Game Preview: Seymour Thunder vs. Shawano Hawks
Date: Friday, September 5, 2025
Location: Seymour High School
Records: Seymour (1-1), Shawano (0-2)
Seymour Thunder
The Thunder enter Week 3 at 1-1 after a convincing 28-8 win over Two Rivers. Seymour has leaned on senior running back Xavier Salzman, who has piled up 174 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 carries through two games while also serving as the anchor of the defense. Salzman leads the state in sacks with five and has already tallied multiple tackles for loss. Quarterback Cayden Staffeldt has been steady, throwing for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also rushing for 77 yards and 2 scores. His top targets include Carson Staffeldt, who has 67 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Brandon Neppl, who leads the team with 5 catches for 42 yards. Seymour’s identity is clear: a punishing ground game backed by a defense that thrives on pressure.
Shawano Hawks
The Hawks are still looking for their first win but showed significant growth in last week’s 10-8 loss to Wrightstown. Sophomore running back Marcus Brezgel powered the offense with 106 rushing yards and a touchdown, while senior Aiden Bystol added 77 rushing yards and contributed on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Aiden Rasmussen has gained experience in his first two starts, throwing for 99 yards while also rushing for a touchdown. In the passing game, Joe Kleinschmidt leads the receiving corps with 29 yards on 4 catches. Defensively, Shawano held Wrightstown to just 10 points, proving they can keep pace with ranked opponents. Head coach Al Tomow’s squad is banking on that defensive confidence carrying over into Week 3.
Last Week Recap
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Seymour: Defeated Two Rivers 28-8. Salzman ran for 86 yards and a touchdown; Staffeldt threw for 37 yards and rushed for 2 scores.
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Shawano: Fell to Wrightstown 10-8. Brezgel rushed for 106 yards and a score, while the Hawks’ defense held the Tigers to a single touchdown and a field goal.
Keys to the Game
Seymour:
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Keep feeding Salzman on both sides of the ball.
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Maintain defensive pressure to force Shawano mistakes.
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Use balance in the offense to keep the Hawks off guard.
Shawano:
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Build on last week’s defensive effort to slow Seymour’s rushing attack.
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Keep Brezgel and Bystol involved to control possession.
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Limit turnovers and give Rasmussen opportunities to grow into the passing game.
Outlook
Both teams come in hungry—Seymour to build on momentum from its first win, and Shawano to turn a near-upset into a breakthrough victory. With Salzman anchoring both the run game and defense, and Shawano relying on Brezgel’s power running and a stingy defense, this Bay Conference matchup sets up as a hard-hitting, low-scoring battle that could come down to turnovers and field position.
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