Year after year, people, myself included at times, tend to disregard the Southern Lakes Conference in football due to lack of talent, lack of competition or whatever the topic of negativity is that day.
Sure, the SLC isn’t the Classic 8, or the Big Eight, or the Greater Metro.
Besides Waterford in 2011 or Badger in 2012, not many SLC squads do anything in the playoffs.
Whether it’s Arrowhead, Waukesha West, Greendale, or another local powerhouse, an SLC team always runs into a buzz saw that it can’t handle.
While there is history to back up claims that the SLC is weak, Friday night proved the conference may be at an all-time high in terms of top-to-bottom power.
When was the last time you remember Union Grove winning 53-0 and Westosha Central almost beating a perennial power like Big Foot all in the same night?
Toss in an improbable comeback win from Delavan-Darien and Wilmot upsetting a recent state champion, Kenosha Bradford, and SLC fans have plenty to look forward to in 2015.
Friday night marked Week 1 of the 2015 season, a full month before the technical end of summer, and Mother Nature obliged with temperatures in the high 70s in western Racine County.
The SLC went an impressive 6-2 for the night, including double-digit victories from Burlington, Waterford, Union Grove and Lake Geneva Badger.
Wilmot knocked off the 2010 Division 1 state champion, and Delavan-Darien overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to win in last-second, dramatic fashion.
In other area action, Division 7 Burlington Catholic Central bullied Division 3 Whitewater, 39-6, in a game that was 27-0 at halftime.
The stars were illuminating the sky Friday night. Burlington’s Cal Tully, playing in his first varsity game as a quarterback, totaled five touchdowns, three rushing and one passing, finishing with 253 total yards.
Catholic Central’s Ben Heiligenthal had a big night, completing 8-of-12 passes for 128 yards and a beautiful 47-yard touchdown bomb to Cole Pankau. The senior quarterback added 97 yards rushing on nine carries with two touchdown.
Cole Kresken, who could end up being the Metro Classic Conference player of the year, ran for 140 yards with three touchdowns.
In Lake Geneva, Badger’s Tyler VanDeVelde ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns, including a 48-yard scamper to start the scoring.
Logan Hughes was a beast for Westosha Central, who came closer to Big Foot than ever before, and Waterford quarterback Sam Allen threw for 106 yards and ran for two touchdowns in his first varsity game.
The SLC flexed its muscles against formidable foes and proved it’s one of the deepest leagues in the state.
With the improved play of Union Grove and Westosha Central, it isn’t far-fetched to believe each and every SLC game this season could be highly competitive.
Waterford, Burlington and Lake Geneva Badger seem to be a cut above the rest, but every other team has enough talent to pull off an upset.
Along with the dominant play of Division 7 Catholic Central, western Kenosha, western Racine and eastern Walworth counties have plenty of football talent and reasons to head out to the stadium on Friday nights.
Week 1 was a success and proved there won’t be an easy victory on anyone’s schedule this fall.
That’s what all fans want, and that’s what they’re going to get in the SLC in 2015.
Friday night scoreboard
Burlington 35, Racine Case 21
Waterford 18, West Allis Hale 7
Union Grove 53, Milwaukee Madison 0
Catholic Central 39, Whitewater 6
Delavan-Darien 42, East Troy 40
Wilmot 21, Kenosha Bradford 16
Big Foot 32, Westosha Central 28
Waukesha North 35, Elkhorn 0
Lake Geneva Badger 30, Kenosha Tremper 7
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