Preps Alcove

Homestead and Arrowhead will meet for the third straight year in the WIAA Division 1 football title game. To get you prepped for the big game, check out this video preview I did with Steve Tietz, who covers Homestead for CNI Newspapers. We'll be live blogging the game from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, as always.

Thanks for reading everyone. I'll try to update later this evening if the final changes, but I'm heading out a touch early. I'll let you know what's ahead for state coverage. Arrowhead is getting used to this state title game thing.

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I'm going to shut this one down early, so I can pack up shop and get to the field level for quotes. There's 2:33 on the clock, and Arrowhead has a healthy lead. They'll play at 4 p.m. next weekend at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. For the third year in a row, they will face Homestead, with both teams winning one of the previous two meetings. It should be an excellent matchup between two undefeated teams.

Looks like it's not over yet. Calvin Ramsey gets in on the fun, churning for a 65-yard touchdown. What else but another big play? That's the 28th scoring play of the year netting 40 yards or more. Arrowhead winds up winning going away.

Arrowhead 49, Stevens Point 21, 1:52 4th quarter. 

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Chris Pendergast should have just knocked it down, but he intercepts the ball at the AHS 4-yard line to kill the drive and basically put this one on ice.

Point isn't using its timeouts. We're under 3:30 to play, and Arrowhead is about to head to state. 

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Sikorski rumbles inside the Arrowhead 30 and fumbles the ball, but a teammate picks it up and streaks to the 20 to keep the SPASH drive alive. Time is of the essence for Stevens Point, however, since they prefer their run game and only have 6:04 remaining.

An incomplete pass and stop at the line of scrimmage makes it 3rd down. The Panthers taking way too much time to get going, and the clock reads 5:24 by the time another incomplete pass sets up fourth down. They'll be going for it, and AHS can essentially feel like winners if they stop. 

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The Panthers definitely aren't going down without a fight. Sikorski slashes through the Arrowhead line on a few running plays and gets the ball down to the AHS 37, with first down and 8 minutes remaining.

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Arrowhead may have just put the dagger in. Jake Poehls intercepted a ball at the SPASH 40 and ran all the way to the 1-yard line. Brian Crook takes it from there, and the Warhawks suddenly have a 3-score lead. It's starting to feel like Madison.

Arrowhead 42, SPASH 21, 9:28 4th quarter.

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Parish rushes for the first down, putting the ball at the Panthers' 30 yard line. Arrowhead really needs another score with 10:44 left in this game.

And there it is. Crook takes a pitch, bursts to the left sideline, and he's gone. A huge 30-yard touchdown that is going to require some heroics from SPASH.

Arrowhead 35, Stevens Point 21, 10:31 4th quarter. 

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It doesn't have quite the impact of the previous big-play responses to SPASH touchdowns, but Brian Crook did his best with a 37-yard run to set up Arrowhead back in SPASH territory. It's quickly third down, however, with 7 yards to gain. 

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The third quarter ends, with Arrowhead holding the ball at the 21-yard line. Both sections have reason to cheer, but this game is still up for grabs. Winner gets Homestead in next week's state title game.

After third: Arrowhead 28, Stevens Point 21. 

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Looks like Arrowhead will need yet another answer. Sikorski took the ball on 3rd and 4, fought through the pile and plunged into the end zone to pull his team back within a score. The extra point comes with virtually no time left in the third quarter.

Arrowhead 28, Stevens Point 21, 0:05, 3rd quarter.

***** 

Jared Volk just made a punishing hit on Sikorski in the backfield after the SPASH running back dropped a pitch. It set up a 3rd and 16, but Winker found Walder down the middle of the field for a 21-yard gain. SPASH is threatening to score on 1st and 10 from the AHS 19, with 1:30 on the clock in the third quarter.

Peplinski hauls in another meaty reception, and it's 1st and goal from the 5.

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Once again, Arrowhead has a major, major answer.

Brian Crook ranged to the right sideline to take the kickoff, then outruns tacklers as he runs horizontally to the left line. He surges upfield, sneaks past a tackler all the way down to the 14 yard line of Stevens Point. That's roughly a 78-yard return.

One play later, Calvin Ramsey punches it in, and Arrowhead has stolen all the momentum away for the second straight time in this game. The big play brigade is in full force.

Arrowhead 28, Stevens Point 14, 5:20 3rd quarter.

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Another fumble deep in the AHS end zone. I didn't see who put it on the ground, but this is the second fumble close to the goal line in the game for the Warhawks. SPASH recovers, and start with the ball on Arrowhead's 4.

Winker keeps it on third down and punches it in. The Warhawks shoot themselves in the foot badly, and SPASH takes advantage. We have a ballgame again.

Arrowhead 21, Stevens Point 14, 5:44 3rd quarter 

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Jake Tatro, SPASH's secondary running option, is apparently out of the game. They'll rely even more heavily on Sikorski, in that case. Sikorski takes it to the 39 for 3rd and 1, but illegal procedure (one of very few flags in this game) makes the conversion trickier for the Panthers.

Pass is incomplete, off the outstretched hands of Arrowhead defender Jake Poehls. It's punting time this time around for the Panthers. Mike Walder's good punt gives AHS the ball at its own 7 with 7:10 to play.

The thunder sticks are re-entering the picture. 

***** 

SPASH gets the ball to open up the second half and immediately connects for a 16-yard pass play. Once again, they are able to find seams in the AHS defense, especially when they pass the ball. Joe Horvath, who caught the first ball, also fights for 9 yards on a completion to move the chains ... 1st and 10 on the SPASH 38.

The running game is starting to show some weaknesses. Whereas Sikorski had plenty of room to maneuver before, he's now running into resistance. A three-yard loss on first down exemplifies that, and SPASH immediately goes back to airing it out. A near sack by Seitz (that guy is EVERYWHERE today) causes an incomplete pass, 3rd and long.

Sikorski catches a pass and gets good yardage, but it's 4th and 2. Decision time for SPASH on the 47. They catch Arrowhead changing personnel around, and Horvath gets the yardage.

Still driving, 9:02 left in the third.

***** 

I have Parish for nine carries in the first half and 145 yards -- naturally helped by an 80-yard and 52-yard touchdown run. Usually, Calvin Ramsey and Brian Crook are the running machines, but they've combined for just 27 yards. AHS is sticking with what works.

Sikorski slowed from his early pace and has 80 yards on 18 carries. The big plays are the primay difference between the two teams. AHS has 196 on the ground and 70 in the air, while SPASH has 73 on the ground and 55 through the air. Take away the three touchdowns -- including a 49-yard pass play -- and there's no question which team has had more success moving the ball -- SPASH. But that doesn't matter if you can't stop the home run, and AHS has shown no hesitance in creating those.

In fact, they now have 27 touchdowns this year of 40 yards or longer, trumping the two plays of that variety last week against Hartford. Just astonishing big-play ability.

***** 

The Warhawks defend the pass well this time and force a quick punt. Parish airs it out after getting the ball at his own 46, hoping for another quick strike to give AHS a major advantage. It falls incomplete, however, and the Warhawks head into the locker room with a two-score edge.

HALFTIME: Arrowhead 21, SPASH 7.

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Arrowhead gets the touchdown before halftime. 

Brady Steinbach makes a great 18-yard reception, catching a tipped pass on third down to move the chains. Then comes Arrowhead's big strike offense, as Tom Parish lofted a ball to Russ Finco for a 49-yard touchdown. It's right on the money, just like it was in the game last week, when Parish hit Finco down the right sideline for a similar strike.

Arrowhead 21, SPASH 7, 1:24 2nd quarter.

