Monday, October 30, 2006

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.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

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.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

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.

Friday, October 27, 2006

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.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

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."

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

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.

Monday, October 23, 2006

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.

Friday, October 20, 2006

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.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

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.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

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

Saturday, October 14, 2006

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.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

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.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

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.

Monday, October 09, 2006

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

Saturday, October 07, 2006

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.

Friday, October 06, 2006

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.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

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.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

It's a sad day

I'm sure by now that most of you have heard about Luke Homan, the former Brookfield Central star and current UW-La Crosse reserve basketball player whose body was pulled from the Mississippi River on Monday morning.

I really don't feel like going into the details. You can read about them here.

I remember Luke from his high school days. I was a stringer for the Waukesha Freeman and covered a few Central basketball games. What I remember most about him was his range. He had no problem pulling up from 25 feet and letting it fly. Astute Fondy fans will remember him as well. Central played against Fondy in the 2002 and 2003 state tournaments.

My heart goes out to Luke's family and friends and the entire UW-La Crosse community.

Monday, October 02, 2006

How I voted this week

You know the drill. Tell me if I'm a moron.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Division 7
1. Stevens Point Pacelli
2. DeSoto
3. Hillsboro
4. Plum City
5. Hilbert
6. Eleva-Strum
7. Oshkosh Lourdes
8. Greenwood
9. Gilman
10. Necedah