The Kiel Raiders are ready for the 2026 football season to begin.
Kiel is looking to build off late-season momentum that carried them back to postseason play in 2025 and to what they feel will be a successful season in 2026.
David Esswein begins his seventh season as the Raiders’ head coach and tells SeehaferNews.com that he couldn’t have asked for a better start to camp.
“We had a great summer getting prepared for this season,” he explained. “There was full participation in our weightlifting and speed training programs. The offseason really flew by, and we’re all excited for opening night at Lake Country Lutheran.”
Senior lineman and middle linebacker Gavin Barts returns from a team that finished strong to earn a playoff spot last season.
He loves how this team has bonded so quickly during camp.
“It’s going well, and we are coming together quickly as a family,” he revealed. “We are picking up on things much quicker than we did last year and the coaches deserve a lot of the credit for preparing us for the season.”
Kiel’s offensive identity has always been to run the football with a strong offensive line, opening quality skilled backs to run free through opposing defenses and shorten the game.
Mason Schafer ran for 1,052 yards as a junior, averaging nearly 6.5yards per carry and 11 touchdowns.
He says none of that is possible without everyone doing their job.
“We succeed only when we function together as a team,” he put it bluntly. “We’ve put in a ton of work both on and off the field to get ready for the season. Practice has been awesome, and I can’t wait to begin the season Friday night.”
Quarterback Brady Kienbaum is back for his senior season.
He threw for 790 yards and six touchdowns and ran for an additional 554 yards and 10 scores.
He admitted last year’s team struggled trying to make young pieces of the puzzle fit after 20-plus seniors graduated from the 2024 squad that won 11 games and advanced to level three of the playoffs.
The Raiders’ signal-caller says that experience can only help going forward in 2026.
“We were a young team last season, learning basically as we went,” he admitted. “Camp has been great, and if we stay healthy and get a few breaks, I definitely feel we can not only compete for the conference title but also make a deep postseason run.”
Brillion and Roncalli tied for the EWC title last season, with many of the pundits saying the title is up for grabs this season, perhaps as wide open as it’s been in years.
Coach Esswein feels his team has a great chance of winning their second conference crown in three years (2024), but first, a tough non-conference test to open with at Lake Country Lutheran, where last season ended for the Raiders.
“We are challenging ourselves right out of the gate to go play them down there, and it only gets more difficult after that,” he told SeehaferNews.com. “But these kids are ready for the challenge, and I can’t wait to see what this team can accomplish in 2026.”
Kiel will host Berlin in week two, then open EWC play at Chilton on Friday, September 4th.
