2008 In Review!
12/29/08

Rodney Mattrisch
(GPTC webmaster)

As I review this past year, I can't help to sit back in awe. The thing that amazes me the most, is that even with the current economic climate and with all of the problems and troubles that hang over our heads, the atmosphere here in Greendale remains positive and strong. I have been living in Greendale for 44 years and I have to say that I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Greendale is the epitome of a community where people choose to live and raise families. It can also boast the fact that they have one of the best school districts in the State of Wisconsin. What makes Greendale so great are the people who administer and teach within the school system. The other component is that the community takes a proactive roll in keeping the standards high and in most cases; help make it better than it already is.

The New Field

One of the things that the district saw this past year was a need to make the high school athletic field better suited to meet the demand that it takes throughout the year. With the help of the district, and the community, which was spearheaded by the Greendale Panther Touchdown Club, a solution was found. The amazing thing about this was how it was accomplished. It was the culmination of working together that made this all possible. I want to personally thank Dr. Hughes and the District School Board for their keen insight and leadership in making this field possible.

About two years ago, Tim Nethery, Keith Ringelberg, Mark Kapocius, and I, representing the GPTC, had the dream of replacing the existing field with an artificial turf field that was able to withstand the heavy use from all of the programs that use it. With the help of Brian Koffarnus, the district's Building & Grounds Superintendent, we came up with a plan. In late November, we took this plan and presented it to the School District Board at one of their meetings. Apparently, they liked what they heard up to that point, but there was a lot of work that needed to be done in a relatively short period of time if we wanted to get this in before the up and coming season. That work consisted of us raising enough money through private donations and fundraisers to cover our portion of the cost. That's what we did! On behalf of the GPTC, I would like to thank all of the generous people who donated their hard earned money in making this project possible. They really don't stand to gain anything other then the feeling that they know that they helped make Greendale a better place. Personally, I have to think that this is all they wanted, which makes them even more special. Other community organizations that helped out were the Greendale Panther Athletic Booster Club (GPABC) and the Greendale Youth Football program who threw a very successful fundraiser. Here again it's all about community involvement. At the end of the day, I'm sure that all of Greendale thanks everyone for what they did.

In June of 2008, the District Board approved the project, which was to begin immediately so that it would be done in time for the 2008 season. By the end of June, the heavy equipment showed up and the transformation would begin. Three months later, the field was completed. In fact, the final walkthrough occurred the morning of the first varsity reserve game. It was at that time when I looked around and watched the teams warm up that I realized that a dream came true. I personally will never forget the feeling that was running through me at that night.

By the way, if you want to see a video on how the field was built, just click here.

The Season!

Now that the field was ready, it was time to play some football. My goal was to watch and report on every game that was played including the youth teams. That came to 59 games total. I'm here to say that I didn't miss any of them!

The youth teams had a great year. They came into the season with 124 boys that comprised 4 teams. Their combined record ended up being 23-6-2, which told me something. It told me that there are a group of coaches there that know what they are doing. I was always impressed at how the boys played and how prepared they were. I will really enjoy watching them as they climb the ladder towards those Friday night games.

The freshman team was a complete surprise. It's one thing to adjust to high school football, but when you have 6 or so of your teammates plucked from you and moved up, that can affect things... or at least you would think so. Well, the coaching staff must have done a great job of filling those holes, they finished the season going 5-2. I was very encouraged at how some of the guys are now stepping up their game from previous years.

The varsity reserve squad was amazing, not to mention fun to watch. All of these guys complimented each other very nicely. I have to think that the varsity coaches are very excited about next year. I know the one thing that they must like already is that this group hasn't lost a game in 2 years. That tells me that these guys never give up and that they do what they need to do to win. In fact, one of the best games I saw this year was when they went out and played New Berlin Eisenhower. That game came down to the very last play to decide the winner.

And then there is the varsity. What can I say! This was just another group of special guys that really loved to play the game. These guys took it serious from the get-go by doing what they had to do to be successful. It all started after the banquet last year when they started showing up in the weight room in masses. That's always a good sign of a solid team. This year I witnessed one of the best offensive shows ever to grace a high school football field. I saw plays being made that you would normally only see on Sundays. If there was one thing that I wished would have gone differently, it would have been for Chris Ridgway not to get hurt during the Eisenhower game. I'm pretty sure things would have come out differently and Greendale could have been looking at a 31 consecutive conference winning streak, but that didn’t happen. Actually, it would be 32 with the Pewaukee game even though it technically wasn't a conference game at the time. Needless to say, the undefeated Woodland Conference Pewaukee Pirates didn't have a chance against Greendale. One now has to ask them self, who really was the best team this year? I have my thoughts but I will just keep them to myself.

When you add it all up, there were a total of 240 boys that played football this year and they all finished with a composite record of 47-10-2. That's not too bad at all. I have to say that Greendale is proud of all of them for what they have accomplished.

As for the Touchdown Club, the membership is always increasing. We hope that this continues because we still have things that need to be done. We hope that the community appreciates what we are trying to do and that maybe they can help us out in making a difference. If anyone wants to be a part of something special, please don’t hesitate to call, write or email us.

That pretty much does it for 2008. This website will finally quiet down for a while until the 2009 season starts getting closer. This year there were over 20,000 hits including a record 1500 hits during the week prior to the game against Eisenhower. I hope everyone enjoys what it has to offer. If you are ever looking for information on Greendale football, or you just need a football fix, this is the place you'll find it.

See you all next season!

R.A. Mattrisch

The Last Song!
R. A. Mattrisch 12/3/08

Some think that a football season starts with the first game and ends with the last game. From a fan's point of view, they would be correct. That isn't really the case here in Greendale. In fact, the only event that depicts the two seasons would have to be the final awards banquet. The banquet is a wrap up for the season that has just concluded. It's a chance to publicly recognize everyone that has a roll in the program whether it be a water boy, a player, or a statistician. "Greendale's program is second to none," as Head Coach Rob Stoltz stated, who was also playing the roll of MC for the night. "It's because of all of the dedicated people that are willing to put fourth their best effort-paid or unpaid that makes Greendale so successful."

The slogan for this year that the team ran with was, "One More!" As Coach Stoltz explained, one more doesn't necessarily mean one more conference championship, or one more chance to beat Wisconsin Lutheran, it means that at the end of the day when you are tired and you think you did your best and stopped running, you reach down and tell yourself that you have one more step left and that this step could make a difference in some way, shape, or form. It was this mentality that Coach Stoltz alluded to that made this year's team successful.

The banquet was held at Serb Hall this year as festivities started at 5:30 with a social hour. There was a raffle table that offered up some great gifts along with a picture table display that displayed hundreds of pictures from throughout the year. In the background, there was a video showing the highlights of each game, which was a big screen carbon copy of the highlight videos that are found on this website in the Media Room area. Dinner started at 6:30pm and was wrapped up by 7:45pm. Then Coach Stoltz took the helm and started with the long list of thank you's. On top of the list were the women that set this whole banquet up, made the senior gifts and did the decorating. They were Nancy Ridgway, Judy Hansen, Cathy Ericksen, Pam Picciolo, and Becky Nethery. These ladies also had help form many others that made the night come together. Then the list continued on with recognition towards the parents, the High School Administration, and the many support people that help the team during the course of the season. After his list was finished, he then switched to the team and the special awards that certain individuals have earned this year.

The team awards for this year that were voted on by the players and coaches were as follows:

Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year: - Eric Grau
Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year: - Luke Drumel
Most Improved Player of the Year: - Noah Jankowski
Lineman of the Year: - Andrew Thompson
Special Teams Player of the Year: -Kyle Nethery
Defensive Player of the Year: - Dan Dacquisto
Offensive Player of the Year: - Chris Ridgway/Jordan Biller
Most Valuable Player of the Year: - Ben Ericksen

There were many other areas that some of the players were recognized too and can found by clicking the links below.

The 2008 Woodland All-Conference selections
The 2008 Journal/Sentinel All Area selections
The 2008 CNI All-Suburban Offensive Team
The 2008 CNI All-Suburban Defensive Team
The 2008 CNI All-Suburban Player of the Year - Ben Ericksen
The 2008 Associated Press All-State football team
The 2008 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) All-State team
The 2008 WisconsinPreps.com All-State Team

Then the freshmen coaches, Chris Muench, Steve Stoltz, and Greg Koch were introduced and in turn recognized the players from their team. They ended up finishing this season going 5-2.

Following the freshmen, coaches Keith Ringelberg, Mike Weyer, Tim Gavinski, and Jermaine Murry, who make up the varsity reserve staff, brought up their players and recognized them for another undefeated season going 9-0 for the year. On a side note, this group did not lose a game as freshmen so at this point, they have not lost a game in 2 years.

Lastly, the varsity was introduced with Coach Ringelberg introducing all of the non-senior members, followed by Coach Stoltz who introduced the seniors.

By around 11:00pm, everything was wrapped up. The handshakes were slowly coming to an end, the sounds from pats on the back were subsiding, the hugs were replaced by people putting on their coats and everyone started their way back home.

You know what just started-right? How about the 2009 high school football season!

Click here for more pictures of the banquet.

Attention varsity players! If you would like to order a plaque for this year, please click here to download the order form.

Thanks Seniors!
GPTC 11/23/08

This year marks the end for 21 football players who did their time for the Panthers. All of these guys were instrumental in the success that Greendale had, not only this year, but in years past. They have now officially become alumni and will join past alumni who have all played for one of the greatest high school football traditions around. "The Greendale Panthers"

On behalf of the Greendale Panther Touchdown Club, we want to thank you for your hard work and dedication to the program. It was fun watching you all play for you provided excitement that couldn't be matched anywhere. You guys will be missed, but never forgotten!

Good luck on your future endeavors.

The GPTC

Ridgway, Ericksen, All-State! Picciolo, Honorable Mention!
GPTC 11/23/08

In the last 3 years, Greendale has had a few individuals worthy of All-State status. This year is no exception. This will be the 4th consecutive year in a row that Greendale has had a representative from the team be voted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) All-State team. This team is voted on by all coaches through out the state and includes all divisions. This year Greendale's Ben Ericksen and Chris Ridgway made the # 1 list and Mike Picciolo came in with an honorable mention at defensive back.

                    Chris Ridgway (Sr.) Quarterback    Ben Ericksen (Sr.) Wide Receiver

Chris finished 4th in the state for total-yards passing with 2288. This was based on only 11 games because of the one he missed with an injury. To put things into perspective, the other quarterbacks ahead of him had the luxury of using one more game's worth of statistics. He went 132 for 215 giving him a 63.7% completion rate, which was the best in the state. He averaged 16.7 yards per/play, 208 yards per/game and accounted for 27 touchdowns.

Ben Finished as the # 1 receiver in the state with 69 receptions for 1335 yards. His average yards per/catch was 19.3 and his yards per/game was 111.2. He ended up scoring 19 touchdowns, which was the most out of all of the receivers in the state. He currently has a full scholarship offer on the table and is waiting to see what happens in the next few weeks before making any final decision.

As a result of being selected to this list, these two guys will be invited to play for the south team in next year's WFCA All-Star game, which is held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. For the complete All-State list, click here.

Mike Picciolo (Sr.) Defense Back (HM)

There are 410 high schools in the state of Wisconsin that have football teams. If you figure an average of 40 players per/team, that comes to approximately 16,400 athletes playing football during the course of a season. Congratulations to all three of these guys for being selected to this special team. It's an honor that can only be achieved through hard work and dedication.

The GPTC

Varsity   

2008 Post Season Honors
GPTC-11/12/08

At the end of each season, all of the head football coaches from the conference get together to select an all-conference team. How this works is that each coach will put up his players by position that he feels are worthy of making this elite group. Once that is done, the coaches will then vote on who they thought made an impact at that position-taking into account stats and the team's success. Once that is done, the votes are tallied up and the group is then determined.

The following list are the players from this year's Greendale team. For the complete list, click here.

(The * = top vote getter at that position.)

Woodland Conference

Offense 1st Team:

Lucas Pohlmann (OL)
Joe Hansen (OL)
Andrew Thompson (OL)
Chris Ridgway (QB) *
Jordan Biller (RB)
Ben Ericksen (WR) *
Mike Picciolo (WR)
Andrew Brees (K) *

Offense Honorable Mention: Jordan Campbell (OL), Andrew Brees (P)

Defense 1st Team:

Andrew Thompson (DE)
Dan Dacquisto (LB) *
Eric Grau (DL)
Mike Picciolo (DB)*

Defense 2nd Team:

Jordan Campbell (DL)

Defense Honorable Mention: Billy Mervin (OLB), Dominic Schwabe (LB)

Woodland Offensive Player Of The Year:

Ben Ericksen

Ben is also the state's "Gatorade Player of the Year"

2008 WIAA STATE PLAYOFFS!
GPTC 11/9/08

The Greendale Panther's season is over after round 3!

It Is Finished!

Photo by Chuck Cairns

All good things eventually come to an end. The Greendale Panthers lost a tough one Saturday afternoon as they were defeated by the Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings 33-27. For the past 5 years, Wisco has always been the team you had to beat in Division 3 to get to the next round. This marks the 3rd time in four years that Greendale has come up short but not before giving them a real scare. Greendale proved that they are amongst the elite as they were the only team that was able to push Wisco around this year. By doing so, Greendale also earned respect within the football community as being a legitimate football power.

The talk around the state was that the winner of the southeast bracket would ultimately be the state champions. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. Needless to say, this was one of the best games ever.

The players will now turn in their equipment but not before putting a 10-2 record together. The field will also be silent on Friday nights for a while but only for a while. Next year they will start all over with new faces and new names. It will be these guys that will carry on the tradition of playing football for the Greendale Panthers!

Nice job Panthers!

For a complete list of all the brackets, just click below to download! - (Updated for final games!)

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3

Division 4

Division 5

Division 6

Division 7

Varsity   

So Close, But Yet So Far...
R. A. Mattrisch 11/8/08

Here we are again! A repeat of what has happened 2 out of the last 3 years. It was a game that the Panthers were hoping for all season long. All they wanted was One More crack at them. Who are they? They would be the Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings. The Vikings are the defending Division 3 State Champions and because of location, Greendale will always have to see them somewhere along the playoff trail. In 2005 they saw them and lost 55-30 in the 3rd round, and in 2007 they lost 48-27 in the 2nd round. This time, however, Greendale would be bringing to the table a high-powered offense able to strike fast and furious from anywhere on the field. Of course WISCO will be bringing in the same, so without a doubt, this game could be labeled as the game of the year.

Well, it was the game that everyone expected but it wasn't what the Panthers expected as they came up just 6 points short by a score of 33-27 at a jam packed Stephen J. Gavinski Stadium.

Wisconsin Lutheran would kick first to start the game. They did a very good job or surrounding Greendale’s Ben Ericksen who is a major return threat because of his elusiveness and speed. They forced him backwards and would eventually tackle him on the Panther 5-yard line. Greendale only managed 3-plays before having to punt the ball away.

WISCO would start their first drive from their 48-yard line. Six plays later, they would cross the goal line as running back Frank Spath would take it in from 23-yards out. Nick Falkowski's extra point kick was good and WISCO would draw first blood with a score of 7-0 and 7:11 left in the opening quarter.

Greendale would start their next drive from their own 28. The Panther coaching staff noticed right away that Lutheran was playing them differently this year. Because of the Panther's speed, WISCO must have felt that they wouldn't match up very well so instead of playing a tight press man-to-man with a 4-man front, they lined up in a cover 2 package with a 3-man front, man-to-man on all 4 of Greendale's receivers and two free safeties. While this is a good scheme to stop the pass, it's not a good scheme to stop the run. Well that is what Greendale did as they traveled 72-yards in 10-plays on the back of running back Jordan Biller who would ultimately score from 4-yards out. Andrew Brees's kick was no good making the score 7-6, in favor of the Vikings with 3:06 left in the 1st quarter.

Wisconsin Lutheran would set up their split-veer offense on their 24-yard line. Two plays later, they would fumble of which Greendale would recover on the Viking 28-yard line. The Panthers only managed 5-plays before quarterback Chris Ridgway would throw his one and only interception of the game at the goal line. WISCO would return that pick to their 33.

The Vikings then managed 13-plays before they turned it over on downs at Greendale's 25-yard line.

The Panthers roared right back as they shoved it down WISCO's defense. Twelve plays later, Ridgway would walk in untouched from 1-yard out for their second touchdown of the afternoon. Brees's kick was good making the score 13-7 Panthers, with 1:37 left in the 1st half.

WISCO would only manage 5-plays before time expired.

The Vikings would get the ball first to open the 2nd half. It was at this time that WISCO started doing what they do best. Pound and pound and take the clock with them. It took them 11-plays to march 80-yards, as quarterback John Klein would take it in from 1-yard out. The extra point try was good, making the score 14-13 Vikings, with 7:17 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Panthers needed to answer back but they failed after only 5-plays thus forcing them to punt from their 45-yard line.

The Vikings would start their next series from their 40. On their very first play, they would punch the Panthers in the mouth, as Spath scampered 60-yards for a score. Falkowski's kick was good and WISCO increased their lead by a score of 21-13 with 4:49 left in the 3rd quarter of play.

After a decent return by Ericksen, Ridgway would bring out his boys and start from their 33-yard line. Eight plays later, Ridgway would find Mike Picciolo wide open behind WISCO's secondary for a 25-yard touchdown reception. Greendale would elect to go for 2 but fell just a half yard short as Biller just couldn't cross the goal line. The score was now 21-19 WISCO, with 1:20 left in the 3rd.

WISCO picked up right where they left off and marched 73-yards in 7-plays as Bryan Webb would carry it in from 1-yard out. On the try for the extra point, the holder botched the hold and was forced to bail out with the ball only to be smothered on the 6-yard line. The score was now 27-19 WISCO, with 9:52 remaining in the game.

The Panther's coaching staff said it was "Biller Time" again as they took it right down the field. Greendale's Cordney Wren, who was in at quarterback for this play, took it in from 2-yards out capping off a 8-play 70-yard drive. The Panthers would go for 2 and convert as Ridgway hooked up with Todd Barrett who made a great catch to tie the score at 27's with 6:36 left in the game.

The Panthers really needed to make a stop now. They almost did as WISCO fumbled the ball on Greendale's 14-yard line, but they ended up recovering it keeping their drive alive. Five plays later, they would cross the goal line as Klein would sneak it in from 1-yard out. The point after try was missed, leaving the door wide open for the Panthers. All they needed to do was score a touchdown and kick the extra point and they would win the game. The problem was that there was only 1:50 left on the clock and they were out of time outs.

The Panthers would start from their 22-yard line after the ensuing kick. They managed just 5-plays before they ended up turning the ball over on downs thus ending their come from behind victory march. WISCO just took 3 knees to end the game.

Wisconsin Lutheran did it again, as they defeated the Panthers 33-27. The game was as good as people anticipated and then some. Greendale's season is now over, as they finished with a 10-2 record. WISCO (12-0) will move on and play Reedsburg for the right to go to Madison.

The Friday night lights will now be dark, and the turf field will now rest, but only for a while for Greendale will be back next year to provide us all with: "The Greatest Show On Turf."

For game stats, click here.

For video highlights of the game, click here.

For pictures of the game, click here.

Photos by Dan Herrmann

Varsity   

The Question Was Answered!
R. A. Mattrisch 11/1/08

The question that everyone had in the Woodland Conference was, who was really better, Greendale or Pewaukee? No one would have really known that if it wasn't for the WIAA Playoffs. Pewaukee went undefeated in the Woodland Conference and owns the 2008 Crown. This is the same Crown that was held by Greendale for the last three straight years in a row. The schedule was such that Greendale and Pewaukee wouldn't play each other during the regular season this year. In fact Greendale didn't play St Thomas More either. It was only fitting that these two teams would somehow end up meeting in the playoffs by virtue of the way the division 3 playoff bracket was set up. Well, this past Saturday night, that question has now been answered as Greendale defeated the Pirates by a score of 42-28 in what was probably the most exciting high school game you could ever witness. This game was loaded with big time plays by both sides, but it was the speed and explosiveness of Greendale that would ultimately decide the outcome.

Pewaukee would kick first to start the game. The ball would come to Greendale's speed demon Ben Ericksen who does what he does best... runs fast! He would return it 24-yards to the Greendale 40 of which would be the starting point for the Panther's opening series. Greendale kept Pewaukee off balance with a clever mix of the passes and runs. Nine plays later, they would find the end zone, as Greendale's running back Jordan Biller would take it in from 4-yards out. Andrew Brees's kick was good, making the score 7-0 with 8:20 left in the opening quarter.

The Pirates would now set up their wing-T offense on their 18-yard line after the ensuing kick. They managed to get the ball all the way to the Panther's 2 in 11-plays before they would fumble the ball to the Panthers.

Greendale only managed 3-plays before they were forced to kick from deep in their own end zone. Pewaukee would now start their next possession from Greendale's 44-yard line. They too only managed 3-plays before having to punt the ball away.

Ridgway would now bring his strike force out and set up on their 20-yard line. It would take Greendale 13-plays to find pay dirt, as Biller again would haul the mail in from 4-yards out. Brees's kick was good, increasing their lead to 14-0 with 8:29 now left in the 1st half.

On the ensuing kick, Pewaukee would set up on their 10-yard line. After a long pass and run combination, they soon found themselves on the Greendale's doorstep. Two plays later, they would score, as Pewaukee's Derek Watt would run it in from 8-yards out. Donny Cramer’s kick was good, cutting Greendale's lead in half by a score of 14-7 with 6:58 remaining in the half.

Greendale would start their next drive from their 16-yard line. They only managed 4-plays before having to kick the ball back to the Pirates.

Pewaukee would start their next series on their 37-yard line. Thirteen plays later, they would make the end zone again as quarter back Patrick Beacon took it himself from 1-yard out. The point after try was good, knotting the score up at 14's with :07 seconds left in the 1st half.

The Panthers would receive the following kick of which the clock would then run out.

