PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

May 31, 2007

 

West Bend West High School

Dan Retzki, Athletic Director

(262) 335-5608

 

 

West Tabs DuFresne as Head Football Coach

 

The West Bend West High School Athletic Department has announced that Tim DuFresne has been named the new Varsity Head Football Coach.

 

DuFresne most recently served as an Assistant Coach for the Spartans.  DuFresne takes over for departed coach Matt Hensler who has taken the head football position at Lake Geneva Badger.  The Spartans are coming off their best record in school history finishing 6-1 in the Wisconsin Little Ten and 8-2 overall including a playoff loss to Waukesha North, their second playoff appearance in school history.

 

DuFresne has been an assistant coach with the Spartans since 1999, serving many roles but most recently serving as the Head JV Coach and Varsity Offensive Line Coach.  Prior to coming to West Bend DuFresne served as a running backs coach at a Military College in Charleston, South Carolina (The Citadel) in 1996-1997, as a linebacker coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1991-1992 and as a player/coach for Sembach Air Force Base in Sembach West Germany from 1985-1990.

DuFresne went to school at Marinette Catholic Memorial High School where he played football, basketball and golf.  He was the captain of his football team his senior year.  After high school DuFresne attending St. Thomas (Minneapolis) College where he played one year of football before going to active duty in the Air Force.

 

“Tim DuFresne brings stability, history and continuity to our program”, said Dan Retzki, West Athletic Director.  “Tim’s greatest asset is his knowledge of the team and it’s chemistry”.  “Tim is an excellent choice to maintain the high standards already established in the Spartan program”.

 

DuFresne owns his own financial advisory company (DuFresne & Associates).  Tim is married to wife, Zola and has two children, Auggie (7 years old) and Coleman (24 years old).

 

Spartans getting a kick out of football

West Bend West ends futility

By ROB REISCHEL
Special to the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Oct. 23, 2006

You've seen the cartoon countless times. An excited Charlie Brown readies to kick the football. A devious Lucy Van Pelt yanks the ball away. And a brokenhearted Charlie Brown kicks nothing but air before falling on his backside.

For the better part of three decades now, West Bend West's football team was Charlie Brown. But in one of the most surprising and feel-good stories of the 2006 season, the Spartans finally kicked the ball.

West captured a share of the Little Ten Conference for the first time since 1977, going 6-1 in the league and 8-1 overall. The Spartans qualified for the post-season for just the second time in school history.

And when West plays host to Waukesha North (4-5) in the first round of the WIAA Division 2 playoffs at 7 tonight, it will be looking for the school's first post-season victory.

"We're obviously thrilled as a staff and as a team," sixth-year coach Matt Hensler said. "It's a great feeling. Hopefully we've got a lot of season left. But if you step back and take a picture of what we've done so far, it means a lot. There's been a ton of firsts this year for the program."

Hensler isn't joking, as this West team has already become the most successful in the school's 37-year history.

West's total of eight victories has already eclipsed the previous school mark of six. The Spartans never started a season 5-0 as they did this fall. When West defeated Hartford two weeks ago, it was the school's first victory against a top-ranked team. And tonight, the Spartans will have their first home post-season game.

"The tradition at West has always been pretty poor," senior running back A.J. Larson said. "But I think we all felt we'd be pretty good this year."

Why, you wonder? For starters, West's senior class is perhaps the finest in school history. The Spartans returned 14 players who started at some point last year, and that group has been instrumental in reversing the 2-7 campaign of last season.

West's defense has been an enormous strength, allowing just 10.1 points per game. And if you take away the 46 points the Spartans allowed in a double-overtime loss to powerful Wisconsin Lutheran, they're allowing just 5.6 points per contest.

Seniors Peter Nennig and Nick Werner have formed a dynamic duo at defensive end, combining for five sacks and 151 tackles. Senior weak-side linebacker Tyler Van Fossen (109 tackles) and senior middle linebacker Kyle Knoeck (108) have been tackling machines. And senior safety Ben Werner has five interceptions and 10 passes knocked down to lead the secondary.

"Our defense has played fantastic," Hensler said.

"We've had some games where the offense has taken awhile to get going, but the defense has been great."

On offense, West's option attack has been steady and efficient in rolling up 26.1 points per contest.

