DeVoe a throwback athlete

Posted: Jan. 30, 2013

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Scott Ash

Pewaukee senior Doug Devoe lines up with his Waukesha Wings teammates prior to the game against the Kettle Moraine co-op team at Naga-Waukee Ice Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013.

Scott Ash

Pewaukee senior Doug Devoe lines up with his Waukesha Wings teammates prior to the game against the Kettle Moraine co-op team at Naga-Waukee Ice Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013.

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Pewaukee High School senior Doug DeVoe is an "old school" type of athlete. In today's world of specialization, a lot of kids play just one or two sports, opting to spend as much time as they can to be the best player they can be.

But back in the day, when there were fewer sports to choose from, many kids played football in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring and summer. That's the way it was for more than 50 years.

DeVoe is a throwback from the 1950s and 60s. In the fall, he concentrates on football. In the winter, he plays hockey and the spring and summer, he plays baseball.

"I really don't have a favorite sport," DeVoe said earlier this week. "I like football a lot, I like hockey a lot and also like playing baseball. When people ask me what sport I like the best, I just tell them the sport I like best is the one that I'm playing for that season. I'm passionate about all three."

DeVoe finished his fourth year of playing football in the Pewaukee program last fall and helped the Pirates to an undefeated regular season (8-0) and two WIAA Division 3 playoff games before losing to eventual state champion Waukesha Catholic Memorial.

The last two years, he's started at outside linebacker for the Pirates and helped them to an impressive 18-4 record. He was one of the top tacklers on the team both seasons. This past year, the 6-foot, 170-pounder earned honorable mention in the Woodland Conference.

"Doug isn't the most physically imposing player on the football field, but he's as tough as they come," said Pewaukee football coach Justin Friske. "He's a bulldog out there. His approach to the game is very good. He knows what he's doing on each and every play. Like I said, he's not the biggest guy on the field, but he never played small."

Now it's hockey

DeVoe is enjoying a big hockey season playing for the sixth-ranked Waukesha Wings. The Wings (14-5-1) are a combined team that features players from all three Waukesha schools along with Pewaukee and St. John's Northwestern Military Academy.

DeVoe is one of the top scorers for the explosive Wings, who feature one of the best offenses in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Because Pewaukee does not have hockey, he's played for combined teams the last four years. As a freshman and sophomore, DeVoe played for the combined Oconomowoc, Pewaukee and St. John's team. Those two teams struggled mightily to win games.

"It was good to be able to play high school hockey those first two seasons," DeVoe said. "But the last two years has been a lot of fun playing for the Wings. We've been pretty good the last two years and our goal this year is to get to the state tournament. It's nice because Trent Borgardt, my good friend, also goes to school with me at Pewaukee and plays with the Wings. Trent and I have played hockey together for a long time. It's been an easy transition playing for the Wings because I played with most of those guys in youth hockey."

Quite a catch

No matter how the hockey season ends, DeVoe will close out his high school athletic career in the spring and summer when he returns to the baseball team as a catcher. Like hockey, both he and Borgardt are teammates on the baseball team.

"Every now and then we get out our gloves and play some catch in the winter," DeVoe said.

This will be DeVoe's second season as the starting catcher for the Pirates. He caught a little as a sophomore. He'll also bat leadoff for the second straight year. Last year, he hit .319.

"Doug has worked hard to make himself a very good defensive catcher," said Pewaukee baseball coach Adam Dobberstein. "He's a tough kid. We put him into the leadoff spot and he caught on quickly to learn how to bat in the leadoff spot. He's a good baseball player and he's a good guy to coach.

DeVoe hopes to play college hockey or play in the juniors program. He's also considering playing college baseball.

"I'm just going to wait and see what happens," DeVoe said. "I really have no preference."