THE 1990’S BEST…PART 2
As I mentioned in PART 1 there were, as usual, many hard choices. In Part 2, that hasn’t changed. Picking the top coaches and players for the decade was difficult.
THE TOP COACH
So many top HOF coaches brought a number of teams to the state finals. Now having many championship teams or even second place runner-up squads didn’t make you THE TOP coach but it didn’t hurt. Looking at a list of great coaches has led me to having to pick TWO as #1 for the 1990’s.
Bob Hyland of Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs had seven teams make it to the WISAA finals with six being champion. This small school often faced larger schools like Milwaukee Marquette, Green Bay Notre Dame and Waukesha Catholic Memorial in the finals. As mentioned in earlier stories, Bob started in 1971 with a winless season but ended in 2024 as the state’s all-time winningest coach and he currently is listed as the #3 all-time national winner with 522 total wins.
Tied for the decade’s best coach is Monroe’s Pat Martin who took four trams to the title and coached two second place teams. He tied Manitowoc’s Ron Rubick (1984-86) with three consecutive titles (1990-1492). He also took the Cheesemakers to the title in 1986 and second place in 1987. Martin, interestingly, graduated from St. Mary’s Springs in 1965, six years before Hyland began coaching there.
The man Martin often matched up against was Menomonie’s Joe LaBuda who was also a four-time title winning coach with two teams that came in second. Between Monroe and Menomonie there were some great contests. Douglas McArthur of Darlington was an even three titles and three number two spots. He also took his Redbirds to their first title win in 1987.
Other great coaches from the 1990’s were Alex Hilber of Mayville, Paul Engen of Appleton West, Tom Taraska of Hartland Arrowhead, current Edgar coach Jerry Sinz, Jeff Setz of New Berlin West. Milwaukee Marquette’s Dick Basham directed his Hilltoppers to three WISAA titles and a runner-up spot while Waukesha Catholic Memorial’s Dick Young took home two WISAA titles and three second place trophies. There were many other top coaches to consider but these stood out.
THE TOP PLAYERS
As I stated it was hard to choose the top coach (s) but in reality, it was just as hard picking the Player of the Decade. Early in the 1990’s Jake Morris of Elk Mound was the top player of many people. Jake gained 2,767 yards in 1992 and scored 41 touchdowns on the ground as he led his team to the state finals only to lose to Edgar 14-7. During the year he returned eight punts for scores, led the state in scoring for the second consecutive season and had seven 200+ yard games rushing. With 5,447 career rushing yards and 530 career points scoring he finished #1 all-time in those two categories. His career scoring broke the record set in 1918-20 seasons of 485 by Superior’s John Hancock. As good as Morris was in 1992, he did not lead the state in rushing. Nathan Harms of Owen-Withee gained 2,820 yards.
The decade was coming to a close when a running back from Random Lake destroyed state rushing and scoring records and earned Player of the Decade but first, the top overall offensive, defensive and honorable mention players.
1990’s PLAYER OF THE DECADE
Luke Hagel of Random Lake burst onto the scene in 1996 as the sophomore became a starter in the backfield after playing at times in 1995 as a freshman backup. Hagel ran for 1,441 yards and scored 29 touchdowns in 1996. In 1997, as a junior, he scored 317 points on 42 touchdowns, 48 extra-point kicks, one two-point conversion and 9 field goals. His 317 points replaced the 296 points that Jake Morris had collected in 1992 for tops in a single season. Random Lake went 11-1 in 1997, falling to Wittenberg-Birnamwood 35-15 behind that school’s three 1,000-yard rushers while the Rams relied on the bruising rushing of Hagel. Luke gained 2,139 yards that year.
With 3,741 career rushing yards in his first three seasons. Much was expected of him as a senior in 1998. He didn’t disappoint. The 6’1, 195-pound running back/kicker/linebacker was ready to lead Random Lake to Madison. The Milwaukee Journal suggested to readers for them to see the states best player was to take a little trip north of the city to Slinger to see him as that was the closest the Rams would play to the metro area. They would beat the Owls in the season opener 28-6 with Hagel picking up 205 yads, three touchdowns and four extra points. The numbers would just grow from then on.
Random Lake would go 12-2 overall but lose to 21-14 to Colby in the finals as Hagel carried 45 times for 233 yards and both touchdowns and extra point’s along with 7 tackles. His season totals were 2,652 yards on the ground, 42 touchdowns, 42 extra point kicks, one two-point conversion and one field goal for a total of 301 points. All in all, Luke gained a career total of 6,495 yards (Then a state record) and scored 802 points. Hagel also stared in three other sports while at Random Lake…basketball, baseball and track., earning sixteen letters.
As senior the standout was named the Wendy’s High School Heisman for the state as well as earning WFCA Player of the Year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel State Player of the Year and the AP’s top player. The earning of the Wendy’s award came with a trip to New York City to see the Texas Longhorn running back Ricky Williams receive the Heisman Award, given to the top college player. Luke decided to attend Ripon College so he could play both football and baseball. He played both sports his first year at Ripon, then football only as a sophomore and then baseball exclusively baseball as a junior and senior. His fine collegiate career led him to being named to Ripon’s athletic hall of fame.
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