Why I love this week

This is one of the greatest non-state tournament prep sports weeks of the year. In fact, it might be the best week aside from opening week of prep football. I love it.

Need a reason? Take Thursday's game between Waupun and Brown Deer. Where else are you going to find action like that at 2:15 on a Thursday afternoon? Watching Waupun coach Lucky Wurtz do calisthenics on the sidelines would be worth it even if there wasn't a basketball game going on in front of him.

But there have been great games going on all over the state this week, and some more to come tomorrow, including the Laconia boys against Adams-Friendship in Portage.

If I were the coach of a basketball team, I'd do my darndest to get my squad at one of these tourneys. Provided it's the right fit, it provides quality competition and gives your team a chance to prepare for the tourney atmosphere in March.

What was your favorite tournament of the week?

Fondy girls make huge statement

The first area team to make a statement during Holiday Hoops week was without a doubt the Fond du Lac girls basketball team.

By virtue of its 35-22 victory over third-ranked Middleton, these Cardinals proved that early-season losses to Neenah and Appleton East may be abberations.

Fondy may be the best defensive girls team I've ever seen, and I covered the Oshkosh West girls team when it made it to state in 2005 despite shooting like it had one hand tied behind its back all season.

Although Middleton played without its leading scorer, nothing less than current University of Wisconsin superstar Jolene Anderson would have saved those Cardinals. Fondy can really get out and defend.

While the Cardinals do have a two-game deficit to make up in the Fox Valley Association, it has yet to play FVA-leading Appleton West. If this game is a sign of things to come, Fondy could be looking at a three-peat.

Now, if only it can figure out a way to get past Sheboygan North in the sectional.

Yep, they even make us vote on Christmas

Happy Holidays to all the FSI readers. Here's my latest ballot:

Division 1
1. Oshkosh West
2. Milwaukee Vincent
3. Madison Memorial
4. Milwaukee Tech
5. Milwaukee Pius
6. Milwaukee King
7. Milwaukee Washington
8. Wauwatosa East
9. Wausau East
10. Oshkosh North

Division 2
1. Catholic Memorial
2. Seymour
3. Waupun
4. Adams-Friendship
5. Altoona
6. New Berlin Eisenhower
7. Wisconsin Dells
8. Rice Lake
9. Evansville
10. Mayville

Division 3
1. La Crosse Acquinas
2. Manitowoc Roncalli
3. Whitefish Bay Dominican
4. Cuba City
5. Racine St. Catherine’s
6. Laconia
7. Eau Claire Regis
8. Kenosha St. Joe’s
9. Iola-Scandinavia
10. Oostburg

Division 4
1. Randolph
2. Barneveld
3. Burlington Catholic
4. Eleva-Strum
5. Abbotsford
6. Gilman
7. Suring
8. Columbus Catholic
9. Sheboygan Christian
10. Seneca

GIRLS
Division 1
1. De Pere
2. Janesville Parker
3. Milwaukee Vincent
4. Franklin
5. Sheboygan North
6. Middleton
7. Eau Claire North
8. Milwaukee King
9. Verona
10. West Bend East

Division 2
1. Grafton
2. Richland Center
3. Greendale
4. Jefferson
5. Rice Lake
6. New London
7. Elkhorn
8. Campbellsport
9. New Berlin Eisenhower
10. Monroe

Division 3
1. Cuba City
2. Oostburg
3. Markesan
4. Park Falls
5. Amherst
6. Osseo-Fairchild
7. Ozaukee
8. Lomira
9. North Fond du Lac
10. Mineral Point

Division 4
1. Rio
2. Wausau Newman
3. Flambeau
4. Clayton
5. Pecatonica
6. Barneveld
7. Niagara
8. Ithaca
9. De Soto
10. Burlington Catholic

Hear me on the radio today

Yep, that's right. KFIZ is letting me on the air once again. I'll be providing color commentary for the Fondy-West girls game tonight. I'm sure I'll say something stupid, so be sure to check in. The game starts at 6.

As for the boys game, I'm expecting Fondy to come out and give West all that it can handle. Obviously, West is a huge favorite in this game, but I think the Cards may have a trick or two up their sleeves.

Enjoy the game if you are going, and remember to check out www.fdlreporter.com for updates.

How I voted

Ah, your favorite feature returns. You'll see below how I voted in the AP state basketball poll. Again, don't take these too seriously.

Division 1
1. Oshkosh West
2. Milwaukee Vincent
3. Madison Memorial
4. Milwaukee Tech
5. Milwaukee Pius
6. Oshkosh North
7. Milwaukee King
8. Verona
9. Wauwatosa East
10. Milwaukee Washington

Division 2
1. Catholic Memorial
2. Altoona
3. Seymour
4. New Berlin Eisenhower
5. Waupun
6. Wisconsin Dells
7. Adams-Friendship
8. Rice Lake
9. Evansville
10. Dodgeville

Division 3
1. La Crosse Acquinas
2. Manitowoc Roncalli
3. Whitefish Bay Dominican
4. Racine St. Catherine’s
5. Cuba City
6. Oostburg
7. Laconia
8. Kenosha St. Joe’s
9. Iola-Scandinavia
10. Fennimore

Division 4
1. Randolph
2. Barneveld
3. Burlington Catholic
4. Eleva-Strum
5. Abbotsford
6. Gilman
7. Suring
8. Seneca
9. Columbus Catholic
10. Sheboygan Christian

GIRLS
Division 1
1. De Pere
2. Janesville Parker
3. Milwaukee Vincent
4. Franklin
5. Sheboygan North
6. Middleton
7. Ashwaubenon
8. Eau Claire North
9. Divine Savior Holy Angels
10. Milwaukee King

Division 2
1. Greendale
2. Jefferson
3. Grafton
4. Monroe
5. Richland Center
6. Elkhorn
7. Ripon
8. Rice Lake
9. New Berlin Eisenhower
10. Campbellsport

Division 3
1. Cuba City
2. Oostburg
3. Markesan
4. Park Falls
5. Amherst
6. Osseo-Fairchild
7. Ozaukee
8. Lomira
9. North Fond du Lac
10. Mineral Point

Division 4
1. Rio
2. Wausau Newman
3. Flambeau
4. Clayton
5. Pecatonica
6. Barneveld
7. Niagara
8. Ithaca
9. De Soto
10. Burlington Catholic

Travis Diener update

After spending most of the season on the bench, Fondy's own Travis Diener has seen more action as of late.

Unfortunately for all involved, it's mainly because of injuries. Hedo Turkoglu and Keith Bogans are both out, and apparently Jameer Nelson and Grant Hill will be out of action as well.

Diener tried to make the most of the situation, but only scored five points on Monday against the Suns and six against the Raptors on Wednesday. Still, for a guy that has spent most of the season on the bench, it's going to take a while to heat up.

One of the reasons that the Magic didn't deal Diener in the offseason was because of situations like this. He's a relatively cheap insurance policy and gives the Magic some shooting off the bench without having to rush the development of former Duke player J.J. Redick.

In case you are wondering, Diener and the Magic are scheduled to play the Bucks on Feb. 7. Last year's game at the Bradley Center was Diener's best of his career.

Student section patrol

I found this article in Tuesday's Journal Sentinel to be rather interesting.

If you think I'm playing a dirty trick on you, or you are too lazy to click a mouse, I'll give you the short version here:

A group of students at New Berlin West got into some hot water for cheers which the administration deemed were in poor taste. They also had sexually-suggestive sayings on T-shirts. As a result, the school's principal gave the students a somewhat demeaning quiz asking questions such as: True or False, When my kids grow up, I want them to be exactly like me after two were kicked out of a girls basketball game on Friday.

The article goes on to adress some of the questionable cheers the student section performs, such as chanting "air ball" at a player that, surprise, shot an air ball.

I go back and forth on the issue. One of the best aspects of covering high school sports is the crazed student section. I love it. It makes those long January games all the more interesting.

There has to be a line, however. You can keep it creative and positive at the same time. Don't be overly mean toward an individual or team and don't say anything you wouldn't want said to you in return.

With that being said, I think some administrators need to lighten up. Chanting "air ball" is something that has been going on at games for years. While it's not the most creative chant in the world, it certainly isn't as horrible as the administrators make it seem to be.

Student support should be cultivated at every opportunity, not thwarted. Administrators should work with students — not against them — to foster a positive and creative environment for everyone.

Now

Go watch the Campbellsport girls

I'm going to make this brief, because I'm already late for today's Marquette-Wisconsin game.

If you are prone to believing that girls basketball is boring, then do yourself a favor and go check out the Campbellsport girls team. The Cougars really like to get up and down the floor and man, can they shoot.

I always get ticked off at people that blindly say that girls basketball is inferior to boys hoops. I know that it isn't the same. The game is different, and in my opinion, no better or worse. But I have a feeling that if many of you go check out a Campbellsport game, you won't be disappointed.

Other quick thoughts ...

WiFly will be close again: Laconia missed a 3-pointer with 1 second left and fell at Horicon, 58-56. These two teams, along with a handful of others, battled it out until the final game of last season for the conference title, and judging from the opening game it will be a close race again.

Fondy getting better: The Cardinals boys fell by 8 on the road at Kimberly and definitely showed signs they are getting better. Fondy led after the first quarter and even when it fell behind in the second half, still managed to battle back to get within 4 before the Papermakers pulled away. Look for a couple of Fondy wins next week at home — finally — against Appleton East and Menasha.

Saturday coverage: Yeah, so we don't have a Saturday paper. That doesn't mean you have to wait until Sunday to get coverage of Friday night games. Log on to www.fdlreporter.com for what you need to know from last night's action.

Marquette 77, Wisconsin 71: While I think that Bo Ryan is a fantastic X's and O's coach, there is nothing in his bag of tricks that can stop Marquette's Dominic James, who will go off for 25 points and a big 3-pointer late that ices it for the Golden Warrior Chickens.

