After finishing 11-1 last season, Grantsburg figures to once again be a top contender in the WIAA Division 6 field.
A big reason for that is the return of standouts John Chenal, a senior running back and linebacker, and his younger brother, junior Leo Chenal, who plays the same positions. Monday, both took their first unofficial visit to the University of Wisconsin.
"Visiting Wisconsin was a dream come true," John Chenal told BadgerBlitz.com. "Not only were the facilities and staff top-of-the-line, Madison as a town gave me a feeling of acceptance. The people and the views were absolutely incredible. I look forward to returning this fall for a game."
A 6-foot-2, 225-pound projected middle backer, John Chenal, who has offers from Minnesota State and Bemidji State, spent time with in-state recruiter Chris Haering and received positive feedback from the rest of the coaching staff.
"The staff seemed very positive and excited to have my brother and I on campus and it seemed like they really cared about us," Chenal, who is also hearing from Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota, said. "Not just as football players, but as people and students.
"I talked for a large amount of time with Coach Haering, and coach (Paul) Meunier was very helpful giving us the tour of campus. I also spoke with Coach (Paul) Chryst, coach (Jim) Leonard and coach (Bob) Bostad about my future at the University of Wisconsin. Due to the fact that they already have four commitments from linebackers in the 2018 class, it's uncertain which position I will be playing. But they assured me I was wanted badly on the team."
Leo Chenal, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker, could be the more heavily recruited of the two. He already has an offer from South Dakota State - one of just two in-state juniors to hold a scholarship - with strong interest coming from North Dakota State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, among others.
"I had one of the best experiences of my life," Leo Chenal said. "To get to go and see this college and talk to these coaches that I have looked up to for a long time was amazing. We toured the campus and it was very impressive. The staff was very welcoming to us and I loved the town as well. It is a classic college football campus. The ability to swim, fish and hunt also drew me in. To see the success of previous walk-ons that came from small schools like us really inspired me as well.
"I really liked their advanced equipment that they had on hand to be able to test certain things that a player can improve on. They took time to take John and I through each part of the facility so I took in a lot of information, which turned out to be very interesting. In the end, Coach Haering discussed where I was at as a recruit. He mentioned that they will watch the first few games of my junior season and if I continue to show my progress and success, an offer may be extended. I am very excited for the future and very happy about what I saw."
Both brothers have talked about continuing to play together at the next level.
"John and I have gone through the process together this whole time - we have went to camps together, visited together and it seems coaches view us as a unit," Leo Chenal said. "John and I have talked about it and it would make the college experience a lot more exciting to have my brother play on the same team as me.
"Wisconsin has always been at the top of my list, so being invited in the first place was really cool. I learned that they are not only successful on the field but in school. They offer good business courses which I am interested in as well. I am very interested in the school at this point."
