There were winners and losers in the opening week of the 2026 high school football season, but it was a brutal lower leg injury to Luxemburg-Casco senior Tatem Klaubauf that was the most talked-about play.

Leading Kewaskum 37-27 with under a minute left, the Spartans chose a pass to Klaubauf — his seventh catch of the night — for a first down to run out the clock. But the gruesome injury on the tackle ended the game early, and the L-C Sports Complex went quiet for about 10 minutes until he was carted off and loaded onto an ambulance.

Coach Neil Seering said Klaubauf broke his fibula, and there was ligament damage as well. He was scheduled for surgery Thursday, and hopeful that a four-month recovery could give him an opportunity to play basketball the second half of the season.

“It was a pretty bittersweet ending, and there wasn’t much going on in my head other than Tatem and his family,” Seering said. “We have to rally around him, and each other. The brotherhood of belief has always been about being there for each other, not just in practice and our games, but in life. I gathered them around and said a prayer, and then had them go over by Tatem before he left the field.”

Seering said Klaubauf is an outstanding young man.

“I’ve known him his whole life, from when he was running around the field with my son being a ball boy and then watching him develop as a player and leader through high school,” Seering said. “He’s an extremely hard worker and student. He may not be the biggest person on the field, but he has a spark about him, and plays with such passion. He leads others through his actions.”

Klaubauf finished with 98 receiving yards. Eli Derenne rushed for 215 yards and four touchdowns — including an 84-yarder in the first half — and completed 14 of 19 passes for 197 yards, with one interception.
Joseph Jeanquart had an interception late in the half, then a reception to set up a Wyatt Bailey field goal and it was 17-12 at the half.

The Indians led briefly in the third quarter, but back-to-back Derenne TDs stretched the lead to 30-19 after three. After Kewaskum pulled to within three points, Ben Klass scored from a yard out for the final margin.
Lane Ledvina had back-to-back sacks on third and fourth down on the next possession to give L-C the ball on downs with little more than a minute left.

Algoma 44, Newman Catholic 6

The Wolves rushed for 249 yards and Ethan Melotte completed two long passes to Cooper Fay for first-quarter touchdowns — 60 and 50 yards — to bury the Cardinals.

Jack Schwader opened the scoring with a 61-yard TD run, and Melotte converted the two-point run. Melotte and Jack Meverden ran for two after Fay’s scores for a 24-0 first-quarter lead.

Melotte had a one-yard TD and Meverden a 17-yarder to make it 36-0 at the half, with both two-point tries failing. Algoma closed the scoring out with a 52-yard run by Meverden and a two-point run by Melotte in the third quarter. Reserves played most of the second half.

Melotte finished with 75 yards on 16 carries; Schwader 2-62; and Meverden 11-73. Parker Stewart had the most off the bench, gaining 31 yards on five carries.

Stewart had a fumble recovery on defense, and Calvin Mayheu and Brady Walker each an interception. Walker, Kaden Bielawski and Jacob Blahnik each had six tackles.

Fox Valley Lutheran 42, Kewaunee 0

The Diesel Bosdeck era had a rough start as the Storm couldn’t stop Braden Heiges, the first-year starter at QB for the Foxes. He threw for 226 yards and three TDs and rushed for 90 and two more.

Bosdeck threw for 128 yards and rushed for 28, and Mason Kovacs caught three passes for 38 yards.

“Definitely wasn’t the result we wanted, but it is important when you have setbacks that you take the time to learn from it,” said Storm coach Randy Charles. “We want to be tested early, and this definitely was a big test that showed us what we need to work on.”

Charles said they’ll get back to the basics and execute better.

“We have to clean up a lot of the little mistakes and focus on everyone doing their job, and limit the explosive plays,” he said.

Upcoming games

Luxemburg-Casco travels to Kewaunee Friday night, renewing an old Packerland rivalry in a non-conference game and the first one between the teams since the Storm won 31-22 on Aug. 25, 2023 at Kewaunee.

Algoma was at Wausaukee Thursday, then hosts Gibraltar at Perry Field next Thursday.