Hoops season starting to pick up steam

There still haven't been any huge surprises thus far concerning our area high school basketball teams, but tonight should tell a lot about some of them.

The best on the slate is Laconia at Horicon. The Marshmen return three all-conference players from last year's conference title team, but I'm very high on the Spartans this season. I'd look for Laconia to make a major statement with a victory on the road tonight.

Fondy hopes to get something positive going when it plays at Kimberly. When the schedule came out, I don't think anyone would have been surprised if the Cardinals started 0-3, but from what I've heard it's been a great week of practice at Fondy. I'm not saying the Cards can pull off the upset, but this one might be a bit closer than you think.

I'll be in Campbellsport tonight for what looks to be a great girls basketball matchup between the Cougars and Two Rivers. Campellsport's Kallie Benike and Two Rivers' Dianna Taddy are two of the top players in the state, and I'm looking forward to watching them go head-to-head.

Watch out for Lomira

A few posts down, someone was incredulous that I picked Lomira for seventh in the seven-team Wisconsin Flyway and claimed that the Lions would finish no lower than third.

While I respected the opinion, I thought to myself "three-win teams that return one starter usually don't do too well." That's why I felt the other six teams in the conference were going to have better seasons.

Not that it's a big surprise, although it happened a bit earlier than usual, it turns out I could be very wrong.

Lomira kicked off its season with a 70-65 victory at Fox Valley Lutheran on Monday night, and the Weninger brothers had a big night, combining for 51 points. According to the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook, FVL is supposed to finish third in the Valley 8. No matter how you spin it, this is a nice win for Lomira and could mean it's one more team to look out for in a Wisconsin Flyway race that should be a dandy.

Keep up with basketball stories online

Just a reminder that in addition to our basketball preview issue, you can read every hoops-related story all season by logging onto our Prep Basketball '07 page.

I'll be sprucing it up over the next few days and adding more features and playing around with some other things, so check back often.

Waupun is pretty good, and other random thoughts

There are still plenty of games to be played, and I've only seem one team in person, but I was really impressed with Waupun in its 52-29 victory over Beaver Dam on Friday night.

Now, Beaver Dam is definitely not the same team that went 16-8 last year and almost knocked off Madison Memorial in a sectional final last year.

But Waupun couldn't get anything to fall from the outside last night, and while those shots will eventually find the net, the defensive effort I saw from the Warriors was incredible. And most of it started with Ryan Rasmussen, the Warriors' top offensive threat and Division I prospect at point guard. He had at least three steals in the first quarter, and I think all of them led to baskets at the other end.

I talked to coach Lucky Wurtz about his defense and asked if he charts deflections, which basically shows how often the defense gets its hands on the ball. He said that he does, and he went on to say he got the idea for this defense from George Mason coach Jim Larranaga, who took George Mason to the Final Four last year.

Waupun is going to have no problem scoring points. Along with Rasmussen, Aris Wurtz can make some shots and I was impressed with Tom Bresser's ability to step out and hit the 3. But for those nights where the shots aren't falling, Waupun can always rely on its D to keep it close.

Fondy off to a slow start: It's definitley not the start Fondy coach Adam Zakos envisioned when he took over the program this summer, but very few teams started off with a tougher schedule than the Cardinals. Both Cedarburg and Oshkosh North are capable of winning 15 or 16 games this year, and while Zakos would eventually like his team to reach that level, they aren't there yet. It's going to take a while for Fondy to get rolling, mainly because they've had a few guys out for various reasons. But they are going to be much better at the end of the season than they are right now.

What's up with these girls scores?: The only suspense in the Trailways-North, it seems, is what team will win by the most ridiculous margin. Randolph took it to Green Lake, 52-3, on Friday. Markesan beat Valley Christian, 89-16. Barring unforseen circumstances, Markesan is going to win the league (it beat top challenger Randolph by 27 on the road), but the possiblity of ridiculous scores is going to keep my interest for most of the year.

Odds and ends: Ripon's Scott Gillespie could very well have the highest scoring average in the state this year, but if he's scoring 30 points a game and everyone else on the team combines for less than 15, the Tigers aren't going anywhere. ... WLA's Jennifer Herrick had 30 points in the Vikings' loss to Kettle Moraine Lutheran on Friday, while Ripon's Taylor Wurtz had 29 in a win over Fox Valley Lutheran on Tuesday, proving that the East Central Flyway player of the year race will be a dandy. ... Remember that we are updating scores on game nights. Log on to www.fdlreporter.com for the updates.

Go read our section

In case you haven't picked up a copy of today's Reporter, we came out with our basketball section.

I'm sure most of you have been waiting on pins and needles. But the day is finally here.

While I encourage you all to actually buy the paper, you can also read it online for free. You can do that by clicking here.

As always, it was a lot of work, and a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy it.

I hate snow

Every year, during the first real big snowstorm, I curse the fact that I live in Wisconsin.

I love the state, I really do. But I hate snow. Can't stand it. It makes everything a hassle. The bottom of your pants are wet. The roads are slippery. Sure, it's nice to look at for a while, but wait until it turns into that grayish slop that stains your shoes.

The one good benefit of snow, I suppose, is that we get to see the TV stations completely overreact to the situation. I watched Channel 4 for about 45 minutes this morning and they kept saying the same thing, over and over. It's snowing. Roads are bad. This is what snow looks like.

ANYWAYS, there are some postponments in our area. I know that the Kewaskum girls game against Roncalli was postponned (Kewaskum didn't have school today). I just got off the phone with Waupun coach Lucky Wurtz, and while the girls game against Milwaukee South is off, the boys game against Beaver Dam is still on. And if I don't wuss out, I'll be in Beaver Dam tonight.

If you know of any postponments, feel free to leave comments here. Or, if you just want to make fun of TV reporters stuck in the snow, you can do that, too.

I promise, regular blogs will commence shortly

Sorry for the lack of updates. We've been crazy busy with our basketball preview issue, which will hit newsstands on Friday. Basketball is always a tough one to preview... it's very easy to skip over a team or two that didn't turn in any information or may not have the best record.

But we've made every effort to have all 31 teams represented in the section. There were some that we weren't able to get to, and I feel bad about that, but I'm sure you'll enjoy what we were able to throw together.

As for me, I'm going a little stir-crazy. I haven't covered a live event since Mayville's state championship game two weeks ago. I need to cover something soon.

I'm still debating what I should attend on Friday night. I'm leaning toward Waupun at Beaver Dam boys basketball. If anyone has any other suggestions, feel free to let me know.

Ripon drops opener

Scott Gillespie scored 26, but Ripon lost to Sussex Hamilton, 52-42, in the Sheboygan South Redwing Tournament. Read more on our Web site here. And remember, we'll be updating the site all season long so check back for scores and highlights.

Break is over, let's get back to it

We have two more all-conference stories to go before we officially put the fall sports season to bed. And while the winter sports season has already started, we certainly haven't discussed it here too much.

That's going to change, starting today.

We're putting together our annual prep basketball preview this week, so be on the lookout for that. Our very own Carlos Munoz put together preview stories on the Fondy boys and girls hockey teams. Next week, he'll have a look at the area prep wrestling scene.

It's a fairly light schedule this weekend, but there's one boys basketball game in particular I'll have my eye on: Ripon vs. Sussex Hamilton tonight in the Sheboygan South tournament.

The Tigers advanced to a sectional final last year and gave mighty Seymour all it could handle. And while East Central Flyway-Lakes player of the year Scott Gillespie returns, Ripon doesn't have much to speak of down-low experience-wise. Hamilton has one of the top big men in the Greater Metro Conference in 6-foot-6 Alan Carsky. It will be interesting to see how Ripon handles a team that has a solid post player.

We'll post the score and any highlights on www.fdlreporter.com tonight.

Speaking of Ripon, if you are from the Ripon/Waupun/Laconia area and you'd like to help out with our new fan blog, send me an e-mail at jcasper@fdlreporter.com. We are also looking for another volunteer for the Fond du Lac area, and/or anyone that may know a thing or two about wrestling. For more information on the fan blog, check out the post directly below this one.

Want to have a blog of your own?

Do you attend a lot of sporting events? Do you feel that your favorite teams are not covered enough either in The Reporter or on my blog? Do you know how to type in complete sentences?

Then we would like to work with you. We are currently looking for die-hard high school sports fans to help us with a new project.

It's a blog called "The Sixth Man," and will be written entirely by you — the fans. The blog would cover all sports — basketball, wrestling, hockey, baseball, cross country, track, football, softball, soccer and more. We'd like to have a staff of 4-6 writers to start off with, with each one contributing 2-3 blogs a week on any topic involving high school sports.

Did your favorite team have a good game on Tuesday night? Write about it.

Is there a player on another area team that you think is having a good season? Share your thoughts.

Who do you think will win the state championship? Make your picks public.

While we would like to involve high school and college students, this offer is open to anyone in the community as long as you are willing to actively contribute to the blog and regularly attend high school events.

If you are interested, or know someone that does, drop me an e-mail at jcasper@fdlreporter.com and we can talk about it more.

Check out some Mayville video

We newspapermen are just getting into the latest in technology, and while I had nothing to do with this, some much more talented journalists that work for The Appleton Post-Crescent did.

Check out some video highlights from Thursday night's game here.

You'll see more video from our newpapers and other within the Gannett chain, so keep your eyes out for Web features.

Mayville falls, 41-23, in title game

Click here to read the story I threw up on our Web site. I have to get to work now, but I'll have more later. Be sure to check www.fdlreporter.com for complete coverage tomorrow, as well as video highlights from tonight's game.

Wrightstown takes the lead

You can feel the momentum shifting here at Camp Randall Stadium.

Stephen Williams scored his second touchdown of the third quarter on a 4-yard burst to give the Tigers their first lead since early in the second quarter, but Mayville blocked the extra point to keep it a 26-23 game.

Mayville, however, has the ball deep in Wrightstown territory.

