Evan Wick, of De Soto High School, has been named Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week, the organization announced Wednesday.
In his sixth year as the head coach at De Soto, Wick lead the Pirates to their third WIAA Division 7 playoff win of the season last Saturday. The Pirates defeated No. 1 seeded Plum City High School by a score of 20-7, with an impressive defensive display that saw Wick's De Soto squad hold the previously undefeated Blue Devils to their lowest point total of the season.
"The guys have been doing a great job the last few weeks on defense," Wick said. "In our first three playoff games, we have held our opponents to a total of 13 points. We won the conference title and ever since then we've been playing with a lot of intensity. We're peaking at the right time."
De Soto has now advanced to the fourth round of the WIAA Division 7 playoffs, and will travel to Portage to take on the 12-0 Catholic Central Hilltoppers this coming Saturday.
Wick and his staff oversee a program made up of 41 varsity players. His assistant coaching staff includes John Cina, Adam Dow, Leroy Emerson, Pat Kolbe, Tony Paletta, and Dave Walleser.
A native of Clear Lake, Wis., Wick attended Clear Lake High School where he played offensive and defensive line under head coach Mike Berutti. He is a 2001 graduate of Mount Senario College where he played both tight end and offensive tackle for head coach Vince Braudigam. He is currently a fifth-grade teacher at Prairie View Elementary School.
In 2002, Wick joined the De Soto coaching staff as an assistant to the junior varsity and varsity football teams. After being an assistant for only one year, he was promoted to the varsity head coaching position for the 2003 season. In his six years of coaching, Wick has produced an overall record of 50-15 with six straight WIAA playoff appearances.
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their 'Coach of the Week' winner during the 2008 high school football season. Winners are awarded several items and privileges, including a $1,000 donation to the school's football program from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, as well as recognition of the award on packers.com.
Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 9 a.m. every Monday to Tim Schroeder, community outreach coordinator, at coachoftheweek@packers.com (e-mail) or by fax at (920) 569-7302. Please include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number, and reason he/she is deserving of the award.
