OSHKOSH — For Brody Milz and Sam Kind, the opportunity to play one last high school football game was a dream come true. For Cory Milz and Toby Golembiewski, the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star games July 21 at Titans Stadium was more than just one last opportunity to coach some of their best players.

Brody, an all-state linebacker and 2018 graduate at Black Hawk High School got the opportunity to learn under his father’s tutelage one final time before taking part in the Division 4-7 game and helping the South defeat the North 22-21.

 “It was exciting to get to play football again,” Brody Milz said. “(And) it was an opportunity to work with my dad one last time, and that was a very special moment.”

The father-son duo had a strong run over the last four years, with their final game in Warrior gear together coming in the WIAA Division 7 state championship game. It was just the third appearance at Camp Randall for Black Hawk, and they brought home the silver ball.

 “Having him there made it easier,” Brody said of his father, Cory. “We talked about schemes for a while before the all-star game even started, so coming into it I already had an idea of what we were trying to do. So that helped a lot. The guys that I play with, they were cool and made the experience that much more fun.”

Emotions ran high for Cory Milz as well. 

 “For me on a personal level, it was a great way to cap off his high school career,” Cory Milz said of his son, Brody. “He’s been on that football field with me for what seems like forever — managing as a little kid. It was bittersweet to experience that for one more week.”

The WFCA All-Star game invites every all-state player to play and separates them into six teams to play three games: Division 1-3 North vs. South; Division 4-7 North vs. South; and 8-man North vs. South. Many players opt not to play for a number of reasons, which allows the WFCA to get into a list of replacement level players — which is how Kind made it.

“I was working outside when I got the call — it was right before May,” said Kind, a Monroe High School graduate who will play at Carroll University in in the fall. “It was pretty cool and I was fortunate to play. I was grateful for the opportunity.”

Golembiewski, who took over at Monroe before Kind’s junior year, was glad to see his former pupil make the roster.

“We chose him because he’s a good player and a high-quality kid. And then he went out there amongst a group of upper-level athletes and proved it once again,” said Golembiewski, who coached defensive backs, which included Kind. “It was a great experience. Great football and a great life experience.”

Kind was also excited to get to play one last time under his coach.

“I played defensive back and he was the defensive back coach. It was a ton of fun,” Kind said. “A lot of those guys liked him, and it was pretty cool to say, ‘Yeah, that’s my head coach right there.’”

The teams spent the entire week practicing and preparing for the all-star games. 

“Practice was pretty tough. My body was not used to that type of work and I got really sore. But the game wasn’t that bad,” 

Kind said. “I’m used to playing — and most people there are used to playing — the entire game. But in this we were one-position guys, so it actually wasn’t that bad.”

Brody, who will be playing for UW-Oshkosh in the fall, said the speed of the athletes on the field was noticeably faster than what he was used to at Black Hawk.

“It was a whole different game. It was much faster. There are a lot of guys that are going on to play college ball. You have to be more aware and ready to play,” Brody said.

Cory said it’s not hard to understand why putting the best seniors in the state together would make the game seem that much faster on the field.

“There is good football at small schools, but the quality of athlete all around isn’t as up to par as the bigger schools,” Cory said. “And you’re talking about athleticism and speed. It’s kind of cliché to say that, but the speed of the game gets magnified at every level.”

The 8-man all-star game opened the Saturday slate, and then the small schools took the field. Brody, playing at linebacker, watched as his team overcame a two-score deficit to win 22-21 thanks to a 10-point fourth quarter and a field goal by Melrose-Mindoro’s Victor Ponterio with 17 seconds remaining. 

“The game in general — being down two scores you don’t know what to expect,” Brody said. “Then in that fourth quarter hitting that 40-yard field goal to end it was insane. That will be an experience I will never forget, for sure.”

Brody finished the game with 11 tackles, including eight solo.

“It was a great week for us — a great culmination of everything,” Cory said. “And he played well in the game. I was very proud of him. It is a lot of football during the week. It was two practices a day in addition to meetings — you have defensive meetings and then position group meetings. So, it is a lot of football and we throw a lot at them in a week.”

Cory relished the chance to step back from being a head coach and taking the role as an assistant for a week — especially given the group of players he had to instruct.

“I was really looking forward to the chance to be a position coach and coach the linebackers — and Brody was selected as a linebacker. It was nice to have fun with those guys,” Cory said. “And the kids are so sharp — you tell them something one time and they’ve got it and they can execute what you tell them to.”

In the Large School game, the South won 27-7 thanks to solid play from some Badger Conference members. Kind had five tackles — four solo — in the defensive backfield. Stoughton running back Brady Schipper, who will play for the Badgers in the fall, had 62 rushing yards, 64 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and Bryce Duffy of DeForest had 101 receiving yards on four catches. Zach Mielke of Evansville-Albany was 6 of 7 passing for 100 yards.

“It was a ton of fun to get to play football again,” Kind said. “There are a ton of guys playing college football next year. This was obviously the best team I’ve ever played on (as far as talent goes).”

The South took an early lead in the first quarter when Schipper dashed 25 yards for a touchdown. The South then scored the final three touchdowns of the game — all passes — with Schipper adding a 31-yard touchdown reception.

“The game was fun, too, and we happened to win,” Golembiewski said.

All players and coaches that participate in the all-star game are required to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. 

“Some of that money was to find mechanical hearts for kids to keep them alive until they got a transplant and all different things. It’s very impactful for everybody,” Golembiewski said.

This year the all-star game participants raised about a half a million dollars, according to Golembiewski.

“I got to listen to some great stories first hand from these kids and what they’ve gone through,” Brody said. “And that really touched me personally. Seeing them on the sidelines and giving them high-fives (before the game) was a special moment.”

Players and coaches met with patients from CHW and learned their stories. Patients of CHW typically are fighting cancer or other rare diseases.

“For me, No. 1, it was for my son to get an opportunity to experience that and to be around those kids and soak that up a little bit,” Cory said. “To raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin — I think I saw we raised about a half of a million dollars towards that. For (Brody) to be a part of that and get to meet some of the kids who have been served by the hospital — I think it’s a great thing for these young men to see. It makes them feel a sense of gratitude for the gifts they have been given.”

Brody said he’ll always remember the game for its intrigue, the week of hard work, and the opportunity to play for his father one last time. But he also said there was one thing that really stayed with him.

“I remember one word really well that coach (Jeff) Spiwak of Clinton, our head coach, said to us and it was ‘be grateful.’ It stuck with me,” Brody said. “To have a whole week dedicated to the best players in the state and to play for such a great cause and listen to such amazing stories — some kids don’t have the chance to do what you do. And some kids will never have the chance to play football or anything like that. 

“So that opportunity to play a game you love and for a great reason is something I will always be grateful for.”