Authors discuss book that looks at history of Edgewood football
Even though the book is about Edgewood High School, sports fans will recognize names in it — George and Paul Chryst, Bob Hyland, Austin Straubel, Chris Farley and more
FOND DU LAC – Madison-based Edgewood High School is steeped in history, particularly when it comes to its football program.
The program, which dates back to the 1920s, experienced great triumphs and overcame challenges over the years. The Catholic school was considered an independent, meaning that it had to travel around the state and outside Wisconsin — including Michigan, Iowa and Illinois — to schedule opponents.
Despite the difficult path, the team found success under coaches, including Earl Wilke, George Chryst, Joel Maturi and Alan Minnaert, who left lasting impacts.
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Two players who came in contact with the coaching greats were Fond du Lac resident and former Reporter editor, Michael Mentzer, and Thomas Martinelli. Playing during the 1960s under Wilke and Chryst — father of current Wisconsin football coach Paul Chryst — the two were part of what they describe as the “golden age” of Edgewood football.
It was a time when the team had multiple undefeated and one-loss seasons. Edgewood set multiple scoring records. In 1965, Mentzer faced-off against Bob Hyland, future St. Mary’s Springs coach and the winningest high school football coach in Wisconsin history, on the gridiron, not realizing their paths would again cross later in Fond du Lac.
Seeking to encapsulate the Edgewood football program and the stories of those who passed through it, Mentzer and Martinelli worked together for three years on what came to be “Unbreakable Bonds: Edgewood Football, Life Lessons: 1927-2015.”
Using information from the school, newspapers, statistics and interviews, the book weaves in national and local history, while delving into the human side of the game. From the emotional connection to coaches, to the tales of players like “Saturday Night Live” star Chris Farley, who played center and noseguard for the team, and Rob Kozarek, who became a wheelchair racer after a car accident paralyzed him from the chest down, the story goes beyond football, says Mentzer.
So far, the co-authors have donated $10,000 to Edgewood’s football program through book sales and hope to be able to donate more.
Those interested in purchasing the book can contact Mike Mentzer at kmmentzer@att.net or 920-923-1273.
Recently, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin spoke with Mentzer and Martinelli about the book, and what it meant to be able to create it.
USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN: What is the relationship between you and Thomas Martinelli?
MICHAEL MENTZER: We were teammates in track and in football, so that’s how we knew each other. We actually went to the UW — a lot of us did — together. We both started out in engineering … He was very successful, worked for the State of Wisconsin, still serves as a consultant … I went in a different direction. I went to journalism, writing, English and basically we maybe saw each other once in a while, maybe at a beer bar, but that was about it.
We never saw each other, except at reunions. It was at our 45-year reunion, we were talking and Tom says, “You know, we should do a book on the history of Edgewood football,” and I said, “Oh yeah, that’d be nice,” just small talk, thinking there’s no way this is going to happen.
He said, “Would you be interested in doing the writing if I did a lot of the research,” and I said “Sure,” thinking I don’t really want to get into a huge project. He contacted me probably about half-dozen times after that and we decided to have a meeting and that’s where it started out.
Tom and I, now we’re very close. We literally talked every Friday morning for three years. As it got closer, it became more than that. My wife, she used to say, “Geez, what’s going on with you and Martinelli? Is this a bromance or what?”
USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN: Why did you feel it was necessary, or at least a good idea, to compose a detailed history of Edgewood football history?
THOMAS MARTINELLI: The book project was a spin-off from a book that was done by a local public-school teacher and coach in 2002 on the history of Madison high school football. I thought that a more detailed story could be told about the history of the Edgewood football program. There were many stories related to the long history of the Edgewood football program that needed to be documented. There were many reoccurring themes that were presented in the over 75 interviews of Edgewood players that were conducted.
I have always been impressed by the gentlemen that have coached Edgewood football over the years and wanted to document their stories. My sons played football for the current coach, Al Minnaert, and I wanted to do the project as a “thank you” to Coach Minnaert and what he did for my sons. I also wanted to find a way to give back to Edgewood High School for the education and chance I had to play high school sports that I had there.
USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN: How did the book title come about?