Pewaukee would get the ball first to start the second half. They would start this drive from their 30-yard line. Five plays later the would reach the end zone again as Pewaukee's Andrew Kissner would haul in a 32-yard Beacon pass for the score. Cramer's extra point try was true, and Greendale now found themselves trailing with 21 unanswered points by the Pirates. The scoreboard now read, 21-14 with 10:14 left in the 3rd.

The Panther's offense would now take to the field and start from their 24-yard line. Seven plays later, the would find themselves in the end zone again, as Ridgway found Ericksen who made a spectacular catch after the ball was first tipped by a defender. Brees's kick was good and the score was now knotted up again at 21 apiece.

It was now the Pirates turn to try and answer back. They would start their drive on their own 33-yard line. Nine plays later, however, they were intercepted in the end zone by Greendale's Mike Picciolo, who brought it out to the 2-yard line.

In a blink of an eye, the Panthers crossed the newly laid turf all the way to the other end zone as Ridgway would connect with Brees, who made a great over the shoulder catch for a 45-yard TD pass completion. The point after try was good capping off a 5-play 98-yard drive. The score was now 28-21 with 1:25 left in the 3rd.

Pewaukee was now in the need of making a statement. They would start this drive from their 40-yard line. Eight plays later, it looked like they were intercepted again by Picciolo, but when the two players fell to the ground, the receiver somehow got his hands on the ball too. By rule, duel possession goes to the offensive receiver so it ended up being a Pirate touchdown. Cramer's kick was good, so the score would be tie for the third time in the game at 28 apiece with 11:18 remaining in the game.

After a great return by Picciolo, and an additional 15-yards for a face masking penalty, Greendale found themselves with a short field in front of them just 39-yards away from the goal line. Eleven plays later, Greendale crossed that goal line as Biller powered his way in from 2-yards out. Brees’s kick was good again, making the score 35-28 with 6:42 remaining in the game.

Pewaukee needed to answer quickly as the clock was starting to get low. They would start their next possession on their 26-yard line. Six plays later, they were forced to punt after the Panther's defense started to make some plays.

Holding onto a slim lead, Greendale would set up shop on their 17-yard line. On their very first play, Ridgway would sting the Pirates as he found Ericksen behind two defenders completing a 83-yard touchdown pass. The point after try was good, giving Greendale a little breathing room by a score of 42-28 with 4:03 left in the game.

After the ensuing kick, the Pirates would start from their 22-yard line. With time in short supply, they needed to move quickly. Seven plays later, however, they would be intercepted by Ericksen, who was making a cameo appearance on defense.

"It's Biller Time!"

With a 2 touchdown lead and 2:50 on the clock, Greendale would keep the ball on the ground and just feed it to the "Big Dog" (Biller), in an attempt to burn out the clock. The Panthers made it to the 3-yard line in 5-plays before Ridgway just had to take two knees to end the game.

The final score would be Greendale 42, Pewaukee 28. The game was everything it should have been as two great teams just battled it out to the bitter end.

Greendale will now move on to the 3rd round and will face the perennial powerhouse of the Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings. Greendale has faced WISCO three out of the last four years and lost all three of those games. The Vikings also ended up winning the Division 3 Championship each of those years as well. Because WISCO has already hosted two home games, they will have to come to Greendale this Saturday November 8th to play the game. The game is scheduled to start at 4:00PM. WISCO really likes to run the ball while Greendale really likes to pass the ball. Both teams do what they like to do very well so this game should prove interesting.

For game stats, click here.

For the game highlight video, click here.

For game pictures, click here.

Photos by Dan Herrmann

Varsity   

Ice Cold And Red Hot!
R. A. Mattrisch 10/28/08

Ok, so the temperature was only 33 degrees. Big deal! You better get use to it for the 75 degree days are over with. Now if you were one of the brave souls that made the trip to Union Grove Wednesday night, AND, you were cold, all you had to do was stand next to the Greendale offense and you would have warmed up nicely. In other words, the Panther offense is HOT right now!

With the regular high school season over, the Greendale Panthers now have entered the playoff season. That would be the WIAA State Playoff season. There are only 224 high school teams playing right now, but after Wednesday, that number will be cut in half. All of these teams are broken down into 7 divisions based on enrollment. Each division has 32 teams. Two of those teams would be playing at Union Grove as the 4th seeded Union Grove Broncos would entertain the unseeded Greendale Panthers for the opening round of the Division 3 WIAA State playoffs. After the battle was over, the Panthers found themselves on top by a score of 42-24. Don't let this score fool you for this game pitted two very good teams. One team prefers to run the ball and one team likes to pass the ball. And as expected, both teams had trouble stopping each other's offense. So with that being said, what would be the deciding factor of a game like this? The if so-facto answer would be turnovers and mistakes. Oh yeah, there were the officials too. Without getting into details, I will just say that there were some strange calls being made. Those of you that were there know what I'm talking about.

In the end, it was the fast strike capability of the Panthers that would get the job done.

Greendale would kick first to start the game. The Panther's kickoff team had the Broncos pinned near the corner of the field around the 5-yard line. Just as the would be tacklers were moving in for the kill, a whistle blew. Lo-n-behold, the official thought the ball was in the end zone so he blew the ball dead. Hummmm... The cold you think? As a result of the inadvertent whistle, the Panthers would have to kick again. Andrew Brees would make it easier on the officials by kicking the ball way into the end zone thus forcing Union Grove to start from their 20-yard line.

Sixteen plays later, Union Grove found themselves on Greendale's 2-yard and looked to be going in. With it being 4th and goal from the 2, the Broncos would go for it, but on that play, their quarterback would fumble the snap thus coming up short of scoring. Greendale would now take possession on their 4-yard line.

It took Greendale 11-plays to reach the other end of the field as quarterback Chris Ridgway would connect with Mike Picciolo for a 31-yard touchdown pass capping off a 96-yard drive. Andrew Brees's kick was good making the score 7-0 with 1:08 left in the opening period.

The Broncos would start their next drive on their 20-yard line following the ensuing kick. This time Greendale held them up and had them lining up for a punt on their 34-yard line. As the ball was snapped, the kicker would take off running around the right end and gained enough yards to keep their drive alive. They would get real close to the zone but ended up having to settle for a 30-yard field goal. The score was now 7-3 in favor of Greendale with 8:46 remaining in the 1st half.

Greendale would start their next drive from their 40 as the Broncos insisted on pooch kicking versus kicking deep to return threat Ben Ericksen. They were forced to punt however, after going 3 and out.

The Broncos would now start their next series from their 27-yard line. Eight plays later however, they would fumble on Greendale's 17-yard line of which the Panthers would recover.

On Greendale's very first play, Ridgway would throw a perfect pass to Ericksen way down field, but as he was being tackled, he would fumble the ball giving it right back to Union Grove.

The Broncos brought their offense back out onto the field and would start from their own 42-yard line. The Panther's defense finally forced them to punt after they went 3 and out.

Greendale would now start from deep in a hole at their 7-yard line. Four plays later, Ridgway would be intercepted as Picciolo tried reaching for the ball, but ended up tipping it right in the hands of a defender who took it to the house from 27-yards out for the Bronco's first touchdown of the night. The point after try was good making the score 10-7 in favor of Union Grove with 2:37 remaining in the 1st half.

After the ensuing kick, Greendale would start their next series from their own 34-yard line. Seven plays later on a 4th and goal, Greendale's Ridgway would sneak it in from 1-yard out for another Panther score. Brees would split the uprights making the score 14-10 with :05 seconds left in the first half of play.

The Bronco's would receive the ensuing kick and just take a knee to end the 1st half.

Union Grove would kick first to open the 2nd half. After a nice return by Ericksen, Ridgway & company would set up on their 42-yard line. It wasn't long before they found themselves on the 2-yard line looking at a 4th and goal. Instead of running the ball, they would attempt a pass in the direction of Ericksen who was running a fade route. The pass was incomplete but the defender was found guilty of face guarding so that would give Greendale a new set of downs on the Bronco's 2. Well they needed all 4 plays as Panther running back Jordan Biller would take it in from 2-yards out capping off a 16-play, 58-yard drive. The point after try was good making the score 21-10 with 6:46 remaining in the 3rd.

The Broncos would start from their 20 as Brees kicked the ball to the end zone again. On their very first play from scrimmage, Bronco running back Dan Vyvyan would bust through the Panther defense and sprint 80-yards for a score. The point after try was good making the score 22-17 in favor of the Panthers with 6:35 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Panthers now took possession after the ensuing kick and would start form their 25-yard line. After 6-plays and a bunch of penalties, they would find themselves in the end zone as Ridgway hooked up with Ericksen for an apparent 30-yard touchdown pass. There was a penalty however, thus nullifying the score. It was 4th down on that particular play so the Panthers were forced to punt after the penalty yards were marked off.

Union Grove would now start their next drive from their 15-yard line. Eleven plays later, they would hit pay dirt again as Vyvyan ran it in from 36-yards out. The point after try was good, and Greendale found themselves trailing by a score of 24-21 with 11:52 now left in the 4th quarter.

The Panthers would take the ensuing pooch kick and return it to their 48-yard line. After an amazing catch by Brees, Greendale would find the zone again as Biller scampered in from 11-yards out. Brees's kick was good and Greendale would regain the lead by a score of 28-24 with 11:23 left in the game.

On the following kick, the Broncos would try a little huddle return trick of which Greendale would smell out and stuff. Two plays later, disaster would strike for the Broncos as they fumbled the ball to the Panthers on the Bronco 24-yard line.

On Greendale's very first play, they would strike through the heart as Ridgway found Picciolo over the middle for a nice 24-yard touchdown pass. The extra point kick was good and Greendale was now in the process of blowing this game wide open. The score was now 35-24 with 10:36 still left in the game.

The Broncos would now start from their 20-yard line again. They managed to make it to the Panther 8-yard line before having to line up for a field goal. They must have took to long making that decision for the yellow flag would soon fly for a delay of game penalty. That penalty was just enough to put them out of range apparently as their kick fell short of the polls. Greendale would now take control on their 20-yard line.

The Panthers could only muster 3-plays before being forced to punt back to the Broncos.

This time Union Grove would start their drive from their 40-yard line. With time and the score against them, they were forced to go for it on 4th down from their 40. The pass was broken up by Picciolo so Greendale would now be looking at a short field.

They wasted no time for 3-plays later, Ridgway would find Ericksen screaming down the right sideline for another Panther touchdown. That play covered 30-yards and would cap off a 3-play, 40-yard drive. The extra point kick was good and Greendale now had plenty of breathing room with a score of 42-24 and 2:51 remaining in the game.

The Broncos were now in big trouble and needed to resort to the pass. They started their next drive from their own 9-yard line. After 7-plays and a slew of penalties, they would be intercepted by Greendale's Evan Goyette at the Bronco's 33-yard line.

With just :10 seconds left, Greendale just needed to take a knee to end the game. The final score would be Greendale 42, Union Grove 24.

Greendale will now advance to the 2nd round and will play the Pirates from Pewaukee. Pewaukee happens to be a member of the Woodland Conference just like Greendale, but the schedule was such that they did not play each other this year. What makes this game even more interesting is that the Pirates are the 2008 Woodland Conference Champions no matter what, by virtue of going undefeated. Greendale didn’t get a crack at them so we will all find out if indeed the Pirates were the best team in the conference or not. Even if Greendale does win, it wouldn't change anything regarding the Pirates' Championship, but in the back of everyone's mind, they would know who the better team was.

The game is scheduled for Saturday November 1st, at Greendale. The game will start at 7:00pm.

For game stats, click here.

For a highlight video, click here.

Photos by Dan Herrmann

Varsity   

That's A Wrap!
R. A. Mattrisch 10/22/08

Believe it or not… the regular high school football season is over already. But that doesn't mean that everyone is done playing yet for there will be 224 teams still playing as the WIAA state playoffs begin next Tuesday.

As for the regular season, put a fork in it for it's done! Greendale would finish it by defeating the Whitnall Falcons with a score of 36-8. This game was played on a Wednesday night to accommodate the playoff schedule which starts next Tuesday. It was cold, and it was windy, but that is what happens during this time of the year. The good news was that Greendale's quarterback Chris Ridgway was back after being kept out of the lineup with an ankle injury that he suffered two weeks ago. It was obvious that having him back made a difference as he was able to move the team both on the ground and through the air. They didn't have a lot of offensive yards, but that was because they had short fields pretty much the whole night.

Greendale would kick first to start the game. Andrew Brees would end up kicking the ball to the end zone so Whitnall would start from their 20-yard line. On the Falcon's very first play, Greendale's Dan Dacquisto smelled out Whitnall's bubble screen and would intercept the ball, giving it to his offense on Whitnall's 7-yard line.

Four plays later, Greendale would cross the goal line as senior running back Jordan Biller would take it in from 3-yards out for the game's first score. Brees's extra point kick was good, making the score 7-0 with 10:05 left in the opening period.

The Falcons would start their next drive on their 24-yard line. The Panther's defense who are now the stingiest group in the conference, forced Whitnall to punt going 3 and out.

Greendale's quarterback Chris Ridgway who took last week off now brought out his offense to set up on their 43-yard line. Five plays later, he would hook up with senior Ben Ericksen who caught Ridgway's 23-yard pass in the left corner of the end zone for Greendale's second touchdown of the night. The Panthers would line up for the extra point kick but Ridgway would mishandle the snap thus causing a fire drill situation. As he rolled left looking for someone to pass to, he would see his kicker (Brees), running a fade route on the other side of the field. He would quickly stop and throw the ball to him of which he would catch for the 2-point conversion. The score was now 15-0 with 6:38 left in the 1st quarter.

Whitnall would get the ball next and put a 9-play drive together before turning the ball over on downs at Greendale's 33-yard line.

It would take Greendale just 7-plays before they would find the end zone again, as Ridgway found Ericksen over the middle for a 22-yard scoring strike. Brees would make the extra point kick making the score 22-0 with 1:22 still remaining in the 1st quarter.

The Falcons would take the ensuing kick and put a 16-play drive together only to stall out on the Panther's 10-yard line.

Greendale, behind some strong running by Biller, would hit pay dirt again as they went 90-yards in 9-plays for their 4th TD of the night. The point after try was good, making the score 29-0 with 3:25 remaining in the 1st half.

Whitnall would now come out and looked to be putting another nice drive together, but on their 11th play, they would be intercepted by Dacquisto in the end zone who returned it to the Falcon 20-yard line as the 1st half came to an end.

Whitnall would be kicking first to start the 2nd half. Instead of kicking deep, they would line up for an onside kick. It didn't work, however, as Greendale would recover it at their own 39-yard line. Six plays later, Biller would walk into the endzone untouched for another Panther touchdown. Brees's kick was good making the score 36-0 with 5:52 left in the 3rd quarter. Because Greendale's lead was more than 35-points, the game clock would now run continuously for the rest of the game, or until the margin is less than 35-points.

The Falcons would start their next series from their own 20-yard line. They could only muster up 13-plays before turning the ball over on downs once again. Greendale's offense would now come out and start from midfield.

It was now the start of the 4th quarter. Greendale's Head Coach Rob Stoltz would send out his sophomore quarterback in Ernie Valente. They would manage 3-plays before having to punt the ball away.

Whitnall would now try again and start from midfield. Greendale was making substitutions in on defense so that they could rest their players on a short week. Two plays later, Falcon quarterback Bennett Kaye would scramble his way to the end zone from 39-yards out for Whitnall's first points of the night. They would go for 2 and convert as Kaye would take it himself. The score was now 36-8 with 5:59 left in the game. Because the lead margin was less than 35-points, the game clock would now run under the normal rules.

The Falcons would line up for another onside kick but Greendale's hands team would get the ball. They would run 4-plays before having to punt once again.

Whitnall would now rip off 6-plays before they would fumble to the Panthers with 1:24 left in the game. Greendale would run 3-plays before the game finally came to a end.

The final score would be Greendale 36, Whitnall 8. This concludes the regular season of play. Both teams are in the playoffs, which are scheduled to start next Tuesday. The Panthers own a record of 8-1, while the Falcons have a record of 5-4. The Panthers also will finish tie for 2nd place with Eisenhower in the Woodland Conference with Pewaukee taking the crown as they went undefeated. It was just unfortunate that the schedule didn't work out this year so that Greendale and Pewaukee would play each other, but that's what happens sometimes. It would have been fun to see how that game would have turned out.

For game stats, click here.

For game pictures, click here.

For video highlights of the game, click here.

Photos by Dan Herrmann

Freshman   

It's Warm When You Win!
R. A. Mattrisch 10/21/08

To say that summer is gone would be an understatement. Just ask the Greendale Freshmen football team, the coaches, and the fans that were in attendance this past Tuesday night. It was diffidently Fall and very close Winter that night, as the Panthers defeated the Whitnall Falcons by a score of 12-8 in a game that got real warm towards the end! The reason it warmed up was because the game got real exciting in the last 5:00 minutes, and of course excitement breeds higher body temperatures.

The 2008 Freshman Football Team (5-2)

The game was really decided by one monster hit that occurred at the Greendale 1-yard. Several Panthers collided with the Whitnall quarterback who had a head of steam and surly looked like he was going to cross the goal line, but this hit was so hard that it actually turned him around in mid-air. He would end up falling just inches away from the goal line that would have been the winning score. A game of inches you say? You bet it is!

Greendale would receive first to start the game. They would put 7-plays together before turning the ball over on downs at the Whitnall 42.

Whitnall would start their first drive and proceed to run 5-plays before being forced to punt. It was here where the game's first big play occurred as Greendale's return man Robby Blackwood would catch the ball and run 50-yards to the Falcon 46-yard line.

On the very next play, Panther quarterback Brett Nethery, would find Sam Brick for a 1-play 46-yard touchdown pass to put the first points up on the score board. Nethery's extra point try was blocked making the score 6-0 with 3:43 left in the 1st quarter.

Whitnall would start their next drive on their own 30 and ran 3 plays before fumbling the ball of which Greendale's Rodger Crebessa would fall on. The Panthers managed just 5-plays before turning the ball over on downs again.

After a great punt by Nethery, the Falcons would start their next drive on their own 16-yard line. The Panther defense stepped it up a notch and forced them to put after going 3 and out.

The rest of the 1st half then turned into a punt-fest as Greendale punted after 3, Whitnall punted after 6, Greendale punted after 3, and Whitnall punted after 3.

With the first half winding down, Greendale would take possession but would fumble on the very first play of that drive giving the ball to Whitnall on Greendale's 35-yard line.

With no timeouts left, the Falcons managed to get very close to scoring, but the clock finally would run out of time.

Greendale would end up kicking first to open the 2nd half. For the most part, the whole 3rd quarter was a continuation of the 2nd quarter as both teams would either need their punter, or just ended up turning the ball over on downs.

It was now the 4th quarter. Greendale had a small lead and they had the Falcons right were they wanted them-back on their 17-yard line. The Cat's defense up to this point seemed solid, but this would be this Whitnall drive that would change the game.

It seemed that the Whitnall runners developed an attitude here, as they literally powered their way down the field. They would eventually end up scoring on a 6-yard run capping off a 10-play, 83-yard drive. They would go for the 2-point conversion and convert to take the lead by a score of 12-6 with 4:15 remaining in the game.

Greendale was sort of in trouble for their offense has been unproductive all night long. Well, the offense might have been having some trouble, but the special teams were just fine. On the ensuing kickoff, Blackwood would pick the ball up off the ground and race 70-yards to the end zone for the Panther's second touchdown of the night. They would try for 2-ponts but came up short making the score 12-8 in favor of Greendale with 4:02 remaining in the game.

Whitnall would start on their 25 and managed to get themselves inside the red zone with a 1st and goal looking at them. The Panthers proceeded on keeping them from scoring as it soon became 4 down with 6-yards between the football and the goal line. Whitnall took their last time out to set up what could be the winning play. When the ball was snapped, the quarterback rolled right and would soon see that no one was open. He then came back the other way and made a decision to turn on the jets and try and score by himself. With a full head of steam, it sure looked like he was going to make it but then out of no where, a hit was delivered that literally spun him around in mid air and then to the ground. He would come up short as the Panthers would take possession on their 1-yard line.

Greendale needed to be careful here for any fumble or interception could cost them the game. With the Falcons all packed in the box, Offensive Coordinator Coach Steve Stoltz would show that he had confidence in his boys and would call a deep pass that was completed near the 25-yard line. This gave Greendale some breathing room and a little margin for error just in case they would turn the ball over. After 3-plays, they would end up having to punt back to the Falcons. As the ball was snapped, the kick would be partially blocked giving the ball back to the Falcons on Greendale's 26-yard line. By this time, they were forced to pass because they had no time outs. On the very first play of that drive, Greendale's Sebastian Garcia-Bakowski would intercept the ball at the 2-yard line.

All Greendale had to do was to take a knee and the game was over. The problem was that there wasn't a lot of room there to take a knee so the coaches called a time out and reviewed what had to be done. When Nethery took the snap, he would touch his knee and quickly back up to avoid any contact as the clock finally ran out.

With the help of a few clutch defensive plays, Greendale would win by a score of 12-8. They finish this year's season with a record of 5-2. They are now officially finished and will hand in their equipment, but not before they tasted a little bit of spread offense, a little bit of turf, a little bit of victory, and a huge helping of fun. "There is a lot of raw talent here," said Head Coach Chris Muench. "There is also a lot of untapped talent just waiting to present itself. I think if these guys can get on the bus, stay focused, and work hard, Greendale football should be in good shape for years to come."

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity Reserve   

Picture Perfect!
R. A. Mattrisch 10/20/08

Pictures can be worth a thousand words. Going undefeated in a football season is worth a million words. That's what the Greendale Varsity Reserve football team did this year, as they ended the 2008 football season with a win over the Whitnall Falcons by a score of 49-6 at Greendale's Stephen J Gavinski Field. That win would cap off a perfect 9-0 season. "What’s amazing about you guys is that we only get to work as a group for about an hour a week, and half of that is right before a game," said a very impressed Coach Mike Weyer as he addressed the team after the game. "That is a tribute to you guys and how you pull together and play the game."