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Seitz comes flying through the line again and hits Winker just as he tries to uncork the ball. Too late -- it's a sack -- and the Arrowhead defense holds court. AHS gets the ball back looking for one more score before halftime. 

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Charlie Seitz bursts through the line to shut down Sikorski for a loss of five yards, one play after Matt Boerner's sack pushed them back on third. SPASH elects to go for it on fourth and 14 from the 26, then calls another timeout.

Critical juncture with 2:36 left before halftime. 

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We know Jeff Budzien is capable of hitting long field goals, but I don't think anyone was expecting to see him lining one up from 59 yards when the Warhawks faced a fourth down close to midfield. The kick was blocked however, and though AHS nearly recovered it for a first down, SPASH wrestled it away and reclaimed possession on their own 30.

Now, the Panthers are moving the ball very effectively on the ground and through the air, with several first down connections between quarterback Ethan Winker and the top Panthers receiving target, tight end Nick Peplinski. Trailing by a touchdown with 3:30 to go in the half, the Panthers face a 3rd and 9 from the AHS 21. They call timeout to set up the play.

Hamilton, by the way, fell to Verona, 28-14.

***** 

Arrowhead pulls out a stop on fourth down and might have gotten a finger on the punt, as it caromed sideways and went only 8 yards. That gives the Warhawks the ball back on the SPASH 49 yard line, with an opportunity to increase their newfound lead. 

*****

Parish delivers a great fake and busts through for a 22-yard gain, then runs the exact same play all the way to the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown run. Parish has five carries for 139 yards, and it's early in the second quarter.

Arrowhead 14, Stevens Point 7, 11:14, 2nd quarter.

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Drew Meyer plows straight up the gut for a third down conversion deep in AHS territory. It's the end of the first quarter, and the Warhawks get a new set of downs in a tie game.

After first: Arrowhead 7, Stevens Point 7.

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The Panthers have demonstrated an ability to move the ball with the run, which is something that other teams have not been able to do against Arrowhead. Once again, they drive to midfield and beyond after Budzien's punt pinned them on their own 14. Austin Sikorski has been a one-man show, already accumulating 53 yards on the ground with 2:22 in the first quarter.

Big third down play on 3rd and 8 from the AHS 48, and the Warhawks tackle Sikorski for a loss. The Hawks get the ball back.

***** 

Arrowhead gets a turnover and gets possession back after Point moved the ball close to midfield. Sikorski muffs a handoff, and Jim Bernatz hops on top to recover the fumble and take the ball on the SPASH 43.

The drives flounders though, and Budzien is brought in to punt. Six minutes remain in the first quarter, tied at 7. 

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WHAT AN ANSWER

On the first play of the ensuing drive, quarterback Tom Parish atoned for his fumble, surging through the line and outrunning Isaac Elliott down the field for an 80-yard touchdown. Jeff Budzien adds the extra point, and with virtually no time off the clock in the first quarter, we have a shootout.

Arrowhead 7, Stevens Point 7, 10:04, 1st quarter. 

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Disaster on the opening drive. With a second down play starting from the AHS 23, an option pitch went over the head of the running back, and Stevens Point recovered the fumble on the 7. Two plays later, Austin Sikorski rushed the ball in for the Panthers, and boom, just like that the Warhawks trail. They're seldom in this position.

Stevens Point 7, Arrowhead 0, 10:20, 1st quarter.
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Arrowhead (12-0) vs. Stevens Point (10-2) 

SPASH entered the playoffs as a No. 3 seed, but they earned a signature win over previously-unbeaten DC Everest in the second round, 35-17. They defeated Appleton North Last week to reach this point.

Arrowhead survived a scare in this very stadium against Oshkosh West two weeks ago, then thumped Hartford at home last week, 35-0.

Arrowhead receives the opening kickoff, and we're underway.

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As I reported on Lake Country Watch, Hamilton trailed Verona in the Division 2 semifinals at halftime, 14-0. The deficit is the same in the third quarter, with Verona holding a 21-7 lead. Reporter Chris Schuck will call in a final score when it's available.

Staggering surprise in Division 3, where Reedsburg -- which came into the playoffs unseeded, like Hamilton -- holds a 40-20 lead over Wisconsin Lutheran in the fourth quarter. Wisco was largely considered the favorite to win another state title, but it appears the highly-possible scenario of repeat champs in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 is going to fall by the wayside. Arrowhead and Kimberly, for the record, are defending champs in 1 and 2 and remain alive to make Madison. 

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The Arrowhead fans have thunder sticks. I thought those were banned from sports viewing when they got a bad review following the Brewers second home playoff game against the Phillies a month ago.

The Point students have come adorned in blaze orange to fit the season. 

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I'm perched in the press box at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh, almost as far away as I would be next week if Arrowhead advanced to the state title game in Madison next weekend. It's a nice facility, to be sure, but I don't get a break from the weather. The room is set to refridgerate in here.

The field turf appears to be pretty nice, perhaps a step behind Arrowhead's own if I had to guess. The winner between Arrowhead and Stevens Point today will face Homestead in next week's state title game.

The Highlanders defeated Middleton on the other side of the WIAA Division 1 semifinals, 35-21. That game just went final, so it could be a rematch for the third straight year. Or will the Panthers step in the way of a budding state title rivalry? Check back for updates, with a 4 p.m. kickoff looming.

The two teams trade points, but Reid hits the serve out and the ballgame is over. Thanks for reading. Check back tomorrow for Arrowhead football in Oshkosh against Stevens Point, with a berth at state on the line. Kickoff is 4 p.m.

Final: New Berlin 3, Kettle Moraine 0, 25-17, 27-25, 25-22.

***** 

Officials disagree on a Dejno shot to the corner, but it was definitely in, and the chair overruled the line judge. That makes it 23-20, NB. It was the right call, as I think the line judge was screened and called it best he could. The chair overruled immediately.

Service error makes it 23-21, with Sam Tromblay back to the service line, needing to keep the ball in play. 

***** 

KM calls timeout, down 22-18. It's going to take a pretty substantial rally, down two games to none and facing a bleak deficit in game three. 

***** 

The Lasers go to old reliable in the back row, but Reid gets blocked, and the United lead grows. Rupp digs up a Dejno attack in the net, and it's played up and into a point for the Lasers.

New Berlin wins the next point, but it doesn't get credited because a volleyball from the neighboring court rolled across. Karma bounces the United way when a serve goes out, and it's 21-17, New Berlin. 

***** 

The United built a 2-point lead, with a Lasers service error and attack error helping the cause, followed by a net violation. Major crossroads right now for KM, and they call timeout, down 19-16. 

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Dejno has a nice jump serve in his artillery, and it directly leads to a point that gives NB the lead back at 12-11. Ean Reid lines up back-to-back kills to give it back to the Lasers, but Dejno comes absolutely flying out of the back row to throw down a smash off the hands of Rupp. Reid responds one more time, and each of the last four KM points have come via Reid kill. It's 14-13, Lasers. 

***** 

We haven't had consecutive points for either team in a while. Mayenschein gets another attack to tie the score at 8-8, Dejno responds with a punishing kill, but Dan Schwartz responds and we're locked again. Schwartz takes an overpass to finally give a team two in a row, and the Lasers have their first lead of the game at 10-9. 

***** 

Hayden reaches over some barriers into a watching crowd and saves a ball that New Berlin thought was already dead, leading to an easy kill. But despite the fortuitous bounce, it's the United that has all the energy, even as their lead in the third game is slim, at 5-4.

Mayenschein gets a clean attack on a second hit and ties the score. 

**** 

Dejno with nine kills in game two, and Kettle Moraine now faces a serious hole, down 0-2. Had they clinched that final point, we'd be talking about a completely different monster, but the Lasers will need to come back from the dead if they want to advance. Hayden's attack just missed, leading to a cheer on KM's side that dissolved into a cheer on the other side.  

