The Green Bay Packers have announced that Aaron Fredrick of Reedsville High School in Reedsville, Wis., has been named the Packers High School Coach of the Week. The program is presented by Jack Link's Protein Snacks.
Fredrick, in his ninth year as the head coach of Reedsville, led the No. 3 Panthers to a last minute 17-15 victory over the No. 4 Pittsville Panthers in the third round of the Division 7 WIAA State Football Tournament on Friday, Nov. 2. Reedsville kicked a go-ahead 32-yard field goal, leaving only 12 seconds left on the clock for Pittsville. In that short amount of time, Pittsfield managed to get the ball down to Reedsville's 30-yard line to attempt a game-winning field goal. With time expiring, Reedsville was able to block Pittsfield's field goal attempt and advance to the state semifinals. Fredrick and the Panthers now have the No. 1-seeded Edgar Wildcats standing in their way of a trip to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., for the Division 7 WIAA State Championship game.
Fredrick expects a tough battle against Edgar on Friday, Nov. 9.
"They're really physical," Fredrick said. "They're going to play the field position game and try and win the turnover battle. They do a lot of things really well on offense. We've just got to make sure we tackle great. We've kind of hung our hat on our defense all year and we're just going to have to ask them to make some more big plays. Offensively we just cannot turn the ball over. We're starting to throw the ball better than we did at the beginning of the year, but it all starts up front with our offensive line. We're just going to have to try and keep the game close and have a chance to win at the end, or if we're up, we'll put the game on our defense again."
Fredrick grew up in Reedsville, Wis., and is an alumnus of Reedsville High School, graduating in 1999. Throughout high school, he participated in football, basketball and baseball. Fredrick played wide receiver and outside linebacker for the Panthers under Coach Pat Popp. Following high school, Fredrick went on to graduate from Fox Valley Technical College in 2001.
Fredrick began his coaching career as the head coach of the Reedsville 7th-grade football team in 2005. The following year, he was named the head coach on the 8th-grade team, and in 2007, Fredrick was named head coach of the Reedsville High School freshman football team. The next year, he became head coach of the junior varsity team, before being named the head coach of the Reedsville varsity team two years later.
Fredrick sees the Coach of the Week Award as a staff award.
"It's a great deal," Fredrick said. "We talk all year about the kids being a team, and our staff is really a team too. We all really work together. We toss around ideas. It's not just myself, it's everybody each and every week watching film and breaking down different tendencies. It just means a lot that we can do it together. I don't win this award without them, that's for sure."
Fredrick and his staff oversee a program of 36 players, with 32 suiting up for the playoffs. His assistant staff includes Ryan McCulley, Michael Nate, Greg Penza, Vince Denor, Daniel Butler, and Joe Cummings.
In addition to coaching football, Fredrick is also a contractor for Miron Construction. Fredrick is married to his wife, Amber.
About the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week Program:
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their 'Coach of the Week' winner during the 2018 high school football season. Winners are awarded several items and privileges, including a $2,000 donation to the school's football program from the Green Bay Packers, Jack Link's Protein Snacks and the NFL Foundation, as well as recognition of the award on Packers.com, Wissports.net and Wifca.org.
Winning coaches will also take part in the Jack Link's High School Coach of the Week Game Ball Delivery where they will hand the game ball over to a member of the Packers staff or referee prior to a regular season home game.
Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 10 a.m. every Monday to Ryan Fencl, Football Outreach Specialist, at coachoftheweek@packers.com. Please include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number and reason he/she is deserving of the award.