The 2008 Varsity Reserve Undefeated Champions!

What's really interesting is that if you see these guys without their helmets and uniforms on, you might not be all that impressed. But when you see these guys with their equipment on playing a game, you would be totally impressed. The best part about all of this is that these guys truly had fun, which is what this game is all about. Having fun!

They will now turn in their gear and enjoy the rest of the season with the Varsity. Some of them won't for they will still be suiting up for the Varsity games, but as a unit, they can now sit back and say that they are the unofficial Conference Champions! And when the Varsity season does finally come to an end, it will officially become the start of the 2009 season. They won't hear crowds cheering, or the announcer's voice, but rather you will hear the sound of weights slamming against each other as the guys hit the training room once again to make themselves even better than they were this year. That's how Greendale rolls!

The Panthers would kick first to start the game. Whitnall would start their first drive of the night on their 43-yard line. Three plays later, they found themselves punting as the Panther's defense denied them of any yards.

Greendale's offense would now take the field following the punt on their 40-yard line. Seven plays later they would score as Panther running back Dan Wisniewski would take it in from 1-yard out. Travis Kahl's kick was good making the score 7-0 with 6:12 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Falcons would start their next drive on their 37-yard line and ended up turning it over on downs near midfield.

Panther quarterback Ernie Valente would bring out his friends and set up on Whitnall's 49-yard line. Ten plays later, they would cross the goal line as Valente would take it in himself from 7-yards out. Kahl's kick was true making the score 14-0 with 1:49 left in the 1st quarter.

Whitnall would take the ensuing kickoff and start from their own 28. On their very first play, they would score as their quarterback hooked up with a receiver for a 72-yard touchdown strike. They lined up for the 2-point conversion but Greendale's Quay Jenkins would intercept the ball in the end zone thus canceling out the attempt. This would make the score 14-6 with still 1:00 left in the 1st quarter.

Greendale would start their next drive from their 25-yard line. Seven plays later, Greendale's Luke "Jig Saw" Drumel would cut up the Falcon defense with a nice 30-yard touchdown run. The point after try was good increasing the Panther's lead to 21-6 with 8:59 left in the first half.

Whitnall looked like they had a little something going on their next drive, but Panther cornerback Bobby Hall would step in the way of a Falcon pass and return it 32-yards to the Falcon 49-yard line. Nine plays later, however, Greendale would end up turning the ball over on downs at Whitnall's 13-yard line.

The Falcons seemed to be doing a lot more passing than running, and when you do that, three things can happen, and two of them are not good. Well, one of the two bad things happens as Greendale's Ryan Becker would intercept the ball and return it 18-yards to the Falcon's 4-yard line. Three plays later "The Saw" (Drumel) would find the sacred ground as he carried the payload in from 4-yards out. Kahl's kick was good, making the score 27-6 with 2:20 left in the 1st half.

Things were now seemingly going against the Falcons as they would fumble 5-plays later of which Greendale's Vince Marquise would recover. Three plays later, Greendale would score again as wide out Eric Shuerman would make a very difficult catch in the end zone capping off a 3-play 27-yard drive. Valente's pass would cover 26-yards. Kahl's kick was good making the score 35-6 with :25 seconds left in the 1st half.

Whitnall would squeeze off 3-plays before the 1st half came to a close.

Greendale would get the ball first to start the second half. They would manage 6-plays before turning the ball over on downs at Whitnall's 32-yard line.

The Falcons would put 9-plays together and looked like they were going in before the Panther defense finally said that they were close enough. They would force the Falcons out on downs at the Greendale's 39-yard line.

Three plays later, the Panthers found themselves hugging the goal post again as Valente would take one up the gut for a 3-yard touchdown run. Kahl's kick would split the uprights, making the score 42-6 with 2:59 remaining in the 3rd quarter. This would also initiate a running clock.

When it rains, it pours for on the Falcon's following possession, Panther linebacker Drake Barczak would intercept the ball and return it 14-yards to the Whitnall 18. Four plays later, Greendale's #2 quarterback Bobby Mikorski would streak up field from 13-yards out for Greendale's 7th TD of the night. The point after try was good making the score 49-6 with 8:26 left on the running clock.

It seemed like everyone was getting in the act for Greendale as Tyler Fink would step in front of another would be Falcon pass at Greendale's 19-yard line. The Panthers would run 8 more plays before the game finally came to an end.

The final score would end up being Greendale 49, Whitnall 6. "It was fun watching these guys play this year," said Head Coach Keith Ringelberg. "What was extra special tonight was that everyone was getting into the act. That just proves that there is a lot of talent here and hopefully these guys will continue to work hard and improve themselves for next year because their season never ends until you shake hands with the Principal and get your diploma."

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity   

Back On Track
R. A. Mattrisch 10/17/08

The Greendale Panthers seemed to have shaken off last week's loss and in a big way. Unfortunately, the Brown Deer Falcons had to experience the wrath, as they were defeated rather handedly by a score of 56-0 this past Friday on Greendale's turf. The Falcons were just no match against the Panthers who were playing this game without their starting quarterback in Chris Ridgway. Junior Cordney Wren would fill that spot and did a great job. The Panthers never really needed to use their air attack for their ground attack was sufficient in getting the job done. Greendale's defense also came to play as the held the Falcons to a net total of 155 yards of total offense for the game.

Greendale would start with the ball to open the game. It was apparent that they were going to work on their run game as they put a 12-play 68-yard scoring drive together that culminated with a 2-yard run by quarter Cordney Wren. Andrew Brees would put the ball through the uprights, making the score 7-0 with 6:04 left in the 1st quarter.

The Falcons would bring their offense out and set up on their 20-yard line. They were forced to punt, however, after going 3 and out.

Greendale would now start their next series on Brown Deer's 48-yard line. Eight plays later, they would find themselves in the end zone again as Greendale's Jordan Biller would carried it in from 1-yard out. Brees's kick was good, making the score 14-0 with 1:39 remaining in the 1st quarter.

Greendale's defense came to play tonight as they forced the Falcons to punt after 3 again.

The Panthers would start with a short field after a poor punt. They failed to get a 1st down, as they would turn the ball over on downs.

Brown Deer would manage just one 1st down on their next series before being forced to put again. Greendale's Ben Ericksen would take that kick and was quickly be surrounded by Falcons. With the world getting smaller around him, he would lateral the ball to his teammate Mike Picciolo who would break loose up the left sideline for a nice 43-yard return.

Four plays later, the Panthers would be intercepted at their 20-yard line, which was returned to the Falcon 46.

On Falcon's very first play, Greendale's Ryan Korsmo would intercept the ball, giving it back to Wren & company on the Falcon's 47-yard line. Seven plays later, the Panthers would score on the big shoulders of Biller, as he would carry it in from 5-yards out. The point after try was good making the score 21-0 with 6:21 remaining in the 1st half.

Brown Deer would start their next series on their 20-yard line. They would manage to get to the Panther's 27-yard line in 6-plays before turning the ball over on downs.

Greendale would bring their offense out and set up on their 27-yard line. On their very first play, Wren would be intercepted again at the Falcon's 35-yard line.

The Panther's swarming defense would force the Falcons to punt, going 3 and out again.

Greendale would rattle off 6-plays before they would fumble on Brown Deer's 9-yard line.

The Falcons would now start from deep in a hole. Two plays later, they would be intercepted, as Greendale's Evan Goyette would be in on the steal. Two plays later, Wren would find Picciolo on a slant route over the middle for an 11-yard pass for Greendale's 4th TD of the night. Brees's kick was good, making the score 28-0 with :34 seconds left in the 1st half.

Brown Deer would take the ensuing kick and run 2-plays before fumbling the ball back to the Panthers on Brown Deer's 20-yard line.

Greendale would throw 3 times before being intercepted in the end zone as the 1st half came to a close.

Brown Deer would start with the ball first to open the 2nd half. They would begin this drive on their own 8-yard line. The Panther's defense came out flying as they backed up the Falcons and eventually forced them to kick after going 3 and out again. Greendale's Ericksen would return that kick all the way to the Falcon 3-yard line.

On Greendale's very first play, they would score as senior running back Kyle Nethery would scamper in untouched from 4-yards out for Greendale's 5th TD of the evening. Brees's kick was good, making the score 35-0 with 9:53 left in the 3rd. As a result of the 35-point rule, the game clock would now run continuously until the lead margin falls below 35 points.

The Falcons would start their next drive on Greendale's 45-yard line. They would run 9-plays before turning the ball over on downs.

Six plays later, Biller would find the end zone again as he carried it in from 7-yards out capping off a 78-yard drive. The point after try was good again as Greendale now takes the score to 42-0 with 1:47 left in the 3rd.

Brown Deer would start their next drive on their 19-yard line. Three plays later, the entire defensive front line rained down on the Falcon's quarterback who ended fumbling after being hit. Panther defensive end Andrew Thompson would scoop up the loose ball and sprinted to the zone for a 12-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The point after kick was good, blowing this game wide open as Greendale now found themselves on top by a score or 49-0 as the 3rd quarter came to a close.

The struggling Falcons would end up punting after Greendale's defense forced them to punt again after 3 and out.

Greendale would now bring out another quarterback in sophomore Ernie Valente. He would bring his group out and set up on Brown Deer's 34-yard line. Eleven plays later, he would take his Panther teammates to the Promised Land as he carried it in from 4-yards out. The extra point kick was good, making the score 56-0 with 2:38 remaining in the game.

Brown Deer would get the ball and rattle off 6-plays before the game finally came to an end. The Panthers would win by a score of 56-0. Greendale's record now moves to 7-1 with one regular season game remaining. They will travel to Hales Corners Wisconsin next Wednesday to play the Whitnall Falcons. This game will start at 6:30pm.

For game stats, click here.

For game pictures, click here.

For the game highlight video, click here.

Photos by Chuck Cairns

Freshman   

4 Quarters Needed For A Game
R. A. Mattrisch 10/16/08

Thursday night was a night where one could have pulled out all of the clichés. "It's not over till it's over." - "Life is full of peaks and valleys." - "A job isn't worth doing unless it's done right." - "Never give up." – "Nothing is ever guaranteed in life." ... The list goes on and on. The Greendale Freshmen football coaches probably had to pull a few of those out the other night too, as they saw their team jump out to a 23-0 lead midway in the 2nd quarter only to lose the game 35-23 to the Brown Deer Falcons. You have to admire Brown Deer for they didn't seem to get rattled and never quit, which is something that young teams do when a bunch of bad things happen in a row. They slowly plugged their way back and took the lead late in the 4th quarter while Greendale failed to score after converting a field goal late in the second quarter. "There were just too many big plays given up and the offense couldn’t maintain any kind of drive in the 2nd half," Head Coach Chris Muench said. "I really can't believe that this happened. Hopefully the guys will learn something from this game." What would that be? Yes, another cliché, "Never count your money until the dealing is done!"

The Panthers would receive first to start the game. They immediately put a 9-play scoring drive together with Panther running back Sebastian Garcia-Bakowski finishing the job with a 2-yard run around the right end. Brett Nethery would make the extra point kick making the score 7-0 with 6:30 left in the 1st quarter.

The Falcons would get the ball and start from Greendale's 46-yard line. One their very first play, they would be intercepted by Greendale's Sam Brick who returned it 35-yards. Four plays later, the Panthers were in the end zone again as Nethery ran a sweep around the right side from 3-yards out. The kick was good making the 14-0 with 4:03 still remaining in the 1st quarter.

Brown Deer would start their next drive on their 39-yard line. Two plays later, Brick would intercept another ball after it was tipped by the receiver. The Panthers only managed 4-plays before turning it over on downs.

Greendale's defense who were playing extremely well to this point, forced the Falcons to punt after just 3-plays. It was here where Panther return man Robby Blackwood would catch the ball and race 50-yards for another Panther touchdown. The point after try was no good making the score 20-0 with just :04 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

The Falcons would start their next drive from their own 34-yard line. It was here when you had to ask yourself what they were thinking. The Cat's defense has been stuffing them up to this point and when it came to a 4th and 4, instead of punting, they decided to go for it of which they weren't even close to converting. As a result, Greendale would have a short field and would start their next drive on Brown Deer's 28-yard line. Eight plays later, the Panthers were forced to go for a field goal on a 4th down situation. The 25-yard kick was good by Nethery making the score 23-0 with 4:31 left in the 1st half.

It was at this point that things started to turn south for the Panthers. On the ensuing kickoff, the Falcon return man would take the ball and run 75-yards the other way for Brown Deer's first touchdown of the night. They went for the 2-point conversion and converted making the score 23-8 with 4:14 left in the half.

Greendale would take the ensuing kick and start a drive from their 31-yard line. Three plays later, Brown Deer would intercept a Nethery pass and return it 52-yards for another Falcon touchdown. They went for 2 again but failed, making the score 23-14 with just over 3:00 minutes left in the half.

Greendale's offense was now having issues. They only managed 4-plays and were then forced to punt.

With under a minute left in the half, Brown Deer would start their next drive on their own 20-yard line. Two plays later, they would score as their quarterback found a receiver on a crossing route over the middle who then raced to the end zone untouched completing a 80-yard touchdown pass. Their 2-point try was no good and all of a sudden, it was a 3-point game as the 1st half came to an end.

Things got a little quieter for the start of the 2nd half as Brown Deer was forced to punt going 3 and out. Greendale would do the same - also going 3 and out. The Falcons would then run 5-plays before turning the ball over on downs. Greendale would run 5-plays before having to punt once again.

Things finally got a little lively on Brown Deer's next possession as they would score on their very first play as their running back would scamper 68-yards for a touchdown. The try for 2-points was good making the score 28-23 in favor of the Falcons with 2:19 left in the 3rd quarter.

Greendale's offense was forced to punt going 3 and out.

The Falcons would take possession and string 8-plays together before one of their running backs broke free from 25-yards out for another Brown Deer score. They would kick the extra point this time, which was good making the score 32-23 with just over 7:00 minutes left in the game.

Greendale was trying to get their offense back on track but they would fumble as Nethery mishandled a snap thus giving the ball back to the Falcons.

Brown Deer would run 4-plays before turning the ball over on downs on Greendale's 19-yard line.

The Panthers then had something going but after 7-plays, Nethery would mishandle another snap but managed to fall on this one. During that play, he would get hurt as he was hit by a defender while he was on the ground. He would need some help to get off the field. The Panthers would now bring in Sam Brick at quarterback. They tried 3 pass plays before running out of downs on Brown Deer's 25-yard line. The Falcons would come in and take 2 knees to run the clock out.

The final score would be 35-23 in favor of Brown Deer. Greendale will head to Hales Corners next week Tuesday to play the Whitnall Falcons. This will be their last game of the season. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30pm.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity Reserve   

One Team Over-Powering, One Team Overwhelmed!
R. A. Mattrisch 10/13/08

Monday night there was something warm, and there was something hot! The temperature was warm - the Varsity Reserve Panthers were hot! The Greendale Panthers jumped on the bus and headed north to play the Brown Deer Falcons for their 8th game of the season, and for the 8th time this year, they came out victorious as they defeated a depleted Brown Deer squad 44-20. Brown Deer's numbers were down as they only fielded 13 players so that meant that most of them would be playing the whole game. As a result, the Panther's speed and depth proved to be just too much for the Falcons to handle. Greendale pretty much had control on offense and defense, but their special teams needed a little work. Greendale had 2 kick returns against them during the game, one for 70-yards, and one for 82-yards.

Greendale would receive first to start the game. It took them just 4-plays to reach the end zone, as quarterback Ernie Valente would take it up the middle for a 7-yard run. The extra point try was no good making the score 6-0 with 8:17 left in the 1st quarter.

Brown Deer would get the ensuing kickoff and manage 6-plays before being forced to punt the ball away.

Greendale would start their next drive on their own 6-yard line. Eight plays later, they found themselves in the end zone again as running back Dan Wisniewski would take the handoff and scamper in from 5-yards out. They would try for 2 but failed, making the score 12-0 with 2:53 remaining in the 1st quarter.

Brown Deer would receive the following kick and sprinted 70-yards to the end zone for their first score of the game. They would go for 2 but came up just short narrowing Greendale's lead by a score of 12-6 with 2:35 remaining in the opening quarter.

Valente would bring his boys out and set up on their 33-yard line. It took them just 4-plays to reach the zone again, as Valente would take it in from 4-yards out. Valente would call his number again for the 2-point conversion increasing Greendale’s lead to 20-6 with 1:00 still left in the 1st quarter.

The Falcons would start their next drive from their 30-yard line but that only lasted 3-plays before Greendale's Jimmy Nguyen would intercept a Falcon pass on the Panther's 48-yard line.

Three plays later, Valente would connect with Sean Givens on a 14-yards slant route for another Panther touchdown. They would attempt another extra point kick but failed again making the score 26-6 with 9:34 left in the 1st half.

The Panther defense would force Brown Deer to punt going 3 and out.

Greendale would take the field again and score 9-plays later as Valente would find Harold Epright for a 15-yard slant pass capping off a 37-yard drive. The try for 2 came up short making the score 32-6 with 3:03 remaining in the half.

Greendale would kick following their score only to see Brown Deer score as they ran their second kick to the house. This one would cover 82-yards. They would go for 2 but their pass fell incomplete making the score 32-12 with just over 2:00 minutes remaining in the first half.

Greendale would bring out their other quarterback in Bobby Mikorski, and set up shop on their 35-yard line. Three plays later, they would find pay dirt again as Mikorski hooked up with Alex Najera for a huge 66-yard touchdown pass. They would try another extra point kick and yep, you guessed it. It was no good making the score 38-12 with 1:09 still remaining in the 1st half.

Brown Deer would get off 3-plays before the first half would come to an end.

The Falcons would get the ball first to open the 2nd half. They ran 7-plays before turning the ball over on downs on Greendale's 37-yard line.

With the current lead that Greendale had, they would elect to just keep the ball on the ground. They ended up scoring 10-plays later, as Wisniewski would power his way in off right tackle for another touchdown. Greendale would go for 2 this time, but their pass fell incomplete making the score 44-12 with 2:19 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Falcons would come out throwing on their next drive, but Greendale's Tyler Fink would get in the way on one of them for a Panther interception.

Greendale would run off 9-plays before turning the ball over on downs at the Falcon's 7-yard line.

Brown Deer would come out swinging again, but 7-plays later, Fink would once again pick the ball off for his second interception of the night.

Greendale would rattle off 4-plays before turning the ball over on downs.

Brown Deer would now resort to the long ball, as they would finally score on a 52-yard pass up the left sideline. They would go for 2 and convert making the score 44-20 with 1:15 remaining in the game.

The Falcons attempted an onside kick and would get it, giving the ball back to their offense. Four plays later, however, Greendale’s Bobby Hall would intercept a deep pass giving the ball back to his offense.

With no real reason to do anything, they would take two knees to end the game.

The final score would be Greendale 44, Brown Deer 20. Greendale still remains undefeated for this year. In fact, this sophomore group is undefeated for two years, as they went undefeated last year as freshmen. They will now head back to the turf for their final game of the season against the Whitnall Falcons. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity   

Snapped!
R. A. Mattrisch 10/10/08

All good things come to an end, but it was sure fun why it lasted! Just ask any Greendale Panther football fan. What came to an end was Greendale's 28-game Woodland Conference winning streak that spanned just over 3 years. How it happened and where it happened seems to be the story of the day. So what did happen? Well, in case you had your face in front of the TV watching your stocks melt away, there was a high school football game going on between the Greendale Panthers and the New Berlin Eisenhower Lions. It wasn't a small game mind you… it was a HUGE game! You can tell a huge game when you see one by the number of people in attendance. The early count was just over 4000 fans. The Lions ended up defeating the Panthers by a score of 26-21 in what was billed as the game of the week. The reason this game was labeled that is because both teams are perennial power houses – both teams were undefeated in conference play – Greendale had their run going – Eisenhower had a rotten taste in their mouth from last year's loss, and none of the current players on Eisenhower have ever beaten Greendale in their high school career, so they were highly motivated and had an ax to grind. That ax is now sharp.

Everyone thought that this was going to be a high scoring event, but in the end, it was the defenses that stepped up. Even though the scoring was somewhat limited, the game was everything it was supposed to be, and then some. The ironic thing about this is that Greendale out did Eisenhower in yards on the ground and Eisenhower out did Greendale in the air. This kind of shows you what both defensive coordinators were working on all week.

Greendale would receive first to start the game. Eisenhower did not make it easy for Panther speed demons Ben Ericksen and Mike Picciolo. They kicked hot grounders all night forcing them to chase the ball down. They would set up their offense on their own 27-yard line. Everyone was use to seeing them pass, but instead they opened up running. They gashed the Lions fast and furious, but ended up turning the ball over on downs on the Lion's 26-yard line.

Ike would now bring their high-powered offense out for the first time in the game. Eight plays later, they would find the end zone as Lion quarterback Niko Koshak would find Ian McKechnie over the middle. After breaking several tackles, he would get to the zone completing a 43-yard pass play. The point after try was no good making the score 6-0 with 6:08 left in the 1st quarter.

The Panthers would take the ensuing kickoff and start from their own 31-yard line. It only took them 9-plays to get to the doorstep before Panther quarterback Chris Ridgway would fumble the ball. It was on this play when Greendale took a major hit as Ridgway would have to leave the game with an ankle injury.

Ike would now start deep in the hole on their own 2-yard line. Seven plays later, the Lions would find the end zone again as Koshak would hook up with McKechnie after the ball was first tipped by Greendale's Cordney Wren. That play ended up covering 68-yards. The 2-point conversion try failed making the score 12-0 with 10:46 left in the 1st half.

Greendale would now line up with a new quarterback in Andrew Brees. They would rip off 4-plays before being intercepted in the end zone thus squelching this Panther drive.

Ike would get the ball at the 20-yard line but were forced to punt going 3 and out.

