Familiar faces and new challenges await Bluejays football team

The Three Lakes-Phelps varsity eight-player football team held its first formal practice sessions last week, and at first glance it looked like business as usual with a host of returning letter winners preparing for a new season. First-year head coach Pat George is also familiar to Bluejay fans and players, having served on the coaching staff for more than a decade, ending in 2024. The team even practiced on a field at Three Lakes High School where they have practiced for many years, but change will be a constant this year as the Jays will see new schemes on the field and face new teams in a new conference.

Second-year quarterback Sam Koshuta will return under center and lead the offense after a season where he threw for eight touchdowns and more than 1,000 yards. He earned all-conference honorable mention last year, and coach George said that Koshuta is coming back with high confidence.

“Sam has to be a leader for us”, George said, “and I hope to put him in the best situations to be successful. He has talent, and I am sure he will continue to grow in his important role for the team.”

Other returning letter winners include senior Owen Liebscher and junior Jack Westfall. Liebscher excited fans in 2025 with his 653 kick return yards and 535 receiving yards. In total, he had four touchdowns and earned all-conference honors in three different categories. The head coach said Liebscher is a valuable resource for the Jays, and that “football is just his thing, and it shows.”

Westfall was also a key contributor last season and was another honorable mention all-conference selection. He will continue to be a primary ball carrier on the ground, and a likely receiving target for Koshuta.

“This kid is tough as nails,” George said, “and somebody I expect to be one of our leaders.”
Seniors Zach Weavers and Garrett Mandli are physical four-year players returning to the club, and each played under coach George as freshmen.

“These guys have the potential to be real impact players,” George said last week. “Zach is a force on the field in his defense and kicking roles, while Garrett has grown both physically and mentally, and can be dangerous.”

Together they made nearly 100 tackles last season, and Weavers was an all-conference pick in two categories.

Bentley Bills, Jack Bauknecht, Wyatt Gentile-Donner, Peter Cruckson and Logan Running round out the roster of letter winners, with Bills and Bauknecht coming off fine seasons with more than 150 collective tackles and multiple all-conference honors. Gentile-Donner, Cruckson and Running will likely see more time on the field this season, as George said opportunities are open for everyone.

Roster changes this year include the addition of freshman players Dylan Wallschlaeger, Charles Olkowski, and Rayden Anderson, along with sophomore Cash Wynstra, while the team loses Sawyer Szews and teammate Carter Nelson to graduation. Assistant coaches Scott LeBuis and Rich Martin are returning to the team this season, joined by new assistant Colton Swiontek.

Another major change for the team will be the fact that they will now compete in the Northwoods-East Conference instead of the Northeast Conference of last season. The Jays will face unfamiliar teams such as Phillips, Chequamegon, Prentice, Rib Lake and Hurley in conference action. Other conference foes include familiar rivals from Laona-Wabeno and Elcho-White Lake. The only non-conference game on the schedule is the opening home game against Florence High School on Friday, August 21, at 7:00 p.m. Fans arriving at Three Lakes High School will notice several new infrastructure changes, including a new parking lot and a new concession building with bathroom facilities. On the field, the school district has installed bright yellow goal posts, and there are plans to have enhanced on-field graphics painted on the turf. And finally, the visitor grandstands have been moved next to existing home team seating areas.

Most important to football fans, the new appointment of George means there will likely be new plays and schemes as he puts his extensive football background to work. In addition to being a Bluejays assistant coach for a decade, George played four seasons with Northland Pines High School, including the 1986 team that went to the WIAA State Championship game in Madison. That team took an 11-0 record to the final game before falling to Milton High School.

In what George said is now a full-circle return to the Bluejays, the first game of the season against Florence pits him against the same team that he last faced when the 9-1 Jays lost to the Bobcats in the second round of the 2024 postseason. And while he is excited at the chance to get his first win as head coach, he says he will look at the season one game at a time.

“There are winnable games out there,” he said, “and we will work hard to get as many as we can.”