By PETER JACKEL
Journal Times | Posted: Monday, November 19, 2007 12:00 am
There was a payoff for Casey Smith after all.
Two weeks after football practice started for the Racine Lutheran High School football team in August 2006, the then junior linebacker was diagnosed with a tumor on his adrenal gland. Football was immediately taken away from him and, for a few tense weeks, there were concerns that his life could be in jeopardy as well.
But after undergoing surgery, Smith returned to the Crusaders for their fifth game of the season last fall. Thirteen months later, Smith is one of two Racine County players to make the Associated Press All-State team, earning honorable mention honors.
Smith is joined as an honorable mention player on the team by St. Catherine's senior running back Eddie Morelli, who rushed for 2,024 yards - nearly 1,000 more than anyone else in the county - and scored 23 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3, 222-pound Smith was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Midwest Classic Conference after finishing the regular season with 70 solo tackles, 41 assists, four sacks, 13 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. With Smith acting as the quarterback of the defense, Lutheran shut out five opponents and allowed just six points in another game during the regular season.
If Smith looked like a man possessed at linebacker, it's because that's what he was.
"Not many kids realize what it's like to have football taken away from them until it's too late," said Lutheran coach Scott Smith, Casey's father. "And I think Casey realized that. And when everything came out all right with the doctors, it was like he was given new life with football."
As for Morelli, he didn't even start as a junior. And only after reluctantly going out for track last spring at St. Catherine's football coach Dan Miller's insistence did Morelli notice a change in his speed and agility.
Using his exceptional cut-back ability, the 5-10, 191-pound Morelli opened the season with a 268-yard performance against Milwaukee Lutheran and didn't look back. Until he was held to 56 yards in St. Catherine's 29-7 loss to eventual WIAA Division 5 state champion La Crosse Aquinas in a semifinal game Nov. 10, Morelli rushed for at least 128 yards in every game.
His signature performance came against previously undefeated Brillion in the state quarterfinals Nov. 3, when Morelli rushed for 335 yards and scored three touchdowns.
"Eddie is the complete tailback," Miller said.
"He has speed, quickness, toughness, he catches the ball well out of the backfield, he has great vision, he finishes off runs with second and third efforts, he cuts back, spins and steps up hard on pass protection. He's a positive role model during and after practice."
The 2007 Associated Press WIAA football all-state team, as voted on by a statewide panel of media members:
Player of the Year
Damon Campbell, Wisconsin Lutheran
Coach of the Year: Tom Taraska, Arrowhead.
QUARTERBACK
FIRST TEAM
Dan Schneider, West Salem, 6-1 175 Jr.
SECOND TEAM
Mike Hennessy, Greendale, 6-0 170 Sr.
RUNNING BACK
FIRST TEAM
Chris Echols, Wisconsin Lutheran, 5-11 210 Sr., Mitch Sutton, Stevens Point, 6-0 200 Sr., Michael Sewall, Kimberly, 5-9 172 Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Charles Weissman, Hartford, 6-1 195 Sr., Jake Ferris, Arrowhead, 5-11 205 Sr., Bradie Ewing, Richland Center, 6-1 210 Sr.
WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END
FIRST TEAM
Jacob Welch, West Salem, 6-1 190 Sr., Kyle Mabry, Greendale, 5-11 180 Sr., Tyler Carl, Fennimore, 5-11 160 Sr.
SECOND TEAM
T.J. Williams, Bradford, 6-1 180 Sr., Jonathan Johnson, Bradley Tech, 6-0 195 Sr., Riley Koval, Mount Horeb Barneveld, 6-0 170 Jr.
OFFENSIVE LINE
FIRST TEAM
Peter Konz, Neenah, 6-6 290 Sr., Harold Lloyd, Janesville Parker, 6-4 270 Sr., Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin Lutheran, 6-4 280 Sr., Luke Robbe, Hartford, 6-2 215 Sr., Eric Phillips, Menomonie, 6-4 272 Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Ryan Schwenn, Monona Grove, 6-7 290 Sr., Travis Frederick, Walworth Big Foot, 6-5 302 Jr., Nick Doehling, Arrowhead, 6-3 278 Jr., Brent Aaron, Hamilton (Sussex), 6-3 272 Sr.. Tyler Cory, Verona, 6-2 240 Sr.
KICKER
FIRST TEAM
Jeff Budzien, Arrowhead, 5-11 151 Jr.