Greendale would start their next drive on Ike's 23-yard line. Three plays later, they were intercepted again at the Lion's 2-yard line.

Eisenhower would reel off 6-plays before being forced to punt again.

Greendale would start their next drive on their own 39-yard line. They were forced to punt, however, after going 3 and out.

Ike would start from their own 18-yard line. The Panther's defense would force them to punt after 3-plays.

Greendale would now bring in another quarterback in Cordney Wren. They made things a little exciting as Wren would find Brees down field with a nice catch and run that ended on the 2-yard line before the 1st half came to an end.

Ike would get the ball first to start the 2nd half. They would set up on their own 11-yard before they were forced to punt going 3 and out once again.

Greendale was forced into the same situation only instead of punting; they would fake it with a long pass down field that fell incomplete. There was an interference penalty on the play thus giving Greendale a new set of downs. They were forced to punt 3 plays however.

Ike now would have the ball and completed a halfback option pass for a big gain, but it was called back on a penalty. They failed to get that first down and were forced to punt again.

Wren and company would take the field again and start from their 36-yard line. Twelve plays later, they would finally find the end zone, as Wren would hook up with Ericksen for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Brees's extra point try was good, making the score 12-7 in favor of Eisenhower with :42 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.

The Lions would get the ball on the ensuing kick and score as Koshak found Austin Selvick behind a Panther defender for Ike's third TD of the night. That play would cover 32-yards. The extra point try was good making the score 19-7 with 10:08 left in the game.

Greendale would come out next and put a 13-play scoring drive together as Wren would take it himself from 2-yards out. The extra point try was good making the score 19-14 with 6:15 still remaining in the game.

Ike would now get the ball back and start from Greendale's 47-yard line after the Panthers were assessed a 15-yard penalty on the kick. It would take them 10-plays to get to pay dirt, as Koshak would find Selvick in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown pass. The point after kick was good making the score 26-14 with 1:34 left in the game.

Greendale would line up for the kick return. The ball ended up going to Picciolo who started running, but somehow the ball squirted out and ended up in the hands of Ericksen. He then took off running down the left sideline and was eventually tackled out of bounds. Greendale got a little more help as one of the Eisenhower players shoved Ericksen while he was still on the ground, thus causing the yellow flags to fly. As a result, Greendale would get the ball on Ike's 23-yard line. Four plays later, Wren would find Picciolo at the goal line who made a spectacular one-handed catch for a score. Brees's kick was good making the score 26-21 with only :12 seconds left in the game.

Greendale would line up for the on-side kick but failed to get the ball back thus giving Ike the ball for one last play. All they had to do was take a knee and the game was over.

Eisenhower would win 26-21 and would snap Greendale's 28-game winning streak. The Lions now remain undefeated in conference play and will play unbeaten Pewaukee next week for the Woodland Conference Crown. Greendale will now go to 6-1 and will play Brown Deer at home next week. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00pm.

For game stats, click here.

For game pictures, click here.

For a highlight video of the game, click here.

Photos by Eric Campbell

Freshman   

One Of Those Days
R. A. Mattrisch 10/9/08

We all get up in the mornings not knowing what's in store for us each day. The goal is to have an eventful and productive day. In other words, a good day! If every day was like that we would always be happy. The one thing you hope doesn't happen to you is having one of those dreaded bad days. Those are the kind of days where nothing seems to turn out right. Everything you do maybe crashes and burns or you are always hearing bad news. In a sick demented way, you almost need one of those days once in a while, because then how would you tell if you were having a good day? Well, the Greendale Panther Freshman football team had one of those bad days this past Thursday night as they fell victim to the New Berlin Eisenhower Lions by a score of 37-14. As remarkable as it seems, this loss was the first loss to a high school Panther football team this year, which is very rare, especially with less than two weeks to go in the season. It's just a reminder as to how strong the entire program is. In the end, however, it was lack of execution, turnovers, and an uninspired defensive performance that did them in. It was just a bad day!

The Panthers would kick to start the game. Eisenhower would start rolling down the field primarily running between the tackles. They managed to get to the Greendale 6-yard line in 8-plays before they fumbled of which Sam Brick would recover for the Panthers.

Greendale would now start deep in a hole. Making use of their spread offense, they crawled their way to midfield before being forced to punt. That kick would make it to the end zone so Ike would take over on their 20-yard line.

Seven plays later, the Lions would cross the goal line from 1-yard out for the game's first score. They went for the 2-point conversion and converted making the score 8-0 with 2:05 remaining in the 1st quarter.

Greendale would start their next drive after the ensuing kick from their 33-yard line. They put a 15-play drive together only to give it up on downs at the Eisenhower 21-yard line.

The Panther defense seemed to show a little life as they forced Ike to punt after going 3 and out.

After a poor punt, Greendale would now bring their offense out and set up shop on the Lion's 37-yard line. Two plays later, Sebastian Garcia-Bakowski would take a hand off and scoot 27-yards for Greendale's first score of the night. The try for 2-points failed making the score 8-6 in favor of Ike with 4:04 now left in the 1st half.

On the ensuing kickoff, Ike would get a good return and would start from midfield. Then disaster struck for the Panthers as one of Eisenhower's running backs ran around the left end and scored on a 52-yard run. The point after kick was good making the score 15-6 in favor of Ike with 3:14 left in the half.

Greendale would try to answer that but were intercepted as Greendale's quarter back Brett Nethery threw an interception after only 4-plays. Eisenhower would run just 2 plays before the 1st half came to an end.

The Panthers would get the ball to start the 2nd half. They managed 4-plays before rolling the dice on a 4th and 1 in their end of the field but came up short. Ike would now have a short field starting from Greendale's 34-yard line.

Five plays later, Ike found the end zone again with a 2-yard run. The point after try was good increasing their lead to 22-6 with 6:47 left in the 3rd.

Greendale's struggling offense would be forced to punt after going 3 and out.

Ike would take over on their own 16-yard line and put a 10-play scoring drive together as they would run it it from 3-yards out. They lined up for a 2-point try after there was an offside penalty for the extra point and converted - blowing the game wide open by a score of 30-6 with 1:39 still left in the 3rd quarter.

Greendale would get the ball and start from their 34-yard line, but they were intercepted on the very first play thus giving Ike another short field to work with.

Three plays later, Ike would score on a reverse from 24-yards out making the score 37-6 with just :05 seconds left in the 3rd.

Greendale would take the ensuing kick and start from their own 30-yard line. Nine plays later, they would find the end zone as Nether would scamper up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown run. Greendale's Evan Just would take the hand off and make it to the end zone for the 2-point conversion. The score was now 37-14 with 6:32 remaining in the game.

Greendale would try an on-side kick but failed to get the ball thus giving it to Ike on their own 48-yard line. The Panthers forced them to punt after going 3 and out.

Greendale would take possession on their 43-yard line but were intercepted again after just 3-plays.

Ike would run 8-plays before the game clock finally ran out.

The final score would be 37-14. As amazing as this is, this was the first loss this year on the new turf with only two weeks remaining in the season. Greendale's Freshman record now drops to 4-1 for the year. They will play the Brown Deer Falcons next week at home. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30pm.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity Reserve   

The Will To Win!
R. A. Mattrisch 10/6/08

For those people that don't understand what the term "Will To Win" means, all you would have had to do was watch Greendale's Varsity Reserve team play Monday night and you would know. On a side note, you would have had to made sure that you were in good health too, because this game would have tested your ticker. Did the bleacher seats have backs on them? Nope! That's OK because you wouldn't have needed them anyway. Everyone that was there was sitting on the edge of their seats all night long.

The Panthers made the trip west to play the New Berlin Eisenhower Lions and when it was all said and done, they came out victorious by a score of 14-13 to remain undefeated for the season. This game featured big plays, big hits, and some serious defense by both sides. In the end, it boiled down to whether Eisenhower would go for the tie or the win. They chose to go for the win by going for the 2-point conversion after a late touchdown, but their pass fell incomplete. As a result, they would come up 1-point short.

Greendale would receive first to start the game. The Panthers would set up their spread offense on their 20-yard line. They would put 7-plays together before they were intercepted on Ike's 24-yard line.

Seven plays later, the Lions would score by way of a 13-yard run. The point after try was good making the score 7-0 with 3:50 left in the 1st quarter.

Greendale could have easily felt dismayed by this, but their will was too strong. They would start their next drive on their 36-yard line. They marched down the field in 5-plays to the Eisenhower 30-yard. Then the weirdest play I have ever seen happened. Greendale's quarterback Ernie Valente would drop back to pass and was looking way down field towards his receiver Eric Shuerman, who was covered by a much taller defender. The Eisenhower defender ended up intercepting the ball just inside the end zone as Shuerman fell to the ground. The defender then started running and all of a sudden, he just dropped the ball. Shuerman was in the process of getting up off the ground when he seen the ball rolling around in the end zone. He then quickly crawled over to it like G.I Joe and covered it up for the touchdown. The try for the 2-point conversion failed making the score 7-6 in favor of Ike with 1:10 still left in the 1st quarter.

Eisenhower would take the ensuing kick off and ran 6-plays before they were forced to punt.

Greendale's Dan Wisniewski would grab the ball and returned it to the Panther's 47-yard line. That wasn't before he inflicted his will on a few defenders. Let's just say that you wouldn't want to be standing in front of him when he is running with the ball. Three plays later, Valente would find Jo Jo Sardina running loose in the secondary. After picking up a great block down field by Alex Najera, he would get on his horse and take it to the house for a 54-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed again making the score 12-7 with 7:21 remaining in the 1st half.

Ike would start on their own 34-yard line before the Panthers willed them to punt after 4-plays. The snap was high thus forcing the punter to take more time then he normally would. As a result, the kick was partially blocked giving the Panthers the ball on Ike's 12-yard line. Two plays later, Valente would inadvertently throw his second interception on the night giving the ball back to the Lions on there own 8-yard line. It was here when the will of the Panther's defense would come through again. On Ike's 3rd play, the quarterback dropped back for a pass. He may have dropped back farther than he should have for soon it was raining Panthers on him. With nowhere to hide, he was forced to protect himself and the ball but was on the wrong side of the goal line. As a result, Greendale would collect the 2-points for a safety. The score was now 14-7 with 2:25 left in the 1st half.

On the ensuing free kick, Greendale was forced to punt going 3 and out.

The Lions would now have the ball on their own 20-yard line. Two plays later, Greendale's Even Goyette would intercept the ball and take it to the Lion's 46-yard line. Greendale would manage only 4-plays before the clock went to zeros.

The second half was a little different, as we would see both punters working overtime.

Ike would punt going 3 and out. Greendale would punt after 4-plays. Ike would punt after 9-plays. Greendale would kick going 3 and out again. It wasn't until Eisenhower's first series in the 4th quarter when Goyette of Greendale, inflicted his will again with another big interception. He would return this one 35-yards before being tackled near midfield.

The Panthers would only manage 5-plays before turning the ball over on downs on the Eisenhower 20-yard line.

The Lions would now start this drive with 2:27 left in the game. They strung 15-plays together converting two 4th downs before finally finding the end zone. It appeared that they were going to go for the tie and put the game into overtime, but they then called time out. They must have took a straw poll on their side line for when they came back out onto the field, it was with their offense instead of their extra point team. When the ball was snapped, the quarterback rolled out right looking for someone in the end zone to throw to. That never happened as the ball ended up falling to the ground instead thus coming up short on the scoreboard. Greendale would now hold a 1-point lead with :37 seconds left in the game.

Everyone knew what was coming up next so Greendale would take a time out to set up their hands team for the up and coming onside kick. As the Ike kicker kicked the ball, it would roll to Greendale's Drake Barczak who smothered it to seal the deal. The only formation the offense would need now was their victory formation, as Valente would take a knee to run the clock out to end the game.

Afterwards, an emotional Coach Murry would address the team in tears as he said that he has never been more proud of a team's performance than the one he saw tonight. He told his players that, "With will, you can do anything."

The Varsity Reserve team will now take their 7-0 record over to Brown Deer next week to play the Brown Deer Falcons. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity   

It Was A Special Night!
R. A. Mattrisch 10/3/08

Everyone always talks about the offense and the defense when it comes to football games, but no one ever talks about the special teams. Why? Probably because this team only sees the field 6 or 8 times a game. The thing about special teams is that anything can happen and if it does, it usually results in some kind of game changing event. Well, Greendale had a few of those Friday night as they had back-to-back punt returns for touchdowns for a 37-7 victory over the Cudahy Packers for their 28th consecutive Woodland Conference victory in a row. The Panthers found themselves in the red zone 4 times and failed to score, which is very uncharacteristic of them. The special teams, however, picked up the slack for the win.

Greendale would receive to start the game. They would march almost the entire length of the field but on their 7th play of the drive, quarterback Chris Ridgway would have the ball stripped away from him on the Cudahy 3-yard line. There was a little controversy on this play for it appeared that a rouge whistle blew from somewhere that stopped the play. After the officials discussed the matter, they had no choice but to give it to Cudahy even though the defender who took the ball was still on his feet running. They would place the ball on the 11-yard line.

Cudahy's offense would now take to the field for their first series of the night. They only manages 7-plays before being forced to punt.

The Panthers again would scale the field but on a 4th and 2, Ridgway would slip as he was about to head through a huge hole that was punched opened by his veteran offensive line. He came up short and Cudahy would take over on down on their own 11-yard line.

The Packers took possession and pulled off 6-plays before being forced to kick the ball away.

Greendale would start on a shorter field this time as the offense lined up on the Cudahy 35-yard line. They would run 8-plays before turning the ball over on downs at the Packer's 4-yard line. This was the 3rd time that the Panthers were deep in the red zone and failed to score.

The Panther's defense forced Cudahy to kick after going 3 and out. They would start that drive on the Packer's 48-yard line.

Five plays later, the Panthers would finally hit pay dirt as Ridgway ran it in from 1-yard out. Andrew Brees's extra point kick was good making the score 7-0 with 4:28 remaining in the 1st half.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Cudahy return man would slip and fall on his own 1-yard line. The Packer's offense managed just 4-plays before fumbling the ball. Greendale would recover it and take over on the Packer's 3-yard line.

On the very next play, Ridgway would take it himself as he walked in untouched for the Panther's 2nd TD of the night. Brees's kick was good increasing their lead to 14-0 with 2:08 left in the 1st half.

The Packers would go 3 and out on their next drive and have to punt. As soon as return man Mike Picciolo caught the ball, he was hit hard but still stayed on his feet. After a quick assessment of all of his body parts, he proceeded to start sprinting up the field and to the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown return. The point after try was good moving the score up to 21-0 in favor of the Panthers with 1:29 still left in the 1st half.

Greendale forced the Packers to 3 and out again. This time the punt would come to Greendale's Ben Ericksen. In an attempt to show his buddy Picciolo that he could do it too, he zigzagged his was back and forth before sticking it in high gear up the side line for another 51-yard punt return for a touchdown. Brees would find the uprights making the score 28-0 with :12 seconds left in the 1st half.

Cudahy would run 1-play before the 1st half came to an end.

The Packers would get the ball first to start the 2nd half. They strung 5-plays together before having to kick the ball away.

This time the Panthers were relegated to a rare 3 and out and had to punt the ball back to Cudahy.

The Packers then were forced to punt after 5-plays. On Greendale's first play, running back Jordan Biller, who was having a huge game, coughed up on a rare fumble giving new life back to the Packers with their best field possession of the night.

Three plays later, the Packers would score as running back Abe Sanchez would take it in from 6-yards out. The extra point try was good making the score 28-7 with 6:38 left in the 3rd.

Greendale would start on their 32-yard line after the ensuing kick off. Five plays later, Ridgway would throw an interception giving the ball back to Cudahy on their own 20-yard line. They would put 13-plays together before turning the ball over on downs on Greendale's 17-yard line.

The Panthers would drive deep into Packer territory before Ridgway threw his 2nd interception of the night. That occurred in the end zone so Cudahy would start on their 20-yard line.

The Black Cat's defense backed Cudahy up and forced them to punt after 3-plays. This time the snap sailed over the punters head of which he had no choice but to fall on the ball and take the safety. The score was now 30-7 with 5:11 left in the game.

The Panthers would take the free kick and score 5-plays later as Biller ran it in from 3-yards out capping off a 50-yard drive. Brees's kick was good making the score 37-7 with 3:15 left in the game.

The Cudahy offensive line couldn't handle Greendale up front and were forced to kick after 3-plays again.

Greendale would run 2-plays before fumbling the ball back to the Packers.

Cudahy would run 2-plays and almost scored after being stopped on the Panther's 1-yard line. No one knew exactly how much time was left as the score keeper turned off the scoreboard before the players even finished un-piling from the play. I guess the officials just assumed the game was over and Greendale would come out on top by a score of 37-7.

"I was not very happy with the offense tonight," said Head Coach Rob Stoltz. "You can't be in the red zone that many times and not come away with points. There were too many breakdowns, to many mistakes, and too many turnovers that we need to clean up."

The Panthers will now return home next week, as they will host one of the biggest games in the Woodland Conference this year. They will host the New Berlin Eisenhower Lions who are also undefeated in conference play. This same situation happened last year when these same two teams met. Greendale ended up winning that game in triple overtime by a score of 28-27 in the rain and the mud. Mud won't be an issue this year and if it doesn't rain, everyone will be able to see what both these teams are really made of. Everyone better plan on getting there early, as it is expected to be a packed house. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00.

For game stats, click here.

For game pictures, click here.

For video highlights, click here.

Photos by Chuck Cairns

Freshman   

Cudahy Hits A Golden Brick Wall
R. A. Mattrisch 10/2/08

It's not every game where you will find a football player that can turn everything he touches into gold. It's not the gold you find in Fort Knox. It's not the gold you find in jewelry. It's not the gold you find in fillings. It's the end zone gold. That coveted area that football teams strive to reach. It's that golden 6 points you get after you cross the 'gold' line. Well, Greendale's Sam Brick had one of those nights. When the game was finally over, he caught a 59-yard touchdown pass that was first tipped by a defender and then fell into his hands; he intercepted a ball on defense and returned it for a 70-yard touchdown, and then did it again on the very next series returning that one 51-yards for a touchdown. One could say that he had an OK night.

Actually, he and the rest of his freshman teammates also had a 'Golden' night as the Panthers defeated the Cudahy Packers on the road by a score of 45-28. It was the same old story as the last 3 games. The other team can not stop Greendale's spread offense. It's not just here at the freshmen level, it's all the levels. Yes fans, we are just over the halfway point of the season and all three of the Greendale High School football teams have yet to lose a game. That is truly amazing to say the least! This proves one thing. If you have a solid core of coaches with a solid program in place; a bunch of players with a serious attitude about the sport that are willing to work hard both on and off the field, it can be done.

Greendale would receive the opening kickoff to start the game. It only took 7-plays for the Panthers to travel 65-yards and score as quarterback Brett Nethery would sprint up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown run. He also handles the kicking chores of which was good making the score 7-0 with 6:49 left in the 1st quarter.

Cudahy would start their first drive on their 35-yard line. Three plays later, Greendale's Evan Just would intercept a pass and zigzag his way 59-yards before being dragged down on the Cudahy 1-yard line. Three plays later, Just would find the end zone from 1-yard out for the Panther's 2nd score of the night. The kick was blocked making the score 13-0 with 4:21 still remaining in the 1st quarter.

The Packers offense would line up on their 34-yard line for their next series. The Panthers forced them to punt after 3-plays but Greendale's return man fumbled the ball back to them thus breathing new life into the Cudahy offense. Three plays later, the Packers would score a touchdown on a 2-yard run. They missed the point after thus changing the score to 13-6 with 1:16 left in the 1st.

The Cat's offense would take charge of the ball on their 42-yard line after the ensuing kick. Six plays later, Nethery found wide out Mike Phillips for a 12-yard scoring strike for Greendale's 3rd TD of the night. Nethery's kick was good making the score 20-6 with 8:03 now in the 2nd quarter.

The Packer offense would now come out and start on their own 5-yard line as Greendale pinned them deep on the kick. Here they would put a 15-play scoring drive together as Cudahy completed a 5-yard pass on 4th and goal. The try for 2-points failed making the score 20-12 in favor of the Panthers with :59 seconds left in the first half.

Greendale's kick return team would line up following the touchdown. As the ball left the kicking tee, Greendale's Evan Just would catch it and raced 75-yards the other way for an apparent touchdown. There was a flag thrown on the play so the score didn't count and Greendale would instead start at their own 41-yard line. With only :59 seconds left on the clock, the Panther coaching staff decided to make an effort to score versus downing the ball to run the clock out. On their very first play, Nethery would throw deep over the middle to where there were a bunch of players converging. A Cudahy defender managed to get a hand on the ball, but all he did was tip it to Greendale's Sam Brick who grabbed it and took it to the house completing a 1-play 59-yard touchdown drive. The kick was wide left leaving the score at 26-12 with :34 seconds left in the 1st half.

Cudahy would run 4-plays before the half came to a close.

Things quieted down a bit to start the 2nd half. Cudahy was forced to punt going 3 and out and the Panthers turned it over on downs near midfield by coming up inches short on 4th down.

Cudahy would get a little drive going via the airways. They may have threw one to many passes for this was when Greendale's Brick would jump an out route to intercept the ball and raced 70-yards for his second TD of the night. The extra point kick was no good extending Greendale's lead by a margin of 32-12 with 1:48 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Packers would get good field position near midfield on the following kick return. Three plays later, Brick would jump the same route to intercept the pass again and took it to the house once more. This time he covered 51-yards on the run. Nethery would find the goal post this time to make the score 39-12 with :09 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.

Cudahy was a little reluctant to pass now so they went back to the run. They did put a nice 14-play scoring drive together as their big bruising running back finished the deal with a 2-yard run for a touchdown. They went for 2-points and converted making the score 39-20 with 4:01 left in the game.

Greendale would now start playing players from their depth chart. They were forced to punt after 4-plays.

