Mineral Point High School

Running Back/Defensive Back: 1951-52

Fred "Fritz" Weitzel was a leader on the 1951 and 1952 teams. He was the featured halfback in coach McKenzie's three back offense and played in the secondary on defense. Weitzel also served as the team's place kicker. In his junior year, he finished third in the league in scoring with seven touchdowns and two PAT's. In several games he literally "carried" the team to victory with game winning drives in the fourth quarter, most notably in upsetting then undefeated Darlington 13-8 in the final game of the season. In his senior season, he shared the ball carrying duties with his younger brother Bill. In a game against Fennimore, Bill scored five touchdowns and Fritz made all five extra points, both records that stood for many years. He served as the team captain his senior season.

Fritz lettered in three sports, football, basketball and track. Fritz held several school track records including the 100 yard dash and 440 relay. This speed made him a break away threat on the sweep. Most of his 13 touchdowns were on runs of more than twenty yards. Wearing number 50, Fritz usually ran for more than 100 yards a game in Point's powerful running attack.

Playing in the years just before the conferences began naming all conference teams and before the systematic keeping of statistics, it is hard to measure Fritz's career with numbers. However, the newspaper reporters of the time recognized his speed and ability, as did the opposing coaches. In describing a 79 yard touchdown run, local sports reporter Burly Whitford wrote in a 1952 article, "Weitzel got to the corner at full speed and started clicking off yard markers like they were slats in a picket fence. And that was all she wrote. He was past the referee before the referee knew the ball had been snapped."

• Letter Winner: 1951 & 1952
• Captain: 1952

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