MLC meets new foe led by familiar coach

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- If any coach can do it, Vince Brautigam would be the man. Brautigam, the coach who took tiny Mount Senario (Wis.) from football oblivion to a consistent winner and a UMAC power, is attempting to raise another phoenix from the ashes.

Brautigam will bring his team to New Ulm to face the Martin Luther Knights. But Brautigam won't be leading the Fighting Saints into "The Bowl" for a 1 p.m. kickoff today. He'll be leading the Dubuque Spartans.

This is Brautigam's latest endeavor:

* The Spartans were 0-10 last season.

* It was Dubuque's second winless season in three campaigns and the fourth time in the last five years the Spartans couldn't win even two games.

* The Spartans' opponents outscored them 485-34 in 2000. Ouch.

"We're still young, inexperienced to a large degree," Brautigam said. "There are a lot of things we need to do. There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome."

But the Spartans have overcome the biggest one -- apathy. Brautigam has gotten the Dubuque administration to make a commitment to the football program, bringing in not only him, but new locker room facilities, new paint at Chalmer Field -- the home stadium for the Spartans -- and a new heating system for the locker room.

The Spartans even have new uniforms. And a lot of new players.

With only 20 players returning from the disaster that was 2000, Brautigam had 94 players report for fall practice. Several of the names will be recognizable to MLC followers; Brautigam brought more than a dozen players with him from Mount Senario.

"It sounds to me like a mini-amalgamation," MLC coach Dennis Gorsline said. "There's some guys back, he's brought 15 or 16 with him from Mount Senario. ... I think it's kind of like 'Mount Senario II.'"

One of the players familiar to MLC will be Chris Singletary. The 5-foot-9, 183-pound senior from Stuart, Fla., won the 2000 UMAC rushing title, gaining 1,330 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns for the Fighting Saints.

Singletary is a key addition for the Spartans offense, and one that is desperately needed. The returning Spartans from 2000 don't offer a lot.

Sophomore Jason Happach is the Spartans' leading returning rusher with 413 yards and one touchdown last year. Quarterback Brad Toussaint (6-2, 163) is back after suffering through an abysmal freshman season in 2001, going 56 of 142 (39.4 percent) for 612 yards and just three touchdowns.

The Spartans can obviously use all the help they can get.

"When you have a young and inexperienced team, anytime you can bring in somebody that's been successful, that's definitely going to help the younger kids," Brautigam said.

The Knights, on the other hand, are much more stable. The quarterback situation is settled, they have plenty of returning experienced players, and the possible apprehensiveness of playing a team they've never played before is dampened somewhat by facing a coach and several players they're quite familiar with.

"I've looked at the Senario film (from 2000), because I think they're going to run the same defense that he's run for years," Gorsline said. "And if they've got Singletary in the backfield, they're certainly going to get him the ball."

But it goes both ways.

"It helps as far as knowing what to expect," Brautigam said. "It helps us to get prepared. ... I don't think we're going to fool each other on anything that we're going to do.

"I have a lot of respect for Dennis. I know he'll have them ready to play and that they're going to hit hard."

When the Knights have the ball for the first time in 2001, sophomore Seth Fitzsimmons (6-2, 220) will be the quarterback. Fitzsimmons beat out senior Ben Kuerth after the two shared the position successfully in 2000.

Senior tailback Eli Cloute is back and healthy. Joining him in the backfield will be junior fullback Paul Mattek.

All-UMAC and honorable mention All-American wide receiver Mike Feuerstahler is back and junior Casey Holtz will start at the other wide out. Sophomore Stephawn Coleman and freshman Dan Unke will also likely see time at wide receiver.

MLC returns four of five starting offensive linemen from 2000. Senior Brad Taylor is the only newcomer; he'll play left guard this year after playing linebacker last season.

Defensively, the Knights return six starters, and other five all saw playing time last season. Senior Jared Rathje, who started at safety in 2000, moves alongside senior Carlos Leyrer at a linebacking spot this season.

"I think the kids run pretty good," Gorsline said. "I think we're going to be OK. ... Our big concern is Senario has beaten us the last two years on the fade pattern. We got to stop the fade."

Not having cornerback Eric Schroeder available won't make the task easier. The junior is still rehabbing a hamstring injury suffered the first day of fall practice and will not dress.

And Wednesday's practice was a costly one for the Knights. Two other players expected to play today went down -- junior running back Paul Schupmann and senior running back Bill Heiges.

Schupmann is listed as questionable with a sprained right knee; he'll be a game-time decision. Heiges suffered a shoulder separation and is out.