Mayville squanders an opportunity

Consecutive penalties negated a nice drive Mayville had going, and the Cardinals were forced to punt. The Cardinals still have the lead, 23-20, but Wrightstown has the ball at its own 36 with 2:32 left in the third quarter.

I spoke too soon

We have a ball game here.

Wrightstown struck back almost instantly, as Stephan Williams scampered for a 77-yard touchdown run, using one nice stiff-arm on a Mayville defender along the way.

Mayville's lead is cut to 23-20, making that fourth-and-goal stop at the end of the first half all the more crucial.

Mayville takes a two-score lead

Mayville marched deep into Wrightstown territory, but only came away with a field goal.

Matt Haass was stopped on a quarterback keeper on third-and-goal from the 5, and Cale Moyle kicked his second field goal of the season to give Mayville a 23-13 lead with 6:11 left in the third quarter.

Very crucial drive for Wrightstown coming up.

Halftime stats update

Some quick observations of the halftime stats:

*Wrightstown has 156 rushing yards, although I'd bet the Tigers have only 50 in the second quarter. 65 of those yards came on their first drive.

*Matt Haass is 7 of 10 passing for 82 yards and two touchdowns, and also has one rushing TD

*Wrightstown is only 2 of 5 on third-down attempts

*Michael Nied has 8 carries for 47 yards

And for those that want to enhance their vocab, this is what scuttlebutt means:

–noun
1.
Nautical.
a.
an open cask of drinking water.
b.
a
drinking fountain for use by the crew of a vessel.
2.
Informal. rumor or
gossip.

Another big play by Michael Nied

Less than a week after his hit on Evansville's Derek Cashore sent his team to the state championship game, Michael Nied made another big defensive stop, this one to give Mayville a halftime lead.

Facing a fourth-and-goal at the 1, Evansville opted to go for it, but Riley Schreurs was stopped dead in his tracks by Nied, who came in hard from the linebacker position.

Mayville got the ball back inside its 1 with a minute left, but because the Cardinals will get the ball back to start the second half, coach Tom Noennig felt content to let time run out.

After a shaky start, things are looking real good now for Mayville, especially if the Cardinals can score on their opening drive of the second half.

Some more on the "touchdown" to Apfelbeck

The scuttlebutt around the press box is that the official was out of position when he incorrectly ruled that Tyson Apfelbeck scored on a 5-yard pass from Matt Haass in the second quarter.

Replays showed that Apfelbeck should have been ruled out at the 1, where Mayville would have been facing a fourth-and-goal. It's hard to say if Mayville would not have scored anyway, but you better believe people from Wrightstown will be complaining about the call for years to come.

Mayville takes the lead

The breaks keep coming for the Mayville Cardinals.

Wrightstown mishandled a handoff and Mayville pounced on the loose ball. A nice 15-yard run by Alex Krueger and a 18-yard pass from Matt Haass to Tyson Apfelbeck put Mayville in position, and Haass punched it in two plays later on a designed QB sweep.

With the extra point by Cale Moyle, Mayville leads 20-13 with 5:04 left in the second quarter.

Mayville catches a break

Matt Haass completed his second touchdown pass of the day, this time to Tyson Apfelbeck, as Mayville tied the game at 13-13.

Replays, however, showed that Apfelbeck was clearly out at the 1-yard line, and the official that was five yards behind the play ruled it a touchdown.

Mayville missed the extra point, however, and the game remains tied at 13-13.

Wrightstown takes the lead

The scoring in this game is coming too fast for me to keep proper updates, so I may pick and choose my spots from here on out.

Anyways, Wrightstown struck again — this time on a 34-yard TD pass from Kyle Kamps to a wide-open Tharin schussler on fourth-and-3. It was the Tigers' first pass attempt of the game.

The extra point try failed, however, so Wrightstown leads 13-7 at the end of the first quarter, but runs by Michael Nied has Mayville across the 50.

Mayville comes marching back

Taking advantage of good field position and what appears to be a soft zone defense by Wrightstown, Mayville's Matt Haass completed a 26-yard pass to Alex Krueger to set up a 5-yard TD pass to Krueger, evening the score at 7-7.

The problem that Mayville seems to have is slowing down Wrightstown's run game. The Tigers are hitting the Cardinals with runs in all directions, and they are now in Mayville territory as the first quarter comes to a close.

Wrightstown strikes first

James Lasee scored on a 3-yard run a mere 1 minute, 14 seconds into the game as Wrightstown grabbed a quick 7-0 lead. The scoring drive went 65 yards in only four plays, with Riley Schreurs doing most of the damage on a 49-yard run on the first play from scrimmage.

Mayville takes over at its own 32 for its first possession of the game.

We're about to kick off

You're looking live at a blog from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison for tonight's WIAA Division 4 state championship game between Mayville and Wrightstown.

Keep coming back for insight and general tomfoolery throughout the night.

Mayville won the toss and deferred to the second half, so Wrightstown will get the ball first.

Check back for updates later today

I'm trying to shake a nasty head cold, so that's why I'm still in Fond du Lac and not in Madison.

But fear not, I'm about to head down in a few minutes to get there for the second half of what should be a very exciting Division 5 state championship game between Lancaster and Kewaunee.

I'll also have insight on tonight's main event, Mayville vs. Wrightstown, as well as updates on www.fdlreporter.com.

And come back on Friday. We will have video highlights from tonight's game as well as more coverage.

Hope you enjoy the state championship games.

Read about how Matt Haass destroyed me in a video game

You can read about it here. To the few Mayville players that actually stayed after practice to watch it, I'm sorry for not putting up much of a fight.

Read the game story from Mayville's 1994 state title game

We've posted the game story from the last time Mayville won a state football title, which was in 1994.

We'll have some more Web-only content over the next few days, and I'll be updating the blog live from Madison, so if you can't make it down to the game, check back here for my unique brand of sarcasm.

Mayville mania kicks off today

If you are a Mayville fan, then you may want to buy up every copy of The Reporter this week.

That's because we are planning wall-to-wall coverage of the Cardinals' upcoming WIAA Division 4 state championship game against Wrightstown. It started with today's story about senior Nick Kamphuis by Doug Whiteley.

There's also a special web-only surprise we'll have in store for you either late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, so be on the lookout for that.

We also want to hear from you Mayville fans, young and old. If you remember the 1994 team, send us your memories and/or photos. If you have photos from this year, send us those too.

If not, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Quick thoughts

I've gotta get some sleep, but I'll be back throughout the day tomorrow with other tidbits of wisdom, but I wanted to get some quick thoughts up here.

***Tough luck for Kewaskum. It was a sloppy field in West Bend, and I think that hurt the Indians more than it hurt Greendale. Still, Kewaskum had lots of chances in the first half it'd like to have back. You can never pass up an opportunity to score, especially in the playoffs.

***I'm curious as to why West Bend is a host for a state semifinal game. The seating arrangements are subpar, the press box is tiny and I'm not sure the grounds crew was prepared for the snow. Friday's snowfall left about 2 inches of snow that was cleared off... with a plow. While a plow may be effective, I think it also tore up the field more than it had to. The middle of the field was pure mud for most of the game.

***Hats off to Mayville. The defense really came to play in the shutout over Evansville. Wrightstown will be a tough draw; the Tigers have put together some impressive victories over the last few weeks. We'll have plenty more on the Cardinals as the week progresses.

A little bit more about Greendale

Greendale has been on a roll since losing its first game of the season, 31-15, to Waukesha West.

It has only allowed four touchdowns in its last seven games and has one of the best defensive players in 6-3, 265-pound defensive end Eric Brunner. In fact, it's entire defensive line is pretty big.

Kewaskum coach Jason Piittman compared Greendale to Pewaukee, another team from the Woodland South and Kewaskum's first playoff opponent, in terms of size, but said the Panthers have speed like Waupun.

Offensively, they offer several looks ranging from a full backfield to a 4-wide receiver set.

Quarterback Mike Hennessey has thrown for more than 1700 yards and 20 touchdowns, but has also thrown 15 interceptions. Hennessey also leads the team in rushing with 675 yards and 13 touchdowns. Kyle Mabry, a 5-10, 175-pound wide receiver, leads the team with 51 receptions for 868 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Check out some Greendale video

I'll have more on Kewaskum's state semifinal game later tonight, but I thought some of you may be interested to see this little clip. Now, any team will probably look good when you take just the highlights, but this gives you a little bit of an idea of what the Indians are up against on Saturday.

Evansville suspensions?

The scuttlebutt on several Internet message boards is that there are three starters for Evansville that have been suspsended for athletic code violations.

I'm not sure if that is a fact, so I'm not going to speculate.

What I do know, in talking another newspaper reporter that covers the team, is that there were two starters that did not play in Saturday's game against Platteville — Tyler Paquin and Mitch Hutchins.

What they were suspended for, I don't know. Hutchins is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds and a dangerous return man while Paquin is 6-0, 195. The reporter said they both played running back, but knowing the lack of depth many Division 4 teams have, I'd imagine they played a little in the defensive backfield as well.

WIAA rules dictate that players suspended for one game of a WIAA tournament series for an athletic code violation are suspended for the entire tournament. I'm not sure if that's the case here.

That's what I know. If I hear more, I'll post it here.

A quick look at Evansville

Evansville has been my No. 1 team in Division 4 for pretty much the entire season, but as I've mentioned several times before, I usually don't know what I'm talking about.

But the Blue Devils are still a darn good team. They rolled through the Rock Valley Conference without much opposition and had an impressive 14-6 nonconference victory over Division 2 Union Grove.

Evansville does have two victories over Brodhead-Juda, a team that beat Mayville 22-20 in the first week of the season. Evansville won 31-14 on Oct. 6 and stole a 16-14 victory in the second round of the playoffs on a 35-yard TD pass with 1 second left.

But the transitive property applies to math and not sports, and Mayville, as most teams tend to do, develop over the course of the season so its not worth the cyberspace to debate such a topic.

I'll have more as the week progresses, so come back often.

