffke said. “Once I got over my sickness, I warmed up with the guys right away, and they became my brothers basically, just like at home.”
Noffke was planning on playing football at Mesabi Range College in Virginia, Minnesota, but he recently made the decision to hang up his cleats. Kamps doesn’t want Noffke’s career to be over quite yet.
“I’m still hoping that at some point he gets to go and makes the decision to go and play somewhere,” Kamps said.
When Noffke walked by his coach after the game just before entering the locker room, Kamps stopped him.
“Are you going to go play somewhere now?” Kamps asked. “You know you can play with the big boys.”
Noffke responded, “I don’t know yet.”
Maybe?
“Maybe,” he said. “It’s in my head still.”
Kamps knows playing in the all-star game is something Noffke will remember for the rest of his life.
“If he never plays another down, he’s got this game to remember, the last game he ever played in,” Kamps said. “That’s pretty cool.”
