FVA 2026 Football Preview

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be previewing every conference in the state as part of our preseason preparations.

Check out all of our Football Conference Previews for every league in the state, here.

2025 Recap: It was yet another highly competitive year in the FVA, as Neenah and Kimberly shared the league title, though Neenah won the head-to-head battle. Kaukauna and Appleton North tied for second, while Fond du Lac also made the postseason. In a surprise, Kimberly’s run to Level 2 was the only playoff win by any FVA teams.

2025 Season Information:
Standings
Stats
All-Conference

2026 PREVIEW:

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Neenah
2) Kimberly
3) Kaukauna
4) Appleton North
5) Fond du Lac
6) Appleton East
7) Hortonville
8) Oshkosh West

Players to Watch:

Ryan Carrel, QB, Kaukauna: Carrel was impressive as a sophomore last year, completing 59% of his passes for 1,639 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Guardian Harris, DL, Fond du Lac: Harris is a dynamic edge rusher who has given a commitment to North Dakota State.

Maddux Hermus, WR/K/P, Kimberly: Hermus was second on the team in passing, rushing, and receiving yards last season, accounting for just shy of 1000 yards of offense. He’s also an elite punter and kicker.

Ayden Kruse, RB, Appleton East: Kruse ran for 841 yards and eight touchdowns last year, including a 231-yard performance as the Patriots beat Appleton North late in the year.

Curtis Leopold, OL, Appleton North: Leopold earned First Team All-Conference recognition in the FVA last year and holds offers from St. Thomas, Butler, and Drake.

Jake Mau, TE, Kimberly: Just a junior, Mau holds several Division 1 scholarship offers already and is attracting attention from a lot of top collegiate programs.

Eli Michalkiewicz, QB, Fond du Lac: As a sophomore last year, Michalkiewicz was a Second Team All-Conference pick, completing 56% of his passes and averaging an impressive 17.8 yards per attempt.

Ashton Van Beek, QB, Neenah: Van Beek was the FVA Offensive Player of the Year last season, throwing for 828 yards and nine touchdowns with another 1,416 yards and 18 scores on the ground. He has committed to North Dakota State as a linebacker prospect.

2026 Team Previews

1) Neenah made waves early with an opening win over Muskego, and nearly knocked off eventual D1 state champion Arrowhead in Week 2. A late season win over Kimberly put them in position to win the FVA, but a shocking Week 9 loss to Hortonville meant a shared crown, and the late season fade continue, as the second-seeded Rockets would lose to seven-seed De Pere in a Level 1 overtime contest. Neenah should be a contender in the FVA again, especially with quarterback Ashton Van Beek returning. He was the FVA Offensive Player of the Year, rushing for 1,416 yards and 18 touchdowns with 828 yards and nine touchdowns passing. Top receivers Cooper Sieck and Matthias Charles also return.

2) Kimberly couldn’t quite find a rhythm last year, falling to Hamilton to open the year, dropping a game to Neenah in conference play (though they’d still grab a share of the FVA title), and then going out in the playoffs in a second game against Hamilton. Kimberly brings back 35 letterwinners, but just three starters on offense and four on defense. “We have a strong team in the weight room with balanced athletes and good length, speed, and size,” said head coach Chad Michalkiewicz. “We have strong senior leadership in many position groups to lead the transition with new contributors.” Maddux Hermus is an excellent athlete who can make plays in the running game (684 rushing yards) and passing game (221 receiving yards). Jake Mau is a rising junior tight end who is receiving strong Division 1 interest.

3) Kaukauna struggled in some close games last year, and it led to a 4-6 overall record and Level 1 playoff exit against Rice Lake. Head coach Matt Binsfeld is looking forward to what is in store for 2026. “I am excited about the season,” he said. “There are a lot of questions to answer, but I think we have some pieces that can fit together. I am hoping our offense takes a step with some experienced quarterback play returning. Our offensive line should be bigger than last year and while our defense will be young, there are some difference-makers there.” Junior quarterback Ryan Carrel headlines five starters returning on offense, though Fond du Lac transfer Deandre Williamson, Jr. should be in the mix as well, with Tyler Schwalbach and Bennett Geitner a couple big play options in the passing game. The defense has a little more work to do, with just three starters returning.

4) Appleton North went 5-5 last year, dropping the final three games of the year, including a blowout playoff loss to Bay Port. The Lightning should be better in 2026, with seven starters back on both sides of the ball. They do need to replace quarterback Grant Hardy and All-State linebacker Ben Wenzel, but there are some nice pieces returning. “We will have a very strong starting unit on both sides, but must build depth,” said veteran coach Rob Salm.

5) Fond du Lac faced an extremely tough schedule once again, but did take down Hartford and Marquette in non-conference play, though they dropped four tough FVA games. They’d sneak into the playoffs, but fell to Kimberly for a second time on the season. “We are looking to replace a group of 32 seniors who accounted for 16 starting positions,” said head coach Sam Plucker. “We will be very young in all positions. our greatest strength is team discipline and work ethic.” Starting quarterback Eli Michalkiewicz does return, while defensive lineman Guardian Harris is a North Dakota State recruit.

6) Appleton East was very close to ending a six-year playoff drought, but a couple tight losses against Oshkosh West and Kaukauna kept the Patriots at home. They did beat crosstown rival Appleton North for the first time since 2014. Head coach Jarrius James likes the look of the returning talent on defense, which includes all four starting linebackers as part of seven returning regulars. The offense will be a little more of a work in progress, with just five starters back. However, one of them is Second Team All-Conference running back Ayden Kruse.

7) Hortonville dropped seven straight games to open the 2025 season, but did score a 33-5 win over Oshkosh in a Scorigami in Week 8. That set the stage for one of the biggest upsets of the season, as the Polar Bears shocked Neenah 17-14 in Week 9, which forced Neenah to share the conference title. Not it remains to be seen if the team can capitalize on that momentum. “We hope to continue to build a program that can compete in the FVA,” said head coach Nicholas Reichert. “We return a lot of two-year starters.” A.J. Pheifer is back at quarterback and showed some flashes last season, while leading rusher Jack Holdren also returns.

8) Oshkosh West scored just one victory last year, a 21-14 win over Appleton East late in the year. There were some close calls along the way, but it wasn’t enough to be competitive in the league. There’s a change at the top, as Nate Wara takes over for Joseph Ray. It was a young group of skill players last year, with quarterback Drew Abitz returning along with leading rusher Wyatt Marten and top receiver Owen Heim.