XCEPTIONAL ATHLETE: Little Chute’s Reece Joten

(WFRV) - Little Chute High School senior Reece Joten is one of the key players to a senior studded Little Chute football team, and also Local 5's Xceptional Athlete of the Week.

Playing both sides of the ball, as a running back and a middle linebacker, Joten has a unique skillset that he brings to his team, using his speed to not only score touchdowns, but to fly around the backfield making tackles as well.

During his junior season Joten helped lead the Mustangs to the Division 4 state championship game (where they would go on to lose 28-22 to the Winneconne Wolves). Last season, Joten averaged 8 yards per carry, had 23 touchdowns and on the defensive side, he had 98 total tackles, and 3 interceptions and this year he hopes to improve even more.

"We did good last season, but there are definitely a lot of areas to do better, and if I can just make one more tackle, or one more play than I did last year, then that's a win," Joten said.

Little Chute has 23 seniors on their roster this year, the most seniors that Head Coach Mark Krommenacker has ever had on one squad.

"When you have 23 seniors you have a chance to compete with anybody," Krommenacker said.

With that senior leadership, this Little Chute team has a good chance of making it back to the state championship again this year, especially when one of those seniors is as versatile as Joten.

This group has a unique chemistry, both on and off of the field, as they have been playing football together since fifth grade, and even some of them playing Pop Warner together in third grade before that.

So far this season, the Mustangs are already off to a hot 3-0 start, with Joten leading in both rushing yards (226), and tackles (26).