Catholic Central-Lake Country Lutheran is FOX6 Game of the Week
PREDICTIONS
Last week: 6-3
Season: 6-3
(If I don’t finish the season with a winning percentage over .700, come to 209 N. Dodge St. and laugh in my face)
(All games Friday 7 p.m.)
Racine Horlick (0-1) at Burlington (1-0)
This just in: Cal Tully was born to play quarterback.
A few minutes into his varsity quarterbacking career, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound, athletic Demon reeled off two gorgeous touchdown passes and showed his elite quickness with two short scoring runs.
You’d have to dig in the Burlington record books to find a better debut, and I’m guessing not even the great Tony Romo was that good that fast.
But before we compare the green Tully to an NFL quarterback, let’s remember to recognize Burlington’s much improved defense.
Burlington outgained Case, 381-144, in a game that was pretty much over by the third quarter.
This is in stark contrast to the team’s first game under Steve Tenhagen in August 2014, when the Eagles ran all over Don Dalton Stadium for more than 200 yards.
Bruising tacklers like Hegeman Tiedt and Aaron Sturtevant give Burlington grit to fight it out with the big boys, and the finesse is on the offensive side with Nick Klug, Jack Miller, Dale Damon, Ty Wiemer and the dynamic Tully.
It was against state power Mukwonago, and granted, they only allowed 14 points, but the Horlick Rebels only mustered 80 or so yards of total offense.
That simply can’t be taken seriously, and with Burlington’s defense just as good or even better than its offense, it’ll be a happy homecoming.
The boys are back in town, so come on down for a pre-game tailgate (probably) and enjoy, Burlingtonites. The city will have loads to cheer about this fall.
PREDICTION: Burlington 27, Racine Horlick 14
Catholic Central (1-0) at Lake Country Lutheran (1-0)
Oh my God, Lake Country shut out four-time Metro Classic champion Racine St. Cat’s on Saturday, 21-0.
What are we going to do, Toppers (faint screeches of ‘We’re all gonna die!” eminate from the CC faithful), tonight in the FOX6 Game of the Week?
Just when you thought the LCL Lightning were the world beaters that ended CC’s season in the 2013 playoffs and waxed them by copious amounts of points in 2014, think again. Think so deeply again.
The Lightning’s quarterback put up a pedestrian 80 yards in week one, and the rushing attack didn’t have one player gain more than 40 yards. In fact, the team’s 2.9 average per carry was anything from impressive.
My first bold prediction of the 2015 campaign has the beloved boys in blue going undefeated, that’s right, that thing where a team doesn’t lose?
Cole Kresken, Ben Heiligenthal, Cole Pankau, Trevor Meinholz, Hertel Novasic, Gonzalo Perez, and the list goes on.
These guys beat a Division 3 team, Whitewater, 39-6 in the week one, and never even broke a sweat.
The offense is versatile, and the defensive line gets after it thanks to an athletic secondary.
Lake Country’s quarterback makes his second career varsity start.
Novasic and Co. may literally give this kid nightmares.
PREDICTION: Burlington Catholic Central 30, Lake Country Lutheran 16
Union Grove (1-0) at Wauwatosa East (0-1)
It’s been quite some time since the Broncos dominated a team so thoroughly they only allowed one first down.
It got so bad in last week’s 53-0 victory, Union Grove only passed three times to not run up the score.
Tosa East totaled 50 yards in a 17-0 loss to rival Tosa West in week one, and I don’t anticipate that getting any better.
While I won’t yet say it’s the Grove’s year or anything, I will say that a playoff berth is attainable.
Watch out for quarterback Matt Nelson along with running backs Joe Peterson and Tobe Robe.
PREDICTION: Union Grove 21, Wauwatosa East 7
Racine Case (0-1) at Waterford (1-0)
I’d like to send a personal apology to Waterford head coach Adam Bakken.
He isn’t the biggest fan when I pick the Wolverines to lose. It tends to fire him up, and trust me, I’ve heard it to my face.
I picked Waterford to lose last week, and I’m going to put the house on the fact that Bakken most likely clipped out my masterpiece of journalism and showed his players.
A little fire under the buttocks never hurt anyone, right.
So I’m officially taking myself off the hook this week, as Waterford will feast on the inept Case offense, which put up 140 yards in a 35-21 loss to Burlington.
Expect the Wolverines to hold Case to less than 100 total yards, and look for quarterback Sam Allen to enjoy a breakout performance in the passing game.
PREDICTION: Waterford 51, Racine Case 7
Delavan-Darien (1-0) at Big Foot (1-0)
The Chiefs struggled with the youthful Westosha Central Falcons last week, something dominant teams don’t do.
Delavan-Darien is always close with their neighbors, and this year the Comets have too much speed. Jake Benzing made a career in one game with 450 total yards last week.
Look out for that Comet attack. Big Foot is formidable, but Delavan’s speed and athleticism can be elite with some more fine-tuning.
PREDICTION: Delavan-Darien 45, Big Foot 35
Lake Geneva Badger (1-o) at Kenosha Bradford (0-1)
It’s year two on varsity for several of Badger’s offensive linemen, and most importantly quarterback Isaac Ziervogel and back Tyler VandeVelde.
VanDeVelde went HAM last week for 144 yards, and it was the same old Badgers that run the ball down your throat all night, to the tune of 300 yards.
Bradford hung tough with Wilmot, a young but talented team, eventually losing in Wilmot last Friday.
I know Bradford won the 2010 Division 1 state championship, but Lake Geneva won the last meeting between these two area powers, 14-7, in a D1 state quarterfinal in LG in 2012.
Badger, Burlington and Waterford are as strong as ever, and Lake Geneva is going to show the area it’s a big-time player Friday night.
PREDICTION: Lake Geneva Badger 30, Kenosha Bradford 17
Wilmot (1-0) at Cudahy (1-0)
Cudahy, a state power in the 1990s, is coming off a 61-0 lambasting of its last opponent.
Quarterback Rusty Murphy, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound powerhouse who also plays linebacker, went off for 200 total yards.
Wilmot’s A.J. Frisby, Mason Nindl and Linc Bennett have shown offensive promise, and the defense is as stingy as ever.
But the Panthers are young, and it won’t help tonight in a hostile environment against the Packers.
PREDICTION: Cudahy 35, Wilmot 19
Westosha Central (0-1) at Zion-Benton, Ill.
The Falcons are exponentially better than last year, but I’m going to go ahead and assume northern Illinois schools are bigger and badder than our little institutions.
PREDICTION: Zion-Benton 41, Westosha Central 14
Elkhorn (0-1) at East Troy (0-1)
Both teams had let-downs last week, with the Elks getting blown out at home and the Trojans blowing a huge lead to lose by two points to Delavan-Darien.
East Troy’s QB, Nick Ruffalo, blew up for 316 yards passing in week one, and running back Ryan Olsen and receiver Ryan Remsza provide a deadly three-headed offensive attack.
But the Elks are beasts on the line, and talented players like Dylan Peterson, Konnor Mohr and Jordan Barr can still get it done despite being shut out.
Elkhorn likes to pound the ball, and the porous East Troy defense will oblige.
But can the Elks keep up with the speedy Trojans?
I think so, but it will be a squeaker.
PREDICTION: Elkhorn 25, East Troy 23
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“You’d have to dig in the Burlington record books to find a better debut, and I’m guessing not even the great Tony Romo was that good that fast.”
After doing research like any good reporter would do, Tony’s first game was a loss to Elkhorn. He threw 2 touchdowns that resulted in Burlington’s 14 points. Tony’s first touchdown pass in his career was a 16 yard completion to Jeremy James.