Cudahy came out to see if they could keep it going but they fumbled 2-plays later of which Greendale's Ryan Kopczynski would recover.

The Panthers had their complete 2nd offense in the game. In a 3rd and long situation, Greendale quarterback Kenan Goyette would find Nate VanElls on a bubble screen who than out legged the defenders to the outside and raced 27-yards up the field for another Panther score. The kick was no good making the score 45-20 with 1:23 left in the game.

Cudahy came back and score in 5-plays as they completed a 17-yard pass for a touchdown capping off a 63-yard drive. The try for the 2-point conversion was good making the score 45-28 with just :10 left in the game.

Greendale would get the ensuing onside kick and assume the victory formation to run the clock out. Overall, the game was fun to watch for there were a lot of big plays made. Greendale will now head back to the friendly confines of home next Thursday as they will host the New Berlin Eisenhower Lions. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 pm.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity Reserve   

The Domination Proclamation!
R. A. Mattrisch 9/29/08

After five games this season, the Varsity Reserve Panther football team is letting it be known that they don't fool around when it comes to playing and winning football games. Teams better bring their "A" game or something close because if they don't, they will be dominated in pretty much all aspects of the game. Cudahy came to town this past Monday and they didn't bring their "A" game. As a result, they were crushed by the Panthers by a score of 50-14. The 14 points came late in the game when Greendale had their 2nd and 3rd groups in. Otherwise, it could have easily been 50-0.

Greendale's record now improves to 6-0. The one very obvious thing when you watch them play is that they have fun. "It doesn't get any better then to win games and have fun at the same time," said Assistant Coach Tim Gavinski. "We only get a few hours a week to practice as a unit so our guys don't play together that much. I will say that they sure do have fun together."

Greendale started the game on offense first. By using their seemingly unstoppable spread offense, they would score in 6-plays as Luke Drumel carried one in from 15-yards out. Quarterback Ernie Valente would run a keeper for the 2-point try to make the score 8-0 with 7:59 left in the opening quarter.

Cudahy would then line up to take the kick, but they fumbled on the return giving the ball back to the Panthers on the Cudahy 29-yard line. Three plays later, Valente would find Jo Jo Sardina for a nice 16-yard touchdown pass. The Panthers made good on the 2-point conversion as Valente would find Sean Givens on a slant route to make the score 16-0 with 7:11 left in the 1st quarter.

Cudahy would take the ensuing kickoff and only put 3-plays up before being forced to punt the ball. There was a penalty on the play against Greendale so the Packers would get a new set of downs. They burned up 3-more plays before being forced to punt again. This time there was a bad snap so Greendale would now come out of this with a short field in front of them.

The Panthers only ran 4-plays before turning the ball over on downs.

Cudahy would bring their offense out again but the Panther's defense was all over them like a cheap suite for 3-plays later, Greendale's Brandon Cannistra would intercept a Cudahy pass and took it to the Cudahy 24-yard line.

Three plays later, Valente would find Alex Najera completing a 22-yard pass for Greendale's third touchdown of the night. The try for 2 failed changing the score to read 22-0 with 9:50 now left in the 1st half.

The struggling Packers would now try and get something going on offense. I guess when it rains, it pours because they fumbled 4-plays later as Greendale's Jackson Zingshsheim would fall on it. The Panthers now had the ball on the Cudahy 37-yard line.

Bobby Mikorski was now in at quarterback for the Panthers as he and Valente split time together. Five plays later, Mikorski would sneak in from 2-yards out for another Panther score. They would try for the 2-point conversion again, but the pass was too high. The score was now 28-0 with 5:38 remaining in the half.

Cudahy was forced to punt after 4-plays. This time the punter kicked the ball into the back of his own players resulting in another short field for the Panthers.

Three plays later, Mikorski would find Givens again for a nice 8-yard pass for a touchdown. Luke Drumel would take a pitch and scamper in for the 2-point conversion. The score was now a lopsided 36-0 with 3:07 still remaining in the 1st half.

The Packers would go 3 and out and the Panthers would run 3-plays before time ran out in the half.

Cudahy would get the ball first to start the 2nd half. They were relegated to 3 and out again by the Panthers. This time, return man Dan Wisniewski would take the punt and sprinted 70-yards to the end zone for another Panther touchdown. Valente would complete a pass to Eric Shuerman for the 2-point conversion making the score 44-0 with 6:43 left on the now continuous running clock.

Both teams would go 3 and out to each other to end the 3rd quarter.

Cudahy, whose offense seemed stymied all night, finally made something happen. On their first possession in the 4th quarter, their running back would break loose for a 77-yard touchdown run. The try for 2-points was good making the score 44-8 with 8:48 left in the game.

Greendale's # 3 offense was in the game but fumbled on their very first play. Cudahy would march down and score in 3 plays. The try for 2-points failed as Greendale's middle linebacker, Drake Barczak, laid a "snot-bubbler hit" on the running back as soon as he got the ball. For those of you who don't know what a "snot bubbler hit" is, it's when a player hits another player so hard that a little bubble forms from out of the player's nose who just got hit, and then pops! OK... It might be an urban myth, but in theory it could happen.

Greendale would take the ensuing kickoff and march right down for their last touchdown of the night as Mikorski would run one in from 4-yards out. The try for 2 failed making the score 50-14 with 3:27 left on the clock.

Cudahy would manage to get off 4-plays before the clock finally ran out. The final score was 50-14. The Panthers will now travel to New Berlin Eisenhower to take on the Lions for what will probably be the biggest game of the year. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity    

Depth Charged!
R. A. Mattrisch 9/26/08

At a location by the lake, you naturally will find Mariners. That would be the St Francis Mariners of course. Greendale took to the road Friday night to pay a visit to them for the 5th game of the season. When it was all said and done, the Panthers blew the Mariners out of the water by a score of 35-7. It was, however, by way of a time delayed explosion that actually didn't happened until the 4th quarter. That is when Greendale finally pushed the button. Up until then, the game was actually close. "We knew that this was going to be our toughest game of the season thus far," said Head Coach Rob Stoltz. "They have a very strong running game that we needed to take care of, and they have an experienced quarterback running their offense so we diffidently knew we had our hands full."

The Mariners were coming in at 3-1 with their only loss coming against Whitnall. They dominated in stats for that game, but it was the mistakes that led to their downfall. Tonight's game was also anticipated to be a high scoring one going in, but that never materialized as the Mariners had no answer for Greendale's pass attack. They shouldn't feel too bad for no one else has had any luck up to this point either.

St Francis would kick to Greendale to start the game. As the teams lined up, Greendale Head Coach Rob Stoltz noticed that St Francis was playing man to man with no safety help on his super weapon, Ben Ericksen. Seeing that, he signaled in a play to his other weapon, quarterback Chris Ridgway. As the ball was snapped, Ridgway would see Ericksen getting behind the defender and connected for a game opening 50-yard pass play. Five plays later he would find Ericksen again in the seam for a 26-yard scoring strike. Travis Kahl's kick was good, as Greendale would draw first blood by a score of 7-0 with 10:14 left in the opening quarter.

Greendale's once no-named defense came out and forced the Mariners to punt after going 3 and out.

The Panthers would start on their 43-yard line for their next series. They managed 5-plays before having to punt back to the Mariners.

St Francis would now start from their 20-yard line. They knew that they needed to keep the game close and control the ball so that they could keep Greendale's offense off the field. They managed putting together a 14-play drive before Greendale’s Ryan Korsmo would intercept a Cory Knapp pass and return it to the 44-yard line. There was a penalty on the play so the Panthers would end up starting from their 23 instead.

Six plays later, Ridgway would find Ericksen on a deep 26-yard post pattern for Greendale's 2nd score of the night. The Panthers would line up for the kick but faked it as Ridgway found Mike Picciolo for the 2-point conversion. The score was now 15-0 in favor of Greendale with :25 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

Greendale forced St Francis to punt after 3 and out again as Panther defensive end, Andrew Thompson would drop Knapp for a major loss.

The Panthers would get a short field following a poor punt and set up shop on the Mariner 32-yard line. They put together 9-plays before turning the ball over on downs at the Mariner 1-yard line.

St Francis would only get 3-yards before having to punt again from deep in their own end zone. It was here where St Francis made one of their many costly penalties for they seemed to have Picciolo down at their own 45-yard line, but there was a penalty however, forcing them to kick again. This time Picciolo made them pay as he returned this kick all the way to the Mariner 6-yard line. On the very next play, Ridgway would hand the ball off to "The Train" Jordan Biller, who busted his way into the end zone for another Panther score. Kahl's kick was no good making the score 21-0 with 4:58 left in the 1st half.

The Mariners would start on their 30-yard line following the ensuing kick. Three plays later, Greendale's Cordney Wren would intercept a Knapp pass and return it to the Mariner 35-yard line. After some discussion, the officials brought the ball back as they said that his knee touched the ground back at the Panther 35.

Greendale would start their next attack through the air again. Six plays later, Panther receive Adam Goad failed to secure a pass of which the Mariners would grab for the interception.

St Francis would run 5-plays before the 1st half came to a close.

The Mariners would start with the ball to open the 2nd half. On their very 1st play from scrimmage, running back Will Frisch would take a handoff and race 78-yards for a Mariner touchdown. The point after try was good making the score 21-7 with 11:36 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Panthers would take the ensuing kickoff and start from their 30-yard line. They gashed the Mariners in 2-plays as Ridgway found Ericksen for a 20-yard pass, followed by a 47-yard run by Biller. They failed to score again however, and were forced to turn the ball over on downs at the Mariner 1-yard line.

It was here when St Francis put a 21-play drive together using up almost a complete quarter. They managed to get deep into Panther territory and found themselves in a 4th and 6 situation. They called a draw play of which the Panthers would stop to take over on downs.

Eight plays later, Ridgway found Ericksen for a 15-yard scoring strike capping off a 5-play 85-yard drive. Kahl's kick was good increasing their lead to 28-7 with 6:55 left in the game.

The Panthers would force the Mariners to punt going 3 and out again.

Ridgway and company would punch in again and start their job from their own 49-yard line. Seven plays later, Ridgway would fake a handoff and walk in from 15-yards out around left end for the Panthers 6th touchdown of the night. The kick was good making the score 35-7 with 4:32 left in the game.

The Mariners were forced to punt after 5-plays. Greendale would bring in their 2nd group to burn up the rest of the clock.

The game would finally end but not before seeing a yeoman effort by St Francis's running back Will Frisch, who finished the night with over 250 yards on the ground, and Greendale's Ben Ericksen, who had a record performance finishing the night with 9 catches, 3 touchdowns, and 234 yards.

Greendale would win by a score of 35-7 and have now won 27 Woodland Conference games in a row. They will head back to the lakefront next week, as they will play the Cudahy Packers. The game will start at 7:00 pm.

For the stats of the game, click here.

For more pictures of the game, click here.

For the video highlights of the game, click here.

Photos by Eric Campbell Vince Cameranesi

Freshman   

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover
R. A. Mattrisch 9/25/08

When you show up to a football game and you look at the teams on the field, you develop this impression-thus, the term, "First impression." The St Francis Freshman team had plenty of players and those players had some size. Greendale, on the other hand, also has good numbers but they just didn't seem as big for some reason. Was it the uniforms? Was it the lighting? Was it the fact that the crown on the field was so high that the players seemed taller? I couldn't really say exactly what it was. At the end of the evening, I confirmed one thing that my parents always taught me. "It's not what's on the outside, it's what's on the inside that counts."

Then the game started and it was evident that both teams were going to be pounding away on each other all night long. In fact, this was the first time that Greendale was taking body shots this year. The question now would be how would they react to these shots? By the end of the game, the Panthers and their spread offense, of which no one seems to have an answer for, prevailed as they defeated the hosting Mariners 34-6 for their 3rd consecutive win of the season. You wouldn't have thought that this game would have ended like this because the score was only 6-6 at the end of the 1st half. The Panthers, however, came out the 2nd half with a rejuvenated attitude and started making plays on both sides of the ball to seal the deal.

The Panthers received the opening kick to open the game. They managed only 4-plays before turning it over on downs after failing to convert on a 4th & 1.

St Francis would line up for their first play on offense but fumbled right away giving the ball back to the Panthers on their 47-yard line. They would manage 6-plays before quarterback Brett Nethery would throw his first and only interception of the night.

The Mariners would now line up on their 17-yard line. On the very next play, one of their running backs broke through and raced all the way to the end zone for what looked to be a score. One of their players however, threw an unnecessary block in the back away from the play thus nullifying the 67-yard touchdown run. This drive would continue for 8 more plays but would soon end on the Greendale 15-yard line. This is when a Panther defensemen blew through the offensive line and created a collision at the exchange point causing a fumble of which the Panthers fell on. They would run 4-plays before they had to punt back to the Mariners.

The Cat's defense was now swinging the big blows. They forced St Francis to punt after 3. It was here were things got a little interesting. The snap was high for the Mariner punter so by time he gathered the ball, he could see that there was no way he was going to get the punt off so he started running right up the field. At the last minute, he then decides to punt the ball anyway while he was on the run. He did manage to get it off. The problem was that right after the ball left his foot, he was clobbered by Panther pursuers for they though he was running. The rule states however, that as long as he stays behind the line of scrimmage, he is still the punter and can kick whenever and wherever he wants so as a result, a roughing the kicker penalty was called. Needless to say, the Mariners would be given new life and now seemed to have the momentum. They would put together 10 more plays before Greendale's Kennedy Ringelberg intercepted the ball in the end zone thus terminating the Mariner's drive.

Greendale's offense would take over on their 20-yard line. This was when Greendale's offensive coordinator Steve Stoltz would open the playbook and turn to the chapter on passing. Seven plays later Greendale found themselves in the end zone as Nethery scooted 4-yards through the middle for the first score of the game. The extra point kick was no good making the score 6-0 with :50 left in the first half.

St Francis would get a good return on the ensuing kickoff and would start on Greendale's 47-yard line. Low-n-behold, 2-plays later, the Mariners would find the end zone by way of a 46-yard half back option pass. Then another interesting thing happened. In the process of celebrating the touchdown, the receiver did a back flip in the end zone thus causing a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. This would now turn a normal easy short extra point kick to a harder, longer 18-yard kick attempt. The kick was short thus tying the score at 6 apiece as the 1st half came to an end.

The halftime speech in the Greendale huddle must have worked for they forced the Mariners to punt after 3 to open the 2nd half.

Greendale would now take possession and put a 4-play scoring drive together as Nethery found Sam Brick open for a nice 17-yard touchdown pass. The try for 2-points failed making the score 12-6 with 7:14 left in the 3rd.

This time, the Panthers forced St Francis to punt after 4-plays and would start with the ball at mid-field. Six plays later, Nethery would call his number again as he sprinted straight through the heart of the defense for a 15-yard touchdown run. The try for 2 was good making the score 20-6 with 3:18 still left in the 3rd quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, St Francis would start their next attack on their 25-yard line. Two plays later, however, Greendale's Jack Bosanac would pick off a bubble screen pass and raced 25-yards the other way for the Panther's 4th touchdown of the night. Nethery's kick was good making the score 27-6 with 1:47 left in the 3rd.

It was now into the 4th quarter when the Panthers forced the Mariners to punt after 5-plays. Instead of relying on the airways this time, the Panthers decided to try the ground game. Here is when Evan Just would take a handoff and race almost the entire length of the field to the Mariner 6-yard line where he was finally tackled. While he was still gasping for air, they gave the ball to him again to finish the job as he powered his way from 6-yards out for the Panther's 5th touchdown of the night. The point after kick was good making the score 34-6 with 6:48 left in the game.

Both teams would punt going 3 and out by each other before the game finally came to an end. Greendale now moves their record to 3-0 for the year. Next week they will play just a few blocks to the south as they will play the hosting Cudahy Packers. The game is scheduled for a 6:30pm start.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity Reserve   

Speed Kills...
R. A. Mattrisch 9/23/08

While you were growing up, you always heard commercials talking about what happens when you're driving to fast in your car. You probably always heard reminders from your parents that speed kills. What is it about speed anyway? Everyone always seems to enjoy the feeling of going faster. Roller coasters, for example are ways that people can satisfy that thirst for speed. The feeling you get when riding on trains will also give you that exhilarating excitement. Some people are born with it in their blood like racecar drivers. In fact, it doesn't have to be cars. It could be boats, bikes, airplanes, and snowmobiles, just to name a few other forms of racing. People risk life and limb just to see how fast they can go.

Not all speed is bad however. Speed on a football team can be a good thing! Well, let me clarify that a bit. If you are on the team that has speed, then it's a good thing. If you are playing against a team that has more speed than you, then it's a bad thing. The St Francis Varsity Reserve football team felt that first hand the other night. In fact, all of the opponents that Greendale's Varsity Reserve team has played have felt that.

This past Monday night, the Greendale Panther Varsity Reserve team cut another notch in their belt as they defeated the visiting St Francis Mariners 44-0. The visitors had no one that could keep up with Luke Drumel who finished the game with 153 yards rushing. OK… sit down on this one... He only played the first half. You also had other big playmakers like Jo Jo Sardina, Eric Shuerman on offense who were getting behind the defense all night. You have a very mobile defense with the likes of Bobby Hall, Ryan Bender, Drake Barczak, and Ryan Becker. These guys and others can get in the backfield before the ball carrier can even tuck the ball away. The common denominator here is speed.

Speed is one of the most important attributes needed if a team plans on winning football games. For the most part, you are born with it. You can't really coach it so don't blame the coaches. That's not saying that you can't help develop it because you can. That's what the Greendale High School football coaching staff does in the off-season. Speed camp baby! Do you think it works? You bet your sweet bib-bee it does! Did you every wonder why Greendale has been so successful in the last 5 or 6 years? Come watch a game and find out first hand. St Francis did!

Greendale would start with the ball first as the game began. They only had it for a few seconds as the return man fumbled the ball giving it to the Mariners on Greendale's 32-yard line. The Panther defense held anyway as they forced the Mariners to punt after going 3 and out.

The Cats would then start on their own 40-yard line. Seven plays later, Drumel would run one into the end zone from 5-yards out. The try for 2-points failed making the score 6-0 with 6:37 left in the 1st quarter.

St Francis would run 5-plays on their next possession before they fumbled of which Ryan Becker of Greendale would recover. Behind some nice long and adventurous runs by Drumel and quarterback Ernie Valente, the Panthers found the end zone again as Valente ran it in from 3-yards out. The try for 2 failed again making the score 12-0 with 2:39 left in the 1st quarter.

The Mariners would have to punt again after going 3 and out. This time it took just 3-plays as Valente found wide out Jo Jo Sardina for a 6-yard TD pass. The try for 2 failed again moving the score up to 18-0 with 8:41 now in the 2nd quarter.

Guess what? The Mariners went 3 and out again and were forced to punt.

This time Greendale would start from their own 29-yard line. Five plays later, Drumel busted out a nice 36-yard run for another Panther score. The try for 2 failed once again making the score 24-0 with 4:43 left in the 1st half.

OK… Three and out again!

The Panthers would score their 4th TD of the night, as quarterback Bobby Mikorski would find Eric Shuerman for a 30-yard touchdown pass. OK… the try for 2 failed again! However, those few extra points would seem insignificant as the Panthers now led 30-0 with 1:24 left in the 1st half.

The Mariners would try to right the ship (no pun intended), but were intercepted on their very first play by Brandon Cannistra, who zigzagged his way down to the St Francis 10-yard line. Four plays later, Mikorski would find Shuerman again for a 21-yard touchdown pass. I'll forgo the extra point part. The score was now 36-0 in favor of the Cats as the first half came to an end.

St Francis would start with the ball to open the second half. They reeled off 4-plays before being forced to bring out their punter once again. It was here where Shuerman would return the ball to the Mariner 12-yard line capping off a 55-yard return. Greendale's Dan Wisniewski would bull his way in from 1-yard out for the Panther's 6th touchdown of the night. NEWSFLASH! The try for 2-points was GOOD as Valente would run it in himself making the score 44-0 with 2:19 left on the now continuous running clock.

St Francis would get the ball and managed 7-plays before eventually turning it over on downs.

Greendale, who now had a lot of different players in, would take control of the ball on their 27-yard line. On the second play from scrimmage, the ball sailed over Mikorski's head of which he had to quickly try and retrieve but couldn't. When everyone un-piled, St Francis would have the ball on Greendale's 5-yard line. This would be Greendale's biggest challenge of the night. Could they keep the Mariners out of their end zone and preserve the shutout? It was interesting because from the sideline, it looked like one team was moving in fast motion and the other one was in slow motion. I'm not going to bother telling you which one was which but 4-plays later, Greendale's Drake Barczak would drop the Mariner quarterback for a 10-yard loss forcing them to give the ball up on downs. The refs would put the ball in play on Greendale's 17-yard line. The defense actually pushed them backwards because of their speed and quickness.

Greendale would now run 6 more plays before the clock finally ran out. Greendale would defeat St Francis 44-0 and will move their record to 5-0 for the season. They will host the Cudahy Packers next week here at home. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30pm.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity    

Unbelieeeeeeevable!
R. A. Mattrisch 9/19/08

The setting was perfect! It was homecoming, the weather was comfortable, the stands were packed, and the hotdogs were done to perfection. All we needed were some football teams. Well, they did manage to make it as the Greendale Panthers crawled out of their den, and the Wauwatosa West Trojans crawled out of the taxi so that they could butt heads for their 4th game of the season. When all of the head butt'in was finished, the Panthers found themselves on the winning end by a score of 42-0. The Trojans just seemed to be out matched and fell to 0-4 while the Panthers have now jumped to 4-0 for the year.

Probably the most amazing stat of the night was the Panther's defense holding the Trojans to minus 7 yards of offense for the game. Holding a varsity team to that in 48 minutes is something that very rarely occurs. Nonetheless, the young Panther defense is now obtaining an identity as they have held teams scoreless in the last two games.