Third-round revisited

As I write this entry, I'm watching the replay of the Ripon-Mayville game on Fondy's Channel 25 right now.

Wow.

What a game this was. Anyone that paid $3 to get into this one should go back to Ripon and plop down a $20 bill. Even that is a steal.

Scott Gillespie did everything in his power to get a victory for Ripon, but Mayville's Matt Haass just had the gamebreakers around him to get the job done. Tyson Apfelbeck turned in the second-best performance of a receiver in the area on Saturday (more a little bit later on the best one).

Ripon should definitely be proud of its postseason. To beat top-seeded Lodi in Lodi, to force overtime against Chilton and to trade blows with Mayville for all but the last few minutes of a third-round game was incredible for a team that didn't have the best regular season. But there was something that seemed to click for the Tigers once the postseason started.

Mayville, on the other hand, is playing like a state title contender. When Ripon grabbed a 28-20 lead, I was surprised with how Mayville responded. For a team that hadn't been this far in the playoffs in some time, it was quite the showing. For more on the game, read Doug Whiteley's story here.

I saw a pretty good game myself in Arrowhead's 36-21 victory over Fond du Lac. From the very first play of the game, an 80-yard touchdown pass from Ben Anderson to Kyle Senn, it was clear that Fondy was not going to be intimidated.

The Cards lost the game in the second half when Arrowhead bottled up Senn, who had seven catches for 179 yards... the best performance I've seen from a receiver this year. He also had three touchdown catches and made several impressive grabs. He should get some all-state recognition from someone.

Finally, hats off to Kewaskum for battling back to beat Waupun. I'll get a chance to check out Casey Scheel for the first time this weekend... and according to the stats from coach Jason Piittman, Scheel has done it all for the Indians.

Semifinal sites are up

We've got the sites and times for Mayville and Kewaskum's semifinal games listed on our Web site, so click here to see those.

I'm taking a bit of a break from the blog, as you may seen. I'll have some fresh insight on later tonight, so be sure to come back.

Thanks for reading!

No bold predictions this time

I learned my lesson last week. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know what I'm talking about. But if you are reading this sentence, you still came back. So I guess I got the last laugh.

ANYWAYS, on to (today's) games. All intriguing matchups and all games that I wish I could attend. But alas, the coaches forgot to consult me as to when to hold kickoff, so I can only attend one.

And I shall start my commentary with the Fondy-Arrowhead tilt. I'm starting to come around as a Fondy believer. Before the brackets came out, I wasn't sure this team would win a game. After I saw the matchups, I figured they'd win at least one game and maybe give Janesville Parker or Mukwonago a challenge before falling short. But, this team just finds ways to win. The victory over Mukwonago, at least to me, wasn't impressive because of the last-minute touchdown or the two fourth-quarter touchdowns. To me, the win was impressive because Fondy allowed 360 rushing yards and didn't force a turnover, yet it still won the game. That's unreal. I'd love to see how many high school manage to run for 360 yards, don't turn the ball over and still lose. Now, Arrowhead is a big favorite in this game and they should be. They've consistently been one of the best programs in the state for several years and have been playing at a differently level than most teams this season. But, never count out a team that finds different ways to win. I'm not going to make any predictions. I'll just leave it at that.

Waupun and Kewaskum is a game that could go either way. It could be a 10-7 slugfest, or we could have a good-old fashioned donnybrook (to quote Brent Musberger). Neither team had a big offensive showing last week, which makes me believe that we'll see the same this week. I'm giving Waupun the edge just because they can beat you in so many different ways, but Kewaskum's defense is tough.

The best game of the day may turn out to be the last one... Mayville at Ripon. I think this is going to be a track meet. Scott Gillespie has been throwing the ball all over the place... and he's doing it against pretty good teams. The key is going to be if Ripon can take away more things than it can't. What I mean by that is if Ripon can take away those quick 5-yard routes that Tyson Apfelbeck and Alex Krueger like to run and find a way to keep Michael Nied in check, they can live with a few deep passes. But if they take away the deep pass and give up the 5-yard routes and Michael Nied rushes for 200 yards, well, then it will be tough. This will be a classic and one that you shouldn't miss if you can make it there.

As always, check out www.fdlreporter.com for score updates throughout the day.

Random thoughts from the WIAA state volleyball tournament

It was my first time attending the WIAA state volleyball tournament, and while it was unfortunate to see our two area teams bounced in the semifinals, it was a pretty exciting day.

But before I get too involved with this weekend's state football quarterfinal playoff action, here are a few thoughts I had from the state volleyball tournament.

***When played well, volleyball is quite the sport to watch live and up close. I'm amazed at some of the hops that the girls for Waupun have, in particular, freshman Brandi Dolgner. They can get up.

***At first, I questioned the fact that the WIAA has two games going at the same time for the rounds before the state final. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but the cool thing about it was there was a lot of noise in the Resch Center and I think the girls really fed off that, even if the cheers weren't for them.

***Waupun will be back. The team starts two sophomores and two freshman and only graduates two seniors. One of the freshman, Bridget Nickel, was so excited after every point that she would jump up and down. Of course, when she jumps up and down, it's a good three feet into the air, so it's a bit more noticeable.

***To the Waupun student section: Very fine roller coaster.

Platteville star RB out for season

Wisfootball.net is reporting that Platteville running back/defensive end Louis Nzegwu is out for the season after suffering a hand injury.

If you subscribe to their premium service, you can read the rest of the article on their site.

Nzegwu was one of the prized recruits of the University of Wisconsin, and a big reason the Hillmen were considered one of the teams to beat in Division 4. Platteville's only loss this season came by a point to Lancaster.

Platteville plays undefeated Evansville in a state quarterfinal game on Saturday. The winner advances to play the winner of Saturday's Mayville/Ripon game.

Gillespie getting it done

While my recent history may prove otherwise, I’m not that bad at predicting certain things.

Take this little nugget of prognostication from an earlier blog:

Player that can take his team the farthest: I'm real interested to see what Ripon does with its offense. Ripon coach Rick Kelm hinted after his team's 49-28 loss to Waupun that it might rely on the pass a little bit more. After all, quarterback Scott Gillespie threw for 273 yards — albeit against a Waupun defense that wasn't putting much of a rush on. Still, if Lodi decides to put a lot of pressure on Gillespie, he's quick enough to evade a rush and make a play out of the pocket. He has a speedy running back in Justin Baker to throw swing passes to, and has some nice tall receivers in Ryan Hill and Brendan O'Brien that could pose matchup problems against smaller opponents. If Gillespie is able to make a bunch of plays for Ripon, I think they can pull off the upset of Lodi.

See, I do know a thing or two. No man can carry an entire football team throughout the playoffs, but what Gillespie has done in Ripon’s playoff ride so far is remarkable.

Take, for example, Ripon’s last drive in regulation in Saturday’s thrilling 21-20 overtime victory. Ripon took over at its own 15 with 3:29 left and a 14-7 deficit. After the first two plays netted negative 5 yards, Gillespie and his boys went to work. With 1:59 left and facing a third-and-15 from the Ripon 10 and the rush closing in, Gillespie completed a 18-yard pass to David Soda. There were three completions to Brendan O’Brien for 35 yards and a two-yard run for a first down thrown in there somewhere. Quick strike passes to Peter Schroeder and Soda, as well as a 7-yard run gave Ripon the ball at the Chilton 7.

On first-and-goal from the 7 with 30 seconds left, Gillespie dropped back to pass but couldn’t find anyone open and took off. He made it down to the 1, but Ripon was called for clipping back at the 20. So not only did the play take 15 seconds off the clock, but Ripon now faced a first-and-goal at the 35.

Not to matter. Gillespie lofted a pass into the end zone for O’Brien, but the ball caromed off his hands and into the hands of Schroeder. Ripon had tied the game with 7 seconds left.

On the final drive, Gillespie completed 8 of 11 passes for 97 yards and also ran for 8. That’s not bad.

For more on Gillespie's remarkable season, visit www.ripontigerfootball.com.

Tragedy in Waupun

My thoughts are with the friends and family of Michael Smits, a Waupun senior that was killed in a car accident in downtown Waupun on Saturday.

From what I gather from the story, Smits was a big supporter of Waupun athletics. He was seen at every event, and after the Warriors' big victory over Wisconsin Lutheran was getting ready to drive to McFarland to watch the girls volleyball team try to go to state.

I didn't know Smits, but he seems like the type of guy I'd hang out with in high school. I ran with a group of guys that was at every high school event... volleyball, cross country, etc. So this tragedy hits a little bit harder.

One of the reasons I love doing what I do is because of the students. I love their passion and the excitement that they bring to every game. I love the ones that take what they do as seriously as the players. I love their creativity. I love the ones that support their school no matter the sport or opponent or game.

And I hate that Michael can't be there on Friday or Saturday.

I'd imagine it will be a noticeable void this weekend when the Waupun football team plays Kewaskum in a third-round playoff game on Saturday and when the Waupun girls volleyball team goes for yet another state championship at the Resch Center in Green Bay.

If there are any Waupun students that know Michael and want to share a story or two, feel free to e-mail me your memories of him. You can reach me at jcasper@fdlreporter.com or by leaving a comment on this post. I'd like to repost some of them here.

Game times for third-round playoff games announced

Division 1
Hartland Arrowhead at Fond du Lac, 4 p.m.

Division 3
Waupun at Kewaskum, 4 p.m.

Division 4
Mayville at Ripon, 6 p.m.

It's kind of a bummer that the games all have to be at the same time. Combined with the fact that we'll probably have at least one, if not two teams playing for a WIAA state volleyball championship on Saturday, that means we won't get to cover all of them.

When all the teams play at once, it's very difficult to determine which games to cover, which game to send a photographer to, and which games to rely on a call/fax for.

Last week was brutal. We decided fairly early in the playoffs that I'd probably cover Fondy no matter where/when it played... save for a 7 p.m. Saturday game because I'm also responsible for putting the newspaper together for the next-day's publication. But Mukwonago was a bit too far to send a photographer, who also has to shoot other events for the rest of the paper. Therefore, we decided to send the photographer to the WLA-Mayville game.

