Greg Brunette graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1968 as a three-sport athlete in basketball, football and baseball, earning 8 letters. As a 6’ senior guard for the 1967-68 Rice Lake Warriors, Greg had a standout year scoring 493 points on 47% shooting from the field and a 20.5 average for the season. On January 30, 1968 Greg scored 40 points against Eau Claire North in a 80 to 66 Warrior win. At the time it was the second most points scored by a Warrior ever in one game – the first going to Tom Hugdahl’s 44 points in 1958. Two weeks later Greg’s teammate 6’ 8” Dan Boe scored 45 points versus Chetek. Between the two, Greg and Dan scored 1136 points for 60% of the total team points. The 1967-68 Warriors were a basketball team that was built to win championships under Coach Bob Tone. But in the Sectional Semi-Finals the Warriors were upset by New Richmond 73 to 71 after holding leads of 13 and 12 points. The Warriors finished the season at 19 and 5 and the Ho’N Conference Championship, and goes down as one of the finest Warrior teams ever. Greg was All-Conference in the Ho’N and named to the Eau Claire Leader Telegram All Northwest Team.
In football, Greg lettered three years as a wide receiver, cornerback and place kicker. The Warriors were undefeated Ho’N champions in 1966 and finished at 7 and 1. In 1967 they finished 6 and 1 and 7 and 1 all. As a place kicker, Greg set a school record that still stands today by kicking 9 extra points in one game against Cumberland in 1967. Greg was All Ho’N at his cornerback position and his football talents earned him a member of the University of Wisconsin Badgers Special Teams from 1969 to 1971.
In baseball, Greg was an All Ho’N catcher and three-year letterman for the 1966 and 1968 Conference Champions. In the 1970’s Greg played slow-pitch for the renown Rice Lake teams, annually competing for the national championship around the country. Greg and his wife Shari currently live in Rogers, MN.