MELROSE — Brady Blaken had the chance to make an impression on Melrose-Mindoro High School football coaches and teammates back when he was a freshman.
His performance wasn’t overwhelming, but he did rush for four touchdowns and pass for two in the snaps he received at quarterback.
Blaken is back to put the finishing touches on his career this fall, and he will play a key role in a team that has plenty of reasons to be excited about a new season beginning with a home game against Bangor on Thursday.
“We want to see him be more versatile and maybe roll out a little bit more,” Mustangs coach Tory Lockington said. “We want to see him make good decisions with the ball, and he did that when we beat Bangor last year, but I think he got a little hesitant after that.”
That hesitation coincided with an ankle injury sustained in the second game. Blake played through that injury and wound up with 1,120 passing yards, 225 rushing yards, eight touchdown passes and three touchdown carries.
To help supply that versatility, Blaken said he has spent a lot of time on footwork — among other things — under the guidance of his grandpa, who happens to be former UW-Whitewater football coach Bob Berezowitz.
Berezowitz was an All-American quarterback for the Warhawks and took them to two NCAA Division III championship games while winning 158 games over 22 seasons as their coach.
Melrose-Mindoro was a WIAA Division 6 playoff qualifier a year ago and finished a season that began with a win over Bangor with a 5-5 overall record.
Blaken and senior Isaiah Kleinsmith will fill important roles for Lockington this season, but that’s not something new. Kleinsmith has also been a contributor since his freshman season with his workload increasing each year.
Kleinsmith rushed for a team-high 482 yards and caught six touchdown passes. He also was the team’s top receiver with 29 catches for 392 yards and three touchdowns.
Kleinsmith also returned an interception for a touchdown and a punt for a touchdown.
“He is a great athlete,” Blaken said of Kleinsmith. “All we have to do is give him the ball, and he’ll make a play for us. He’s everywhere on defense, and with him we feel like there is a lot we can do on offense.”
Lockington said Kleinsmith also competed while injured as a junior but was still as reliable as they come.
“He had turf toe all last year,” the coach said. “We taped it every single day for practice or the game, and he never complained once and showed up every day and worked hard.
“If we can keep him healthy, it’s amazing what he can do with the ball. He’s a kid who can do a lot for us.”
Kleinsmith was loyal to the weight room over the summer and spent most of his evenings playing American Legion baseball for Black River Falls but said he is ready for the season.
“We have a lot of experience coming back after losing one position player, so I think that gives us a good start,” Kleinsmith said. “We’ve seen what we can do skill-wise and know that we can play with any team.”