***** 

Nick Lepak gets the kill to pull New Berlin back within 24-23, and KM calls another timeout. Is this the NBA? An overpass on the ensuing serve receive leads to a Dejno kill, and Reid's attack goes long to create a major turn of events. Now New Berlin is up, 25-24.

Hayden with a remarkable kill that rides parallel to the net -- JUST finds some line to re-tie the score. But Mayenschein hits the serve out, and the United reclaims control. Hayden's next attack just misses the line, and New Berlin wins, 27-25.

Match score: New Berlin 2, Kettle Moraine 0. 

***** 

A United attack hits the net, giving KM a two-point lead before Dejno delivers another one from the back row, pulling his squad within 23-22. KM sets Reid similarly -- from the back row -- and he wipes it off the block for a game point situation, at 24-22. New Berlin calls another timeout, with KM on the cusp of tying the match. They struggled putting games away in the sectional final, so now would be a good time to atone. 

***** 

Mayenschein takes a tight pass and kills it, knotting the score at 21-21. His set to David Hayden is played up, but New Berlin miscommunicates and the ball hits the floor. KM takes a 22-21 lead, and New Berlin takes a timeout. 

***** 

Mayenschein played a low pass perfectly to Reid, who delivered another game-tying kill in a back-and forth game. We're locked at 19. As I type that, New Berlin rattles off consecutive points and forces KM to call timeout, down 21-19 and trying to avoid an 0-2 deficit to start the match.

***** 

David Hayden notches his second kill of the game and ties the score at 14-14. Denjo responds from the back row for a loud kill, giving his team the temporary advantage, before Mayenschein delivers a great back-set to Hayden for a game-tying kill. It's 15s. 

***** 

Reid's jump serve nets a couple points, although New Berlin almost returned one that bounced off the rafters. It's New Berlin's turn to look a touch discombobulated -- back-tob-back attack errors by Dejno give KM an 11-10 lead. NB ties it after a long rally at 11-11.  

***** 

The KM attack has definitely not found its rhythm, with seven attack errors after the early points of game two. New Berlin blocks Reid to take a 5-4 lead in the second set, then adds a couple more to build a 7-4 lead. 

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Sophomore Nick Olson throws down the decisive kill for the United, and New Berlin finishes with a 25-17 win over Kettle Moraine in Game One. Jeremy Dejno finishes the game with six kills and one ace for New Berlin. Reid notches four kills to lead the Lasers.

Match score: New Berlin 1, Kettle Moraine 0. 

***** 

Mayenschein is whistled for taking off on the serve over the baseline, and New Berlin uses that as a start of a four-point run, leading into another KM timeout. First game not looking so hot, as New Berlin holds a 23-15 lead.

Of course, the Lasers were up in game two of the sectional final against CMH, 24-18, and wound up falling. Anything's possible, but the United are primed to take this first set. 

***** 

Kettle Moraine will make no apologies for its high-risk aggressive serves, but they look a lot better when they start in play. Consecutive service errors keep KM from building any momentum. It's back and forth, but that favors the team with the lead. New Berlin takes a 19-14 lead and coach Tom Gulak calls timeout for KM. 

***** 

The lead swells to 14-8. Rupp made a great dig on Dejno's first clean look of the day, as it bounced up into the rafters and Keating ran it down to get it over. But Beeler put it away for New Berlin to quiet any momentum it could have provided.

Dejno with an explosive kill to give the United a 16-10 lead.

***** 

New Berlin gets the upper hand, taking a 10-5 lead. KM has been a bit sloppy, with two service errors (those almost killed them against CMH in the sectional final) and a trio of attack errors. 

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Mayenschein records an ace on his jump serve on the first point of the match, and we're underway. 

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Many teams do fun things with their hair when they reach state -- shaving completely and mohawks seem to be the most popular maneuvers. But Racine Horlick -- playing Nicolet on the opposite court -- win the award for most creative. They've shaved everything but the very top to give a mohawk look, but the sides are carved in all sorts of wavy lines. It's like railroad tracks (remember those?) all over the place. Weird, but interesting.

Lineups for New Berlin vs. Kettle Moraine:

NB: Chris Pokrzwya, Adam Vlaj (L), Jeremy Dejno, Nick Olson, Nick Lepak, Mike Beeler, Jamie Sugar

KM: Connor Keating, Ean Reid, Greg Duma, Jim Mayenschein, Dan Schwartz, David Hayden, Mitch Rupp (L)

***** 

I knew New Berlin was young, but I didn't realize they were THIS young.

I already mentioned they have one senior, a player who is not a central part of the team's attack from a glance at the stats. That means they almost excuslively rely on underclassmen -- they'll all be back next year on a team that qualified for state and carried a top 10 ranking. This team could contend with Marquette as a state boys volleyball dynasty.

They have two sophomores and three freshmen on the roster, and one of those sophomores is the team's No. 2 kills guy, Mike Beeler, a 6-3 middle. One of the freshmen -- Nick Olson -- is No. 3 in that department and the team's tallest player at 6-5. Yikes. How good will they be next year? Looks like they're already plenty good this year.

KM has three sophomores -- Connor Keating, Josh Zuelke and Greg Duma. Keating and Duma are starters.

***** 

Warmups are often a fun time in boys volleyball, especially when you watch a stud hitter. Without the block, getting a completely free shot, Jeremy Dejno has been delivering some impressive sharp-angle throwdowns. It's definitely grounds for oohing and aahing. Ean Reid has put on similar displays for KM. 

***** 

Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee is in the middle of a residential neighborhood on Bluemound Ave., but this is a very nice venue compared to predecessor Waukesha West, where the tournament has been held the last several years.

West always felt cramped to me, thanks largely to the bleachers being tight on one side and only half retracted in the two-court layout. Here, the two courts still leave plenty of room for fans on both sides.

The atmosphere at these tournaments is really something to behold. This sport lends itself to a lot of emotional outbursts with every point, and the fans take advantage of that. With two matches going on simultaneously, someone is almost always cheering.

I nearly got hit with a volleyball just now. Journalists blog at their own risk.
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I wish I could figure out what the KM fans are saying.

Just as they did in the sectional final, the student section chants "Ean Reid ___" It sounds like "Ean Reid how," but I can't make it out. Enunciation is the key to any good student section. I'm pretty sure senior Ean Reid is the centerpiece of the cheer, however.

They're in full force as the KM players have hit the floor at Wisconsin Lutheran, prepping for their state semifinal. The KM students arrive adorned in various jerseys -- basketball, football, you name it -- so it's a multi-colored presentation. I dig it.

***** 

Update from the other quarterfinal action -- Middleton just swept Wauwatosa East, taking game three in a spirited 25-23 battle. Middleton is very tough, with a 6-foot-7 middle and two players on the first or second all-state team.

Marquette got an early scare when Kaukauna took game one in extra points against the state's top team, but the Hilltoppers have since rebounded to take games two and three. They're getting set for game four as we speak.

UPDATE: Marquette wins in four and will face Middleton in a state semifinal tomorrow.

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Kettle Moraine (13-4) vs. New Berlin (22-5), WIAA state quarterfinal

New Berlin is in its third year of existence, and like Kettle Moraine, makes its first-ever state tournament appearance this evening. The United -- a co-op team featuring students from New Berlin West and New Berlin Eisenhower -- are led by first team all-state choice Jeremy Dejno, whose .428 hitting percentage is amazing for an outside hitter with as many attempts as it lists for him (551).

