Blicharz making history at Heights

Small town, small team, big time dreams. For as long as he could remember Cody Blicharz has wanted to be a football player. “I started playing flag football in sixth grade and then tackle football,” said Blicharz, a senior running back and defensive back on the Wisconsin Heights’ eight-man football team. “But since I was young, whenever I was asked, I wanted to play football. As far as any other aspirations, I found out that Accounting is a good thing for me, and I will major in that. But playing football has always been my main goal.” That was a huge goal for a player from a school that has never produced an NCAA Division I football player. But Blicharz, who accepted an offer from Division I Drake University last summer to play running back and return kicks, is a trailblazer.  “Everyone thinks small town, small school can’t go and do big things,” Wisconsin Heights coach Connor Herrling said. “But he went and paved the way and showed that you can be from a small town and a small school and do huge things.  “It doesn’t matter where you’re from. It doesn’t matter what school, what size, what division of football that you play, you can go on and play at the next level as long as you put your full effort into it and just go out there and get it. That’s exactly what Cody did.”  Although Blicharz signed his official letter of intent in December, Wisconsin Heights hosted a ceremonial signing day for Blicharz on Feb. 5 in front of his family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff and student body. “It’s awesome,” Blicharz said. “I’m just glad we had the turnout we did. My parents, my family, my coaches, everybody got to make it.”   Best-kept secret At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Blicharz packs quite a punch.  He was named a first-team all-conference and the Ridge & Valley-8 Offensive Player of the Year after his phenomenal senior season. He was second in the state with 1,655 rushing yards on 133 carries with 26 touchdowns plus 25, two-point conversions. He also caught 20 passes for 480 yards and eight touchdowns and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, giving him a state-record nine in his career. “He is third all-time in the country with nine kickoff returns for touchdowns,” added Herrling. “A guy in Montana had 13 in 1997.” In the Vanguards’ Homecoming game, Blicharz dominated on offense and Heights routed Kickapoo/La Farge, 50-0. Blicharz carried the ball 19 times for 227 yards and five touchdowns that game — an average of 12.0 yards per carry.  Blicharz had a record-setting performance in Wisconsin Heights’ 69-0 win against Wonewoc/Weston. His seven touchdowns set a school record for most touchdowns in a game. He finished the game with 307 rushing yards on 23 carries. “Cody Blicharz is a kid everyone wants on your team,” Herrling said. “Whether it’s ping pong or football, he will perfect everything down to a science.” Blicharz scored seven touchdowns in a game for the second consecutive week in a season-ending 64-16 victory over Belmont, averaging a sensational 18.2 yards per rushing attempt. “It was a way to go out for Senior Night,” Herrling said. “Cody had three rushing touchdowns, two on kick returns, one on a punt return and one passing. He finished his season with 37 touchdowns.” “The Bulldogs got a steal with this one,” Herrling said of the Drake coaching staff. As a junior running back, Blicharz was named first-team all-conference and was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Blicharz was also named the league’s Player of the Year and was named a first team all-region selection. Blicharz said he had plenty to be thankful for on and off the field. “I’d like to thank my coaches, my family, just everybody who’s helped me along the way a lot, my teachers, the people who helped me out in the weight room, my boys, who helped keep me on track,” he said. “Thank you, guys. “Just the way the blocks set up. Those weren’t my seven touchdowns. Those were the teams. touchdowns, all 37 were the team’s. It was the blocking, the way the snap came off, it was perfect. The quarterback who always made sure he’d look off the end to give me an open hole.”    Dream big According to Herrling and athletic director Melissa Winters, Wisconsin Heights has never produced a Division I football player. Until now. “Michael Wilkinson was a DI athlete in basketball at the University of Wisconsin,” Blicharz said. “Hudson Smith, who was senior when I was a freshman, went to UW-Oshkosh to play football.” Blicharz started at running back, returned punts and kickoffs and played strong safety and cornerback on defense for the Vanguards. In a short yardage situation, he played outside linebacker to fill the holes. But entering his sophomore season, Blicharz had drawn very little interest at the next level. Herrling said it was only a matter of time for that to change. “We just got to work in the summer,” Herrling said. “He’s asked me to open the gym at night, and I’d be here supervising him. I don’t know any other kid who has done that other than him. It’s been something really special to be part of and to be part of the journey. I can’t wait to see what he can still do. “From sun-up to sundown, Cody was working to get to this point every single day. You guys all saw the outcome on Friday nights, but nobody saw the actual work he put in. I’m proud to have been part of it. He worked, worked, worked, and we emailed, emailed and emailed, and it finally paid off, and here we are on signing day.” Blicharz said his dreams of playing big time football received plenty of support at home and school. “My parents, Tony and Jenny, watching how hard they worked to provide for me every day, I think about that,” he said. “It gave me a drive to do what I wanted to do.” Blicharz said Herrling was always there to provide support. “Every time I would call, Connor would be there,” Blicharz said. “He has as much dedication to football as I do. Sometimes I couldn’t sleep, and it would be 2 a.m. and I’d call and ask if I could get a little workout in to ease my mind, and there he was at 2 a.m. He was awesome.”   