By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
We’re starting to get down to the nitty gritty of the 2013 high school football season.
It’s Week 7, which means only three games are left. For some, all three are crucial to playoff chances. While the game of the year in the Southern Lakes Conference was supposed to be Waterford-Badger earlier this year, we have a new spotlight matchup.
Badger (5-1, 4-0 SLC) travels to Wilmot (4-2, 3-1 SLC) tonight, and the winner will most likely win at least a share of the conference title. Badger is trying to win its first outright title since 1992.
The Panthers have won two straight and have averaged 36 points per game in those victories.
Also, tonight we have the game of the year in the Metro Classic Conference as Catholic Central (3-3, 3-1 MCC) travels to conference unbeaten Racine St. Cat’s at Horlick Field. The ‘Toppers are coming off two blowout wins at home.
While the action on the field will be top-notch, what happens on the sideline at Walworth Big Foot’s homecoming game could get serious. Apparently, there will be heightened security for Big Foot coach Rodney Wedig due to an alleged threat he received from a parent regarding playing time.
In a meeting at Big Foot High School, the parent demanded Wedig play his son “or else.” Stay tuned to myracinecounty.com for more on this developing story and pick up Thursday’s Burlington Standard Press for reaction from area parents and coaches.
PREDICTIONS (all games Friday night)
Last week: 11-1
Season: 32-12
Catholic Central (3-3, 3-1 MCC) at Racine St. Cat’s, 7 p.m.
Toppers sophomore Ben Heiligenthal is leading the conference with 135 passing yards per contest, including 10 touchdowns and one interception. Tonight, he will have to be on point if he wants to exploit the St. Cat’s pass defense, which allows only 41 yards per game and has forced five interceptions.
The Angels crushed Racine Lutheran last week with a plethora of running plays, amassing 286 rushing yards with three backs over the 60-yard mark. However, Catholic Central also killed Lutheran and did whatever it wanted offensively.
St. Cat’s hasn’t really played anyone yet, and the Toppers offer big-play threats in Jake Surges, Cole Kresken and Tyler Burzawa. In fact, Burzawa is second in the conference with 324 receiving yards.
Catholic Central definitely out-studs the Angels, and it will show by the fourth quarter.
PREDICTION: Catholic Central 35, St. Cat’s 28
Burlington (4-2, 2-2 SLC) at Delavan-Darien (2-4, 1-3 SLC), 7 p.m.
The Demons are getting into must-win territory.
With three games left, Burlington needs two wins to qualify for the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2005-06.
The Demons have to play the Comets, at Elkhorn and against Wilmot. None are easy wins. But the Comets are the worst of the three.
Though quarterback Jesse Collins has 581 yards passing and 493 yards rushing and Stephen Rodriguez is one of the best pass-catchers in the area, Delavan has lost four of its last five games. However, only one loss (Badger) was a blowout, as Big Foot has taken every opponent to the wire. Delavan-Darien coach Steve Tenhagen, a former Burlington great, knows how to attack Burlington, according to Burlington coach Hans Block, so it should be a high-scoring slug fest.
Burlington is coming off a big win over Westosha Central and may have found a running game with Hunter Melby’s emergence (193 yards last week). With Melby’s quickness and Neal Peterson power running, the Demons should be able to run through a porous Delavan defense that allows a whopping 32 points per game.
The run will set up Brad Burling, Luke Dahl and the Burlington passing attack, which is the third-best in the Southern Lakes Conference.
PREDICTION: Burlington 45, Delavan-Darien 35
Lake Geneva Badger (5-1, 4-0 SLC) at Wilmot (4-2, 3-1 SLC), 7 p.m.
This one’s probably for all the marbles in the conference race.
Badger is good, I mean really good, but Wilmot is hot and is at home. This rivalry is deep, since players from both teams grow up playing Genoa City little league baseball together.
Last year, Badger pulled away from the Panthers late for a win, and two years ago, Badger racked up 500 rushing yards in a blowout victory. Wilmot hasn’t beaten Badger since 2010, and that was only a 14-13 result.
This year, the Panthers boast a solid quarterback in Michael Lindeman, but their defense is their strength, with bona fide studs Zach Dodge and Neil Driscoll punishing opposing runners.
However, Badger is simply a team you can’t punish. Andrew Allen leads the conference with more than 700 rushing yards, and he has the luxury of running behind a line that averages 6 feet, 3 inches in height and 270 pounds in weight. Sprinkle in quarterback Collin Broderick, who can beat you with both his arm and his feet, and the Badgers have put up 36 points per game.
What gets forgotten is the Lake Geneva defense, which smothers opponents to the tune of a mere 137 yards per game. These guys are big, bad and smart. Matt Reynolds and Andy Cychner are two of the leading tacklers in the state, and Josh Doyle is one of the best pass rushers in the state.
Wilmot’s coach recently said his team is finally perfecting the newly-implemented veer offense, a formation Badger can execute in its sleep.
This week, the teacher will show the student who’s boss.
PREDICTION: Lake Geneva Badger 70, Wilmot 21
Union Grove (1-5, 1-3 SLC) at Elkhorn (3-3, 2-1 SLC), 7 p.m.
Elkhorn still needs two wins to qualify for the Division 2 playoffs, and they most likely won’t get them against Badger or Burlington.
So this becomes a must-win for the Elks, who blew a golden opportunity to knock off defending conference champion Waterford last week in a 19-14 loss. Elkhorn has lost two straight.
Union Grove had possibly its worst performance of the season last week at home against Wilmot. The Broncos were blown out, 37-20, and it wasn’t close. The Panthers jumped out to a 23-0 lead in the second quarter.
The Broncos have some explosiveness, but the Elks need this one much more. Expect a spirited effort from the home team.
PREDICTION: Elkhorn 27, Union Grove 20
Westosha Central (0-6, 0-4 SLC) at Waterford (4-2, 3-1 SLC), 7 p.m.
Talk about a lucky Homecoming opponent.
The Wolverines will cap off a week of pep rallies, excitement and festivities with a big-time, epic blowout victory tonight.
The Falcons just don’t have it this year. They don’t even average a touchdown each game, and they are giving up nearly 30 points a contest. Waterford, which has been in close contests all season, will enjoy a well-deserved breather tonight.
Over/under on Westosha’s total yards: 50.
PREDICTION: Waterford 63, Westosha Central 0
Other area picks
Walworth Big Foot 77, Whitewater 7
Williams Bay 40, Martinsville, Ill. 14
Catholic Memorial 33, Muskego 21
East Troy 60, Parkview 35
Franklin 42, Kenosha Tremper 7
Kenosha Indian Trail 50, Racine Case 10
Mukwonago 17, Kettle Moraine 3
Racine Horlick 30, Kenosha Bradford 21
Waukesha West 44, Waukesha South 20
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