GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Six games into the season, Preble senior wide receiver Tyler Cleven has rewritten the school’s record book.
Cleven has 57 receptions this season, breaking Preble’s previous single-season record of 55 catches.
“You look at an all-time record from a school that opened in 1955," Preble Head Coach Brad Boockmeier said "Obviously, back in the day, running the ball was a little bit more common... But to do that in six games, with three big ones still coming up, and we're expecting continued production, he might set that record, which might not be broken for a while.”
The previous record was 55 catches. Cleven broke it in Week 6 with 57 receptions and also leads the state in receptions, nine catches ahead of second place.
“It just means a lot that my quarterback and the offense have trusted me and given me the ball,” Cleven said. “It’s great that I now have a legacy that I can leave at the school I’ve been at for four years. It’s just awesome.”
Cleven has stepped into a bigger role for the Hornets after first-team all-conference receiver Isaiah Flowers went down with an injury in Week 3 against Ashwaubenon.
“He knows all the plays. We can check the routes. He gets open. His hands are incredible,” Preble quarterback Harrison Selk said. “He’s good, so having him out there is great.”
"We get to that point where it’s third down, just Tyler’s gonna be there,” Selk said.
But this kind of production wasn’t always a given.
Cleven started his junior season on the junior varsity team before earning playing time at the varsity level.
“I knew he was going to be good," Boockmeier said. "Did I know he was going to be as good as he is? Honestly, maybe. But I didn't see a record coming in Week 6.”
For Cleven, the record is the result of a longer progression into a bigger role.
“It's pretty rewarding," Cleven said. "Last year, I got a lot of playing time, which I was very grateful for. But I knew if I really wanted to have a good chance, I'd have to wait another year. I never imagined it would go like this.”
Cleven can now only add to the record, but he said he isn’t chasing a big number.
“It'll be in the back of my mind, but it's not really something I'm going to focus on,” Cleven said. “I'm really just trying to make plays when I can make plays.”
