There will be plenty of star power for the North squad in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star game—in the huddle and on the sidelines.

The 32nd annual edition is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, July 19, in Oshkosh.

The team’s head coach is Chris O’Connell of Eau Claire Regis, whose program has compiled a 19-5 record during six consecutive playoff appearances in Divisions 6 and 7 from 2001-06, finishing second in 2002 and first in 2003 in D-7. He also led the Ramblers to three Division 3 crowns while competing in WISAA (1992-93 and 1999).

One of his assistants will be former Green Bay Packer linebacker and National Football League standout Bryce Paup, the head coach at Green Bay Southwest.

The roster features 16 players who earned WFCA all-state honors last season, and they’ll be out to see if the North can end a string of five losses in the last six showdowns and improve the overall series record that it trails 16-14-1.

That all-state list on offense includes quarterback Alex Delebreau of Kewaunee, running backs Mitch Sutton of Stevens Point and Michael Sewall of Kimberly, wide receiver Jamie Braasch of Oshkosh West and linemen Eric Phillips of Menomonie, Jordan Mortensen of D.C. Everest and Michael Brunner of Elmwood.

On defense, all-staters include ends Jordan Mortenson of Iola-Scandinavia, Burt Geurkink of Somerset and Jordan Mancl of Stevens Point; interior linemen Joe Akey of Merrill and Kyle Flynn of Plum City; linebackers Nicholas Zander of Eleva-Strum and Dustin Kroeplin of Owen-Withee; and secondary members Derek Joswiak of Stratford and Evan Kowalski of Somerset.

Kroeplin (running back) and Geurkink (offensive line) were chosen all-state both ways.

Among those who’ll be continuing their playing days at the collegiate level are Drew Nowak, an offensive lineman from De Pere, who will play at Western Michigan. Meanwhile, Sutton and Menomonie wide receiver Jon Heimler will play college ball at NCAA Division I-AA North Dakota, and Ashwaubenon defensive end Kyle Cavil will join Southern Illinois, another I-AA school.

North vs. South

South leads series 16-14-1

1977--Tie 6-6 (O)

1978--South 13-6 (O)

1979--North 9-8 (O)

1980--North 16-9 (O)

1981--South 16-3 (O)

1982--South 23-7 (O)

1983--North 10-3 (O)

1984--South 14-13 (O)

1985--South 14-0 (O)

1986--South 31-9 (O)

1987--South 40-7 (O)

1988--North 47-14 (O)

1989--South 21-0 (O)

1990--North 9-3 (O)

1991--North 17-14 (O)

1992--North 28-27 (O)

1993--South 14-0 (O)

1994--South 6-3 (O)

1995--North 13-6 (O)

1996--North 18-13 (O)

1997--North 13-7 (O)

1998--North 17-7 (O)

1999--South 21- 7 (O)

2000--North 20-9 (Mad)

2001--North 19-0 (Mad)

2002--South 31-7 (O)

2003--South 28-13 (O)

2004--South 20-12 (Men)

2005--South 16-14 (O)

2006--North 17-16 (O)

2007--South 16-10 overtime (O)

O for Oshkosh, Mad for Madison and Men for Menasha