Hamilton HS football team improving every season
SUSSEX, Wis. — High school head football coach Justin Gumm is in his third year at Hamilton. The year before he took over the program, the team was 3-6. His first year with the program (COVID year), the team went 3-6 again, but then things began to change. Last year, they won 10 games and won their first GMC Championship in school history. “This year, we won 10 games again,” shares Coach Gumm, “won conference and went to state semifinals for the first time ever as a D1 program.”
This year’s team captains were Nate Kollath, Scout Lauer, Max Prell, Reid Mayer, LaDainian Mielke, Owen Peterson and Lucas Ruiz. “Our leadership is what takes us where we want to go,” says Coach Gumm. “We want to be a player-led program, and these guys make that possible. Good teams are coach led; elite teams are player led.”
The team has a pre-game routine that includes a walk through, team meal, and team and position/unit meetings. “We love having new kids join our program,” says Coach Gumm. “We think most kids would thrive being a part of our culture. We have grown our program from 88 kids to 135 in three years.”
The teams loves to celebrate with each other, their friends and family post game. “We also do a ceremony in the locker room to enjoy the victory together,” Coach Gumm says. “Sundays, after the game, we give out awards and helmet stickers during weeks that we get a victory on the previous Friday.”
In addition to making it to the state semifinal, the team has set a few new records this year. Nate Kollath broke the single season passing record this year (2,700); he broke his own record from last year (2,400). LaDainian Mielke broke the school tackle record with 128. The team also had the highest scoring offense in the division (averaging 46 points per game).
“I think our coaches do a phenomenal job building relationships with kids,” Coach Gumm states, “and helping them understand the big picture and why you work so hard for something – that it is about WE not ME. Our manta is CHOP the Wood – Consistent Habits of Precision. We want all players swinging their axes in the same direction at the same spot on the ‘tree.’”
Along with head coach Gumm, the team was coached by Isaac Allen, Zach Beckman, John Briggs, Conner Dingle, Aaron Hagen, Mark Hahn, Justin Kontny, Nathan LeRoy, Josh Neary, Thomas Noennig, Tony Orlando, Craig Polifka, Luke Radke and Joey Ray.
As the team looks to the future, they want to continue their success, keep building the program’s numbers and culture, and continue to grow community involvement.
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