Greendale would receive the opening kick first to start the game. It would only take 2-plays before Panther quarterback Chris Ridgway would find Ben Ericksen, who was being triple covered down the left sideline for an amazing 64-yard scoring strike. Travis Kahl's extra point kick was good making the score 7-0 with 11:13 left in the first quarter.

The Panther's young defense would take to the field on the ensuing kickoff and forced Tosa backwards. You can't get a first down going that way so they were forced to punt back to the Panthers.

Three plays later, Panther running back Jordan "Freight Train" Biller would cross the goal line from 25-yards out behind some serious blocking at the line of scrimmage by his offensive linemen. The point after was blocked making the score 13-0 with 7:37 left in the 1st.

The Panther's defense repeated their earlier performance and forced the Trojans to kick again.

With 5:50 left in the 1st quarter, Greendale would set the table on their own 33-yard line. Three plays later, Ridgway would find another member of his lethal receiving corp. in Mike Picciolo for a 54-yards scoring pass. Kahl's kick would split the uprights making the score 20-0 with just a little over half of the 1st quarter gone.

Tosa West would now start their next drive on their own 23-yard line. They would be intercepted, however, by Greendale's Cordney Wren on their very first play of that series. Greendale would end up turning the ball over on downs as they failed to score from the 1-yard line.

The Cat's defense loves this for they now were in a position to score with a safety. Well, 2-plays later that is exactly what happened as they dropped Tosa's quarterback in the end zone for the 2-points. The score was now 22-0 with 11:26 left now in the 2nd quarter.

The Panthers would line up for the ensuing free kick but two players ran into each other causing the football to become lose of which the Trojans fell on.

It didn't matter for Tosa was forced to punt after 3 again.

The Panther offense would start out this drive deep in their end of the field. They managed to get to the Trojan 40-yard line before fumbling the ball for the second time of the night. A Trojan player would pick it up on a gimmie bounce and looked to be easily heading into the end zone. But like a ghost out of nowhere, Ericksen would appear and tackle the ball carrier on the 9-yard line.

Tosa now had their best field position of the night. However, bad luck struck again as they fumbled on their 4th play from scrimmage. Greendale's "Johnny on the spot" Joel Sirus would pick the ball up and race 84-yards for another Panther touchdown. This was his second defensive touchdown of the year. The point after try was good making the score 29-0 with 6:55 left in the 1st half.

The Trojan's offense had no answer on how to get past the Panther defense. They were forced to punt after going 3 and out again.

It was here when Ericksen would put on another one of his patented dances as he returned the punt 48-yards to the end zone for an apparent touchdown. The play would be called back however, because of a pre-possession change penalty, which would make Tosa have to kick again. This time they dropped Ericksen at midfield.

It would be just a matter of time before the Panthers would be knocking on the door again. This time the Tosa defense finally made a play by grabbing a tipped ball in the end zone for a touch back.

Tosa's defense managed to make a play, but their offense could not do the same as they were forced to punt again.

Greendale's powerful offense would now come out and score 5-plays later as Ridgway found Ericksen again in the end zone completing a 19-yard pass play. Kahl would have a rare miss on the extra point making the score 35-0 as the first half came to an end.

Because of the 35-point rule, the game clock would now keep running. Tosa would be getting the ball first but were picked off 4-plays later by Greendale's Evan Goyette on the Trojan's 28-yard line.

Four plays later, Biller would bust one up the middle again from 21-yards out for another Panther score. Kahl's kick was good making the score 42-0 with 6:22 left in the 3rd.

At this point, it turned into a tennis match as both teams started kicking the ball back and fourth to each other. Tosa was still looking for their 2nd first down of the night while the Panthers had other ideas. There were a total of two more exchanges before the running clock zeroed out to end the game.

The final score would be Greendale 42, Wauwatosa West 0. Greendale will now leave the comforts of home as they will travel next week to play the St Francis Mariners. The Mariners are 3-1 and are coming off a great 1-point victory last week against Fond du Lac St Mary's Springs. The game time is 7:00pm.

For the stats of the game, click here.

For more pictures of the game, click here.

To see the video highlights, click here.

Photos Chuck Cairns

Freshman   

Splash Two!
R. A. Mattrisch 9/18/08

The Panther's freshman team surfed the turf Thursday night as they dropped visiting Wauwatosa West into the drink for their second victory of the year. When the clock on Greendale's jumbo-tron read zeros, the posted score read Greendale 40, Wauwatosa West 16. Wauwatosa only had 19 players on their team but don't tell them that for they brought with them some speed and a strong will to win. In the end, it was the Panther passing mentality that would do them in just like it has been doing other teams at all levels of play. This victory actually marks the 9th one of the season for all Greendale High School football teams against no loses. "It’s kind of funny," said assistant coach Steve Stoltz. "All of us coaches here at the high school are constantly teasing each other about not being the first team to lose on the new field. I think all of the players are doing the same thing. The odds are that this will happen at some point in time, but it wasn't tonight."

Tosa would start with the ball to open the game. After 5-plays, they were forced to punt the ball away. It was this play that started the Panther scoring barrage. Return man Sebastian Garcia-Bakowski, would catch the ball and race his way down the right sideline where he picking up a major "rock-your-world" block from a teammate and would scamper all the way to the Tosa West 19-yard line. On the very next play, he would get the handoff and finish the job he started as he zigzagged his way into the end zone for the game's first score. Kicker and quarterback Brett Nethery would drill the ball through the uprights making the score 7-0 with 6:28 left in the 1st quarter.

The Panther defense forced the Trojans to 3 and out. Three plays later, Nethery would find Mike Phillips for a perfect 38-yard touchdown pass. This time the kick was no good adjusting the score to read 13-0 with 3:44 still left in the 1st quarter.

The Panther's stingy defense forced the Trojans to punt after 6-plays. Three plays later, running back Evan Just broke lose for a nice 28-yard touchdown run. The kick was no good again making the score 19-0 with :59 ticks left in the 1st quarter.

Following the ensuing kick, West would start their next series on their 46-yard line. The Cat's defense would deny them of a first down again forcing them to punt.

This time Greendale put 7-plays together before they were forced to attempt a 31-yard field goal. Nethery's kick was just short leaving the score at 19-0 in favor of the Panthers with 6:04 left in the first half.

By rule, Tosa would start with the ball on the 20-yard line. Two plays later, however, they would fumble as Phillips fell on it for the Panthers. Two plays later, Nethery would hook up with wide out Sam Brick for an 8-yards pass play for a score. Nethery would find the poles again making the score 26-0 with 4:36 remaining in the 1st half.

Tosa West would again be forced to punt after 3-plays. Then Greendale would make their first mistake of the night by botching a snap that was too high for Nethery to handle. The Trojans would fall on it at midfield.

With time running out in the half, they went to the air. They did manage to hook up a 46-yard touchdown pass, but it was called back on a penalty. The half would then come to an end.

Greendale would get the ball first and wouldn't waste time as Just would score from 16-yards out capping off a 5-play drive. Nethery's kick was good now making the score 33-0 with 6:58 left in the 3rd quarter.

After the kick, West finally got on the board with their very first play from scrimmage as they completed an 85-yard touchdown pass. The try for 2-points was good making the score 33-8 with 6:35 left in the 3rd.

Greendale would now take control again as they put a whopping 11-play scoring drive together as Nethery would eventually sneak it in from 1-yard out. The point after try was good making the score 40-8 with 2:37 left in the 3rd.

Tosa would get the ball next but were intercepted on the very first play by Even Just of Greendale. The Panthers would now bring in their reserve players and manage 4-plays before having to punt the ball away. It was this kick where Nethery aimed for the sideline and dropped it perfectly at the Tosa 1-yard line.

Tosa West would then come back with the longest drive possible on a football field as they marched all the way to the other end in 10-plays. They eventually scored as their quarterback would sneak it up the middle for their second touchdown of the night. The try for 2-points was successful making the score 40-16 with 4:28 seconds left in the game.

The Trojans would then try for an onside kick, which didn't go far enough so the Panthers took over at midfield. Things then started getting a little sloppy as Greendale fumbled on their 2nd play from scrimmage. Tosa would then be intercepted as Greendale’s Carsyn Lenz got in between the quarterback and the receiver.

Greendale then had to punt after going 3 and out. They would get it right back 3-plays later as Cody Reeve would intercept the ball on Greendale's 30-yard line. The Panthers needed just 3 plays before they could line up in their favorite formation. "The Victory Formation."

The final score was Greendale 40, Wauwatosa West 16. Greendale will now be on the road for the first time this year as they head east to play the St Francis Mariners next Thursday night. The game starts at 6:30.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity Reserve   

Defense-O-Rama
R. A. Mattrisch 9/15/08

The 2008 Varsity Reserve took a drive out to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin to butt heads with the Wauwatosa West Trojans on a cool Monday afternoon. Even though the grass was as long as the rough for PGA events, the Panthers managed to not trip and come out with a victory by beating the Trojans 20-6. The grass was so long that big #21 Luke "Jig Saw" Drumel was called down by the officials because they said his knee hit the ground when in fact, he was standing straight up. There was another time when the referee put the ball down and when the center came out of the huddle, he could find it! OK, it wasn't that long... I just had to say that! Actually... when you consider all of the rain that just recently fell, the field was in perfect playing condition.

If you like defense, this was the game for you. If you like offense, well, sorry I guess. Of course penalty flags didn't help the offenses either as there were numerous big plays called back for both teams.

The first half was very uneventful as both teams could not find the end zone. Greendale started out with the ball and ended up going 3 and out.

Tosa would do the same on their next drive.

The Panthers finally put a monster 16-play drive together that lasted almost a whole quarter only to end up turning it over on downs at the Trojan's 5-yard line. They were actually in the end zone once but it was nullified by a penalty flag.

Tosa West had something going for a bit, but they ended up punting after 7-plays.

Greendale then took possession but was forced to punt after 6-plays.

Tosa came out and turned it over on downs after failing to convert on a 4th and 3.

Greendale then was intercepted after 2-plays as Ernie Valente was trying to get a pass off while surrounded by players with a different color jersey.

The Trojans managed 1-play before the 1st half came to an end. I think when the gun went off, it woke up some of the spectators in the stands.

The second half was a lot better... at least for the Panthers. Tosa started out with the ball but the Panther's defense forced them to kick after only 3-plays.

Greendale would get a short field as they would start from the Tosa 25-yards line. Five plays later, Valente would cross the goal line via a 1-yard run up the middle for a touchdown. The try for the 2-point conversion was no good making the score 6-0 with 5:58 left in the 3rd quarter.

Tosa would have to punt after going 3 and out again.

Bobby Mikorski, who was now in at quarterback for the Panthers, lined his team up on the Tosa West 35-yard line. Six plays later, he connected with Jo Jo Sardina for a 33-yard touchdown pass. The try for 2-points was no good again increasing the Panther's lead by a margin of 12-0 with 1:23 left in the 3rd.

Greendale's defense was now at the top of their game as they forced the Trojans to punt after 3 again.

Greendale then came out and reeled off 8-plays before eventually turning it over on downs.

The Panthers let the Trojans run 4-plays this time before they were forced to punt for the 6th time in the game.

Greendale ended up with another short field as Valente was now back in at quarterback. Five plays later, he would hook up with Sardina again for a nice 20-yard touchdown pass. Luke Drumel (aka: "Jig Saw" but friends call him "Saw") took a pitch and zigzagged his way in for a successful 2-point conversion. The score was now 20-0 with 4:20 left in the game.

Tosa would finally get their offense going as they kept a 10-play drive together and scored from 6-yards out. The 2-point try failed making the score 20-6 in favor of the Panthers.

Everyone knew what was coming next as the Trojans lined up for the onside kick. Greendale would get it as shortstop Drumel (no pun intended) would scoop it up for the Panthers.

Greendale needed to run 1-play before they could line up in their victory formation to end the game. The final score was Greendale 20, Wauwatosa West 6. The Varsity Reserve Panthers will take their undefeated record and return to the rug next week as they will host the St Francis Mariners. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Youth Program's Contribution

The Greendale youth football program presents a check towards the turf field project.
9/13/08

(L-R) GYFL President Jerry Meyers, GPTC members Keith Ringelberg, Rodney Mattrisch,
Tim Nethery, and Matt Barczak

The Greendale Panthers Youth Football program held a fundraiser last spring to help raise money on their behalf for Greendale's new turf field at the high school. Because the group stands to directly benefit from the field, they took it upon themselves to raise money by way of a "Brat Fry" that was organized by Katie & Matt Barczak along with many other volunteers. Through food, beverage and raffle sales, the group raised $17,300.00 dollars that was presented to the Greendale Panther Touchdown Club to represent their donation to the field project.

Varsity    

Panthers Like Their New Home
R. A. Mattrisch 9/5/08

After starting the season with two consecutive road games, the Greendale Panthers finally had a chance to test-drive their new turf field. When it was all said and done, they gave it two thumbs up as they defeated the visiting Greenfield Hawks 34-0 on a warm and rainy Friday evening. It was apparent that Greendale was firing on all cylinders in all aspects of the game. The defense held Greenfield to just 57 yards of total offense, while their offense piled up 321 yards. "We were very pleased with tonight's game," said Head Coach Rob Stoltz. "Even though we won last week, we as coaches were not very happy with how we played. We expressed our sentiment to the players and they responded. Defensively we finally played hard the whole game and offensively, everything seemed to click."

One of the reasons the offense is clicking is because of the unsung heroes. That would be the boys up front otherwise known as the offensive line. Four of the five guys have now played together for 2-years. When you ask them about what they do, they simply reply by saying, "We do our jobs so that the running backs and receivers can get their names in the paper." The frontline consists of; left tackle Lucas Pohlmann, left guard Andrew Thompson, center Joe Hanson, right guard Noah Jankowski, and right tackle Jordan Campbell. These are the blue-collar guys that are getting it done up front.

Greenfield kicked off first to start the game. The Panthers would unleash their pass attack and put a 5-play 77-yard scoring drive together as Greendale's quarterback Chris Ridgway found Ben Ericksen on a 20-yard pass play for the game's first score. Travis Kahl's extra point kick was good making the score 7-0 with 9:59 left in the 1st quarter.

The Panthers then forced the Hawks to punt after going 3 and out.

The Cats would now march down to the Hawk's 7-yard line before Ridgway fumbled the ball on the snap of which Greenfield recovered.

This time, Greenfield ran 6-plays before they fumbled the ball right back to the Panthers. Greendale would now set up shop on the Greenfield 42-yard line.

It took just 6-plays for the Panthers to score again as Ridgway found Ericksen on a fade pattern completing an 11-yard scoring pass play. Kahl's kick was true increasing the Cat's lead to 14-0 with 9:36 left in the first half.

With the rain now starting to fall harder, Greenfield would take possession again. They managed to get to the Panther 17-yard line before fumbling for the second time of the night. Greendale would now own the ball on the Hawk's 16-yard line.

The Panthers ran off 3-plays before Ridgway threw his one and only interception of the night.

The Panthers defense started turning up the heat as they forced Greenfield to 3 and out. This time the Hawks faked it only to be tackled at the line of scrimmage. Ridgway and his boys would now take control of the ball on the Hawk's 48-yard line.

Greendale could only reel off 6-plays before having to punt the ball away.

The Panthers joined the raindrops as they rained down on the Hawks forcing them to punt after going 3 and out again. This time Greenfield failed to even get a yard.

The snap for the punt rolled back forcing the punter to try and recover the ball. He had no luck as senior Lucas Pohlmann would fall on it on the Greenfield 9-yard line.

Two plays later, Ridgway found Ericksen again on a short out pattern for another Panther touchdown. This time the extra point kick was blocked making the score 20-0 in favor of the Panthers.

With under 2:00 minutes left in the half, Greenfield would take the ensuing kickoff, but were forced to line up for a punt after just 3-plays again.

With the Panthers smelling blood, they would attempt to block this kick but missed the ball. They didn't miss the kicker however, as flags flew from everywhere. Meanwhile, Ericksen was fielding the kick and would sprint across the field and up the sideline for a 65-yard return to the end zone. Unfortunately, this was a mute point because of the penalty.

Greenfield would retain possession only to throw it back to the Panthers 3-plays later as senior Mike Picciolo intercepted the ball with :05 seconds left on the clock. They would get off 1-play before the half came to an end.

Greenfield would start with the ball to open the second half but were forced to punt after going 3 and out.

The Panthers weren't afraid to try and block the kick again. This time they succeeded. Their offense would now take possession on the Hawk's 21-yard line.

Six plays later, Greendale found the end zone again as senior running back Jordan Biller would carry it in from 2-yards out. Kahl's kick went between the poles again making the score 27-0 with 6:28 left in the 3rd quarter.

Greenfield didn't seem to have an answer for the overpowering Panther defense as they were forced to punt after 3-plays once again.

This time, the Panthers would take to the ground behind the strong running by Biller. Greendale would soon score again as Ridgway found senior Adam Goad for a 3-yard pass capping off a 38-yard drive. The point after was good making the score 34-0 with 2:59 left in the 3rd.

The Panther's defense was now inflicting their will on the Hawks for they tackled Greenfield running backs 3-times in a row, each time for losses. This eventually forced them to punt from their own end zone.

The Cats however, only managed 4-plays before turning the ball over on downs on the Greenfield 21-yard line.

The Hawks would now try again to get something going. They managed 7-plays before having to kick the ball away.

With the majority of Greendale's starters on the bench, the Panthers would now finish the game with their backup players. They were forced to punt after just 3-plays.

On the Hawk's following possession, they were forced to 3 and out again for the 7th time in the game.

Greendale rattled off 6-plays before punting the ball back to the dismayed Hawks.

Greenfield could do nothing again and were forced to kick back to the Panthers.

Greendale only needed to run 3-plays before they could line up in their victory formation to end the game. The final score would be Greendale 34, Greenfield 0. This marks the 25th consecutive conference win for the Panthers, which spans over the past 4 years.

The Panthers will be home again next week as they will play host to the Wauwatosa West Trojans. The Trojans are coming in winless in three games. This is also Greendale's homecoming so there should be a good crowd. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00pm.

For the stats of the game, click here.

For more pictures of the game, click here.

For a video of the highlights, click here.

Photos Chuck Carins

School District Dedicates Its New Turf Covered Field!
GPTC 9/24/08

September 12th was scheduled to be the first home game for the Greendale Varsity football team. Last year it was September 9th. When the players and coaches ran out onto the field this year, there was something different than when they ran out last year. The once sparsely grassed, bumpy, muddy, and relatively hard playing surface that they were accustomed to playing on was replaced with a brand new flat, smooth, durable, cushiony playing surface made up of sports turf. Why? Because everyone that was intimate with GHS extra curricular programs knew that this field couldn't take the pressure from all of the activities on it anymore. Why? Because all if the various programs in the district are VERY strong and student participation is high! Way higher than other school districts in the area. In order to keep pace with this higher demand, something needed to be done.

Dr. William Hughes
(Greendale Schools Superintendent)

Several years ago, the Greendale School Board challenged residents to get involved in making the district and its programs better than they already were. Greendale residents are known to take pride in what they have and they appreciate what they have. They believe very strongly in the educational system and the programs here. Well, the Greendale Panther Touchdown Club answered that challenge and went forth on a mission that would solve one of these issues. They put together a plan to see if they could replace the old conventional field with a more durable turf field. Through the generous help of private donations from people and organizations who care about the community and viewed this as a need and not a want, this field came to fruition.

On September 12th, Greendale School Superintendent Dr. William Hughes, members of the school board, and the administrative staff from the high school, officially presented and dedicated the new turf field to the community during half time of the football game. From his speech, which was given under a light rain, he thanked the Touchdown Club for their leadership role in getting this started, but more importantly, he thanked all of the donors for their private funds that made this field possible. "It truly is, something to be proud of!"

The Greendale School District: How'd they do that?
By Kevin Fischer - FranklinNow Thursday, Sep 11 2008

For a stunning downloadable desktop background version of the field at night, click here and then right click on the picture and click "Set as background". This picture was taken by Chuck Cairns.

Freshman   

All Aboard!
R. A. Mattrisch 9/11/08

Did you ever watch a train leave the station? It starts out very slow because of the weight, but it slowly picks up steam as it heads down the track. That is exactly what happened with the freshman football team Thursday night as they defeated the visiting Greenfield Hawks 19-14 in a very hard-hitting game.

"This was the first year that these guys were exposed to the spread offense," said a happy Head Coach Chris Muench. "They didn't have the luxury of running it last year so it was very new to them. We had just two weeks to get it in which was a lot of work to accomplish. What also hurt us a little was that we didn't get to scrimmage anybody so tonight was really the first night that we would see what we were actually made of. Needless to say, we as coaches now know what we need to work on. We are very proud of these guys in how far they have come in such a short period of time. We'll work on what we need to work on and we will get better as time goes by."

The train started as Greendale took the opening kick off and managed just 6-plays before being forced to punt.

The Hawks started their first drive on their own 18-yard line before putting together a nice 9-play drive together. Greenfield scored the first touchdown of the game with a 6-yard run up the middle capping off an 82-yard drive. The 2-point conversion was good making the score 8-0 with 2:10 left in the 1st quarter.

Greendale took the ensuing kick and started their 2nd drive of the night from their own 41-yard line. Panther quarterback Brett Nethery would be intercepted however, on their 5th play giving the ball back to Greenfield on their own 44-yard line.

The Hawks then looked to continue where they left off until the defense started to pick up some speed. Panther defensive back Sebastian Garcia-Bakowski sacked the quarterback for a huge 10-yard loss putting the Hawks in a 3rd and long situation. One play later, Greenfield was forced to punt.

The Panther offense took to the field again in hopes of getting something going. This time they did as Nethery found wide out Michael Phillips for a nice 48-yard touchdown pass. The try for 2-points failed closing the margin to 8-6 in favor of Greenfield with 3:05 left in the 1st half.

