Now that the dust has settled from the Racine Horlick head football coach fiasco, I have managed to actually sleep a few hours.
In case you were living under the Earth, Brian Fletcher received a one-game suspension for his use of the word “Caucasian” in Horlick’s 39-24 loss at Burlington Aug. 28.
Fletcher questioned a referee’s call, wondering if the same call would’ve occurred had his black player been Caucasian. It just so happened a Burlington player was on the ground nearly motionless from a vicious hit at the time of the comment.
Fletcher issued a public apology, and he reached out to the injured player’s family last weekend. It was a one-time thing, and Fletcher’s remorse and culpability have to be respected.
Let’s move on and forgive the man, who has five children and teaches special education.
Everyone slips up every once in awhile. The focus should’ve been on the injured player, Jacob Wiedert, who is cleared medically to play tonight when the Demons visit Lake Geneva Badger.
In time, this storm will pass, and I wish Fletcher and the Runnin’ Rebels the best of luck the rest of the season. Positive change has begun with the fair suspension, and hopefully this sheds some light on a very serious issue in Racine County and the world.
Now, let’s get down to business.
The conference season starts across the state this evening, with the Southern Lakes and Metro Classic conferences already featuring must-see, edge-of-your-seat rivalry games.
Catholic Central-Shoreland Lutheran, Burlington-Badger, Wilmot-Waterford and Elkhorn-Delavan will be more than worth your time.
On a sad note, Williams Bay must forfeit it’s scheduled game with Cambria-Friesland tonight due to low numbers and injuries.
A community I covered for six years, the Bay can be a head-scratcher when it comes to football. I’d often hear whispers of parents not allowing their kids to play football in fear they’d get hurt.
With star quarterback John Higgins now playing Division 2 college football at Ferris State, the Bay has new head coach, Alex Powell. Derek Diehl, who turned the program around in the last few seasons, took his talents to Beloit Turner this fall.
Sticking with college stars from the area, 2013 Burlington High School graduate Ty Dennis caught his first collegiate touchdown for Division 2 Minnesota State-Mankato last night in a win over Minnesota-Duluth.
Mankato, ranked No. 1 in the nation in D2, overcame a 17-3 deficit to win, 20-17. Duluth is No. 3, and featured 2015 Big Foot High School graduate Gus Wedig.
Here are my picks for this week after a solid record in Week 2. Enjoy!
FRIDAY’S FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS
Week 3
Last week: 7-2
Season: 13-5
It’s been a wonderful start to the 2015 high school football season.
Burlington, Catholic Central, Delavan-Darien, Wilmot, Waterford and Union Grove are all undefeated at 2-0, and furthermore the western Racine County quartet of squads is the cream of the county crop.
While teams like Union Grove and Delavan have surprised some people, tonight’s conference openers will separate the mice from the men.
Burlington (2-0) at Lake Geneva Badger (1-1)
The Demons haven’t beaten the Badgers since the teams rejoined the Southern Lakes Conference in 2009.
Expect a classic showdown between these rivals, with Badger showing who’s the biggest school in the league now, though it was Burlington back in the early 1990s.
Badger’s sheer size on the offensive line and complex option running game will be a huge challenge for the Demons. Can Hegeman Tiedt, Louis Benitez, and Co. contain Badger’s fullback enough to disrupt the offense and prevent dynamic quarterback Isaac Ziervogel from getting the outside or throwing downfield?
Lake Geneva has Burlington’s number, and the home-field advantage pushes me to the Badger side.
PREDICTION: Lake Geneva Badger 28, Burlington 24
Wilmot (2-0) at Waterford (2-0)
Two conference co-champs are it again.
It could be a running fest, so look for Sam Allen and Johnny McCormick to sneak in a few strong pass plays.
A.J. Frisby has proved a viable quarterback for the Panthers, and Wilmot’s opening-season win over Kenosha Bradford was the definition of legit, as Bradford won the D1 state title in 2010 and has an excellent program.
Right now, though, the Wolverines are hungry and dangerous. An always-elite defense is being complemented by a versatile offense, with Sam Allen hooking up downfield with Johnny McCormick combined with more hard-nosed running than a 1980s Washington Redskins squad.
Waterford will be amped up at home, and though the Panthers have a decent chance of winning, Allen and Dyln Ross are too much for Wilmot.
Waterford 30, Wilmot 20
Westosha Central (0-2) at Union Grove (2-0)
The Broncos are riding high off their best start in recent memory.
While Westosha is hungry for success, Union Grove is a fine-tuned defense that stifled Tosa East in its backyard.
Grove on!
Look for Broncos quarterback Matt Nelson to break out in front of the home crowd. Only a junior, he keeps improving his game every week.
PREDICTION: Union Grove 30, Westosha Central 22
Delavan-Darien (2-0) at Elkhorn (1-1)
The Elks are back on the winning track, but the explosiveness of the Comets can’t be denied.
Jake Benzing, Delavan’s quarterback, already has 558 passing yards in two games.
This rivalry once involved someone’s car tires being slashed in the Delavan-Daren parking lot.
It’s intense.
PREDICTION: Delavan-Darien 35, Elkhorn 20
Catholic Central (2-0) at Shoreland Lutheran (2-0)
The Toppers are coming off a huge game of the week victory.
Shoreland is also 2-0, and many conference coaches thought Shoreland would contend in Metro Classic Conference.
In last Friday’s 21-7 win, the Toppers scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.
Ben Heiligenthal went off for 199 yards rushing and a touchdown, and Cole Kresken added 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Nobody should touch the Toppers until the postseason. They’re a complete football team.
PREDICTION: Catholic Central 27, Shoreland Lutheran 12
Other area predictions
Big Foot 44, Beloit Turner 14
Brodhead 41, Palmyra-Eagle 20
Evansville 24, East Troy 17
Franklin 60, Racine Case 6
Muskego 23, Waukesha West 20
McFarland 28, Whitewater 14
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