Monte Noffke was named Back of the Year and joined two teammates on the All-Marinette & Oconto Conference football first team announced last week.
Three other members of the Gillett Secondary School squad received second-team honors, and two more were honorable mention selections.
“It was a great season and a great accomplishment,” Noffke said. “I did as much as I could this senior season.”
The 5-foot-8, 165-pound running back had 228 carries, 1,691 yards and 31 touchdowns. Noffke’s nearest competitors were Kevin Lansin, of Coleman, with 11 touchdowns, and Kyle Gokey, of Peshtigo, who rushed for 900-plus yards.
“I think Noffke’s honor as Back of the Year was well deserved and probably should have been a unanimous selection,” Gillett coach Rick Kamps said. “Teams knew we were going to feed him the ball, and they still couldn’t stop him.”
Noffke said his most memorable game was the 45-28 win against Wausaukee, at team which knocked Gillett out of playoff contention a year ago. He rushed for 224 yards and scored a season-high six touchdowns.
“It was the biggest game of the year, the most (TDs) I ever had in my career,” Noffke said.
Noffke produced nine consecutive 100-yard games leading up to the Level 2 playoff loss at Almond-Bancroft on Oct. 31.
Two of the lineman opening holes for Noffke also received all-conference recognition.
Senior Daniel Torres (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) was a first-team team selection, and Kody Pawlak (6-0, 235) was named to the second team.
“They are great and are the strong side of our lines,” Noffke said. “They always created holes and did what they could for me.”
“(Torres) became a great downfield blocker, and when we wanted or needed a tough yard, we ran behind him on the left side of the line,” Kamps said. “Defensively, he really anchored our line on most team’s strong side attack. In our playoff win against Wild Rose, we flipped him to their strong side, and he dominated that game, holding his own at the point of attack.”
Torres had eight sacks and 65 tackles.
Kamps said Pawlak was the leader on the offensive line and should have received first-team recognition.
“He makes most of our line calls, is valedictorian of his class and is a very good football player,” Kamps said.
Defensive back Akeem Bates also was named to the first team, despite battling a sports hernia the entire season.
“Although he didn’t have an interception this season, he did have eight pass (deflections) and was able to run sideline to sideline and stop several scores from happening,” Kamps said.
Mitch Umentum, a 5-foot-9 junior, was named to the second-team defense after leading the conference with 13 sacks. He also forced three fumbles and recorded 50 tackles.
“(Umentum) ended up third in the state in sacks and is a matchup nightmare for teams with his speed off the edge,” Kamps said.
Junior Brett Milhans was also named to the second team. He had 115 tackles in conference play, second to Suring’s Creo VanBellinger, who had 166. Milhans also had 61 rushes for 428 yards and six touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Alex Zeitler and senior running back Matt Peterson were honorable mention selections.
Zeitler completed 62 of 117 passes for 986 yards, seven yards shy of Peshtigo’s Justin Shill. Zeitler’s 53 percent completion percentage was second among quarterbacks playing nine or more games.
“(Zeitler) has had a great two-year run, and I am really looking forward to his senior season,” Kamps said. “He has a chance to end up throwing for close to 4,000 yards for his career.”
Peterson had 61 rushes for 428 yards with six touchdowns and also caught 15 passes for 279 yards and five touchdowns.
Aaron Schliess, of Wausaukee, was the conference’s Player of the Year.
Gillett (8-3, 5-2 M&O Conference) finished in second place in the M&O behind Coleman (8-2, 7-0).
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