Greenfield would take possession on the ensuing kickoff but they fumbled on their very first play giving the ball back to the Cats in excellent field position. Five plays later, Garcia-Bakowski would find the end zone again by way of a 4-yard run capping off a 5-pay 35-yard drive. The try for 2 failed again making the score 12-8 in favor of Greendale with :55 seconds left in the first half.

Greenfield managed just 2-plays before the time expired.

Greendale would kick to Greenfield to start the second half. They managed just 5-plays before having to punt the ball. It was here when the Hawks faked the kick but the wary Panthers were waiting and tacked the ball carrier 4-yards short of the 1st down.

The Panthers would make the Hawks pay as Nethery found Phillips again on a 16-yard touchdown pass that concluded a 5-play 45-yard drive. This time Greendale would line up for the kick of which Nethery made making the score 19-8 in favor of the Panthers with 3:48 left in the 3rd quarter.

Greenfield would get the ball next but was forced to turn it over on downs after 6-plays.

Greendale would give it a try but were forced to punt after going 3 and out.

Greenfield's offense finally got a little momentum as they successfully pulled off a nice 69-yard run for a Hawk touchdown. Their 2-point try was no good making the score 19-14 as the 3rd quarter came to a close.

Greendale would take the ensuing kick and just managed 5-plays before having to kick the ball away again.

Greenfield would soon find themselves in a 4th and 6 situation deep in their own end of the field. The Panther defense came up big stopping the Hawks deep in their end of the field.

Greendale was now 16-yards away from the goal line but the Hawks managed to stiffen up as the Panthers were forced to try for a 13-yard field goal. The snap was botched thus giving the ball back to Greenfield on their own 13-yard line.

After a few dropped passes, the Panthers came up with the biggest defensive play of the night as safety Kennedy Ringelberg came up with a huge interception to end any chances of a Hawk come back.

With all of Greenfield's timeout used up, the Panthers had to run 1-play before setting up in their victory formation as the clock ran out of numbers.

The final score was Greendale 19, Greenfield 14. This victory takes the freshman's record to 1-0 and marks the 10th win this year against no losses for all of the Panther football teams including the youth teams. The freshman squad will face the Wauwatosa West Trojans at home next week for their next game. The game time is 6:30.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity Reserve   

Green On Green!
R. A. Mattrisch 9/8/08

Things worked out Monday for the Greendale Panthers Varsity Reserve team is two ways. First, after a full day of rain, the skies seemed to dry up right before the game so that the players, and more importantly the spectators, didn't have to sit in the rain during the game. The other thing that worked out was the final score. After 40 minutes of play, the Panthers found themselves on the winning end of a scoreboard again by beating the host Greenfield Hawks 28-22 in one exciting game. This is their 3rd consecutive win this year. Both teams had very strong running attacks, but in the end, it was Greendale who had the better passing attack, which pretty much sealed the deal.

"We came out very flat in the beginning," said Head Coach Keith Ringelberg. "I think once we got to the 2nd quarter, our guys stepped it up a notch and we were OK. I just wish that they wouldn't do that. It makes me nervous!"

Greendale's offense started out with the ball first to open the game. At first, they looked very strong moving the ball, but after a few miscues, they eventually stalled giving the ball up on downs after just 7-plays.

The Hawks would then take possession on their own 33. They marched 67-yards in 5-plays with the help of a 42-yard run up the middle to score the first touchdown of the game. The 2-point conversion was good making the score 8-0 in favor of Greenfield with 3:44 left in the 1st quarter.

Greendale would come right back with an impressive 8-play 64-yard scoring drive of their own as quarterback Ernie Valente ran one in from 7-yards out. The try for 2 points failed leaving Greendale behind by 2 with a score of 8-6 with :27 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

Greenfield then started another march of which the Panthers seemed to have trouble stopping. It wasn't until they found themselves standing in the red-zone before they picked it up a notch. The defense then came up huge on a 4th and 1 play forcing the Hawks to cough the ball up on downs.

The Panther offense finally made their first major statement of the night as they put together a 13-play 74-yard scoring drive that pretty much took up the whole 2nd quarter. Valente would take it in himself again from 4-yards out. Running back Luke "Jigsaw" Drumel would carry it in for 2 points to give the Cats the lead by a score of 14-8 with 2:08 left in the 1st half.

Greenfield tried to get something going but only made it to the Panther 30-yard line before the clock finally ran out.

Both defenses seemed to have finally showed up for the second half. Greenfield started out with the ball but had to kick after 3-plays.

Greendale then took control, but they were forced to 3 and out too.

Then Greendale forced the Hawks to kick after they only ran 3 more plays.

Finally, the Panthers got a little something going following a nice return by Jo Jo Sardina. Bobby Mikorski was now in at quarterback for the Panthers. He lead the team in for a score as he took it in from 7-yards out. He would then find Alex Najera in the end zone for a 2-point pass completion. The score was now 22-8 in favor of Greendale with 3:22 left in the 3rd quarter.

Greenfield tried to answer back but Panther defensemen Dylan Cramer intercepted a pass and made a very exciting return only to have it called back on a penalty.

The Panthers would find themselves starting out deep in a hole on their own 9-yard line. Four plays later, Mikorski would be picked off giving the Hawks excellent field position on the Greendale 5-yard line.

Three plays later, Greenfield hit pay dirt with a 4-yard touchdown run. The try for the 2-point conversion failed making the score 22-14 in favor of Greendale, with 9:07 left in the game.

The Panthers would start their next drive on their own 26-yard line. They ran a few plays but were pushed backwards by way of a holding penalty. It seemed that at this time the Cats were going to test the airways. After completing several passes in a row, Mikorski finally connected with Eric Shuerman in the seam for a 20-yards touchdown pass. The try for 2 failed making the score 28-14 with 6:31 left in the game.

Greendale was feeling kind of good at this point until the following kick. A return man for Greenfield picked up that ball and raced 70-yards to the house for another Hawk touchdown. They went for 2 and converted making the score 28-22 in favor of the Panthers with 6:17 left in the game.

Greendale just needed to put a time consuming drive together but Valente would be intercepted giving the ball back to the Hawks on their own 38-yard line.

It was now in the hands of the defense for they had to keep Greenfield out of the end zone. A touchdown with any kind of extra points would put themselves on the losing end of the score. The Birds started their drive and made it all the way to the Panther's 33 before Greendale made the biggest stop of the night. With 1:37 left on the clock, the Cats forced the Hawks to turn the ball over on downs thus preserving their victory.

Greendale would then run 2-plays before lining up in their victory formation as the clock finally wound down to zeros.

The Varsity Reserve team will be on the road again next week as they take their 3-0 record to Wauwatosa West to play the Trojans. That game is scheduled to start at 4:15.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity    

Air Show At New Berlin West
R. A. Mattrisch 9/5/08

For those of you air show buffs that were sad that you couldn't get to the EAA Air Show in Oshkosh this year, you had a second chance to see one and it was right here in the neighborhood. The Panthers and the Vikings put on their own show this past Friday night in New Berlin Wisconsin as Greendale defeated New Berlin West 40-17 on another perfect night for football. Both teams put plenty of points on the board via the long ball. Even though the crowd was going nuts with all of the passing, both defensive coordinators were going even more nuts only for a different reason. There were just too many big plays happening to suit their fancy. In the end, the Panthers out did the Vikings with 315 air yards and 5 touchdowns, to the Viking’s 259 air yards and 2 touchdowns. At the end of the night, the fans had to walk away feeling like they just witnessed a pro game with so many big pass plays going on.

Greendale won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. That meant that the Vikings would get the ball first to start the game. They were forced to punt after going 3 and out. Greendale's Ben Ericksen would take that kick and put on a 30 second show for that's how long it took for him to get 35-yards on the return.

The Panthers immediately started with their lethal passing attack taking the ball all the way down to the Viking 6-yard line where they were forced to turn the ball over on downs.

The Cat's defense came up big with 2 consecutive tackles for losses. The second one was good enough for a safety as senior Andrew Thompson dropped the ball carrier in the end zone for a 2-point safety. The score was now 2-0 in favor of the Panthers with 7:04 left in the 1st quarter.

On the ensuing free kick, Greendale could do no better than 4-plays before they were forced to punt back to the Vikings.

New Berlin then only managed one 1st down before being forced to punt back to the Panthers.

Greendale then put a methodical 9-play, 59-yard scoring drive together as quarterback Chris Ridgway found senior wide out Mike Picciolo for an 11-yard pass play. Travis Kahl's kick was good making the score 9-0 in favor of Greendale with :15 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

The Vikings answered right back with a 59-yard touchdown pass of their own as West quarterback Tony Smith found Pat Ragonese who made a beautiful catch. The point after try was good cutting the Panther's lead by a score of 9-7 with 10:40 left in the 1st half.

The Panthers started their next drive after the ensuing kickoff on their own 28-yard line. Two plays later however, Ridgway was intercepted giving the Vikings the ball on the Greendale 48-yard line.

West managed to get the ball to the Panther 3-yard line but the Cat's defense stiffened up holding West to a 28-yard field goal. The kick was good making the score 10-9 in favor of New Berlin with 7:00 left in the half.

The Panthers came right back with a stinger as Ridgway found Ericksen for a 62-yard touchdown strike. The Panthers lined up for the kick but faked it when Ridgway hooked up with Ericksen again for the 2-point conversion. The score was now 17-10 in favor of Greendale with 6:44 still left in the half.

New Berlin came back with a stinger of their own as Smith found Ragonese again for a 74-yards touchdown pass. The point after was good knotting up the score at 17's. The clock still read 6:18, which tells you that both teams weren't taking too long to score.

At this point in time, the game started to turn into an offensive free-for-all as Greendale scored on their very first play after the kick. Ridgway connected with Picciolo for a 72-yard touchdown pass. The point after try was good changing the scoreboard to read 24-17 in favor of the Panthers. OK… only :22 seconds has elapsed since the previous score.

The Panther's defense finally engaged again as they forced West to punt after only 4-plays.

Greendale wasn't done yet for on their next drive, Ridgway found Ericksen again for a 29-yard pass play for Greendale's 4th touchdown pass of the night. Kahl's kick was through the uprights again making the score 31-17 as the first half finally came to an end.

The Panthers started with the ball to open the 2nd half. They managed just 9-plays before they were forced to settle for a field goal. Kahl's 31-yard kick was good making the score 34-17 with 9:23 left in the 3rd quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, New Berlin managed just 6-plays before being forced to punt the ball away again.

On Greendale's very first play, Ridgway was intercepted for the second time giving the ball back to the Viking offense on their own 45-yard line.

Greendale's defense forced West to punt after going 3 and out.

The Viking's defense then forced the Panthers to kick after holding them to just 3-plays.

West now owned the ball on their 46-yard line. They managed to put a 15-play drive together only to fall short of a 1st down by less than a foot. There Greendale would take over on their own 10-yard line.

The Panthers then put together their longest drive of the night as Ridgway found Ericksen again for a 10-yard scoring strike capping off a 12-play, 90-yard drive. The extra point try was no good making the score 40-17 with 3:05 left in the game.

Both teams would touch the ball one more time before the game finally came to an end. The final score was Greendale 40, New Berlin West 17. When you do the math, there was a combined total of 766 yards of offense, which had to be exciting for all of the fans that were there watching the game.

Greendale will finally return home for their home opener against the Greenfield Hawks. This will be their first game on the new turf of which all of the players are excited about. Greenfield is coming off of a stunning upset victory as they beat perennial powerhouse Brown Deer last week by a score of 22-21. Game time is 7:00pm.

For the stats of the game, click here.

For more pictures of the game, click here.

For the highlight video, click here.

Photos by Eric Campbell and Larry Olson

Varsity Reserve   

The Varsity Reserves Dig The New Digs!
R. A. Mattrisch 9/2/08

Even though the turf field was still smelling brand new, the varsity reserve football team broke it in anyway as they defeated the visiting New Berlin West Vikings 30-6 for their second game this year. At first, the team seemed a little overwhelmed, as things did not go well for them. That initial shock soon wore off as they finally settled down and took control of the game. "We weren't really executing in the beginning," said a happy Coach Ringelberg. "It was more or less a matter of refocusing the guys so that they could concentrate on what they were supposed to be doing. Once that happened, we were fine."

Greendale started out with the ball first but were forced to 3 and out and had to punt.

The Panthers answered and forced New Berlin to punt after just 3-plays too.

The Cat's offense finally seemed to start clicking as they put a 7-play drive together only to end with an interception on 4th down. That wasn't the worse thing that could have happened for the interception occurred on the 11-yard line and was probably better than a punt.

The Vikings then looked to have their offense clicking now too. They put a 10-play drive together that took the game into the 2nd quarter. That drive was then disrupted when Greendale's Eric Shuerman sacked the quarterback for a 15-yard loss. That put the Vikings in a 4th and long, which forced them to punt.

Greendale took possession deep in their own territory when quarterback Ernie Valente threw an interception giving the ball back to New Berlin on the Greendale 29-yard line.

Two plays later, West found the end zone on a 34-yard touchdown pass. They went for a 2-point conversion and failed making the score 6-0 with 8:07 left in the 1st half.

Greendale then took the ensuing kickoff and put a nice 10-play scoring drive together with some outstanding pass receptions by Alex Najera and Evan Goyette. Luke Drumel finished the drive off with a nifty 7-yard touchdown run up the middle. Valente took the ball in himself for the 2-point conversion making the score 8-6 in favor of the Cats with 4:45 remaining in the 1st half.

New Berlin would now take possession on the 40-yard line after the ensuing kick. On the very first play, Panther defensive back Brandon Cannistra intercepted a pass and took it to the house for a 40-yard interception return. Valente took it in himself again for the 2-point conversion making the score 16-6 with 3:57 still left in the half.

A pair of team fumbles then occurred as West fumbled to Greendale and then Greendale fumbled right back. That would end the first half.

New Berlin would get the ball first but were forced to punt after 4-plays.

Greendale then ran off 7-plays but ended up turning it over on downs.

The Vikings then had the ball on their own 32-yard line when on their 4th play, the Panthers forced their quarterback to run for his life. Without really paying attention, the quarterback threw the ball away to avoid getting sacked but he threw it backwards thus making it a fumble by rule. The Panthers saw that and quickly fell on it. The Panther offense would now own the ball on the West 32-yard line.

Four plays later, Panther quarterback Bobby Mikorski did a nice piece of running and scored a touchdown from 11-yards out. The try for 2 failed making the score 22-6 with 3:23 left in the 3rd quarter.

On the ensuing possession, the Vikings were forced to turn it over on downs after two nice sacks by Ryan Bender.

Greendale looked to have it going again after 2 nice long runs by Drumel, but that drive would eventually end by way of a fumble giving it back to New Berlin with 6:27 left in the game.

The Panther's defense would then force West to punt again after 3 again.

Greendale now had the ball on the West 48-yard line. Two plays later, Valente took the ball around left end and scampered 40-yards for another Panther touchdown. Valente called his number again and scored the 2-point conversion. The scoreboard now read 30-6 with 3:31 left in the game.

West tried one last time to get something going but after a huge sack by Austin Bychinski and a combo sack by Shuerman and Bobby Hall, the Vikings were forced to punt again after 8-plays.

The Panthers now lined up in their victory formation to end the game. The final score was, Greendale 30, New Berlin West 6.

The Panthers will take their 2-0 record on the road next Tuesday, as they will play the Greenfield Hawks. Game time is 5:30pm.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

IT IS FINISHED!

ProGrass Field Installation!

9/2/08 - GPTC

After 10 months from the first meeting, the new turf field at Greendale High School is finally finished. The construction process started back on June 23rd and took 70 days. During that process, approximately 200 truck loads of dirt was removed and 200 trucks of gravel was brought in. 95,750 square feet of turf was carefully sewn and glued and 140 tons of rubber infill was brushed in. In the end, you have a brand new state-of-the-art playing surface that all of the Greendale and their guests can enjoy. No more pot holes, no more hard dirt or dead grass, no more mud bowls and no more maintenance. The soccer team now as an official size playing field and the band has the perfect marching surface.

Welcome To Your New Home Panthers!

The guys from Texas that have been doing the turf work have not been home all summer. They are meticulous in their work and are true professionals. They travel from field to field all over the United States doing what they do best. Installing turf fields for everyone to enjoy.

On behalf of the community of Greendale, Thanks you guys!

W. D. Justice (Foremen) - TX

Bryan Bivens - TX

Mo Rathbone - TX

Brian Leader - TX

Brett Mclain - TX

The field during the day.

The field under the lights.

   For pictures of the entire process, click here!   *** Updated 9/1/08 ***

    GreendaleNow article!

Special Interest   

Giving Back!
R. A. Mattrisch 8/31/08

Being given the gift of a new football field is something that every football player and coach will never be more grateful for. Especially when you compare it to what the old field looked like. This is something that teams all over the world would love to have. Of course a field like this didn't just appear out of thin air either. It was built by hard earned money that was donated by people that believe in the future. They understand the effect and benefit that this has on the students here in Greendale. One donator in particular requested that the players do something in return to show their appreciation. They wanted the players to understand that it's not all about taking but rather it's about giving too.

As everyone may or may not know by now, Greendale High School underwent some serious renovations the last two years. As you can imagine, there was quite a mess as a result of this project. With the team needing to hold up their end of the bargain, Greendale's School District Building & Grounds Superintendent Brian Koffarnus had just the job for them. In an attempt to put the school back together for this up and coming school year, he asked Head Coach Rob Stoltz if he could borrow his team for a few hours. Without even thinking twice about it, he obliged. All 100 players or so, were put to work in hauling things back from stored locations to where it was originally from. "It was getting close to crunch time and we had a lot of things that needed to be moved," Koffarnus said. "It would have taken my guys weeks to move that stuff on their own so having 100 sets of hands really helped us out in getting things done quicker."

Wow! I guess this is just another example of what the community of Greendale is all about!

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity Reserve   

Late Start – No Refs – No Problem!
R. A. Mattrisch 8/30/08

The 2007 Varsity Reserve football season started Friday as they traveled to Milwaukee Lutheran for a Friday afternoon game. The first trick was to get to the game with all of the traffic. Friday afternoons are bad enough but when you add 150,000 Harley motorcycles to the mix, it makes for slow going.

The next trick was to make sure that referees are at the game. Well? That didn't happen. One official did manage to make it but he declined to work because he was the only one.

The next trick was to start the game at 4:00. Well? That didn't happen either. Both teams tried to wait it out in hopes of officials showing up, but that didn't look like it was going to happen. Because both teams were there and ready to play, the coaches from both sides decided to hold the game anyway with coaches and some famous Greendale Alumni throwing the flags. Oh that's right! There were no flags. That's OK because baseball hats would work too.

At the end of the day, there was a game played. It started at 4:30 but who cares. When the clock finally ticked its last tock, Greendale found themselves on the winning end of the score by a margin of 34-14.

The game started as both teams having to punt to each other. Greendale finally got on the board as Greendale quarterback Ernie Valente hooked up with Jo Jo Sardina for a nice 10-yard pass play capping off a 55-yard drive. The extra point kick was blocked making the score 6-0 with 6:20 left in the first quarter.

Greendale soon found themselves with the ball again as they forced Milwaukee Lutheran to 3 and out. They managed to get all the way to the 2-yard line before turning the ball over on downs.

The Red Knights tried to get something going but Sardina spoiled their plans as he intercepted the ball and took it to the 7-yard line. Four plays later, Valente found Sardina again in the end zone hooking up for a 10-yard pass. The try for 2-points failed now making the score 12-0 with 7:30 left in the second quarter.

The Panthers forced Lutheran to 3 and out again. On the punt, Sardina came up big again as he returned the ball to the Red Knight's 5-yard line. Oh! that's after he scampered 38-yards too. On the very next play, Greendale's Luke "Jig Saw" Drumel sprinted around right end to score the Panther's 3rd TD of the afternoon. The 2-point try was good making the score 20-0 as the half came to an end.

Lutheran started the 2nd half with the ball but was forced to punt after just 6-plays. Greendale took possession 76-yards from pay dirt. Well those 76-yards were gobbled up quickly for on the very first play, Valente found Alex Najera deep who made a great catch and avoided falling down after being hit to complete a 1-play 76-yard scoring drive. Curtis Nelson's extra point kick was good making the score 27-0 with 11:35 left in the 3rd quarter.

Both teams would each touch the ball once. Lutheran finally got on the board as their quarterback scrambled in from 18-yards out. The extra point try was good making the score 27-7 with 17:00 left in the 4th quarter.

The Panthers answered right back with an 8-play drive of their own as Greendale's "Jig Saw" (Drumel) took an option pitch and busted over the goal line from 10-yards out. The kick was good making the score 34-7 with 7:35 remaining in the game.

The Red Knights would end up putting 6 more points on the board after completing a nice 35-yard pass play. The kick was blocked making up what would be the final score.

The Panthers would win by a score of 34-13. They will have a short week as they head back home to play the New Berlin West Vikings this Tuesday, the 2nd of August. This will be the very first football game to be played on the new turf field. The game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Varsity   

And The Beat Goes on!
R. A. Mattrisch 8/30/08

A high school football team is kind of like a Christmas present. You wait all year for that day of which you are then handed a present. You never know what's inside that present until you open it. Well the Greendale high school coaches opened their present Thursday night and boy did they like what they got! The Panthers opened their 2008 season on the road against Milwaukee Lutheran by beating them, 57-14 on a perfect night for football. Lutheran hails from the North Shore Conference so this was a non-conference game.

Greendale's quarterback Chris Ridgway

The game was a story of two halves however. In the first half, Greendale scored every time they touched the ball. They didn't do it by just passing or by just running, they did it by plain old execution behind a very experienced offensive line. If you can execute behind a line like that, every play seems to work. The second half was a little different. Lutheran pretty much owned the ball in the 3rd quarter allowing Greendale only one touch. The fact that they didn't score that quarter says a lot for the young defense they have. The Red Knights did manage to score on the very first play in the 4th quarter capping off a very nice time consuming drive. Greendale's offense did finally engage in the 4th quarter putting up one more score. The question on everyone's mind was how would Chris Ridgway do at quarterback this year? After all, he was replacing one of the state's best in Mike Hennessy. Well, let's just say he will do just fine! He finished the night with 126 yards on the ground rushing and 214 yards through the air by going 13 for 18 with 1 interception.

