Wisconsin

Zack Baun 'surprised' by the loyalty of his Wisconsin hometown

Published

1 year ago

January 12, 2025

“Zack is just a guy that’s tough, physical, loves football. Great work ethic, those guys that have all that, usually have an opportunity to reach their ceiling,” Head Coach Nick Sirianni said on Friday. “And he just keeps getting better, so I don’t think we know what his ceiling is. You know, he keeps getting better with every rep that he gets on the inside at linebacker. Very versatile, the different things that he can do. He’s worked really hard at that. You know, there’s – (Defensive Coordinator) Vic (Fangio) has done a great job of putting him in positions to succeed. (Inside Linebackers Coach) Bobby King and (Assistant Linebackers/Defensive Quality Control Coach) Ronell Williams have done a great job of helping him get better with his fundamentals day in and day out.”

Baun was on the field for 95 percent of the snaps on defense through the first 16 games of the season before a majority of starters were rested in the regular-season finale.

“Individual awards are what they are. I’m really proud of what we’re able to do as a defense this year,” Baun.

The Eagles led the league in total defense in terms of yards allowed for just the seventh time in franchise history and the first time since the historic Gang Green defense of 1991. The Eagles also led the league in passing yards allowed. Following the Week 6 bye, Philadelphia led the NFL in defensive points allowed, yards allowed, passing defense, opposing three-and-out percentage, opponent passer rating, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, and tied for first in takeaways.

But the Eagles allowed 29 points and 414 yards of total offense. The Eagles, believe it or not, were outgained on the ground.

“By no means a clean game. I nitpick on the scheme stuff that I did wrong,” Baun said of the opening game. “They’re confident and they’re committed to the run game. They do a lot of different things in the run game.”

Sunday marks a clean slate. It’s just Baun’s second playoff game, after sort of experiencing the atmosphere as a rookie with the Saints during the COVID year of 2020 when there was a limited amount of fans in the stadium.

“The guys in the locker room are accustomed to making the playoffs,” Baun said. “You have to hear it from guys who have been around the league and maybe haven’t won a division championship or won a playoff game or haven’t even been to the playoffs. Those guys have to hear it from the other guys to gain that appreciation, ‘OK, what we’re doing is special here. This doesn’t come around very often.’”

Baun said the prevailing message from Sirianni this week is to remain consistent with what got the team here.

“It’s the same routine. It has to be that way because if you start making things more than what they are, and, obviously, it’s a big game, but if you start changing your routines, then you’re acting different, then you’re treating the game different. And it shouldn’t be like that,” Baun said. “If you’re a consistent player and it’s a consistent coach and a consistent team, then you should already have those habits built in.”

Of course, don’t expect the fans to treat it like any ordinary Sunday.

“The guys have been telling me about how exciting it gets in there and rowdy it gets in there during the playoffs,” Baun said. “I’m excited for it.”

As well as the chance to disappoint the roughly 13,000 people of Brown Deer, Wisconsin, and Packers fans all over the globe.

Source link

Click to comment

Wisconsin

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Published

6 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Located in scenic Door County, Wisconsin, the town of Sister Bay is a waterfront town directly on Green Bay. Outdoor enthusiasts head to Sister Bay for its access to hiking trails, nature preserves, and water pursuits such as boating, fishing, and ice-skating during winter. The town hosts a number of seasonal festivals including a film fest, marina fest, outdoor concert series, and the Door County Festival of Fine Arts. The annual Roofing of the Goats Parade is a popular event tied to Al Johnson’s, a local restaurant known for goats that graze on its rooftop during summer months.

Source link

Wisconsin

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

Published

18 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

With the action-packed Wisconsin high school boys basketball regular season completed and March Madness beginning, it’s time to take a look at some of the outstanding players and cast your vote for the best.

We began by looking at the most prolific individual scoring threats, talented 3-point shooters,strong rebounders, and top free-throw shooters so now it’s time to take a look at the high-caliber guards from throughout the state.

There are hundreds of high-caliber boys basketball players in Wisconsin, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.

Voting remains open until March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

(Players are listed in alphabetical order and all nominees are leaders from the 2025-26 season as compiled by Bound.com, and WIAA; the poll is below the list of athletes)

Castillo is averaging 25.4 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for Greendale (18-6 overall record).

Collien is averaging 15 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Oakfield (21-3 overall record).

Edwards is averaging 14.1 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for D.C. Everest (21-3 overall record).

Gray Jr. was averaging 24.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals prior for West Allis Central (22-2 overall record).

Hereford is averaging 36.4 points per game with 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 steals for Beloit Memorial (22-2 overall record).

Johnson is averaging 27.3 points per game with 8.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.6 steals for Milwaukee Juneau (22-1 overall record).

Jones is averaging 23.3 points per game with 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 steals for Germantown (15-9 overall record).

Kern is averaging 16 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for New Berlin West (21-3 overall record).

Kilgore is averaging 14.6 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals for Kewaunee (24-0 overall record).

Kohnen is averaging 16.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for Slinger (20-4 overall record).

Knueppel is averaging 17.4 points per game with 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals for Wisconsin Lutheran (24-0 overall record).

Loose is averaging 18.2 points per game with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals for Port Washington (23-1 overall).

Manchester is averaging 35.8 points per game for Mount Horeb (19-5 overall record).

Platz is averaging 19.5 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals for Brookfield East (19-5 overall record).

Prochnow is averaging 21.3 points per game with 11.1 assists, 4.8 assists, and 3.2 steals for Reedsville (21-3 overall record).

Resch is averaging 21.3 points per game with 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals for Arrowhead (18-6 overall record).

Schultz is averaging 27.4 points per game with 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals for Plymouth (17-7 overall record).

Schwalbach is averaging 15 points per game with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for Kaukauna (21-3 overall).

Sweeney is averaging 15.5 points per game for Appleton North (20-4 overall record).

Vandenberg is averaging 13 points per game with 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds for Freedom (23-1 overall).

About Our Player Poll Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

Source link