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Published Oct 21, 2023

2025 LB Cooper Catalano helps No. 8 Germantown beat No. 1 Milwaukee King

Jon McNamara • BadgerBlitz

Editor

@McNamaraRivals

MILWAUKEE - Germantown lost its first four games this year, along with its starting quarterback, Vinny Inga, to begin the 2023 season.

But after a 15-9 road win over No. 1 Milwaukee King on Friday afternoon, the No. 8 Warhawks are headed to the second round of the WIAA Division 2 playoffs.

"It felt great because it's been a real up-and-down season for us," junior linebacker Cooper Catalano told BadgerBlitz.com. "We started 0-4 but we never lost faith in our coaches and this team. It was a great second half for us and we're excited to be moving on.

"Just an awesome feeling to have a resilient team like this. I'm speechless right now."

Catalano, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound prospect, has racked up over 100 tackles this fall. He got a message from the Wisconsin coaching staff prior to Friday's kickoff.

"Coach (Mike) Tressel and Coach (Luke) Fickell both texted me 'good luck' before the game, and it's always great to hear from them," Catalano said. "I talk to Coach Tressel every week and Coach Fickell every few weeks. I'll be back there for the Ohio State game and I'm real excited for that.

"I love what's going on at Wisconsin."

While Catalano's focus moving forward is on Slinger in Round 2 action, the three-star prospect is still balancing the recruiting process. He's taken two visits to Wisconsin and one to Iowa for games this fall. More trips are on the calendar for November.

"I've been able to get to get games at Wisconsin and Iowa," Catalano said. "I'm looking to get to Illinois in early November and then probably Tennessee at the end of that month. I'm looking forward to those.

"It was a great game and I've really enjoyed watching Wisconsin play this year. I'm getting great feedback from the coaches at Wisconsin. They are constantly telling me I'm their top guy at linebacker and that obviously means a lot to me."

Catalano will likely play out his junior season and finish up game-day visits before he's ready to talk leaders in his recruitment.

"Definitely no top list or favorites right now," Catalano said. "I'm just enjoying the recruiting process with each school."

The Badgers currently have two commitments in the 2025 recruiting class.