APPLETON — As the Appleton North football team embarks on their 2024 season, we know their defense is always going to be stellar under head coach Rob Salm. But now, they’re bringing back a former quarterback who they hope can provide a jolt to this lightning offense.
“Every four downs, you’ll always want to get a stop, it’s stop or nothing,” said linebacker and wide receiver Abraham Tomori.
Last year they held opponents to 9.7 points per game and anyone who suits up for Appleton North knows the expectation on the defensive side of the ball.
“We practice with a level of intensity and physicality and that’s the standard here and that’s what we want every year,” said head coach Rob Salm. “The kids come in and they kind of know if they’re going to be wearing a blue jersey in practice, they have a certain level to live up to and the kids take a lot of pride in it.”
After starting 5-0, the Lightning lost 4 of 5 to end the season. In those 4 losses, they never scored more than 7 points and were shutout twice.
“We lost a lot of really close games last year,” Salm said. “(We) just consistently didn’t move the ball and kind of moving the chains and then sometimes didn't finish the drives. I can't say it was one particular thing.”
But this year, Salm has found a new voice to lead the offense.
“Just like what he brings to the table, his level of intelligence, anticipation and his preparation – then communications are phenomenal,” Salm said of his new hire. “We’re so excited.”
2012 grad, Nate Otto who shined as a quarterback for the Lightning, leading them to conference crown, is now the offensive coordinator.
“It's been really fun to be back – back around a lot of the same coaches that I've been mentored by and got to learn from,” Otto said.
Salm says Otto's teammates always had a belief in him as a leader and that he’s carried his swagger and confidence into his coaching style. For Otto, he just believes in positive energy.
“(The) big emphasis that I've had as a coach is trying to keep things positive,” said Otto who has been coaching at schools around the Fox Valley and Milwaukee area the last few years. “Obviously, there’s things where we want to coach the kids up and making sure they’re doing the right things, but kind of addressing the good things that happen even when there are some bad. Just that energy, that excitement and just staying positive.”
As he takes the reins of the offense, he has two projected starting quarterbacks to work with, senior Charlie Olson and junior Grant Hardy. Both filling the shoes of Luke Kritzer who graduated.
“I think ideally like you mentioned, if you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have one,” said Otto. “I think in this case we just really think we have two quarterbacks. Two guys that can get the job done. Two guys in the offense, the skill positions trust, the coaching staff trust.”
They’re two quarterbacks who balance each other out.
“Charlie has got a bit of a cannon on him, so he knows how to fire that thing,” said Tomori. “Grant has a little bit more mobility so we have those two parts and we can just put him in and fix him in every situation.”
In Otto's offense, it’s still going to be a downhill, physical offense, but there’s going to be a lot more movement.
“He’s brought more flexibility,” said Tomori. “A little more moving things around, more confusing the defense.”
With one week to go before their first game, the players have fully bought in to Otto as a coach, as well as his brand of offense.
“You can tell he’s studied all this stuff. He knows the ins and outs and that gives you confidence to believe what he’s saying,” Tomori said.
The Lightning kickoff their season at Paul Engen field hosting Mukwonago on Thursday, August 22.
