2025 FOX VALLEY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE PREVIEWPredicted Order of Finish1. Kaukauna (Kaukauna)
2. Kimberly (Kimberly)
3. Appleton North (Appleton)
4. Neenah
5. Fond du Lac
6. Oshkosh West (Oshkosh)
7. Hortonville
8. Appleton East (Appleton)Players to WatchMason Henschel, RB, Fond du Lac: Henschel led the Cardinals in rushing last season, going for 617 yards and five scores on the ground.
Elias Janssen, DL, Kimberly: Janssen was a Second Team All-Conference defensive lineman last year, giving a commitment to South Dakota State in the off-season.
Kegan Pleau, RB, Kimberly: Pleau earned First Team All-Conference honors after leading the Papermakers in rushing last season.
Aiden Reardon, RB, Kaukauna: Reardon rushed for 1,451 yards and 15 touchdowns last season to earn First Team All-Conference in the FVA.
Bron Schaefer, QB, Kaukauna: Schaefer threw for more than 2000 yards with 18 touchdown passes a year ago, adding another 417 yards and four touchdowns on the ground for the Galloping Ghosts.
Ben Wenzel, LB, Appleton North: Wenzel gave a commitment to Wisconsin in the off-season and is a returning First Team All-Conference selection.
2025 Team Previews1. Kaukauna dropped a close game to eventual D3 state champion Notre Dame to open the season, then rattled off six consecutive victories before going down to Kimberly. The Ghosts would win a couple of D2 playoff games before exiting against West De Pere, a team they beat earlier in the year, in the sectional championship. "We return some key offensive kids," said veteran head coach Matt Binsfeld. "We should have some potential to move the ball if our offensive line can come around. Our defense has a lot of new faces, but there are a lot of kids who were contributors last year who look ready to do a great job this year. I think we have a chance to put a great defense out on the field." Six starters are returning on offense, including First Team All-Conference running back Aiden Reardon as well as standout quarterback Bron Schaefer, who racked up nearly 2500 yards of total offense a year ago.
2. Kimberly has been the top program in the FVA for the better part of two decades, and not picking them to win is a dangerous proposition. The Papermakers are coming off a solid year in 2024, but one that saw them unable to get past the Neenah Rockets. Kimberly was 8-0 against everyone else, including a victory over eventual D1 champion Bay Port, but dropped a 29-28 decision to Neenah that led to a three-way tie atop the FVA standings, then went out to the Rockets in Level 2 of the playoffs. "We return a solid core group of seniors who have a wealth of varsity playing experience," said head coach Chad Michalkiewicz. "Our weight room culture and leadership development continue to highlight our growth and strength areas of our program." The Papermakers bring back 45 letterwinners, including five starters on both sides of the ball. They'll be breaking in a new quarterback with the graduation of First Team All-Conference choice Braedon Ellefson, though senior Cam Wong is likely to step into that spot. Leading rusher Kegan Pleau is among the returnees. Defensively, there is strength up front with D1 recruit Elias Janssen and three-year starter Tyler Hinn.
3. Appleton North went 5-5 last year, struggling to find a win against the better teams on the schedule, despite a number of competitive contests. The Lightning lost consecutive games against rival Kimberly to end the regular season and then in the first round of the playoffs. There is a sense that the team should take a step forward this year with eight returning starters on offense to go with four on defense, as longtime head coach Rob Salm returns 35 letterwinners from a year ago. "We should be very skilled and talented on offense," said Salm. After leading the team in receiving last year, Grant Hardy will make the move over to quarterback this fall. Wide receiver Keegan Muchow and running back D.J. Wilson got plenty of reps a year ago and should be much improved. Ben Wenzel is a Wisconsin commit and the leader of the defense from his linebacker spot.
4. Neenah shared the FVA title last year in a three-way tie atop the standings, as the Rockets became one of the few teams of the last 30 years to defeat Kimberly twice in the same year. However, the Rockets couldn't solve Muskego, falling to the Warriors to open the non-conference schedule and then again in a sectional championship. Neenah has to replace the workhorses of the offense from a year ago, quarterback Evan Vanevenhoven and All-State athlete Grant Dean, who is off to Wisconsin. Leading receiver Ashton Van Beek does return for the Rockets.
5. Fond du Lac lost five straight games to open the season against a Murderer's Row of a schedule, though the Cardinals would rebound to claim victory in three of four contests and sneak into the playoffs. They'd get matched up with undefeated Franklin in Level 1, falling to the Sabers 42-27. "A lot of sophomores and juniors from last year's team will be returning," said head coach Sam Plucker, as the team welcomes back nine starters on offense, six on defense, and a total of 60 letterwinners. Deandre Williams, Jr. started at quarterback as a sophomore and is a breakout candidate this fall, while Mason Henschel is back after leading the team in rushing last season.
6. Oshkosh West was competitive in more games last year, but could only find its way to two wins, just one in conference. The team is working to become more consistent under third-year coach Joey Ray. "We have some ground to make up on both sides of the ball, but I think our kids in Year Three of our system and weights program will be able to be competitive in the FVA," said Ray. "Our defense should be our strength. We have eight guys that played significant varsity minutes last year returning on defense, and have some young guys that have stepped up in a big way. Offensively, we have to figure out who will be our quarterback, but they should have some solid weapons around them."
7. Hortonville won a couple of close games in the FVA but would finish just 2-7 overall last season after returning to the league from the Valley Football Association. The Polar Bears have lacked some consistency in the program, but are trying to get back to that point this fall. They bring back quarterback A.J. Pheifer and leading rusher Tristan Berrens, but have some big holes to fill on defense, including standout defensive lineman Reggie Kloehn.
8. Appleton East opened the season with a win over Green Bay Southwest, then really caught people's attention with a 6-0 win over defending Classic Eight Conference champion Kettle Moraine. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the high-water mark for the Patriots, who would fail to win a game in the FVA schedule, scoring just 33 points in conference games. Mark Krommenacker left to take the Little Chute job, with Nicholas Reichert taking over this year. "We return most of the skill positions on offense and defense," said Reichert. "We are looking to build off our first year returning to the FVA." There are 35 letterwinners back, with six starters returning on offense and four on defense.