So that's why in Sunday's paper, the main story was about Mayville's 28-7 victory over WLA, and the exciting Fondy finish was bumped to the bottom of the page. Had we known what we know now, I'd probably send someone to the Waupun-Wisconsin Lutheran game.

But hindsight is always 20-20, and we try to do the best we can. Unfortunately when the games are all scheduled for roughly the same time, we are somewhat limited.

"If you don't dance then you're no friend of mine"

While I try to recover whatever dignity I have left after my horrid predictions for Saturday's games, I thought I'd bask in the deflected glory of others.

Aaron Kramer is the play-by-play man for the Ripon football games on WRPN-AM 1600, and like most local high school announcers, he calls games with lots of emotion. When the playoffs come around, that always makes for good radio.

And Kramer, who runs a great site devoted to the Ripon football team, has posted his game-winning calls for all to enjoy. There's one call in particular that I'd like you to listen to, and that's his call of the game-tying touchdown in overtime.

I like the Men Without Hats reference at the end. I'm not sure if it was a spur of the moment thing, or if it's his regular call.

In case you don't know the Men Without Hats, enjoy this little video.



Of course, Kramer took liberty with the lyrics somewhat. Others are somewhat confused as to what the lyrics actually are, such as this portly fellow.

Is this the anthem of this year's Ripon football team? The 2005 White Sox had Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Why can't Ripon have the "Safety Dance?"

I'm not positive if this is accurate, but I think this is actual video of Kramer and commentator Bob Lukoski after Saturday's victory over Chilton. My favorite part is around the 2:30 mark.

In case you are wondering, I am a moron

Read the post directly below this one. Of the five bold predictions I made, only one came true. Which one was that? The one that I'd get lost on the way to Mukwonago. I didn't really get lost, although I did accidentally start driving toward Chicago and later missed the turn for the high school.

So I was pretty much wrong about everything. But at least I'm man enough to admit it, right? That has to account for something, doesn't it?

(crickets)

Well, I tried. I was very impressed with our area teams today, namely Fondy and Waupun. They both really came to play. I'll delve into more specifics in a later post, but before I did, I wanted to come clean and admit that I was wrong.

Second-round BOLD predictions

One of my favorite moments in ESPN stupidity was during its MLB preview in 2003 or 2004. They'd profile a team a day and former analyst Harold Reynolds would come on and make a BOLD prediction, which normally went the way of "if this team wins 90 games, they could make the postseason."

Needless to say, he never really went out on a limb and said much.

What you will see here truly are BOLD predictions. And if you are reading this after Saturday, you can see either by the time stamp on the post, or the fact that nothing I said actually happened, that I made these before Saturday's games.

Anyways, on with the BOLD predictions.

Fondy needs to force at least two turnovers if it wants to beat Mukwonago: If you look at what the Cardinals have done on defense this year, it really isn't all that impressive. They were one of the worst teams in the FVA against the run. That being said, the one thing that made the defense so good was its ability to make a big play when it needed to. In Tuesday night's victory over Madison LaFollette, Josh Korb had two big interceptions and Sam Provot returned another that led to a field goal that gave Fondy a 10-point lead. Mukwonago, however, doesn't throw the ball all that much, which means Fondy is going to have to find a way to make the Indians cough up the ball. The good news? Mukwonago fumbled three times in a 28-24 victory over Janesville Parker on Tuesday, but only lost one of them. Fondy needs two for a W.

Fondy quarterback Ben Anderson will throw for 200 yards: Mukwonago's pass defense is average at best, and Anderson has a variety of receivers to throw to. Kyle Senn was MIA on offense on Tuesday night, but is dangerous when he gets into the open field. Add tight end Kyle Duquaine and speed backs Josh Korb and Paul Biolo and Anderson has quite the bevy of possible receivers to throw to.

Waupun is going to have to score 40 points to beat Wisconsin Lutheran: I think it's at least going to take that much. WISCO has just steamrolled teams and is scoring 37 points per game. To make matters worse for Waupun, Wisconsin Lutheran has only allowed 12 points in its last four games.

The wind will NOT affect passing teams: With a windy afternoon in the forecast, one would think that teams that like to pass (Kewaskum, Mayville and lately, Ripon) would have difficulty. I disagree. Quarterbacks for passing teams are used to throwing in all conditions and will be more adept at throwing into a wind. Also, many of these teams aren't going to be throwing 30-yard crossing routes. If anything, I think it's going to prevent non-passing teams, or ones that do it occasionally (Waupun, WLA) from catching up quickly if they fall behind because their quarterback isn't used to throwing in adverse conditions.

I will get lost on my way to Mukwonago: I have an uncanny ability to get lost on my way to road games, even in towns near where I grew up (my boyhood home is in Dousman, about 15 miles northwest of Mukwonago). Sure, I put directions in The Reporter, but I probably won't have them with me. But, like all men and all cliches, I won't stop to ask for directions and will eventually find the high school after driving around downtown Mukwonago for 15 minutes.

Winners and losers: Mukwonago beats Fondy, Wisconsin Lutheran beats Waupun, Port Washington beats Kewaskum in overtime, Mayville beats WLA and Ripon beats Chilton.

A little sneak peek into Friday's paper

I figured those of you that are checking the blog at this hour deserve a little treat. So here's my capsule for Saturday's Fondy football game.

FOND DU LAC (7-3) AT MUKWONAGO (5-5)

When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Mukwonago High School, 605 School Road. Take Highway 41 south to Highway 45 to Interstate 894. Head toward Beloit on Interstate 43, and take the Highway 83 exit (Mukwonago/Waterford). Turn right on Hwy 83 into Mukwonago and turn left at School Road. The school will be on the left. The trip should take around an hour and a half.

Radio: KFIZ-AM 1450

Up Next: Hartford (9-1) or Arrowhead (9-1)

Enrollments: Fondy 2,476; Mukwonago 1,737

Stats leaders: FONDY — Passing: Ben Anderson 63-127, 1152 yards, 12 TD. Rushing: Josh Korb 90-487, TD; Steve Chesna 63-256, Paul Biolo 31-208. Receiving: Kyle Senn 29-699, 7 TD; Kyle Duquaine 12-188, TD. MUKWONAGO — Passing: Patrick Quaglieri 6-11, 156 yards, TD. Rushing: Justin Budiac 199-1203, 9 TD; Benjamin Lombardi 57-371, 8 TD. Receiving: Tyler Huber 11-158, TD.

About Mukwonago: Mukwonago beat top seed and Big Eight champion Janesville Parker, 28-24, in the first round. … The Indians finished third in the Classic Eight. … The five teams that Mukwonago lost to are all in the playoffs … Quaglieri, a sophomore, has started the last few games but has only attempted 11 passes. “They are on their third quarterback, so they’ve probably had some injury issues,” Fondy coach Brad Kozaczuk said. “But the young kid they have in there now is playing well.” … Mukwonago played in the state championship game in 2004 and lost to eventual state champion Racine Park in the third round last year. … “We know that they like to run the ball a lot,” Kozaczuk said. “They are a very solid team and don’t make many mistakes.”

Fondy update: The Cardinals beat Madison LaFollette, 16-6, in the first round. … Fondy hasn’t advanced past the second round since it beat Oconomowoc in 2000. That team lost to eventual state champion Oshkosh North. … Although Mukwonago has a .500 overall record, Fondy is not overlooking the game. “I don’t think we are looking past these guys,” Kozaczuk said. “They aren’t a fluke. They are a strong program with a good tradition.” … Senior defensive end Paul Shaver will not play. Shaver was knocked unconscious during a kick return Tuesday night and according to a Fondy school board rule, is not allowed to play for one week. Kozaczuk said the move is a precautionary measure and Shaver is not seriously injured.

Listen to the final play of the Ripon-Lodi game

The folks (or folk) over at www.ripontigerfootball.com put up a clip of the final play of Ripon's dramatic 28-26 victory over Lodi.

Go there and have a listen. Then explore the other areas of the site, which is absolutely fantastic and worth checking out even if there wasn't an audio clip.

What's up with the hair?

I'm not sure if this is a widespread epidemic or not, but I've noticed that players at both Fondy and Waupun have taken to new hairstyles to show team unity for the playoffs.

Waupun is going with the straight mohawk look, while Fondy is going with the... well, I'm not exactly sure what it was I saw on a few players heads.

After his two interceptions helped the Cards move on in the playoffs, I asked Fondy senior Josh Korb (who hadn't yet embarrassed his mother with a new hairstyle) what the deal was.

"I'm going to get mine done right now," he said.

I then asked coach Brad Kozaczuk if he would follow suit.

"I am in need of a haircut," he said, "but if my hair looks like that I may not have a wife to come home to."

Round 2 times set

Division 1

Fond du Lac at Mukwonago, 3:30 p.m.

Division 3

Wisconsin Lutheran at Waupun, 3 p.m.
WLA at Mayville, 4 p.m.

Division 4

Chilton vs. Ripon at Titan Stadium, 7 p.m.
WLA at Mayville, 4 p.m.

Times/sites of round 2 games to be announced

I have today (Wednesday) off, but I think I can take a few minutes out of my "busy" schedule to post some updated times and locations of second-round games.

I did talk to Mayville coach Tom Noennig about his game, and he said that because of an ACT test on Saturday morning, he's going to ask WLA coach Mark McCormick to play at 7 p.m. on Saturday night. If McCormick and his camp don't want to play at 7, the game will be at 4 p.m. in Mayville.

Ripon has a scheduling conflict for its game. The Tigers share Ingalls Field with Ripon College, who has a home game at 1 p.m. It is possible that Ripon could have a "home" game at another stadium — maybe in Laconia, at Titan Stadium or even in Fond du Lac at Fruth Field. Or, Ripon could play at 7 p.m.