Dejno is just a junior, and it wouldn't surprise me if his family's interest in boys volleyball helped to jumpstart a program in New Berlin. Dejno was awesome as a freshman -- I was covering the program at the time -- and I can only imagine where he is now as a junior.

The United are young -- just one senior on the roster, which is a circumstance shared by Kettle Moraine. Of course, the Lasers senior is Ean Reid, the team's first team all-state hitter who will probably be the player of the year in the Classic 8 Conference.

New Berlin setter Chris Pokrzwya was also on the team as a freshman and has had plenty of time to develop a rapport with Dejno.

When I saw KM and Catholic Memorial in the sectional final, I was struck by setter Jim Mayenschein's willingness to attack. Not just setter dumps either -- the kid takes a full swing on second hits if the opportunity presents itself. That's a dangerous weapon to have.

***** 

I decided to take in the action a little early at Wisconsin Lutheran College, and I'll be here for both quarterfinal rounds. In front of me, Middleton is facing Wauwatosa East, while Marquette and Kaukauna (alma mater!) play on behind me.

Kettle Moraine and New Berlin will face off at 7:30 p.m., and you can check back to the Preps Alcove for updates as they happen.

This weekend promises additional playoff action for a trio of Lake Country-area teams, and the Preps Alcove will once again be on the scene.

I'll be live blogging Friday night, beginning at 7:30 p.m., when the Kettle Moraine boys volleyball team makes its first-ever trip to the state meet, competing against New Berlin at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee. The Lasers will play again Saturday morning with a victory, and I'll be on hand for that matchup as well.

Later that day, the Arrowhead football team visits Oshkosh with a state berth on the line, taking on Stevens Point at 4 p.m. Check back at the Alcove for all the updates and scene-setting.

The Lake Country area picked up more representation that it might have expected at this stage of the WIAA football playoffs when Sussex Hamilton turned its third straight upset of the tournament and reached the state semifinals in Division 2. Arrowhead, meanwhile, turned in its best effort of the season to get that far in Division 1. Some news and notes:

• I find the win by Hamilton over Waunakee to be flat-out jaw-dropping. It was one thing to defeat DeForest -- a decent team in a conference perhaps comparable or slightly worse than the Greater Metro. It was another to shock Brookfield Central, a conference foe that had smashed HHS earlier in the year. But to defeat an undefeated top seed, a team many picked to reach the state title game? I can't believe it. Tyler Janus again comes up with the big play of the game on a 50-yard touchdown reception from Justin Rupnow, and the Chargers scored a 14-7 upset to face Verona in the state semifinals. The Chargers are absolutely playing their best football of the season right now, and it's not like they're getting a favorable draw in the opponents they've faced. I'm completely impressed.

• Arrowhead was no less impressive Saturday, absolutely thrashing one of the best programs in the area -- Hartford. The 35-0 win featured a running clock early in the second half, a series of incredible defensive plays (including four turnovers) and a four-touchdown day for Brian Crook that showcased both the explosive running back's ability and the dominating offensive line. AHS took no prisoners whatsoever. Jeff Budzien practically put on an exhibition with his out-of-the-end-zone kickoffs and a 63-yard punt. They get Stevens Point next week, and while SPASH is always a threat to win a state title, the Arrowhead team we saw Saturday is close to unbeatable. Then again, the AHS team we saw against Waukesha West was fallible. It strikes me that the playoff plights between last year's Warhawks and this year's are similar -- a close-call loss was necessary en route to a state title in 2007. Same in 2008?

• Homestead handled Racine Park, 42-6, really flexing their muscles against a team with a superstar running back (Deion McClain) and a legitimate shot to upset the Highlanders. They draw Middleton in the semifinals, a team that has dispatched Mukwonago and both Kenosha teams on the way. By extension, Park beat both of those Kenosha teams, and Homestead beat Park badly, so that implies the obvious -- Middleton has its toughest test ahead. The chance of a Homestead-AHS title game for a third straight year is really good.

• Kimberly manhandles Kaukauna and looks unstoppable in Division 2. Wisconsin Lutheran survives narrowly past Greendale in a spirited Division 3 contest. Along with Arrowhead, we could have repeat champs in all three divisions with those teams all looking strong.

• Verona shuts down Franklin in the second half and strikes a 35-21 win over the Sabers after the game was tied at 21 headed into halftime. The Sabers played deeper into the tournament than people expected, but Verona proves to be Franklin's undoing.

• Whoever faces Wisconsin Lutheran in the state title game -- if Wisco can get past a Reedsburg team enjoying a Hamiltonian late-season surge through the playoffs -- will be a very tough opponent. 2006 state champion Waupaca and state heavyweight Kewaskum are both undefeated and will face each other in the other semifinal.
  

FINAL: Arrowhead 35, Hartford 0.

Arrowhead advances to Level 4 playoffs. 

***** 

Hartford gets the ball back, but it's about getting experience for the second-stringers at this point, with the clock under 2 minutes and rolling on. The Warhawks administer and absolutely dominant performance and now sit one game away from their third straight state title game. They lost to Homestead in 2006, defeated Homestead in 2007 and could face them again in 2008's title game. HHS already won today and reached the final four.

The Warhawks will face either Appleton North or Stevens Point in next weekend's state semifinal.

***** 

The Warhawks reserves are in the game, with the task of milking this clock. We're under 5 minutes on the constant run.  

***** 

The snap goes through Hartford's punter's hands, but this time he recovers to still get a kick and get the ball down to the AHS 28. Nice play by Dumke. 7:45 to go in this contest. I'm hearing that Stevens Point has a 21-14 lead over Appleton North in the other Division 1 quarterfinal, with 9:13 left in the third quarter. The winner of that game will face Arrowhead next weekend.

***** 

Arrowhead just runs the ball pinned in its own end, and Hartford winds up calling a time out with 7 seconds left in the third quarter. The Warhawks will be punting on fourth down from their own 3, with the outcome already fairly academic. Just a matter of how long it takes -- if Hartford scores, the running clock will stop and things will slow down.

Holy smokes, a SIXTY SEVEN yard punt from the back of the end zone. It landed at the Hartford 46 on the fly, then rolled to the 33. Jeff Budzien is a freak.

End third quarter: Arrowhead 35, Hartford 0.

***** 

The Orioles disaster gets worse.

On their second try inside the 2 looking for the first Hartford score of the game, Arrowhead strips Krueger and recovers the fumble deep in their own end zone. Hartford's best chance of the game to score goes by the boards, and the clock keeps running. This game is going to end quickly at this rate.

It's still 35-0, pushing a minute left in the third quarter.

***** 

Hartford finally gets something to be happy about -- a bomb caught by Gabe Johnson for 52 yards. That put them inside the Arrowhead 40, and Krueger then ran the ball into the red zone.

AHS forced the Orioles into a fourth down and long, but a late hit penalty re-energized the drive. Hartford is on the 2 with 1st and goal.

There is a running clock by the way. It's under 4 minutes in the third.

***** 

Arrowhead scores again

A 34-yard pass connection between Tom Parish and Russ Finco leads to a 1st down on the 14, and that's when the ball goes to Brian Crook, who rushes the rest of the way for another touchdown.

We're going to get and see once and for all (I've heard conflicting reports) whether or not they use a running clock in the playoffs when a team is down by 35.

Arrowhead 35, Hartford 0, 8:31 3rd.

***** 

Balthazor just delivered a crowd-rocking hit on a screen pass, sending Hartford to a 3rd and 17 situation from its own 8. Balthazor absolutely destroyed the receiver. A penalty pushes the Orioles back even further.

Rumor has it Greendale leads Wisconsin Lutheran at the half, 13-7. Big upset in the works? That might be as big as Hamilton over Waunakee.

