High school football: Johnsburg RB Alex Peete commits to UW-Whitewater

After three years of varsity football in which he helped build Johnsburg into a winner, it was important to Skyhawks senior running back Alex Peete to attend a college program with a winning tradition.

The record-setting back found his match at Wisconsin-Whitewater. The six-time NCAA Division III national champion received a commitment Monday from the eighth all-time leading rusher in state history.

“It’s Whitewater,” the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Peete said. “They have the best D-III program in the nation. They’ve lost three games in the last three years, which is crazy. I think I have the right mindset for it, as well. I love playing in front of big crowds.”

From 2005 to '14, the Warhawks reached 10 consecutive Division III championship games, winning six of them, most recently in 2014. Coach Kevin Bullis will enter his third season as coach in 2017.

Peete, a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team running back in 2016, met with Bullis during a visit to the UW-Whitewater campus Monday. Peete also had an offer from Winona State in Minnesota, but meeting with Bullis on Monday swayed his opinion.

“I feel like I fit perfectly with their offense,” Peete said. “The coaching staff is amazing. Coach Bullis is a great guy. I knew we had a connection.”

Peete ran for 6,070 career yards, eighth in state history. His senior year he led Johnsburg with 2,528 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns. The Skyhawks reached their first state championship game, losing, 38-14, to Rochester in the Class 4A final, after winning their first 13 games.

“It’s a great fit,” Johnsburg coach Dan DeBoeuf said. “I know that he’s really liked that school. We did our summer overnight trip to Whitewater, and he really liked it then. He’s always had his eye on Whitewater. It’s great to see how happy he is with making a decision, and I definitely think he feels like it’s the right decision.”

Peete said he plans to study business, although he has not decided on a specific major.

He will join a number of local players on the UW-Whitewater roster. They include Kyle Copeland (Jacobs), Jake Gierlak (Jacobs), Luke Tegtman (Marian Central), Ben Franzen (Hampshire), Mason Fleury (Hampshire) and Dominic Swanson (Huntley).

John Flood (Richmond-Burton) and Tim Regan (Jacobs) just finished their senior seasons for the Warhawks.

Peete said he is ready for the bigger, faster and stronger opponents in the college game.

“I have to come in with a different mindset,” Peete said. “I’m starting from the bottom now. They’ve got these seniors that have been there and know more than I do. I have to become a freshman again and work my way up the depth chart.”