Tuesday night insight

Not a bad opening night of the playoffs. All of the area teams that had home games survived, and Ripon managed to stun top-seeded Lodi. Great win for the Tigers.

I'm going to make this brief because I need to get some food and then get some shut-eye, but here are a few thoughts I had on Tuesday night's games.

Fondy finds ways to win: I haven't seen very many 16-6 games where I thought one team is in control the entire way, but I saw it on Tuesday night. The Cardinals were never really in danger of losing control of the game, even if the offense didn't do much of anything after a 29-yard pass from Ben Anderson to Paul Biolo kicked off Tuesday's party. But the defense came to play, shut down a very good running back that we'll all be hearing from in the future in D.J. Fuller and picked off four LaFollette passes. Mukwonago is up next, and Fondy is playing with a lot of confidence right now.

Mayville peaking at the right time: Although I had to take Mayville coach Tom Noennig's word for it, the other Cardinals in our area played very well on Tuesday night. Matt Haass returned from a hamstring injury to throw for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns and Michael Nied rushed for 160-plus yards in a 48-12 drubbing of New Holstein. WLA's defense is going to have to do a remarkable job to keep Mayville under 20 points.

Waupun survives: I'm not sure if the Warriors were looking ahead to a matchup with Wisconsin Lutheran a tad too early or what, but Sheboygan Falls nearly came back from a 22-0 deficit. Waupun did win the game 30-28 but you'd have to wonder if the comeback did any damage to the Warriors' psyche.

Random thoughts regarding the playoffs

Because of the Packers' game on Sunday and the fact that our Tuesday space for sports is relatively small, we won't have much more in terms of football playoff coverage.

But the good news for readers of this blog is I have unlimted space on the Internet, and will try to exhaust everything I have to say about... well, everything.

So here is a quick guide to our area teams, players and coaches as they head into the playoffs.

Team best suited to make a deep run: If you had asked me this question before the playoffs came out, I would have said Waupun. But with a possible matchup against Wisconsin Lutheran looming in the second round — not to mention a difficult draw against Sheboygan Falls in the opener — has me second-quessing myself. I'm going to say Mayville. Provided the seeds hold, Mayville will have home games against New Holstein and Winnebago Lutheran, then a possible road game at Lodi. There's not one team in that grouping that can shut down both Mayville's running game and its Matt Haass-led passing attack. Provided Haass is healthy, I like Mayville to still be alive at least after Saturday and possible into November.

Player that can take his team the farthest: I'm real interested to see what Ripon does with its offense. Ripon coach Rick Kelm hinted after his team's 49-28 loss to Waupun that it might rely on the pass a little bit more. After all, quarterback Scott Gillespie threw for 273 yards — albeit against a Waupun defense that wasn't putting much of a rush on. Still, if Lodi decides to put a lot of pressure on Gillespie, he's quick enough to evade a rush and make a play out of the pocket. He has a speedy running back in Justin Baker to throw swing passes to, and has some nice tall receivers in Ryan Hill and Brendan O'Brien that could pose matchup problems against smaller opponents. If Gillespie is able to make a bunch of plays for Ripon, I think they can pull off the upset of Lodi.

Team poised to pull off an upset: Of the nine area playoff teams, four have first-round games on the road — Ripon, New Holstein, Oakfield and Laconia. Of that group, I think Ripon has the best chance to pull off the upset, but it will be tough. Lodi took Ripon to the wire last year in a state semifinal and returns powerful running back Brad McBride. But, as I mentioned before, the passing game has the chance to propel Ripon to an upset provided Gillespie can make plays.

Team most likely to lose at home: I'm tempted to say Waupun because of Sheboygan Falls' talent on offense and the fact that the Falcons really haven't played a solid game yet this season. But instead, I'm going to go with WLA. I think the Vikings are still searching for some confidence after a 41-0 loss to Waupun. The offense isn't playing all that well — save for a big run by Mitchell Koepke in last week's win over Berlin. And while the defense is solid, if it gives up two or three big plays early against Valders, WLA might not have the firepower to come back. Now, I don't think that will happen, but of the five teams in the area that have home games, WLA is the one I'd say has the toughest test on its hands.

How far can Fondy go?: The one interesting part of the playoffs is seeing how teams from conferences with 9 or 10 teams fare. Because nobody in the FVA has played anyone outside the FVA, it's kind of hard to gauge the talent level of teams in the league. Fondy will probably match up with two teams from the Big Eight — Madison LaFollette and Janesville Parker. LaFollette, in my opinion, is one of the worst teams that made the Division 1 field. It has yet to beat a team with a winning record. And Janesville Parker's lone non-conference game was a win over Duluth East, a team from Minnesota that also lost to Division 3 Medford. Parker is ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Division 1 poll, but a lot of that is because other teams have lost ahead of it. It's still going to be a difficult game, but considering the alternatives (Arrowhead, Homestead, Hartford), Fondy may have lucked out with its draw.

Will the area have a team at state?: As much as I'd like to see it, my answer is no. If it gets past Parker, Fondy will have to meet up with Arrowhead; Wisconsin Lutheran stands in Waupun's and Kewaskum's way; and there are some pretty good teams on the other half of Mayville's bracket. But, as I'm sure many of you know, I'm no genious, and I'd love it for some of our area teams to prove me wrong.

Should Springs play an easier nonconference schedule?

There has been some grumblings that St. Mary's Springs shouldn't play the brutal nonconference schedule they usually do.

This year, Springs lost to Verona and Notre Dame, playoff teams in Division 1 and Division 3, and beat WLA, a playoff team in Division 4.

Had the Ledgers played, and beat, a playoff team from its own division (say, Oshkosh Lourdes for example) they may not have missed the playoffs. One of the tiebreakers for teams with .500 records is overall winning percentage and overall winning percentage against conference opponents.

But I don't think that's the way Springs coach Bob Hyland likes to operate. And I don't think that's the best option for Springs to take.

Playing football is about more than just making the playoffs. It's about developing your character. You develop character through adversity. And playing a tough nonconference schedule is one thing that Hyland does to put his players through adversity.

Notre Dame won't be on the schedule next year, but Hyland replaced the Tritons with Campbellsport — a Division 3 school.

I'm glad Springs is continuing to play its tough nonconference slate.

What about WLA's matchup?

Depending on how you look at 8 ounces of water in a 16-ounce glass, WLA either has a decent draw or a bad draw.

I prefer to look at it as the former. Valders is a team that the Vikings can beat and while Mayville poses a tough test in the second round, its better to win one playoff game than to not win any at all.

If the seeds hold, I'm looking forward to WLA's defense against Mayville's offense. The Cardinals have developed a run game to go with Matt Haass' passing ability and will be a tough out, but WLA has a pretty good 'D' when push comes to shove.

Kozaczuk weights in on La Follette

I just had a chance to talk with Fondy coach Brad Kozaczuk, who already knows a little bit about his first-round playoff opponent, Madison La Follette.

The teams were a part of the same preseason scrimmage.

“We know a little bit about them,” said Kozaczuk, who was on his way to exchange tape with La Follette coach Chad Wiese. “I’ll probably know a little bit more in the next 3-4 hours.

“From what I know, they primarily run a 4-3 (on defense), a pro-set offense.”

For more updates, check back here and at www.fdlreporter.com.

Waupun has the toughest road

Of all the area teams to make the playoff field, Waupun has the best chance of doing some serious damage.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, they also have the toughest road.

Waupun has to play traditional power Sheboygan Falls in the first round before meeting up with two-time defending state champion Wisconsin Lutheran in its Division 3 bracket. If the Warriors can survive that brutal two-game stretch, either Kewaskum or Plymouth awaits.

It's an unfortunate situation for Waupun. It could have been swapped with Union Grove, who is the No. 1 seed in another bracket, but the WIAA drew its geographical lines in a different way.

The saying is you have to beat them all at some point. Waupun was probably going to have to play Wisconsin Lutheran eventually, maybe its best to get them right away, and at home.

A closer look at Fondy's first-round playoff opponent

For the second straight year, the Fond du Lac football team opens with a Big Eight opponent.

Madison La Follette (5-4, 4-4) finished in fifth place in the Big Eight and has lost three of its last four. The only victory in that stretch was over Beloit Memorial, a team that finished 1-8. The Lancers haven't beaten a team with a winning record this year; it's nonconference game was a 28-21 victory over Oregon (4-5).

According to the La Follette team page on wisfootball.net, they have a fairly good quarterback in Steve Chapiewsky who has a couple of 200-plus yard passing games this season.

The school is named for Fighting Bob La Follette, a former Wisconsin politician known for his progressive reforms. You can read more about him here.

WIAA playoff pairings released

Here's the latest story we have on our site. Keep checking back here and at www.fdlreporter.com for more. We'll also have a story about Springs missing the playoffs shortly.

In Division 1, Fond du Lac will play host to Madison La Follette at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fruth Field.

The Lancers play in the Big Eight Conference and finished with a record of 5-4, 4-4 in conference play.

If it wins, Fond du Lac will play at either Janesville Parker (9-0) or Mukwonago (4-5, 4-3) on Saturday. The game will most likely be on the road, unless Parker or Mukowanago is unable to host a second-round playoff game.

In Division 3, the WIAA didn't do Waupun any favors. The East Central Flyway champs will have a road littered with traditional poweres on the way to the state title game.

Waupun (8-1) opens with Sheboygan Falls (6-3, 4-3). If it wins, it will most likely play two-time defending WIAA Division 3 state champion Wisconsin Lutheran (7-2). The Warriors are the top seed in that region, however, and will have home field advantage until the state semifinal.

At the other end of the bracket, Kewaskum (8-1) earned the third seed and will play host to Pewaukee (7-2). The winner will play the winner of unseeded Port Washington (6-3) and second-seeded Plymouth (6-3). Plymouth beat Kewaskum earlier this season to earn the better sead. The teams shared the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title.

