Wisconsin high school football conference previews: Dunn-St. Croix

1. Boyceville 
2. Spring Valley
3. Glenwood City
4. Turtle Lake
5. Elmwood/Plum City
6. Clear Lake
7. Colfax

Players to Watch
Logan Auth, RB/LB, Elmwood/Plum City: Auth earned Second Team All-Conference recognition after leading the team in rushing and tackles last season.

Zach Hellendrung, RB/DL, Boyceville: Hellendrung is one of the top players in the state, rushing for more than 1000 yards last year while leading the team with 109 tackles. He has given a commitment to North Dakota State.

Landyn Leslie, WR/LB, Boyceville: Leslie led the Bulldogs with 32 catches for 675 yards and 11 touchdowns, also recording six interceptions on defense.

Brody Riba, WR/DB, Glenwood City: Riba earned First Team All-Conference recognition on both sides of the ball last season.

Carson Roemhild, QB/DB, Boyceville: Roemhild was the league's Offensive Player of the Year last season and also a First Team All-Conference pick on the defensive side.

Brody Tarman, QB/LB, Turtle Lake: Tarman was an Honorable Mention All-Conference quarterback and First Team all-league linebacker last season for the Lakers.

Asher Turner, RB, Spring Valley: Turner is the top returning rusher for the Cardinals, going for 519 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

Brandon Wagner, TE/DE, Turtle Lake: Wagner is a big target at tight end, catching 40 passes for 625 yards and six touchdowns a year ago, and also a starter on the defensive line.

2025 Team Previews

1. Boyceville was a point away from a conference championship and one point away from a trip to the state finals, but it was still an outstanding season for the Bulldogs. The team went 8-1 in the regular season, with only a 19-18 loss to Spring Valley blemishing their record. They got their revenge on Spring Valley in the sectional final before a 21-20 loss to eventual D7 champion Edgar in the state semi-finals. "We have a lot of experience returning from a team that was four minutes away from its first trip to Madison," said head coach Michael Roemhild. "We have great leaders and players that will be four-year starters for us." Among those is returning DSC Offensive Player of the Year Carson Roemhild at quarterback as well as fellow two-way stud Zach Hellendrung, who is committed to North Dakota State. "Our biggest weakness will be filling some holes on the offensive line and middle linebacker. We lost some key players who were part of the reason for our success." There are eight starters returning on both sides of the ball for Boyceville, who have a strong chance to make a trip to Camp Randall for the first time ever.

2. Spring Valley was the outright champion in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference last year, going unbeaten in the team's first 11 games. In the Division 7 sectional final, the Cardinals would fall to league rival Boyceville, whom they had beaten just a month earlier. "With heavy graduation losses, there is a lot of work to be done," said head coach Ryan Kapping. "The overall strengths of the team should be in the offensive and defensive lines, where the greatest number of returning contributors are. We will rely on those units to provide leadership early while we build our depth in other positions." The offense brings back six offensive starters, though Asher Turner is the lone returning skill player returning. Max Wittmer is one of the top returnees up front. There are three starters back on defense.

3. Glenwood City was a couple of games off the pace in the conference standings last year, but still put together a solid season with a playoff appearance and a postseason win over Blair-Taylor. The Hilltoppers would fall to Spring Valley for a second time in Level 2. The team welcomes back five starters on both offense and defense this season, with 13 total letterwinners returning. "We will be very skilled, with good speed," said veteran head coach Shane Strong. "We lack size up front on both sides of the ball, though." There's the makings of a solid pass-catching group, including quarterback Brody Olson as well as receivers Brady Thompson and Brody Riba.

4. Turtle Lake won three of the final four games of the season, allowing the Lakers to qualify for the playoffs, where they'd go out to Boyceville. "We'll have 11 seniors that will lead this team," said head coach Troy Wagner. "Our returning skills players are all-conference members from 2024. Our main weakness will be in our offensive line. Defensively, we'll be led by many seniors with some unproven talent looking to step up." There are eight starters back on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Brody Tarman, standout pass-catcher Brandon Wagner, and experienced running back Brandon Wright.

5. Elmwood/Plum City struggled a year ago, as the team finished just 2-7 overall. "The team will be returning a lot of skill position players," said head coach Michael Birtzer. "The issue will be finding three offensive linemen, one of whom was First Team All-Conference." The co-op program returns 12 letterwinners this year, with five starters back on each side of the ball. Logan Auth and Owen Kober return after finishing one-two on the team in rushing.

6. Clear Lake scored just two wins last year, a 30-0 non-conference shutout of Webster and a 35-18 victory against Colfax in a Dunn-St. Croix Conference game. Both Wyatt Lundren and Lane Prusak saw time at quarterback last year, and each returns this season as options in the backfield. Prusak also led the team in rushing a year ago.