We’re still a week removed from the start of school, but the high school football season will be one-third complete by the end of this weekend.
Does anyone else find that strange?
The unintentional boys of summer kick off Week 3 Friday night with the beginning of the real season – conference.
Nonconference action taught us plenty and featured some amazing talent.
Wilmot stakes its claim as the best 0-2 team in the area, and perhaps the state, after losing to Kenosha Bradford, who also beat state-ranked Lake Geneva Badger, and falling to Division 1’s No. 2-ranked Franklin, last year’s state runner-up, by one point, 14-13.
The home Panthers could’ve easily tied the game and taken it to overtime, but head coach Keiya Square said he and the kids wanted to go for the win.
I respect the courage, but you always play for overtime at home. Two red zone interceptions earlier in the game probably kept Square from testing quarterback A.J. Frisby’s short passing game in the extra period.
While Wilmot and Badger, who played two games and live television and went 1-1, look to be the class of the Southern Lakes Conference, injury issues continue to plague Burlington’s teams.
Last Thursday, yes Thursday of all weird nights, the Demons had to travel to hostile Racine Horlick Field and try to stop all-world running back Joe Garcia, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound speed demon.
While the Demons dominated for three quarters and backup quarterback Grant Tully showed dynamic athleticism with nearly 100 rushing yards, Garcia eventually sprinted his way to two long touchdown runs.
Burlington’s defensive line was impressive all night, though, and its secondary features gifted athletes.
If the Demons can get a healthy Klug back and return Tully to running back, they have the potential to contend in the SLC, especially with their vast improvement since early August.
Waterford is back on the right track with a drubbing of Kenosha Indian Trail.
Also, the league showed its versatility with Westosha Central winning its first two games, its first back-to-back victories since 2010, and Elkhorn and Delavan-Darien both got wins last week.
The SLC is as deep as it ever has been, and Wilmot and Badger’s competitiveness with top programs like Bradford, Greendale and Franklin prove the talent pool and coaching pedigree is solid in the tri-county area.
And I must give a quick shout out to Walworth Big Foot quarterback Jackson Enz. Despite a wild 48-47 loss when Enz went down fighting and trying to score on the final play, Enz went bananas with 450 total yards and seven touchdowns.
Some people don’t score seven times in a high school career.
The Wisconsin Badgers get their version of Friday Night Lights against Utah State in this Friday’s season opener, and the Green Bay Packers have one more preseason game before the real thing starts next weekend.
So far, Aaron Rodgers has not looked good, but a few series in August don’t really mean much.
Good luck on your fantasy football drafts this weekend.
Make sure to have a blast with friends and family above all else, keeping the ego measuring to a minimum, and remember – don’t take a quarterback too high.
Look for value sleepers in the later rounds, players people aren’t talking about, wait until the ninth or 10th round to grab a quarterback and don’t be afraid to load up on wide receivers early and often.
In terms of running backs, grad a stud before he’s gone. There are only a handful of money backs left in the league, and they will go fast.
Finally, don’t make homer picks if you can avoid it. Packers fans don’t need Aaron Rodgers to have a good team.
Draft players with your head and your instincts, not necessarily with your hearts.
Numbers never lie.
FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS
Week 2
Last week: 6-3
Season: 6-3
Game of the Week
Waterford (1-1) at Lake Geneva Badger (1-1), 7 p.m., Friday
While the Wolverines answered a short-handed, lackluster Week 1 blowout loss with a lopsided home win, there are still question marks outside of star running back Benny Michalowski.
Waterford has a nice second running option in Tanner Keller, but quarterback Joe Schauer could be called on to make a few plays in this one.
While Aaron Chapman provides a dangerous threat on the outside, Badger is big up front, just like Waterford, and it will contain, not stop, a standout back like Michalowski.
Badger’s high-octane triple option running attack has looked really good in two games, and Williams Keller has big-play ability on the outside. Christian Sontag has shown flashes of greatness in his first season under center.
It’s a game Badger head coach Matt Hensler and Waterford coach Adam Bakken anticipate for 365 days, and it will have an electric atmosphere.
Though Badger will be more vulnerable meeting the Wolverines early in the season compared to the traditional season finale, I don’t see the Badgers losing at home.
PREDICTION: Lake Geneva Badger 25, Waterford 17
Elkhorn (1-1) at Westosha Central (2-0), 7 p.m., Friday
Jaden Jackson has seemingly fallen out of the sky to save the Falcons football program.
A transfer from Utah in January, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound gunslinger completed a record 16 of 17 passes last week for 177 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-20 victory at Woodstock North, Ill.
Along with the multi-talented Adam Simmons, who would’ve played QB this season but instead has played just about everywhere including running back, wide receiver and defense, Westosha has hope in its program for the first time since 2010.
The seniors have only won four games in their careers, but this strong start has the entire squad booming with confidence.
Elkhorn counters with multi-sport star Braeden Mohr at quarterback, and his late two-point conversion gave the Elks a dramatic one-point victory in Week 2.
Something special is happening in Paddock Lake, and while they may not be at the level of teams like Wilmot, Waterford and Badger quite yet, don’t be surprised if the Falcons flirt with a postseason run.
PREDICTION: Westosha Central 33, Elkhorn 24
Union Grove (1-1) at Burlington (1-1), 7 p.m., Friday
Racine County rivals are back at it, one year after the Demons put up 50 points in the Grove.
This Broncos squad, while still athletic, is very young and inexperienced at quarterback.
Jacob Ross, a sure-fire first team all-conference receiver and defensive back this season, rattled off a 75-yard touchdown run in last week’s loss, and Alec Spang showed a bit of promise under center.
But the Grove defense couldn’t stop Racine St. Cat’s at all, allowing 36 points at Racine Case High School.
Though the Angels feature one of the best quarterback-running back combinations in the state, the Grove won’t be able to stop Nick Klug and Grant Tully, if Klug returns from a leg injury that kept him out of last week’s game.
Also, the Demon defense proved it can show dominance up front in last week’s game against Racine Horlick.
With daunting games ahead in the SLC slate, this is a must-win for the Demons.
PREDICTION: Burlington 27, Union Grove 20
Other area predictions
Shoreland Lutheran 30, Burlington Catholic Central 10 (Thursday)
- final score was SL 34, CC 6 Thursday
Wilmot 40, Delavan-Darien 23
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