In Division 4, defending state champion Ripon (5-4) opens the playoffs at top-seeded Lodi (9-0) in a matchup of last year's state semifinal. In the same bracket, Winnebago Lutheran (6-3) will play the first home playoff game under the lights at Viking Field against Valders (5-4). The winner will play the winner of New Holstein (4-5) and second-seeded Mayville (7-2). The Huskies stumbled into the playoffs losing three straight, while the Cardinals may be without star quarterback Matt Haass, who is nursing a hamstring injury.

In Division 5, Laconia (4-5) returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2001. It's reward? A game at powerhouse Kewaunee (9-0).

And in Division 6, Oakfield (4-5) returns to the playoffs after sitting out last year and will play at third-seeded Deerfield (8-1).

The one area team that was playoff eligible that didn't make it was St. Mary's Springs. The Ledgers were among a handful of teams that finished .500 in their conference but were not included in because of several tiebreakers the WIAA implements to narrow the eligible teams to a 224-team playoff field.

Keep checking back with www.fdlreporter.com for updates

We'll have the playoff pairings for you

Remember to check back here and www.fdlreporter.com often for updates during the day. I plan on hunkering down in the office and updating my blog with analysis of the pairings and our Web site with the thoughts of area coaches on the matter.

Thanks for reading!

Whew, I'm tired

The busiest time of year for small sports departments in Wisconsin is the last week of the prep football season.

We were helped out somewhat in the fact that our Week 9 games were split up, but rather than stay in the office, we decided to get out and cover as much as possible. But there's still the daily paper to put out in addition to WIAA soccer regionals. It's made for a busy few days.

So, I'm going to try to make up for my lack of posts in the last 48 hours with some solid insight here.

For starters, I'm amazed that Springs wasn't included in the WIAA playoff field. But it appears that a handful of teams that finished .500 in their conference were left out. You can read the tiebreakers here (it's on page 4). It's a shame the Ledgers won't make the postseason, because I think they could have done some damage once again. Not sure if they were a state title contender, but I could have seen them advancing to the third round.

Waupun is really, really, really good. They looked a lot like the 2003 Ripon state championship team in the first quarter of Thursday's game with the Tigers. The 49-28 game did turn somewhat exciting when Ripon's Scott Gillespie started winging the ball all over the place. I like Waupun's chances in the playoffs, depending on the matchup. If it draws Wisconsin Lutheran and Kewaskum in the same grouping (which is a possibility), it'll be a tough road. But if they are sent to the West or the North, we could have a state title game on our hands here.

One area team that you should keep an eye on in the playoffs is Mayville. Although quarterback Matt Haass is banged up a little bit, the Cardinals have really developed the running game this year. And if teams think that Haass is too injured to make a difference, they will be taking a big risk by playing more against the run than the pass. Depending on matchups, I like Mayville to advance pretty deep in Division 4.

More info on the Springs-KML radio broadcast

Apparently the masses are clamoring to hear me on the radio.

Or my parents figured out how to leave a comment on the blog.

Either way, I decided to fill you in on the details. There is no Internet broadcast of the game, but KFIZ has been saving their broadcasts as podcasts, which are available for download on the Web site at www.kfiz.com.

So if you can't hop in a car and drive into the Fond du Lac area, just sit tight and I'll post a link when I have one.

Ripon-Waupun additional insight

Space was at a premium in today's printed product, so I wanted to give you some more info on Thursday's big game between Ripon and Waupun.

*Neither coach really delved into specifics about the other team. Ripon coach Rick Kelm had nothing but good things to say about the Waupun program and the job that coach Rick Applin has done. I actually thought that Kelm was a bit relieved to be heading into a game where his team isn't the prohibitive favorite.

*It should be a fantastic atmosphere. FSN will be there filming for the game of the week and a Waupun community that will be worked up into a frenzy for a possible undefeated conference championship should make for a lively crowd.

*Both teams are already guaranteed playoff spots, but this game will play a big role in determining their playoff fate. A win by Waupun would probably mean a No. 1 seed in Division 3, while a Ripon victory would give the Tigers a home game as well (conference champions are almost guaranteed to have a home game in the first round).

*I'll be keeping my eye on the Little Brown Jug. The trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Ripon-Waupun game since the late 1940s. Since the teams may never play again, it will be a prized possession to whomever wins. Whether that means the Warriors will come charging across the field if they win, or if Ripon triumphantly hoists it remains to be seen. But I'll be it won't be ignored like it was last year. After Ripon survived a hard-fought win early in the season, the players and coaches huddled at midfield while the trophy was left unattended on the bench. I could have had quite the souvenir. I don't think the same thing will happen this year.

Enjoy the game if you are going.

My radio debut

What are you guys doing Wednesday at 4 p.m.? Nothing? Great.

Tune in to the Springs-Kettle Moraine Lutheran game on KFIZ-AM 1450. I'll be making my first-ever appearance doing color on the radio. You can hear my nonsensical insight along with what I'm guessing will impeccable play-by-play from Justin Hull as the Ledgers aim to grab a playoff spot.

It should be a good time and I may even slip up and start laughing uncontrollably. But I guarantee you that I won't be as bad as Lamar Thomas (below).

How I voted this week

Remember that when the WIAA determines the playoff pairings late Thursday night, these rankings aren't even in the room. They follow this.

Division 1
1. Mequon Homestead
2. Janesville Parker
3. Stevens Point
4. Hartland Arrowhead
5. Hartford
6. D.C. Everest
7. Kenosha Bradford
8. Middleton
9. Manitowoc Lincoln
10. Sun Prairie

Division 2
1. Ashwaubenon
2. Waunakee
3. Kimberly
4. Menomonie
5. Monona Grove
6. Franklin
7. Verona
8. Brookfield Central
9. Cedarburg
10. Milton

Division 3
1. Wisconsin Lutheran
2. New Berlin Eisenhower
3. Kewaskum
4. Green Bay Notre Dame
5. Waupun
6. Madison Edgewood
7. Union Grove
8. Whitewater
9. Amery
10. Plymouth

Division 4
1. Evansville
2. Platteville
3. Lodi
4. Kewaunee
5. Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau
6. Brodhead-Juda
7. Mayville
8. Denmark
9. Lakeside Lutheran
10. Appleton Xavier

Division 5
1. Wrightstown
2. Horicon
3. Lancaster
4. Pardeeville
5. Ladysmith
6. Peshtigo
7. Marshall
8. Random Lake
9. Niagara
10. Somerset

Division 6
1. Pecatonica-Argyle
2. Eau Claire Regis
3. Racine Lutheran
4. Stratford
5. Abbotsford
6. Edgar
7. Fennimore
8. River Ridge
9. Wild Rose
10. Deerfield

Division 7
1. Stvens Point Pacelli
2. DeSoto
3. Hillsboro
4. Plum City
5. Hilbert
6. Cambria-Friesland
7. Eleva-Strum
8. Greenwood
9. Necedah
10. Johnson Creek

Friday Night Insight

Waupun. Waupun. Waupun. Waupun. Waupun. Waupun.

Waupun. Waupun. Waupun.

Waupun.

Waupun. Waupun.

There's not much left to say after last night other than Waupun.

So, Waupun.

How 'bout them Warriors? What a display on both sides of the ball. There's no doubt that they are the class of not only the ECFC, but our area. To beat a good football team like WLA by 41 points is no small feat, and depending on the matchups for the playoffs, this is a team that could get down to Madison.

But you'll hear enough about the Warriors in the next few days, so I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the other things that transpired last night.

North Fondy has some players: Although the Orioles lost to Springs, 45-6, I was really impressed with several of their players. Sam Goldapske plays both ways and he makes a big impact on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he isn't going to break a big run, but he's very consistent on the ground and doesn't go down easily. Defensively, he flies to the ball and can really smack you in the mouth. Quarterback Scott Woicek throws a nice ball and made some great throws on Friday night. And John Cetnar fills in the gaps everywhere else and provides fantastic leadership. Unfortunately for North Fondy, Woicek, Goldapske and Cetnar are all seniors, but coach Nathan Lehman told me last night that the seniors are getting the underclassmen excited about playing football again. Hopefully that gets those underclassmen in the weight room this summer.

Every cloud has a silver lining: While Fondy lost its second straight game, the Cardinals can hang their hat on the fact they scored 28 points, which is the most they've had all season and broke a six-week string of games in which they scored 14 points or less. Unfortunately for Fondy, its 30-28 loss to Appleton West may have sent it on the road in the first round of the playoffs. I don't want to explain the rules for seeding playoff teams, but conference record and conference finish are very important. The best Fondy can hope for now, realistically, is a tie for second place with a 6-3 record. Last year, that sent most of the FVA on the road. Possible first-round opponents for Fondy include Hartford, Manitowoc Lincoln, Homestead, or any of the Big Eight teams.

Short week ahead: The next two weeks are going to be kind of crazy around here, but I'll try to keep this thing updated as much as possible. Playoff brackets come out on Friday, and I plan to be in the office hitting refresh on the WIAA homepage until they do. Check back here and at www.fdlreporter.com for updates all week, plus coverage of Week 9 games.

Breaking down this week's big game

All eyes (well, except mine) will be on Friday's WLA-Waupun game. My co-worker, Doug Whiteley, will be at this game while I check out Nathan Lehman's North Fond du Lac squad against St. Mary's Springs.

Still, I'll be hoping that my walkman can pick up the signal of WFDL-AM 1170. I'll be interested to see how this one turns out.

WLA has exceeded almost everyone's expectations this season. I would have thought next week's Ripon-Waupun game would have decided the East Central Flyway. But with Ripon stumbling and WLA soaring, this is the game of the year in the ECFC.

WLA's defense is legit. The Vikings' linebackers are among the best I've seen this year, and they fly to the ball. Of course, the defensive line makes that all possible.

The question is if that defense can slow down Waupun. The Warriors have been scoring a lot of points lately, albeit against what some would call inferior competion. Still, Waupun spreads the ball around on offense. One night, it's Luke Marwitz. The next, Wade Williams. And then it's Matt Pollock. There's not one guy that you can key on, and even if you gear up to stop the run, Ryan Rasmussen is good enough to make plays from the quarterback position (I'd imagine Waupun is pretty good at throwing screens).