SECOND TEAM
David Schwerman, Kettle Moraine, 6-1 190 Sr.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
FIRST TEAM
Shelby Harris, Homestead, 6-3 225 Jr., Harold Lloyd, Janesville Parker, 6-4 270 Sr., Nate Gross, Arrowhead, 6-1 226 Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Alex Anderson, Waunakee, 6-1 210 Sr., Justin Waldvogel, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, 6-3 275 Sr., David Witkiewicz, Whitnall, 6-6 245 Sr.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS/DEFENSIVE ENDS
FIRST TEAM
Tyler Westphal, Menasha, 6-6 240 Sr., Adam Poellinger, La Crosse Aquinas, 6-1 260 Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Lucas Bauer, Verona, 6-4 245 Sr., Drew Barman, DeForest, 6-2 215 Jr.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
FIRST TEAM
Damon Campbell, Wisconsin Lutheran, 6-0 228 Sr., Cory Pinkner, Arrowhead, 6-2 188 Sr., Tyrell Rosemeyer, Fennimore, 6-0 222 Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Joe Paulus, Kewaskum, 5-10 200 Jr., Mike Taylor, Ashwaubenon, 6-2 205 Sr., Nick Zander, Eleva-Strum, 6-3 205 Sr.
DEFENSIVE BACK
FIRST TEAM
Sam Overton, Milwaukee Riverside, 5-10 165 Sr., Jared Konsella, DeForest, 6-0 195 Jr., Greg Doering, Kimberly, 6-4 195 Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Angelo Ruiz, Oak Creek, 6-0 195 Jr., Nick Rogness, Eleva-Strum, 6-2 175 Sr., Alex Webb, Homestead, 5-11 170 Sr.
PUNTER
FIRST TEAM
Brad Nortman, Brookfield Central, 6-3 220 Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Cole Zwiefelhofer, Chippewa Falls, 6-3 190 Jr.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB Lance Rongstad, Eleva-Strum, Sr., RB Dustin Kroeplin, Owen-Withee, Sr., WR Jon Heimler, Menomonie, Sr., DE Kiel Schoch, Rice Lake, Sr., QB Kyle Thorpe, Stanley-Boyd, Sr., QB Steve Chapiewsky, Madison LaFollette, Sr., RB Tylur Lengfeld, DeForest, Jr., P Spencer Lorrig, Madison Memorial, Sr., DB Justin Scanlon, Verona, Sr., WR Tyler Uschan, Janesville Craig, Sr., OT J.J Manowske, St. Mary's Springs, Sr., DL Shane Biertzer, Mayville, Jr., DE Andrew Wasmund, Horicon, Sr., DB John Holt, Kewaskum, Sr., RB Ray Smith, Sheboygan South, Sr., DL Joe Akey, Merrill, Sr., WR Jake Gollon, Stevens Point, Sr., RB Chris Olson, Stratford, Sr., DE Travis Meidl, Stratford, Sr., QB Colton Zimmerman, Iola-Scandinavia, Sr., LB Trevor Ludeking, Tomah, Sr., QB Bill Oppriecht, Seneca, Sr., RB Hunter Burke, West Salem, Sr., RB Sam Pederson, La Crosse Aquinas, Sr., RB Lenier Johnson, Milwaukee Bay View, Sr., QB Alex Delebreau, Kewaunee, Sr., RB Jake Hermsen, New London, Sr., RB Derek Hedtke, Appleton North, Sr., LB A.J. Klein, Kimberly, Jr., DT Drew Nowak, DePere, Sr., RB Brett Werner-Powell, Homestead, Sr., QB Brian Mulcahy, Milwaukee Marquette, Sr., QB Jeff Lemmer, Milwaukee Bradley Tech, Sr., DE Bryan Steinmetz, Port Washington, Sr., RB Ben Miller, Milwaukee Marquette, Sr., RB Steve Spratte, Waukesha West, Sr., RB Eddie Morelli, St. Catherine's, Sr., DL Mike Bernarde, Hamilton (Sussex), Sr., LB Casey Smith, Racine Lutheran, Sr., OL Jacob Glickstein, Brookfield Central, Sr., DE/OLB Matt Withrow, Platteville, Sr., LB Taylor Goodman, Black Hawk, Sr., RB Tyler Landon, Lancaster, Sr., P Joe Bauer, Johnson Creek, Sr., QB Blake Martin, Southwestern, Sr.