Five MFL MarMac football players taking talents to the next level
Five MFL MarMac football players are taking their talents to the next level. Last week, Bryce Diehl (left) and Carver Blietz-Bentien signed letters of intent to play football at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Wyatt Powell at Upper Iowa University and Kade McElwaine and Brandon Christofferson at Wartburg College. The players are pictured with MFL MarMac coaches Dan Anderson, Jake Wilke and Ryan Pomerening. (Photo by Audrey Posten)
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
Five MFL MarMac football players are taking their talents to the next level. Last week, Brandon Christofferson and Kade McElwaine signed letters of intent to play football at Wartburg College, Wyatt Powell at Upper Iowa University and Carver Blietz-Bentien and Bryce Diehl at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
“To have a guy go on to play college football is pretty special, and to have five go on in one year is pretty unheard of, especially for small school football,” said MFL MarMac head football coach Dan Anderson at a Feb. 7 signing event. “It’s an exciting time for MFL MarMac and our football program.”
Sitting in front of the players were four straight state participant trophies, including a state runner-up trophy from 2023. Each contributed to the hardware and MFL MarMac’s run of football success.
“We’re really proud of you guys. You guys have been a great example. You’ve won more football games in your four years than any team here ever has,” Anderson said. “It’s a lot of work to get those trophies. You never take it for granted. I think it’s an expectation for all our guys now to get a trophy like that every year.”
Assistant coach Ryan Pomerening called football the ultimate team sport. With 11 players on the field, no one or two people can carry a team. This senior class was a prime example, he said.
“These guys did a great job playing together and playing for each other. There’s no greater thing to play for,” he stated.
McElwaine said the drive for success pre-dates the past four years, however.
“It’s been basically since flag football. We built a bond together, a winning tradition,” he reflected.
“And we all stuck it out,” added Blietz-Bentien. “It’s been the same 15 guys ever since we were in third, fourth grade. Kept that winning tradition and brought it with us. It was almost like an expectation to win. Losing was never a real thought in our mind.”
Powell noted they didn’t do it alone.
“It’s not just us either. It’s our coaches,” he said. “It’s not just the games people see on Friday nights. It’s the practices we have.”
Anderson hopes the players will value their MFL MarMac football experience not just for the trophies, but life lessons and their personal impact on others.
“The relationships you built with friends and coaches. You saw how much our community has rallied around you guys and football, the young guys how they respect you and want to be where you’re at down the road,” the coach shared. “These guys are not only good football players, but they’re good people. Hopefully they give back to their communities whenever they graduate. Whenever you become professionals and dads, help out with youth programs, your high school football teams.”
Pomerening feels the players’ positive experience is reflected in the fact they are playing in college.
“You don’t play at the next level unless you really love the game. It’s good to know we helped create an environment where they could love the game and want to continue it,” he said.
All-state safety Christofferson and all-state linebacker McElwaine were attracted to Wartburg because they already know others at the college, including 2023 MFL MarMac grad and current Knight football player Karter Decker.
“It seems like a comfortable place to be, a great place to further my education and still play football,” said Christofferson.
“I’m majoring in exercise science, and I feel like that will be a good place for it,” McElwaine added.
It doesn’t hurt, the two said, that Division III Wartburg is perennially ranked and competing in the playoffs.
Powell was an all-state running back and linebacker for MFL MarMac. He selected Division II Upper Iowa University because the coaching staff bought into him early—a move he respected. He likes the coaches and feels they are building a program on the rise.
“I like the team they have coming back—young guys. The culture they’re trying to build,” he said.
Similar to Powell, it was early interest that drove Blietz-Bentien to Division III UW-Platteville, which is in the powerful Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
“I really liked their coaching staff,” said Blietz-Bentien, an all-state linebacker. “Schooling was another big part of it and the major I wanted to go into: agribusiness.”
Diehl, an all-state offensive lineman, planned to attend UW-Platteville anyway, and thought, “Why not just play football.”
“I enjoy football,” he commented. “Now, I need to get bigger, faster and stronger to continue to keep playing.”
Pomerening called all the choices “very high quality football schools.”
“These guys, their best football is still ahead of them, and that’s a great thing to know. If these guys keep putting in the work like they’ve been, work even harder, they’ll do great things at the next level. It will be exciting to follow them,” he stated.
McElwaine said this step to the college level “an exciting feeling.”
“The hard work is starting to pay off that all of us have put in,” added Powell. “But we’re not done yet.”