Fourth down after a decent completion. Time for another punt.
**** 

Second half kickoff goes to Hartford -- the first time it's not a touchback. It's about two yards deep in the end zone, and the Orioles brought it out -- only to be tackled at the 19. So Jeff Budzien doesn't kick it out of the end zone finally -- and it helps Arrowhead.

An omenous start for Orioles fans.

***** 

Hamilton shocked Waunakee, 14-7. Here's what I just posted on Lake Country Watch. Chris Schuck sent in the information.

***** 

For the curious, the rain has not slowed down. It's been steady and consistent all game long. I'm grateful for my roof, but I'm not immune from the sub-freezing temps. Brrrrr.  

***** 

Hartford does nothing with its final drive. They'll need to make some incredible adjustments to get back into the game.

Halftime: Arrowhead 28, Hartford 0.

*****

Nobody can stop Brian Crook

Reminiscient of his long touchdown run in the state title game last year, Brian Crook ran straight up the middle for 42 yards -- the TWENTY FOURTH Arrowhead touchdown of greater than 40 yards this year -- and it's suddenly 28-0 with 2:!5 to play in the half. The Warhawks are in complete control, and not to jump the gun, but I can't imagine Hartford getting back into this contest.

Arrowhead 28, Hartford 0, 2:15 2nd quarter.

***** 

Another turnover for the Arrowhead defense.

Chris Pendergast picks off Stephans and puts the Warhawks on their own 49. They'll have 3 minutes to get down half the field and go up by four scores. 

***** 

Hartford is sustaining a drive, but there have been a lot of stoppages with a penalty and time out. They're a couple yards shy of the 50 with 3:36 left in the half. They need a big play score, and at least a touchdown before halftime to stay in this game.

**** 

Update from Hamilton: The Chargers have a 14-7 lead over Waunakee with 9 minutes remaining in the game. Waunakee just scored on a 1-yard run to pull within a score. 

***** 

Arrowhead scores once again 

I expected AHS to win this game, but they're quickly turning this into a route. On the 40, Parish pitched left to Crook, who picked up a head of steam and got to the sideline. He broke a couple tackles, then bust all the way to the end zone.

It's a 40-yard touchdown, their 23rd touchdown of 40 yards or longer this season. Budzien's boot is good, and the rout is on?

Arrowhead 21, Hartford 0, 7:05 2nd quarter.

***** 

Runs by Ramsey and Crook lead to first downs, and though Arrowhead has slowed its tempo somewhat, they now have the ball on the Hartford 40 with a 1st down and 7:15 on the half clock. 

***** 

Joey Balthazor catches the ankle of Hartford quarterback Jordan Stephens on third down, and Matt Boerner finishes the hit that sends the Orioles back to 4th and 10 on their own 30. Another punt follows, and with 9 minutes left in the half, the Warhawks can add to their 14-0 lead. 

*****

Budzien kicks another one out of the end zone. He's one of the best kickers in the country according to those in the know, and he's proving it. 

***** 

Arrowhead scores again

An AMAZING catch by Russel Finco leads to another Warhawks touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Parish faked handoff, dropped back and arched a high ball to the right corner. Finco had a step on his man, but the ball was a hair too lazy, so Finco went up and got undercut by his defender. He came down on top of his guy -- with the football -- in the end zone.

Arrowhead 14, Hartford 0, 11:53 2nd quarter. 

***** 

Ramsey makes the last play of the first quarter a big one. The big play threat runs from the AHS 42 on third down, needing 8 yards, to the Hartford 30 for a 28-yard scamper. The Warhawks will look to add to their lead.

After first quarter: Arrowhead 7, Hartford 0.

***** 

Ah, but the Warhawks give it right back this time. Ramsey, whose fumble last week gave Oshkosh West new life, dropped the ball trying to make a second effort on a 2nd down play. Hartford gets the ball back deep in their own territory.

A monster hit by Jeremy Oleniczak ensues on the succeeding possession, and Charlie Geib provides a sack on third down to force a punt. AHS gets the ball, but now it's 1st and 10 on its own 40.

Still 7-0, under a minute to go in the first.

***** 

Another huge play by the Warhawks (or a nice break, if you want to look at it that way) sets up crazy-good field position.

A bad snap by Hartford compels punter Darin Dumke to run with it and Joey Balthazor -- one of the best defensive players in the Classic 8 -- makes a tackle to give AHS the ball at the HHS 29.

Back on offense.

***** 

Krueger runs for a Hartford first down on 3rd and 2, then churns forward for another five yards as the Orioles get to their 40. A half-hearted keeper attempt leads to a sack by Mike Stoll, forcing Hartford into a 3rd and 5. 

Krueger met for no gain. The Warhawks will get the ball back with just under 4 minutes left in the opening period.

***** 

Arrowhead scores a touchdown

Brian Crook gets hit, but the second effort finds him lunging over the end zone line for a touchdown. Crook gets another score to his touchdown tally, well beyond 20 for the season. Jeff Budzien takes the extra point (and blasts the subsequent kickoff for a touchback).

Defense leads to offense, and the Warhawks strike first.

Arrowhead 7, Hartford 0, 6:30 1st quarter.

***** 

Arrowhead gets it right back. A big hit on first down against the running back Krueger leads to a fumble, and Jake Poehls recovers to give AHS possession on the HHS 19.

On 2nd down, Crook rushes to the 4. Arrowhead knocking on the door with 7 minutes left in the first quarter. 

***** 

The punt is buried inside Hartford's own 20, which is where the Orioles will take their first possession. 

***** 

Ramsey takes a pitch 10 yards for another first -- Arrowhead slicing through the vaunted HHS defense. An option to Crook is not nearly as successful, with Malinowski stepping up to hit the running back for a two-yard loss.A fumbled snap on 2nd down is picked up by Ramsey, and now AHS finds itself at 3rd and 13. Throwing is not the AHS speciality, even though they did plenty of it in a late win over Waukesha West last week.

Pass incomplete. Punting time for the Warhawks. No score, 8 minutes left in the 1st.

*****

After a penalty pushes the Warhawks back five yards, Ramsey gets hit at the line and maybe scratches for a yard to make it 3rd and 6. Ramsey and junior Brian Crook make up the Warhawks' stellar one-two punch, a big play machine.

Parish slips on a bit of a broken play, but he regains his footing and races seven yards to move the chains. Parish calls his own number again and burrows past midfield, with a 2nd and 3 forthcoming.

***** 

AHS starts at its own 28 yard line after Ramsey took a pitch on the kickoff. It's hovering near freezing, and I hear the AHS coaches tell his players to "stay loose," which is good advice in the cold.

AHS quarterback Tom Parish takes a keeper 9 yards on the first play from scrimmage, setting up a 2nd and 1.

***** 

Arrowhead is wearing its traditional home whites, and the Orioles come in with black jerseys with orange and black trim. The Warhawks will march to the north end zone in the first quarter after receiving the kickoff. We're all set! 

*****

Hartford has won the toss and deferred, so Arrowhead will take the opening kickoff. Still 3:40 on the pregame clock, so we're not quite to kickoff yet, but we will be soon. Stay tuned.

***** 

Just got an update from Chris Schuck, watching the Hamilton football team at home against Waunakee. The Chargers have a 7-0 lead with 49 seconds remaining in the first half. 

*****

Arrowhead (11-0) vs. Hartford (10-1)

My fingers are freezing, but at least I have a roof over my head to protect against the sporadic precipitation at Arrowhead High School. The field turf will come in handy with today's inclement weather, which will be a potential storyline in the WIAA Division 1 quarterfinal.

