Go to most any home football game in the pre-COVID era, and Stanley-Boyd football player Mike Karlen Jr. would be "working his way through traffic," as the announcer put it. And while watching football from the sidelines was mostly ruled out in the covid-era, it seems

this approach by Karlen hasn't changed. Now named to the 2021 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) All State Team 2, Karlen was lauded by football coach and district superintendnet Jeff Koenig recently.

"I'm really happy for Mike and his teammates," Koenig said Monday. "He works hard at kicking and becoming a better athlete year round. He also understands without the snap, hold, and

protection an award like this isn't possible." Dad

Mike Karlen senior was no less effusive over the five-foot nine inch junior football kicker. "I'm proud of you son," he said with posted results on Facebook recently. "Continue reaching for your goals, don't ever stop!" Online at www.wifca.org, the Wisconsin

Football Coaches Association started in the mid-1970s and has been most recently headed by John Hoch of Lancaster. No Stanley-Boyd players are listed on the Small School All-State listings for 2018 or 2019, though S-B Outside Linebacker Ben Turner did make the 2017 WFCA All-State team prior to Karlen. And while scholarships can come with the WFCA, Mike Jr. himself still has another year to play

high school football.

In which case, keep working that traffic.

Mike Karlen Jr. with some off-field members of his 'support crew.'

Peter Nulph competes in the shotput at Ca –

dott on May 14.

Gina Sokup competes in the girls discus at Ca –

dott on May 14.