The whole running attack seemed stronger than last year too. That is partly because you have a fullback playing quarterback in Ridgway, you have a running back that runs 3 feet off the ground in Jordan Biller, you have 4 of your 5 offensive linemen back from last year, and you have probably the best group of receivers in the state, which, by the way, will give defensives a moment of pause in case they have any ideas of loading up the box to stop the run. "The personal we have this year makes our spread offense a real pistol to stop," said Head Coach Rob Stoltz. "You need to have the right type of guys in the right positions to fully take advantage of what this offense has to offer. If you are lacking in any one area, it won't work as well. You need a smart offensive line that understand zone blocking, you need a quarterback that can react to the situation and throw good balls, you need fast receivers that must catch the ball, and you need running backs that know where to run with our blocking schemes. As a result of a lot of off season training and hard work, we feel we have all of pieces again this year."

There was no sign of weakness Thursday night. Greendale took the opening kickoff and scored in 6-plays as quarterback Chris Ridgway scampered in from 3-yards out to put Greendale on the board first. Travis Kahl's extra point kick was good making the score 7-0 with 9:41 left in the 1st quarter.

On Milwaukee Lutheran's next position, they fumbled giving the ball back to Greendale on the Red Knight's 39-yard line. Two plays later, the Panthers scored again as Jordan Biller carried it in from 4-yards out. Kahl's kick was good again making the score 14-0 with 7:45 still left in the 1st quarter.

Lutheran took the ensuing kickoff but was forced to punt after just 7-plays.

Greendale came back again and scored as Ridgway ran it in from 13-yards out. The kick was good increasing the score to 21-0 with :43 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

On the Red Knight's next possession, they finally scored in 11-plays as quarterback Adam Walker ran it in from 12-yards out. They tried for 2-points and made it, but there was a penalty thus nullifying the score. They then had to settle for a kick making the score 21-7 with 7:58 left in the 1st half.

Greendale took possession after the following kick on their 42-yard line. Three plays later, Ridgway found senior Mike Picciolo over the middle for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Kahl's kick found the uprights again making the score 28-7 with 6:37 remaining in the 1st half.

The Red Knights were forced to punt after 3-plays on their next possession. This time the punt was blocked by Panther senior Andrew Thompson giving the ball back to the offense on the Red Knight's 25-yard line.

On the very first play, Ridgway found Ericksen in the end zone again for a 27-yard touchdown pass. The kick was good making the score 35-7 with 4:31 still left in the 1st half.

Lutheran would take the following possession but were intercepted by junior Cordney Wren who brought it back to the Panther 45-yard line.

Seven plays later, senior running back Kyle Nethery ran off right guard for the Panther's 6th TD of the night. The extra point was good making the score 42-7 with :56 seconds left in the first half.

The Red Knights managed to get to the 45-yard line and with :07 seconds left on the clock. They attempted and completed a hail mary pass for the half's final touchdown. The extra point try was good making the score 42-14 as time expired.

Lutheran would get the ball first to start the second half. Greendale's Dan Dacquisto intercepted them, however, giving the Panthers the ball again.

Nine plays later, Ridgway was intercepted giving the ball back to Lutheran with 7:08 left in the 3rd quarter.

Lutheran managed to put a time consuming 16-play drive together while scoring on the first play of the 4th quarter. The point after attempt was good making the score 42-21 in favor of the Panthers.

On the ensuing kickoff, Greendale found pay dirt again when Ridgway found Ericksen in the end zone for a 29-yards touchdown pass. Greendale went for 2 and completed it as Ridgway found Ericksen again for the 2. The score was now a lopsided 50-21 in favor of the Panthers.

Lutheran took possession and was intercepted by Greendale's Wren again at the goal line.

Greendale now brought out their second bunch but were forced to punt after 3-plays.

The Red Knights would take possession on the Panther 36-yard line but after 6-plays, Greendale’s Joel Sirus intercepted the ball and raced 78-yards for the Panther's final score of the evening. The kick was good now making the score 57-14 with about 2 minutes left in the game.

Lutheran would try to score but failed as time finally ran out. The final score for Greendale's season opener was Greendale 57, Milwaukee Lutheran 21.

The Panthers will be on the road again next week as they start conference play. They will do battle with the New Berlin West Vikings. The game time is 7:00.

Click here for game stats.

Click here for game pictures.

Click here for video game highlights.

Photos by Chuck Cairns

Varsity   

The Boys Are Back In Town!
R. A. Mattrisch 8/18/08

After starting their 2008 practice season with an overnight stay at Carroll College, the Greendale Panthers returned to Greendale to continue their pre-season practicing for this year's up and coming season. This year the Panthers are coming into the season on the heels of three consecutive undefeated Woodland Conference Championships. In fact they have a 23 game conference winning streak going. Even though that looms in the back of their mind, they know that they have to just play one game at a time and at a very high level. There will be plenty of teams gunning for them this year and one of those teams would love to be the one that would snap that winning streak. If these guys can stay focus and continue what they have been doing in the past, their record will take care of itself. "These guys know that they will be huge targets this year," Head Coach Rob Stoltz said. "We aren't worried about the streak. That just happens. We are just focusing on being the best that we can be."

"One More!"

"One More" is the catch phrase for this year. The chances of them doing that are very high! As like any high school team, you always lose key players through graduation. The challenge for the coaches are to replace those players with this year's players. Because the football program is so strong in Greendale, they will have no trouble filling those shoes. "Honestly, we should be just like last year only with a bigger hammer," said Coach Keith Ringelberg. "We will bring another very strong receiving core to the field, but we think we will be stronger at running the ball." One of the reasons is that the Panthers are returning four of their five starting offensive linemen from last year. "You can't beat experience when it comes to line play," mentioned Offensive Line Coach Scott Bond. "Our offense is very complex so when you have guys coming in that already are seasoned veterans, it makes things a whole lot easier for us as coaches and a whole lot better for us as an offensive unit." The other reason will be this year's starting quarterback Chris Ridgway. While he would be the first to admit that he may not be as accurate as Mike Hennessy was last year at throwing the ball, he does have a very strong arm and he will get the ball to the receivers. The difference, however, between the two is that Ridgway is stronger at running the ball. In fact, you would almost classify him as a hard running fullback. When you have the receivers that Greendale does, and a spread pass attack offense like Greendale runs, having a bigger threat at running will really cause the opponents problems.

Defensively, size won't be the issue, but their youth will. "We are strong in the secondary and on the line," explained Coach Gary Jagodzinski (Defensive Coordinator). "We do need to fill some shoes at linebacker. At this point we do have some guys that are looking very good. What I like is that they are extremely attentive and aggressive. If they can play at their highest level each play, we will be fine." Even though the defense will be on the younger side, those younger players are no strangers to winning. Last year's Varsity Reserve won the conference with only one loss while the freshman went undefeated. To be able to do that, you needed players that can play at a high level. These guys will hopefully bring that mentality with them again this year. If they can do that, the Green Machine will continue to roll on as that have done in the last three years.

This Friday (8/22), the Panther squad will head down to Kenosha Tremper for their annual pre-season scrimmage. The scrimmage will start at 1:00pm and will include Kenosha Tremper, Riverside, and Milwaukee South. Greendale will start their regular season the following Friday on the road against Milwaukee Lutheran.

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch

Special Interest!    

The Future Greendale Panthers!

(Click for larger picture)

Football starts at an early age here in Greendale. The Greendale Park & Recreation Department held a 4-day football clinic for all boys from grades 2 through 4, which was held down at the high school practice field. This is the same field where the big boys practice.

Of course you need some experienced coaches to run something like this. What better experience to draw from then that of the staff from Greendale High. Several coaches including Head Coach Rob Stoltz took the time to teach these future Greendale Panthers a few tricks about playing the game football. They were taught the basic skills needed for running, blocking, throwing and catching a football. For most of these kids, it was their first time in experiencing what it takes to play the game. "They may be to young to play at the youth level," coach Stoltz said. "But they aren't to young to start learning about the game. We do stuff like this to keep the overall program strong and successful, which Greendale now has a reputation for."

They may be young now but these young gentlemen will some day be playing under the lights on Friday nights. They always do!

by R. Mattrisch

Special Event!    

"Brat Fry" - A Huge Success!
GPTC - 6/15/08

Greendale Youth Football organization host mega-barbecue!

On Friday, June 13th, the Greendale Panther Youth Football organization hosted their 1st Annual Brat Fry barbecue. It was held at the American Legion Post 416, located at 6351 West Grange Ave in Greendale. The event started at 4:00 and went to 11:00 in the evening.

Katie & Matt Barczak

Putting on an event like this was no easy task. It requires a lot of people and a lot of support from everyone in the community. Of course, as with any organized event, you need someone to take charge. The couple that put all this together was Matt & Katie Barczak. They took it upon themselves to put this together in hopes of raising money, on behalf of the Greendale Youth organization, which would ultimately be donated towards the new Greendale High School "Turf field" project.

"We thought that since the youth teams stand to benefit from this new field, we felt that we needed to do our little part in helping out with the expense," explained Katie. "We had no idea what to expect but we knew that we had to try and see what we could do." The idea of using this format actually came from Matt, who recalls going to one of these up in Winneconne, WI many years ago. "A long time ago, my buddies and I went to this brat fry that was held in the middle of winter under huge tents," explains Matt. "It was amazing on how many people where there for this type of event. I didn't see why this wouldn't work here so I offered up the suggestion as being our theme for this fundraiser. The only scary thing was that we were not sure just how this would turn out."

Well after all of the food was done, and the raffle tickets sold, and the auction was over, and the bucket stuffing was finished, the group managed to pull together $17,500, which will be handed over to the Greendale Panther Touchdown Club. They in turn, will hand that money over to the school district, as part of their obligation towards the field. "This whole operation was amazing," said GPTC's Tim Nethery. "When we were told what the youth organization was planning on doing, we were naturally very thankful. We were given some rough estimates as to how much they felt they would be able to raise but no one was really sure. I'm here to say that this final number was way over those estimates. My hat goes off to Matt & Katie and all of the people that helped them for making this a huge success. All I can say is that you gotta love Greendale!"

"While this was a lot of work, and took a lot of planning, I do want to thank a few special people that really helped us along the way," mention Katie. "I want to first thank the many special volunteers that helped today, but there was a special group that was in on this from the start that carried the brunt of the load. They include; Greg & Lynette Tans, Vickie & Glenn Haumschild, Jerry & Diane Meyers, Ed & Melissa Bychinski, Pat Schuster, and Jeramy Melka. They all helped in the planning stages, which really brought this all together. In the end, these people managed to gather over $10,500 dollars worth of donated items that were used for all of the prizes during the course of the night. That was awesome!"

In the end, the group succeeded with flying colors in doing what they set out to do. The entire community stands to benefit from their efforts because when it's all said and done, this new field is not just the football team's, it's the community's!

For pictures of the event, click here!

Done Deal!
The Community Unites to Make it Happen

Greendale High School’s athletic field is getting a high-tech facelift.
GPTC – 6/3/08

Tim Nethery

"It started out as a dream, and now, its reality!" That’s how Greendale Panther Touchdown Club member Tim Nethery summarized it. Through a remarkable journey and a series of extraordinary events, the grass, mud, bumps, and potholes that once inhabited Greendale High School's athletic field will soon be replaced with a state-of-the-art playing surface otherwise known as "Field Turf."

On June 2nd, the Greendale district finally passed and moved forward on a plan that was orchestrated by the GPTC to have the playing surface at "Stephen J. Gavinski Memorial Stadium" replaced with what could eventually be, the way of the future. The company selected to do this project is ProGrass LCC. They are headquartered in Pittsburg Pennsylvania and have been responsible for installing over 150 fields all over the United States. Here in Wisconsin, they have installed fields at Carroll College in Waukesha, Brookfield Central High School, and at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Construction is scheduled to begin about the second week of June and providing mother-nature helps out, it should be finished by the first week in August in time for the 2008 fall sports seasons.

Arial view of Gavinski Field
(Hover mouse over picture!)

The plan is for the entire area inside the track to be covered. This field will have a complex drainage system built underneath it to help it shed water. It will have an all-rubber infill, which is what gives the turf its cushion and give, as well as supporting the synthetic grass filaments, which gives it that natural grass look. It will have the black Greendale Panther Head logo at the 50-yard line and will be lined for a regulation football and soccer field. The end zone markings have not been determined as of yet. It will either be just striped or it will say "GREENDALE" at one end and "PANTHERS" at the other. For more information about how a field like this is constructed, click here for the ProGrass website.

Of course, having a field like this will now put Greendale in a different category amongst the rest of the schools in the area. It will also move them towards the top on the list of favorable locations for post season playoff sites. This would not just involve football, but soccer as well. Because of the durability of a field like this, many other extra-curricular activities like band competitions can also be held there without the worry of trampling down the grass. When it's all said and done, you can pretty much do anything you want on a field like this, and never have to deal with mud, potholes, or puddles again. It now becomes the perfect playing surface.

Keith Ringelberg

The GPTC wasn't the only group involved here. They had help from others including district staff and administrators, Village of Greendale staff, and the district's engineering consulting firms of Eppstein & Uhen and CG Schmidt. Of course, none of this would ever have happened if it wasn't for the wonderful people and organizations that donated towards this worthy improvement. Keith Ringelberg, who was the financial lead person for the GPTC, was confident from the start that getting something like this done in Greendale could easily happen. "Getting something like this done shows you exactly what Greendale is about," explains an elated Ringelberg. "It also proves that by working together, you can get things accomplished to make Greendale even a better community than it already is. This is what separates us from everybody else and this is why people like living here!"

Rodney Mattrisch

The original idea of this field was kicked around two years ago, but it wasn't until this past fall when a decision was made by the GPTC to pursue this lofty goal. "There were countless numbers of meetings, phone calls and emails, all of which had some little part in this," explained Rodney Mattrisch, who is a third member of this team from the GPTC. "It was a little more involved than we originally thought, but we just kept our nose to the grindstone so that we could see this to the end. All I know is that I can’t wait to walk on it when it's finished!"

Suffice to say, that same sentiment will most likely be repeated by all of the high school coaches and support staff as their seasons grow near. As for the students, they will now have the chance to excel at their craft and not be hampered or handicapped by a poor playing surface anymore. And let's not forget about those moms either. They can finally say goodbye to the nasty grass and mud stains on uniforms that were so graciously adorned by the field of Greendale High.

Mark Kapocius

The last member of the group who served as a consultant is Mark Kapocius. He is a long time resident of Greendale and works as an Attorney & Human Resource Manager for the School District of Elmbrook in Brookfield. He just went through this same process with their new field so he knew exactly what needed to be done, not to mention how things worked. He was the one that helped finalize the technical and legal issues in the end to make this project finally come to fruition.

Congratulations Greendale! Make room for yet another, feather in your hat!

Special Event!    

Our First Official Team Meeting...
R. Mattrisch 4/6/08

Alumni gather from all over to honor Coach Gavinski into the WFCA Hall of Fame

It's not uncommon for a coach to call a team meeting every once in a while. At these meetings, various topics are discussed and addressed and strategies are developed. Well, on Friday April, 4th, a team meeting was called only it wasn't called by a coaching staff, it was called by the Greendale Panther Touchdown Club. It also wasn't about how to stop Cudahy's running attack, it was to gather past alumni together and honor former Head Coach Steve Gavinski, who was being inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame the following night.

Instead of guards, tackles, and ends, there were; lawyers, doctors, pilots, specialists, businessmen, teachers, financial planners & investors, bankers, law enforcement, fire officials, judges, business administrators, vice presidents of companies, presidents of companies, engineers, sales reps, school principals and even college students all in attendance under one roof. "Last fall when we heard about Coach Gavinski's induction, we were approached by Bob High ('88) and Jason Dummert ('92) about doing something special for Coach Gavinski." explains Tim Nethery. "There was a banquet and ceremony being held in Madison, but these two guys thought it would be even more special if they could host their own event here in the area too. This way more of the guys could make it. When I discussed this with Rodney and Keith, we thought it was a great idea. Plans were then immediately put into motion."

The event was held in downtown Greendale at the Reiman Publications Visitor Center located on the corner of Broad Street and Northway. Keith Ringelberg put that together along with with the caterer. "When we first started talking about where to hold this, I thought to myself, why not here in Greendale instead of some strange community." Ringelberg said. "I remembered that the Reiman Visitor Center hosted an event a while ago so I thought we could do the same. After all, everyone coming, probably lived here in Greendale at some point in time, so what better place to have than here in town."

The GPTC maintains an alumni contact list with emails so it would be easy to let everyone know about this event. "I gave Bob, Jason and Dan Mattes ('85) the list," explains Rodney Mattrisch, who is the GPTC computer and website guy. "They developed the email lists and notified everyone about this event. All I had to do was keep track of the RSVP's and report back to them. In the end we had just over 50 guys say that they were planning on coming so we planned for 75 just in case more would be able to attend at the last minute. I think what impressed me, and actually left a mark in my heart, was that several guys actually dropped what they were doing and flew in for this. We had guys from Arizona, Texas, Colorado and New Jersey. Between these guys and all of the rest, it tells me that the Greendale schools, and their coaches must be doing something right. I do want to thank my wife Dawn, my son Ben, along with Matt and Katie Barczak, Becky Nethery, Cory Ringelberg, Sue Gavinski, Tim Gavinski, the gang from Tuckaway Country Club who catered this, and of course the Reiman Foundation and Colleen Fechtmeyer, who manages the Visitor Center, for helping out and making this night a huge success. They all contributed in some way and I'm pretty sure that the guys really appreciated their efforts. I know I did!"

After the event at the Reiman Center, everyone moved to Jimmy K's where the stories and reminiscing continued on. Hopefully, another team meeting can be held soon because this is what the Greendale Panther Touchdown Club is all about.

The GPTC would like to thank all who attended and contributed to not only the club itself, but to the Gavinski Bust Fund and the Turf Fund. You all are special people and we thank you very much. Hopefully we can continue to build this group because just like they teach you in school, you eventually become adults and will be required to keep society moving, and hopefully we can make it better then we had it because in the end, it's all about giving something back!

Let it be known that the Panther Nation is alive and well and will never fade away!

To see more of the pictures from this event, click here.

To see the pictures from the WFCA awards banquet and ceremony that was held in Madison on April 5th, click here.

GPTC

News Item    

It's not the snap or crackle, it's the pop when weightlifting

The Greendale football squad is taking weight training to a new level.
1/12/08 - R.A. Mattrisch

David Gremore addressing the team about Olympic style weight training.

A lot of the success that the Greendale Panther football program has been having lately is attributed to their off season speed and weight training. The coaches have developed very rigorous programs that all of the players are expected to follow. One area that is getting consistently increased attention is that of weightlifting. Coach Scott Bond heads up that area and takes it very serious. He not only sets up the programs at the high school, he also manages his guys and gets them involved in state sanctioned weightlifting meets throughout the winter months. "There is a lot more to weightlifting than just bending over and picking up a barbell," says Bond. "There is a right way and a wrong way of doing it. There are also special techniques out there, that can maximize the results that one expects to achieve when lifting weights."

Mr. Gremore demonstrating a lifting
technique.

Coach Bond spends a lot of time researching and looking for new concepts that will give his guys an edge over the competition. In doing his research, he stumbled upon a new style of weight training that is used in the world of Olympic Weightlifting. The gentleman that is helping to develop and put this program together is David E. Gremore. Mr. Gremore is a USA Regional Weightlifting Coach and the USA Weightlifting President for the State of Wisconsin. He resides in Denmark Wisconsin, where he used to teach math, science and PE for over 30 years. His roll now is more of a consultant, a weight training coach, and a sales representative for Reflex & Eleiko Fitness & Exercise Equipment. He spends a lot of time traveling and putting on clinics and demonstrations about the proper techniques used in Olympic style weight training.

This training concept has to do with quickness, acceleration, and explosiveness during a lift. "There are certain muscles that are used when you jerk a bar from the ground to over your head as fast as you can, versus just lifting the bar conventionally." Gremore explains. "These muscles are not used when you jerk a bar conventionally. Only the normal muscle groups are used. By incorporating the use of these untapped muscles, you are in essences putting more muscle power at this type of lift, thus making you even stronger, not to mention quicker." Mr. Gremore has taken this concept and has presented it to training staffs at places such as the University Wisconsin-Plattville, University Wisconsin-Whitewater, Pulaski, Lincoln (Manitowoc), Little Chute, Menasha, Niagara, Crystal Falls (MI), Sheboygan North, South Milwaukee, and Republic (MI) high schools. He has even put on clinics for the Green Bay Packers and the Texas Rangers.

Mr. Gremore explaining proper form with Eric Grau.

"The reason I brought him in is that after reviewing all of his materials, I could see a direct correlation between his style of explosive weight training to that of playing football," Bond explains. "All of the other schools out there are starting to take weight training more serious so in essence, they are evening up the playing field. In order for us to stay one step ahead of them, we need to be able to literally take that first step faster than the other team. This style of weight training helps you do that. In the end we hope to be quicker, more flexible, and be able to deliver more explosive power when that ball is snapped on a football field."

The entire team listening to what Mr. Gremore has to say.

Of course overseeing everything was Head Coach Rob Stoltz. "I am really excited about this coming year," Stoltz said. "Scott has taken our weightlifting program to the next level. Back in 2005, we started to see a serious change in attitude towards off-season weight training. Those guys were always coming in to make themselves better. The teams following them continued to display that same attitude, which has help us out tremendously as a program and a football team. This year, I've noticed that just about everyone is coming in, which is not only a tribute to these guys, but a tribute to the teams before them. In the end, all we are trying to do, as a coaching staff, is to supply the resources. The players supply the attitude. That's what makes us who we are today."

Photos by Rodney Mattrisch