Finding a home Blicharz said football is his favorite sport.  “I love just about the way it makes me feel,” he said. “Just to be free and to run. Everything slows down for me. I just love the game.” However, he has enjoyed being a multiple sport athlete in high school, too. Blicharz played basketball for two years before leaving his junior year to focus on weight training and conditioning during the winter months.  In the spring, Blicharz played baseball as a freshman before switching to track and field as a sophomore to improve his speed and conditioning. A two-time sectional qualifier in the sprints, he plans to compete again in track this spring. Blicharz said it was all part of a plan to draw interest from college football recruiters. “It started the end of my sophomore year. It started very slowly,” he said of the recruiting process. “I’d go to showcases, combines, but I didn’t get much interest until my junior year when traction started and I got interest from some DI’s and DII’s, some DIII’s and some WIAC schools. “Drake came into the picture when they gave me a junior day my sophomore year. But they were recruiting me as a defensive back originally. I was so thankful to get the opportunity from Drake. So, I was fine with it.” He said playing eight-man football instead of 11-man football wasn’t a liability during the recruiting process with Drake. “Right away, they were like ‘You’re the eight-man kid’ when I rolled up to camp,” he said. “They said they were excited to see me in an 11-man aspect. It wasn’t a difference for me. Everything you could still see. Besides that little comment there was really nothing.” Blicharz believed he could best showcase his skills as a running back, and the Drake coaches eventually liked what they saw in him.  “I felt I could show my best talent at running back,” said Blicharz, who has maintained a 3.9 grade-point-average and plans to study Accounting in college. “My junior year, they gave me an offer and it was a school I wanted to go to athletically and academically. So, I accepted their offer last summer.”   Record-setter Blicharz said while he has always enjoyed being a running back, it was his dad who suggested that he also give returning punts and kickoffs a try. “My dad said the best athletes return kicks,” he said. “We’re Bears’ fans. We loved Devin Hester. We loved Deion Sanders, anybody who returned kicks. So I decided to try it. It would get me on the offensive side of the ball as a freshman.” It was a match made in heaven. “My freshman year, it was a punt return my first game. I caught it on the 30, lost it in the lights for a second, but caught it,” he said. “It was just one cutback and open green grass from there. I scored a touchdown on a kick return my first game as a freshman. It was crazy but it ended up being called back because of a block in the block. But that was OK. It was a great start. “My sophomore year, my first one against Belmont. I scooped it up off the ground. It was a squib kick. I came from the back row and picked it up. It was just a line of blockers along the right side. It was just wide open. I’m thankful for my blockers.” Blicharz finished his prep career with nine kickoff returns for touchdowns, which ranked third all-time in the country. He also returned five punts for touchdowns.   Role model  Blicharz said he was determined to accomplish his goal regardless of the odds he was facing. “It doesn’t matter. There’s a six-man league, a seven-man league. If you’re from a small town, it really, just does not matter,” he said. “Just put in the work and you can achieve anything. “I’m very blessed to be in a great situation and surrounded by everyone. I’m just very thankful and excited to get to work.” One thing that has never been questioned is his work ethic. Blicharz is a lifeguard at the Mazomanie pool during the summer and is also a retailer at the Shoe Box in Black Earth. He has also worked as a referee and umpire for youth sports. But despite the additional work in the weight room that he has put in, Blicharz said it sometimes seems like a dream. “When it first happened, it didn’t feel real. Now that the process has happened, every day I pinch myself and say that is the role I’m going to pursue,” he said. “I will go work out in June to get the team chemistry going. Then come back here and work a summer job and work out here with coach and then go back for fall camp.” When it is time for Blicharz to follow his dreams, he will be missed. “This is huge for Wisconsin Heights, for all our student athletes and everybody in our community,” Winters said. “One thing I love about Cody is that he is an all-star on the football field, and he is also an all-star in the classroom. He is an amazing human being.  “He sets the example in the community for how we want people to be. For our youth coming up, this is something they can aspire to. That is great to see.”