I've been told Hartford runs a power-I, featuring running back Austin Krueger, who was a late-season callup from the varsity reserve and has stepped up in the playoffs. Nick Malinowski anchors the defense at cornerback for a team whose only loss came against Wisconsin Little Ten powerhouse Wisconsin Lutheran in the regular season. Linebacker Tyler Dippel, who I'm told takes his turn lining up at the line of scrimmage as well, is a University of Wisconsin as well.

The Orioles have seen a steady diet of Classic 8 teams this year, defeating Waukesha West in the first round and Kettle Moraine in the second. Last week against the Lasers, Hartford scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win by two scores.

Arrowhead, as you know, is the defending state champion, with a 25-game winning streak that dates back to a state title loss in 2006. The team that defeated them then -- and the team that AHS beat in last year's title game is Homestead. The Highlanders are still alive this year as well, advancing to the state semifinals with a resounding win over Racine Park earlier today.

*****

Check back later today when Hartford kicks off at Arrowhead at 4 p.m. for the WIAA Division 1 Level 3 football game. The winner advances to the state semifinals, and the Preps Alcove will provide live updates from the action. 

FINAL in WIAA state quarterfinal: Notre Dame 2, Pewaukee 1.

***** 

The game comes to the end at muddy Uihlein Park. The Pirates had a 1-0 lead at halftime, but surrendered the lead early in the second half and fall on an own goal in the final minutes. Nothing hurts more in soccer than a loss of that variety.

Still, you have to credit the Pirates. They stood toe-to-toe with the defending state champions, and had chances to win this match. They finish the year 14-6-2, appearing in the state tournament for the first time.

It's kind of a cautious celebration for Notre Dame for a couple reasons, I imagine. One -- they know they're not finished. They have a state title rematch from last year against Catholic Memorial tomorrow, and I'm sure CMH will be out to atone. Also, it's got to feel odd when you're the winner based on a very fortuitous break. I think Notre Dame possessed a little more than PHS, but it was a great match otherwise.

***** 

I feel really bad for Mike Wedeward. The Pirates knew immediately the gravity of the score -- a couple fell to their knees as if they had just allowed an overtime game-winner. The play was so awkward and kind of hard to see through the windows. It looked like an "ole" play similar to a fielder one-arming a short hop in baseball, only to have it skip by. In this case, it took a hop off the keeper and redirected into the net.

PHS' season is about to end. 

***** 

NOTRE DAME TAKES THE LEAD

Unbelievable. Sullivan struck a cross at 77:22, and Wedeward tried to play it on a funny bounce -- it was headed out of bounds -- but it hit off the keeper's arm and into the back of the net. It will get called as an own goal. A heartbreaking turn of events for the Pirates.

Notre Dame 2, Pewaukee 1, 3 minutes to play.

***** 

In the 74th minute, PHS appeared to get away with a foul in the box -- the call wound up going against Notre Dame, which was not approved by Notre Dame's fan base. It would have been a penalty kick had it gone against PHS.

***** 

Pewaukee gets a corner kick -- though it's even hard to tell what the official is ruling as the windows ooze with precipitation -- but it's gotten to the point where the footing is too bad to get too much loft.

It was still an excellent ball by Weisemann, but Panagopoulos couldn't quite out-sky the keeper with the header. It's caught and returned upfield.

***** 

Weisemann gets the best shot PHS has had in a while, a liner from the top of the box caught by the keeper. We're in the 70th minute of a tied game.  

***** 

It's officially snow. 

***** 

I really have no idea which players have the ball. This might be snow, but all I know is the action has turned into an impressionist painting for us in the press box (and I'm not complaining -- we're the lucky ones with a roof).

I can say which team has the ball. Lots of midfield activity since the weather took a major turn for the worse.  

***** 

Notre Dame picks Pewaukee's pocket at midfield, and an attempt deflects off Domack out of bounds.

The rain just started coming down in sheets. We may not even be able to see the action through the rain drops smattered all over the window.

Another corner kick for Notre Dame leads to a header attempt, but no goal. An absolute cannon from the top of the box by Marty Thompson is wide right. The clock reads 64:30.

**** 

Sullivan gets lots of breathing room for Notre Dame to approach the 18, but he doesn't take a shot. He finds a teammate in the corner, which leads to an off-the-mark attempt that floats beyond the end line.

Someone just said the Notre Dame coach prefers to coach barefoot -- even in 40 degree and rainy weather. It was a superstition that worked last year when Notre Dame won the state title, so apparently he's reapeating the ritual. He's got to be freezing. He'd feel better if his guys untied the game, I suppose.

Wedeward picks up a bouncing ball, and another Notre Dame attempt is thwarted.

***** 

Zach Schoenike gets a right-footed cross toward the goalkeeper, but no Pirates can get there to finish, and it becomes an easy pick up for Klingert. We've entered the 60th minute -- 20 to play in this WIAA Division 2 semifinal. Still tied at 1.

***** 

The Pirates march down the field on a series of throw ins that get knocked out of bounds by Notre Dame, but one finally deflects off the Pirates, and Tritons take the ball back. Lots of slipping and sliding -- hard for players to keep their footing. 

***** 

Two Notre Dame players had attempts at a cross by 16 in front of the box, and both whiffed. The Pirates surrender another long shot ... Wedeward goes up and has the ball skip off his fingertips. Scary situation for the Pirates, but they still get the ball cleared. Slippery conditions could lead to some awkard scoring chances. Pirates dodged a couple major bullets there.

***** 

Goal kick for Wedeward, 53rd minute. Game goes to 80. Meka takes the boot and the ball bounces around before Ribeiro gets hit with another final that could have gone either way. The Tritons best player has not gotten a call all day.  

***** 

Santaga gets inside the 6, but gets tangled up with Pewaukee defenders therein and loses the ball. Wedeward lunges forward on a shot from the outside.

Clock stops momentarily as Collin Linsmeier comes up limping. He comes out of the game. Ribeiro gets some freedom from outside the 18, but he gets whistled for an unpopular handball after a deflection off a Pewaukee player.

***** 

A smooth cross from Notre Dame through the top part of the box narrowly skips away, but the Tritons have asserted themselves on offense again. The teams are even with 3 shots each, so it still looks fairly equal on paper. It is equal on the scoreboard, knotted at 1.

***** 

NOTRE DAME TIES THE GAME

At 43:08, Pewaukee allows the equalizer. Ribeiro lofts a ball from the right side horizontally in front of the net, over the head of Wedeward. The ball gets stuck in front with a mess of bodies, and Bryan Sullivan gets a perfectly clean shot. He drills it right to the back of the net, getting an unassisted goal.

We're tied.

Pewaukee 1, Notre Dame 1.

***** 

Alex Kropp gets in the way of a Collin Linsmeier's shot, which comes after some combinational work down the field. Pewaukee still driving with the ball as the first couple minutes of the second half trickle off the clock. 

***** 

Even though Republica's song "Ready to Go" hasn't been popular since I was in high school, somehow it always gets played over the Uihlein Park soundsystem during the state soccer tournament.

I'm super, super grateful to be indoors right now. It's a little chilly up here, but we're not getting sleeted on like the brave souls in the stands.

Just about set for second half. Pewaukee looking to score the upset.

***** 

Major drama to close the first half. It seemed like everyone packed it in for halftime, as the public address announcer began to rattle off the final 10 seconds in a countdown. But Panagopoulos broke free for a one-on-one with the keeper, and he rocketed a shot as the final second was called out. It looked like it found the back of the net from here, and we were immediately looking to see if the goal had made the net in time. Turns out it was just wide and hit the side of the net, so the point is moot. Still, the Pirates have a lead at half.

Pewaukee 1, Notre Dame 0, halftime.

