Oak Creek’s Beckum something special
Gifted linebacker headlines all-state team; Mukwonago’s Hensler coach of the year
By CLIFF CHRISTL
[email protected]
Posted: Nov. 20, 2004
On the hoof or on the field, Travis Beckum stood a cut above his peers.
Playing high school football in a state known more for its jumbo linemen than its glitter at the skill positions, Beckum was a rarity as an athlete. He’s a 6-foot-5, 220-pound outside linebacker who has been clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
The senior’s production on defense was also staggering. Playing for an Oak Creek team that finished 8-3, he was credited with 38 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback sacks, seven interceptions, eight forced fumbles, five fumbles recovered and four blocked kicks.
Whether it was chasing down a back against Kenosha Bradford that seemingly had a 20-yard head start, intercepting a pass on a deep out against Franklin after initially showing blitz from an inside gap or knocking down a post pass to a wide receiver after biting on a play-action fake against Kenosha Tremper, Beckum left opposing coaches awestruck all season.
“Everything comes easy to that kid,” said Tom Taraska, coach of perennial Division 1 power Arrowhead. “He could be a 10- to 15-year NFL player. He could really be special. He’s so natural.”
First things first.
Beckum is the player of the year on the 13th annual Milwaukee Journal Sentinel all-state football team. He also might be the best of the best at a school that has been loaded with talent as of late.
Over the past 13 years, Oak Creek has produced 36 Division I college players. Former lineman Jake Sprague was the Journal Sentinel’s player of the year in 1997. Defensive end Rhyan Anderson was lineman of the year last year. In all, 11 of Oak Creek’s players have made the Journal Sentinel all-state team.
“Everybody who has followed our games has said, ‘You know you’ve had some great players: Jamal Butler, Brian Calhoun, Jake Sprague, but you’ve never had a kid produce like this kid,’ ” said Oak Creek coach Joe Koch. “I agree.”
Tom Crean, basketball coach at Marquette University, offered an even more glowing endorsement to Koch when he spoke to the Oak Creek team before its second-round playoff game.
“Tom Crean told me that Barry Alvarez – they’ve gotten to be pretty good friends – told him that Travis Beckum is the best player in the United States,” said Koch. “He said, ‘He’s not the best kid in Wisconsin, he’s the best kid, period.’ ”
Although Beckum made his mark on defense this past season, he also made a hefty contribution on offense and special teams. He caught 22 passes for 506 yards, a 23-yard average, and also averaged 41 yards on 31 punts.
One of this state’s rare national recruits,
Beckum has narrowed his list of schools to Florida State, Louisiana State, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin, according to Koch. At this point, Koch said he believes Wisconsin has the inside track.
Corey Cortez of West Allis Central is the lineman of the year on the Journal Sentinel team. Keith Hensler, who led Mukwonago to the Division 1 championship, is coach of the year.
Cortez is a 6-1, 270-pound junior defensive tackle who runs a 5.0 40 and squats 620 pounds. He led Central, which finished 8-4, with 74 tackles. Included were nine tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks.
“This kid is the best defensive lineman – period – we played against all year and maybe the last two years, including Nick Hayden,” said Keith Hensler, coach at Mukwonago. “The kid is unbelievable. He can run. He can play.
“I was really impressed: Our whole coaching staff, even our players. We were watching the film and breaking the game down and our kids are oohing and aahing.”
