For the City Times

The Green Bay Packers have announced that Pete McAdams of SPASH has been named the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week.

McAdams, in his 18th year as the varsity head coach of SPASH, led the Panthers to a 26-24 victory over the Fond du Lac High School Cardinals, on Friday, Oct. 13. Fond du Lac had entered the game as the WisSports Coaches Poll No. 4 ranked team in Division 1. The upset win in the final game of the regular season improved the Panthers’ record to 5-4 (4-4 in conference). McAdams was happy with the way his team handled the adversity in a back-and-forth final quarter.

“Our kids were able to persevere after falling down with just over two minutes to go when Fondy took the lead again,” said McAdams. “To get the ball back with 2:07 on the clock, and be able to muster up a 15-play drive in less than two minutes to get the ball into the end zone for a score was really exciting. For our kids to continue to believe in themselves against a very good football team made me proud of them.”

SPASH now looks to take on a familiar opponent as they travel to Hudson, Wis. to face the Hudson High School Raiders in the first round of the WIAA Division 1 State Football Tournament. SPASH was the victor when the two teams met on Friday, Aug. 25, as they overcame a 14 point fourth quarter deficit and scored a game winning field goal in the final 10 seconds.

“Hudson is an outstanding team,” McAdams said. “The biggest thing is making sure our kids understand that this is an improved team. We’re better now than we were at the beginning of the season, and Hudson is also. They’re at full strength, and any team at full strength going into the playoffs is dangerous. So our kids are going to have to worry about themselves and our motto the last four games has been to, ‘Play hard, play smart and play together.’ We’ve been not really focusing at all on our opponent, and as we go into the playoffs, now that focus has to remain constant.”

McAdams grew up in Ladd, Ill., and graduated from Hall High School in Spring Valley, Ill., in 1988. In high school, he was a three-sport athlete playing football and basketball and running track & field. He played quarterback and defensive back for Coach Gary Vicini.

McAdams went to UW-Stevens Point and played safety for the Pointers football team for Coach John Miech, graduating in 1993.

McAdams began his coaching career as an assistant coach at UW-Stevens Point from 1992 until 1999. In the spring and summers of 1992, 1994 and 1995, McAdams also traveled overseas to coach football in Sweden. In 2000, he took the head coaching job at SPASH.

McAdams and his staff oversee a program of 148 players, with 70 players suiting up for varsity games. His assistant staff includes Jack Bahling, Mark Bohanski, DuWayne Behnke, Nick Braemer, Chris Haka, Matt Heilman, Jesse Johnson, Ivan Kluck, Michael Krenz, Greg Marty, John Miech, Rich Riggs, Matt Bredesen, Andy Wilkinson, Dan Gagnon, Mike Fox, Lance Lewis, Scott Zorn, Cody Fox, Ryan Zorn and Seth Zorn.

In addition to coaching football, McAdams is also a social studies teacher at SPASH.

About the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week Program:

The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their ‘Coach of the Week’ winner during the 2017 high school football season. Winners are awarded several items and privileges, including a $1,000 donation to the school’s football program from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL Foundation, as well as recognition of the award on Packers.com, Wissports.net and Wifca.org.

Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 10 a.m. every Monday to Ryan Fencl, Youth Football Coordinator, at [email protected] Please include the nominee’s name, address, school, phone number and reason he/she is deserving of the award.