***** 

Linsmeier just absorbed a foul from Notre Dame, leading to a setup from midfield that ultimately gets cleared back by the Tritons.

Ribeiro gets knocked down and again gets no call. 

***** 

The Pirates haven't really had an interesting offensive opportunity since scoring the goal, but I imagine by now, they're trying to kill the last 2:30 of this first half and roll into halftime with an edge.

Ribeiro just got hit with a foul against Panagopolous -- the Notre Dame standout didn't get a call he feel he deserved and retaliated a bit. That leads to a free kick from 35 yards out.

Czerwinski takes it, and Klingert makes a diving stop. Big save for the Tritons. 

***** 

Debbink disrupts a shot that appeared to have some daylight, and it goes wide left post for a corner kick. Benes steps to the corner for Notre Dame, and it's a liner that deflects away. ND still has possession in the Pewaukee end, but on the next out-of-bounds, the ball goes back to the Pirates. The official word is sleet.

The clock reads 36:10. 1-0 PHS. 

***** 

Someone just said it's snowing in Madison. It's on its way, folks. 

***** 

32nd minute, and Notre Dame continues to pressure the goal, but Pewaukee's defense continues to keep Wedeward from facing the brunt of a shot. Raindrops have started falling, so it could get messy. Definitely favors the team that's leading, which is Pewaukee at this point.

Sternke gets kicked in the head -- ouch -- but doesn't get the foul call. He's fine, though he's rubbing the back of his head.

***** 

PEWAUKEE SCORES

Marty Gostisha finds an opening and kicks a chip past the goalkeeper, unassisted, in the 28th minute. It trickles slowly into the net, beyond the defender who tried to clean it up. Pewaukee has a 1-0 lead.  

I said Ribeiro was one of the most dominant scoring threats in the tournament, and he's showing it. Pewaukee's defense cuts in front just before he can get a shot off deep in the box, leading to a fruitless Notre Dame corner. Wedeward ultimately ends up picking up the ball, leading to Pewaukee's possession.

Pewaukee 1, Notre Dame 0. 27:54

 ***** 

Ribeiro just took a blast from 30 yards out, a canon way over the goal and over the bleachers parked on the north end of the field. Headed into the 26th minute, still no score, on the Pewaukee end.

***** 

Joey Grzelak gets in deep past the Pewaukee defense, but Sternke pooches it away before a legitimate threat can be made. The Pirates get a half-hearted shot that drifts past the left post on their next possession. Linsmeier and Schwister, who had checked out, are back in.

Grzelak streaks straight and the goal and gets tangled up. He wanted a foul call, but no dice, and Wedeward picks up the loose ball. Very, very close. 

***** 

Panagopoulos creatively maneuvers the ball past his defender and cuts right post with the ball, but the ball gets too far ahead and the keeper gets to it. We're in the 21st minute, still no score. 

*****

Ribeiro and Matthew Benes stand behind a ball and prep to free kick midway between the box and the midfield line. It's Ribeiro who takes it, but the wall intercepts and heads it away from a streaking Triton.

Phillip Debbink in for the Pirates.
***** 

Santaga takes a header on a great cross from Patrick Birder but it lofts wide of the left post. Notre Dame has definitely taken control of the ball.

*****

The lights flicker on, and Notre Dame almost adds to the power surge. Goalkeeper Mike Wedeward made a sliding stab of a ball crossing toward him from his left, and he secures possession to prevent the striker from getting a second shot. First real save of the game belongs to Pewaukee in the 14th minute. 

***** 

The Tritons put together their first good offensive possession, and PHS does well to keep it from getting beyond the outer perimeter of the box. Notre Dame winds up with a corner kick out of it, but Ribeiro is slapped with a foul when he tries to stick his head into the mix. Pewaukee clears.

Probably affected by the breeze, a long play into the box by Notre Dame on the ensuing possession misses the head of a Triton and Sternke clears. Marty Gostisha checks in for the Pirates. 

*****

A hard foul gives the Pirates a free kick in the 9th minute, but Notre Dame heads it free and clears it out of bounds. All the good opportunities have belonged to PHS, and Aaron Domack throws it back in as the Pirates resume their strike. Czerwinski sends a long ball toward the goal mouth, but right at Klingert, and the teams switch fields.
***** 

Panagopoulos harasses Notre Dame standout goalkeep Tony Klingert, chasing after a ball that Klingert was pursuing in the corner, but it winds up as a goalkick after crossing the end line. Notre Dame pushes it into the PHS half of the field -- so far the Pirates have held the ball. 

*****

I'm learning one thing about blogging soccer -- there really isn't much to say, at least not yet. As I write, we're in the Pewaukee end, with a trhow in, but Notre Dame clears after the toss vaults over the head of Panagopoulis in front of the goal.

They've changed the layout of the ifeld a little bit -- no longer do you enter on the West side of the field, so the walk from the parking lot is extra long. Maybe they'll open that side of the field back up for the finals matches tomorrow, but all fans are pushed to the east side of the stadium.

Corner kick from PHS' Weissemann is the first of the game for either team, but no offensive chance comes from it. Still scoreless in the 5th minute. 

***** 

We're off! Pewaukee is wearing their black road jerseys, and Notre Dame wears white -- we'll see just HOW white when the rains come and this field turns into a mud pit. 

***** 

In the other semifinal, Catholic Memorial poured it on against Dodgeville/Mineral Point, 4-0. The Crusaders will meet the winner of this game in tomorrow's state final.

Starters for Pewaukee in this first-ever PHS state tournament game are Collin Linsmeier, Luke Weisemann, Ryan Schwister, Jake Meka, Matthew Sternke, Aaron Domack, Geordin Panagopoulos, Dave Czerwinski, David Reese, Austin Klemm, Mike Wedeward.

***** 

Ew, Cubs gear. I see a Cubs wool knit cap down there among the spectators, who are doing the best they can to stay warm. Inclement weather conditions are no excuse for supporting the enemy baseball team. But man, it is chilly.

***** 

The weather is certainly frightful. The temperature has dropped into the low 40s and upper 30s in Milwaukee as of kickoff, and the report in the press box is a call for rain showers starting any minute. It gets better -- the rain will turn to snow shortly thereafter. The weather report calls for about an inch of accumulation, so this could be an interesting contest to say the least.

***** 

The WIAA Division 2 semifinal will kick off at 2 p.m., with PHS making its first trip to Uihlein Park in Milwaukee. They'll face off with Green Bay Notre Dame, the defending champs and powerhouse in the state soccer scene.

The Tritons are 22-3-2 this season, including a 13-1 record in the Fox River Classic Conference, good for first place. Their losses came against Germantown, Ashwaubenon and Fond du Lac, with ties against DePere and Madison West. The Tritons obliterated their foes in the playoffs, outscoring four opponents, 17-1.

Notre Dame senior Andrew Rebeiro stands as the player to watch, with 25 goals and 10 assists tying him for the best output of any player in the D2 field. Junior Anthony Santega is the team's secondary option, with 12 goals and 8 assists. The defense, however, is astounding. They've allowed only 12 goals ALL YEAR, logging 15 shutouts along the way. Keeper Tony Klingert is the centerpiece of that effort.

The Pirates, meanwhile, are a bit of an underdog story at 14-5-2, taking fifth place in the Woodland Conference this year. They still had the top seed in the sectional, however, and defeated Mt. Horeb in the final, 3-1. Anything can happen in soccer -- we saw Thomas More win a state title with a pedestrian 16-10 record two years ago. That was Division 3, but also the Woodland Conference.