While that may be the game's biggest draw, I think the key to this game is what Waupun brings to the table on defense. There was a two-week stretch in September in which the Warriors gave up 65 points, including 42 in a loss to Denmark. Now, WLA's offense isn't anything to write home about but Spenser Hicks and Ethan Geis are more than capable at the running back position. WLA's passing game has been MIA as of late, but I'll be coach Mark McCormick is finding a way to make it viable once again. Will we see Paul Heinkel as a wide receiver again? Eric Reed had a few snaps at QB against Winneconne, and while the Vikings didn't complete a pass in that game, maybe it's a sign that he's ready to come back to the fray.

I'd still say that Waupun is the favorite in this one, but I'm very interested to see what WLA will do on offense. I think 20 points is the magic number. If WLA can get to 20 points, I think they can win this game.

Playoff division breakdown

A while back an anonymous comment asked if any teams may switch divisions come playoff time.

To clear a few things up, technically there are no divisions for football in the regular season. The divisions created by the rankings serve that purpose only and are determined by seperating all schools by enrollment. 224 schools make the playoffs. The largest 32 are placed in Division 1, the next 32 are in Division 2 and so on.

While this sometimes is reflected in the football playoff pairings, often times you have a team jump up a division or drop down.

Looking at the teams in our area, there are a few that could change divisions.

WLA is one of the smaller teams in Division 4. If a large number of teams in the first three divisions qualify for the playoffs, the Vikings could find themselves as one of the larger teams in Division 5.

Ripon was one of the biggest schools in Division 4 last year. In fact, during last year's WIAA Division 3 state championship game, I ran into coach Rick Kelm, who had just won the D4 championship the night before. He told me that it was only a matter of time before Ripon's expanding enrollment pushed the Tigers into Division 3.

Although it's no longer a team in our area, Horicon may play up a division as well. It is one of the larger schools in Division 5, and according to one playoff matrix I've seen, it is currently the largest playoff-eligible school in the division.

How I voted this week

Again, don't take these rankings too seriously. Tell me what you think.

Division 1
1. Arrowhead
2. Hartford
3. Homestead
4. Kenosha Bradford
5. Stevens Point
6. Middleton
7. Janesville Parker
8. D.C. Everest
9. Wisconsin Rapids
10. Manitowoc Lincoln

Division 2
1. Ashwaubenon
2. Waunakee
3. Kimberly
4. Menomonie
5. Monona Grove
6. Cedarburg
7. Verona
8. Milton
9. Franklin
10. Brookfield Central

Division 3
1. Wisconsin Lutheran
2. New Berlin Eisenhower
3. Kewaskum
4. Green Bay Notre Dame
5. Waupun
6. Whitewater
7. Madison Edgewood
8. Union Grove
9. Pewaukee
10. New Berlin West

Division 4
1. Evansville
2. Platteville
3. Lodi
4. Kewaunee
5. Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau
6. Denmark
7. Lakeside Lutheran
8. Brodhead-Juda
9. Appleton Xavier
10. Mayville

Division 5
1. Wrightstown
2. Horicon
3. Lancaster
4. Pardeeville
5. Ladysmith
6. Somerset
7. Peshtigo
8. Marshall
9. Random Lake
10. Niagara

Division 6
1. Edgar
2. Pecatonica-Argyle
3. Eau Claire Regis
4. Racine Lutheran
5. Stratford
6. Fennimore
7. Abbotsford
8. River Ridge
9. Wild Rose
10. Deerfield

Division 7
1. Stevens Point Pacelli
2. DeSoto
3. Hillsboro
4. Plum City
5. Hilbert
6. Eleva-Strum
7. Cambria-Friesland
8. Greenwood
9. Necedah
10. Johnson Creek

Brief Friday Night Insight

Just thought I'd share a few random thoughts before I try to catch a few hours of sleep.

Fondy's lack of offensive firepower finally caught up with it. The Cardinals have yet to get into an offensive rhythm all night. The defense is playing as well as it could, but the offense needs to hold up to its end of the bargin as well. Another loss would probably end any hopes of Fondy getting to host a playoff game at Fruth.

Was there something in the water this week? We had four teams in the area score at least 50 points. Campbellsport beat Two Rivers, 52-0, Kettle Moraine Lutheran beat North Fond du Lac, 63-13, Waupun beat Omro, 66-22, and Horicon beat Markesan, 76-18. SEVENTY-SIX!

Maybe a little rally was just the spark Ripon needs to turn its season around. Scott Gillespie helped key a 14-point fourth quarter in a 28-20 victory over Berlin. Provided Ripon can beat Omro next week, the Tigers will be back in the playoffs, so all hope is not lost on defense of their state title.

John Weninger... not too shabby

Even though he had the lowest offensive output of the season, John Weninger still put on a pretty good show in Lomira's 21-0 loss to Springs on Friday night. I'm glad I made the trip.

Lomira does have some pretty big boys on the offensive line that create nice running lanes, but a lot of what Weninger does he creates on his own. He has very quick feet, and while he may not be the fastest running back speed-wise in the area, he has the best moves of anyone I've seen this year.

Imagine how good he'd be if Lomira had a balanced attack. The Lions tried one screen pass and Springs wasn't fooled. Only a handful of the runs were to the outside. Most of what he did, he did between the tackles and with about eight or nine Springs players within five yards.

I can only imagine a guy like Weninger at Mayville. Imagine where he'd fit in with that attack, running draws or screen passes.

But as is, he's had a very good season at Lomira. The Lions have their work cut out for them with games against Mayville and Horicon in the next few weeks. Lomira needs to win one if it wants to make the playoffs.

No matter what happens with the outcome of those games, I think its safe to say you won't find a better running back in this neck of the woods than John Weninger.

Hop in my time machine

My regular round of radio pre-game show stops won't commence until 5:30 or so, but you can "listen" into the future and hear my Ripon pregame show interview by clicking here. You can listen in advance, and then place bets* with your friends as to what I'll say next when the actual segment airs on the radio.

In case you want to wait for the real thing, here are the approximate times I'll be talking nonsensical gibberish on the air:

5:30 p.m. - WFDL-AM 1170
6:30 p.m. - KFIZ-AM 1450
6:45 p.m. - WRPN-AM 1600

Tune in, if you can, and compliment my mascuiline voice.

Also, check out at www.fdlreporter.com tonight for score updates. I don't think that Lomira has wireless internet, so I won't be doing a live blog tonight. But I'll be sure to share all my comments with you in due time.

* gambling is for entertainment purposes only **

** if you win, I get at least 30 percent of all profits (food also accepted)

Look out Lomira, here I come

Seriously. It would be nice if you kept an eye out for me, because I have a tendency to get lost. So wave your arms and holler my name.

Because I don't want to miss my one shot of seeing John Weninger in action.

The Lomira running back has been one of the major stories of this season. I believe he has rushed for a little more than 92,000 yards and has scored 82 touchdowns. (Actually, I may have exagerrated. You can click here for his actual stats).

I decided it's about time I see what all the fuss is about. I'll be live and in color from Lomira High tonight when the Lions take on reeling St. Mary's Springs. The matchup itself may not seem all that glamarous, but there are some story lines.

One of them is Weninger himself. I keep wondering when a team is going to figure out how to stop him. You'd think that a guy that gets the ball 30-35 times a game would eventually run out of steam. But not Weninger. I think there were two times this year where he's had every yard of the Lions' game-winning drive.

I can't believe he's doing it alone. He's got to have a pretty good offensive line, and I'll get to check them out. I know that Lomira has a pretty good defense as well.

I'll also be interested to see how Springs handles the game. It hasn't been a great year for the Ledgers, we all know that. But I also know that they still have one of the best coaches ever in Bob Hyland, and they still aren't done yet. Last year Springs needed to win its last game of the season just to finish .500 in the conference and get into the playoffs.

Once they were in, they made it all the way to Madison. Don't think it can't happen again. But they have to win tonight.

Must-wins for some?

Last year, St. Mary's Springs and Ripon played in a state championship game. The Tigers even won.

Now, both teams are in desperate need of a victory, and their playoff hopes may depend on it.

If you need a playoff refresher, I'm not sure I have the mental capacity to explain all the nuances to you. The gist of the story is: if you finish with a winning record in conference (above .500), you are in the show. If you finish with a losing record in conference (below .500), you are not in the show.

And if you finish dead even in conference play (.500), it's possible the loose change in Doug Chickering's pocket could decide your fate.

There are 224 teams that make the playoffs. If the number of teams with winning conference records is less than 224, then they add the teams with .500 conference records. If there are more than the number of spots available, one of the deciding tiebreakers is a coin flip (after head-to-head and conference finish, I think). Now, I'm not sure if Chickering, the WIAA executive director actually does the coin flip with the change from his own pocket, although I'd like to believe that's what happens.

I guess all .500 teams made the playoffs last year. I know for a fact that in 2003, Markesan lost a coin flip that kept it out of the playoffs. They were the only team to miss that year.

So if you finish with a .500 record, chances are good that you will get in, but you may be leaving it to chance.

At this point, that's the best Springs can hope for. With an 0-3 mark in the Wisconsin Flyway, the Ledgers need to win each of their last three games to have a shot.

Unless someone changes the rules of football and/or math, Ripon can't finish at .500. With five conference games Ripon can't lose more than two. The Tigers already lost a conference game against WLA. They have Waupun coming up in the last game of the year, and the way the Warriors are playing right now, I'm sure coach Rick Kelm would like it if he didn't have to win that game just to make the playoffs.

What does all that mean? Ripon has to beat Berlin tonight. Has to.

So, while the matchups this week may not be all that intriguing, we've got a state champion and a state runner-up from last year facing must-win games just to make the playoffs.

And once again, I can't find a word that begins the letter F to describe it.