MENTZER: It comes from a letter I wrote to Patty Chryst, the wife of George Chryst shortly after Coach Chryst’s death on Dec. 3, 1992. His death was a complete shock. He was only 55 and in excellent physical shape.
I wrote the letter to Patty to voice my regard for Coach, but also to share some thoughts on behalf of my teammates and friends, because I was the team’s honorary co-captain.
Coach Chryst had a monumental impact on all of us. He carried on the traditions of his predecessor and mentor Earl Wilke and embodied the Dominican principles that became part of who were are without us ever really knowing it. He had a tremendous impact on the coaching profession in Wisconsin. I see a lot of George and his mannerisms and his way of doing things in his son, Paul, the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.
The opening line in the letter to Patty Chryst reads: “None of us knew it 26 or 27 years ago, because kids don’t really think that deeply and clearly when they’re 16 or 17, but unbreakable bonds and friendships were forged when we spent all those hours under George’s direction.”
We realized more and more as we talked with former players, coaches and administrators that good and caring coaches have a lifelong influence. That goes for every school, public and private. Coaches in general have tremendous influence.
We dedicated our book to the Mount Rushmore of Edgewood coaches. George holds a prominent place there.
USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN: What did you learn from doing this book that you did not know about Edgewood before?
MENTZER: There’s countless things. One thing that strikes me is where we all came from. You know, if you go to public high school, especially in Madison, you come from a neighborhood. We came from everywhere, all over the city.
The iconic coach in Edgewood history is Earl Wilke. It was enlightening to me to learn that he was a tremendous University of Wisconsin football player center. He was the first Badger to play in the East-West Shrine Game. He and Austin Straubel represented UW-Madison on the Shrine team. He served 36 seasons as the head coach for Edgewood. Many think he was the first, but he was the third … This hot shot quarterback for the UW was actually offered the job, but then backed out and that’s how Earl got the job.
Another thing is how many people who ended up connected in coaching and administration at the UW, which is located a mile from Edgewood. It’s pretty unbelievable really.
USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN: What was it like writing about your own experience in Chapter Six “The Superfragilistic Sixties — A Golden Age of Edgewood Football Amid Revolutionary Changes?”
MENTZER: It was difficult, but it was fun. I took all kinds of heat from friends and teammates, about “this better be the longest chapter,” “you better expound on this,” and “don’t just think that it’s because it’s the chapter of the ’60s you have to back off because it’s yours.”
That connection to Hyland comes up there. He was a big guy and a heck of a player … It was one of those funny things. I move to Fond du Lac and of course Bob did, too, about the same time. I never thought about it, and Bob, he had rough times at Springs when he first came. He didn’t win a game for a couple years, but then all of the sudden, you realize, “I bet that’s the Bob Hyland I played against.” In the book, when we talk about that game in 1965, I was a junior, he was a senior, I call it the “transcendent game” in Edgewood football history.
USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN: Was there any part of the process that was particularly moving to you?
MENTZER: There’s so much of that. It’s the Chryst family, so much of that. His wife, Patty, I mention that in the acknowledgements, because she was there for us whenever. If we had a question, or if we had difficulty interviewing someone, she was there. She made arrangements for the interview with Paul. How do you turn your mom down? She just had insights that were incredible … The whole thing is emotional to me. It’s very difficult to talk about in a lot of ways, that’s why writing it was such a neat experience.
USA TODAY NETWORK- WISCONSIN: What are you the most proud of in the “Unbreakable Bonds” project?
MENTZER: Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that we actually accomplished what we set out to do. It was Tom Martinelli’s idea and he asked me to do the writing. To tell the truth, I didn’t think it would actually happen. I thought it was an admirable idea, but I really wondered if it was attainable. We spent nearly three years researching and writing the book. And then we published it. We are the publishers, thanks to a whole bunch of people who had faith in us and gave us close to $20,000 in donations ranging from a little as $10 to $2,000. The money went into actual design, publication and distribution of the book.
We are proud we reached our goal. So many times people want to do something, they dream of doing it but it never happens. I’ve been there many times. But this time we made it through with a lot of hard work and sacrifice and the sense of accomplishment is incredible.
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