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Scott Conzemius, last year's varsity head coach for the Onalaska High School boys soccer team, will be coaching in the Mississippi Valley Conference again this fall. But instead of with his alma mater, Conzemius will be the head coach at Tomah, where he has also accepted a position as a high school history teacher.

Conzemius, a 2002 Onalaska graduate, coached for three years for the Hilltoppers. He preceded his one year as the varsity head coach with two years with the junior varsity.

“Being an Onalaska graduate, it was always a pleasure coaching in the program you played in,” Conzemius said. “I wanted to continue with the history of the program and keep it at the level it has been at.”

Conzemius graduated from UW-La Crosse in May, 2007, and was a long-term substitute at the Family and Children's Center in Holmen last year. He also is getting married later this summer.

The replacement for Conzemius has already been selected. Dave McMahon, who played in Germany, has coached for 12 years and is the father of sophomore-to-be Hunter McMahon, will fill the post.

“My philosophy of coaching is to provide a positive soccer environment that instills respect, responsibility, teamwork, mentorship and development of athletes into young men,” McMahon said. “I want to build a solid program that encompasses both JV and varsity athletes which are mentally, physically, technically and tactically prepared with a positive attitude that energizes success.”

McMahon, who works with the Department of Homeland Security as the Assistant Federal Security Director responsible for the La Crosse Municipal and Chippewa Valley Regional airports, is coaching this summer as a volunteer assistant for a Coulee Region United Soccer Association 15-and-under team. With his son on last year's varsity, he is plenty familiar with the team.

Jena Oeltjen, last spring's girls varsity head coach and a gym teacher at OHS, will remain as the top assistant.

Tony Rice, a UW-La Crosse student who played high school student, will be the junior varsity head coach. Rice also coached the CRUSA 16-and-under team that qualified for the Minnesota state tournament.