Senior quarterback Ben Fabian (1,172 total yards, 12 touchdowns) and Larson (704 yards, eight TDs) have led the Spartans' offense, and senior center Cameron Magnowski anchors a terrific line.

"I think people are finally starting to believe in us," Fabian said. "It's nice to finally have people saying nice things about West football."

The Spartans hope there are even more compliments after tonight, as West aims to write the latest chapter in what already has been an unforgettable season.

"After every game, we just sit there and enjoy it," Larson said. "Every game it just grows and grows, so we're cherishing every moment. It's been incredible to be part of this success."

And eliminate the Charlie Brown reputation

 

Wis. Little Ten: West Bend West claims title share

Special to the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Oct. 19, 2006

The West Bend West football team claimed a share of the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference championship with a 28-0 victory over Watertown.

Nick Werner opened the scoring, returning an interception 46 yards for a touchdown. James Draxler caught a 25-yard TD pass from Ben Fabian, and Jake Reitz and A.J. Larson turned in 14-yard scoring runs. Watertown was held to 96 yards of offense.

Hartford earned its share of the Little Ten title with a 38-7 victory over Slinger. Charles Weissman scored on runs of 46, 18 and 4 yards and totaled 171 yards rushing. Wisconsin Lutheran handled Beaver Dam, 35-0, as Chris Echols ran for four touchdowns and totaled 152 yards in 22 carries. Wisconsin Lutheran out-gained Beaver Dam, 395-53.

West Bend East made Alan German's 33-yard field goal in the first quarter stand up in a 3-0 victory over Oconomowoc. Aaron Kastner passed for 147 yards for the winners.

Spartans move into rare air

By DAN MURPHY
Special to the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Oct. 13, 2006

Hartford - West Bend West has never been known as a football power. Actually, with just one conference title (1977) and one state playoff appearance in school history, the Spartans are more familiar with football futility.

Then came Friday.

West's 14-6 upset victory over Hartford, the top-ranked team in the state, was a good first step toward erasing that lackluster gridiron history.

The Spartans (7-1 overall, 5-1 Wisconsin Little Ten Conference), who were winless in the Little Ten last season, can secure at least a tie for the league title with a victory over Watertown on Thursday.

"I haven't been here forever, but I'm guessing that if it's not the biggest win (in school history), it's one of them," West coach Matt Hensler said.

"The magnitude of it has not been lost on us. We know it's a big deal and these kids deserve it. Our work's not done, but we needed to win tonight to be in the (conference) hunt."

The game turned on a fake field goal early in the fourth quarter. After three fruitless trips inside the Hartford red zone, the Spartans managed to drive to the 5-yard line, thanks in large part to a 40-yard pass from quarterback Ben Fabian to Peter Nennig.

On fourth and goal, kicker A.J. Larson took a pitch from his holder on the right side. The Orioles weren't fooled at all, but Larson rolled right and managed to lob a ball to the back of the end zone just as he was being leveled by a Hartford defender. James Draxler made a diving catch for the score. Larson's extra point kick gave the Spartans a 7-6 lead with 9 minutes 18 seconds left.

"I held on as long as I could and I jumped in the air and threw it across the field," Larson said. "I couldn't see the play because (the Hartford defender) drove me into the ground. As soon as I landed and heard everybody cheering I knew it was completed. That was the play of the game right there."

Said Hensler: "That might go down as the worst call ever. I guess sometimes you just put the ball in the hands of your senior leaders and you see what you can do. (Larson) could have panicked three, four or eight times and he decided to go to our fourth option on the play. On top of that you have another senior making a very athletic catch in the end zone."

Hartford (7-1, 5-1) drove to the West 28-yard line on its next possession but failed to convert on a fourth-down play with 5:38 left. The Spartans then engineered an eight-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 7-yard scoring run by Fabian to give West a 14-6 lead with 1:34 on the clock.

"We drove the ball a lot and got stopped three or four times," Fabian said. "Give them credit. We worked our butts off and we finally put it through. We've still got one more game to go but we've got (a conference championship) on our shoulders now."

HAR: Paul Pridemore 25 pass from Nicholas Apel (kick failed). WBW: James Draxler 5 pass from A.J. Larson (Larson kick). WBW: Ben Fabian 7 run (Larson kick).

Total yardage - HAR 169, WBW 270. Top rushers - HAR: Charles Weissman 26-101.