The Pirates defense has not been regarded as the team's strength, but they've only allowed one goal in the last five games, and that came in the sectional final. Ryan Schwister (43 points) and Geordin Panagopoulos (34) do the bulk of the scoring, and Luke Weisemann, David Czerwinski, Phillip Debbink and Collin Linsmeier all have double-digit points this season. Goalkeeper Mike Wedeward has 11 shutouts to his credit. The Pirates have scored four or more goals in seven matches this year.

Check back for updates!

The Preps Alcove is once again hitting the road for the WIAA postseason, providing live updates from two Lake Country contests this weekend.

At 2 p.m. Friday, I'll be at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee to watch Pewaukee face Green Bay Notre Dame in the first-ever trip to the state soccer tournament for the Pirates. PHS has its hands full against the defending state champ, but anything goes as the final four teams in Division 2 face off.

If you're interested in video, the game will also be streamed on WIAA.TV.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, I'll make a visit to Arrowhead for the WIAA Division 1 Level 3 playoff game between the Warhawks and Hartford. Last year, the Level 3 game proved to be an epic clash between Marquette and AHS, and the Warhawks are coming off a major scare in Level 2, when Oshkosh West nearly pushed Arrowhead out of the playoffs.

Check back in this space for those updates.

Also, we've had some software glitches preventing us from putting new photo galleries on the main page of our LivingLakeCountry web site, but we're working on it. In the meantime, if you're interested in the WIAA cross country state meet, check out our photos from Wisconsin Rapids here.

The cream has risen to the top, with only eight teams remaining in each division of the WIAA football playoffs. Two more wins are all that separate a team from the state title game at this point, and every game is guaranteed to have intrigue.

Two outcomes catch my attention from the Level 2, and both have Lake Country ties. The top-ranked team in the state nearly got ousted in a major upset against Oshkosh West, but a late drive kept Arrowhead's quest to repeat as state champions alive. But perhaps the most eye-opening outcome was Sussex Hamilton, shocking GMC champs Brookfield Central in a 21-13 outcome at HHS.

• Advancing in the Division 2 bracket, Hamilton picked up a tremendous game from quarterback Justin Rupnow -- who converted first downs on a pair of fake punts in addition to a perfect touchdown pass -- and notched a valuable touchdown when Tyler Janus returned an interception 55 yards with 8:49 to go. Central, which defeated Hamilton during the regular season, 31-6, had emerged as a darkhorse with D2 title game hopes. Instead, the Chargers staged a dramatic upset. They get unbeaten Waunakee in the next round, but they just proved they can beat anyone. Central had one loss on the year -- a 10-6 loss to Division 1 stalwart Milwaukee Marquette. Hamilton blocked a field goal in the big win, battled back from a pair of deficits and played without running back Ken Zarske. Taylor Hillmann ran for 111 yards.

• Arrowhead was dead in the water. Oshkosh West, scrambling back thanks to an AHS fumble and an onside kick recovery, took a one-point lead with 1:30 to go. The Warhawks drove the length of the field and scored when Tom Parish threw a perfect toss to Collin Schreck for a 34-yard game winner. There were 13 seconds on the clock, and AHS scored a 30-25 victory to advance and face Hartford. It almost trumps last year's Level 3 overtime win over Marquette -- I guess AHS just needs a dramatic win in the playoffs. Last year, their other four playoff games were easy wins. Will the same happen this time around?

• It was Homestead's turn to battle with Marquette this year, but they managed a 14-8 lead to advance. They face Racine Park next, and an HHS-AHS state title rematch remains a possibility for the third straight year.

• It just wasn't meant to be for Division 3 entrant Pewaukee, which played well and tied Greendale in the fourth quarter Saturday but could not pull ahead of the Panthers in the 42-28 loss. The Pirates came into the matchup undefeated and held tightly with their Woodland foes, thanks to a tremendous receiving day for Ben Landry (8 catches, 157 yards) and over 350 yards in the air. But GD was more comfortable in the shootout and managed the big plays when it needed them. Wisconsin Lutheran awaits the Panthers, and the Vikings still haven't shown a *** in their armor following a 28-10 win over Catholic Memorial.
  

• Kettle Moraine pushed Hartford but ran into a similar scenario -- just not enough to last the whole game. The Orioles perservered against the Lasers, 35-21.
  

• I had a hunch heading into the playoffs that Chippewa Falls or D.C. Everest -- both undefeated in one quadrant of the playoff bracket -- would give AHS a run for its money in the state semifinal. But it's not going to happen. Falls was a surprise ouster in the first round at the hands of Bay Port, and Everest just went down at the hands of Point. That means a three or four seed would battle Arrowhead -- assuming they get past a talented Hartford team that has just one loss all year, and that against a powerhouse like Wisconsin Lutheran.

• Franklin? Really? Two years ago, they were state champions. Last year, they needed a run of wins to just reach the playoffs, and they needed a win on the final day of the season to get there again. Now that they're here, they want to stay a while. A late victory over Oregon sprung the Sabers into Level 2, and a victory over top-seeded Milton reminded everyone that FHS did, after all, play in the amazing Southeast Conference. They next get Verona, which defeated Waterford by a single point in Level 2.

• Kaukauna and Kimberly will battle in an age-old rivalry in one quadrant of the Division 2 bracket. The Papermakers hammered Kaukauna earlier this year, but as we saw with Hamilton and Brookfield Central, the playoffs can be a different scenario.

Up in the (heated, spacious, wonderful) press box at Sun Prairie, I overheard more than one local remark how awesome the Kettle Moraine football team looked Tuesday night in the first round of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs. It was true; KM played a complete game and definitely looked like the better team. Sun Prairie hurt itself with some key penalties and some lackluster moments, but it was a shootout that featured seven of eight touchdowns from more than 23 yards (and the eighth was a 14-yard run by QB Mark Butterfield, who broke a 21-21 tie with five minutes left in the fourth quarter).

It was a lot of fun to attend, and marked an impressive upset for the Lasers, who now get to host a second-round game against Hartford. One thing the Lasers have done is play more kids both ways. The team has never had trouble scoring points with an electric offense centered around Butterfield and Vince Tumbleson -- who had more than 260 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns Tuesday. But they've also been prone to allowing vast quantities of points on defense. That has hurt them in the past, but coach Mike Fink said he's keeping his best athletes on the field at all costs. The result -- consecutive strong defensive performances, including a near-shutout against Mukwonago in the season finale and the playoff win. Without knowing much about the opponent, I wouldn't have given KM much of a shot Tuesday. Now, I can't even be sure a powerful Hartford team can shut them down. Hartford, after all, played in a notoriously weak Wisconsin Little Ten.

Local teams march on: Sussex Hamilton turned another upset by defeating DeForest on the road Tuesday, meaning they get to host Brookifeld Central on Saturday. Central dismissed Hamilton in the regular season by a lopsided margin, and a lot of people see the Lancers as a favorite to pressure for the Division 2 title game.  In other words, the win over the Norskies was excellent and unexpected. But beating Central means HHS will have to channel whatever it was that allowed them to hang with state power Stevens Point. Against other playoff teams with the caliber to work deep into the playoffs, the Chargers have been beaten badly by Central and Marquette.

Arrowhead defeating Manitowoc was a no-brainer (they face Oshkosh West on Saturday), and Pewaukee beating Whitefish Bay seemed pretty expected. It sets up the missing piece showdown in the Woodland Conference this year -- Greendale vs. Pewaukee. PHS is 10-0 for the first time in school history, but they dodged a bullet by not facing the Panthers during the regular season. Pewaukee's landmark win came against New Berlin EIsenhower -- a team that had defeated Greendale one week earlier. This meeting ensures the three powers in the conference will all face each other. I think it will be an absolutely brilliant game.

Didn't see that coming: You just don't know how good some teams are in distant parts of the state, compared to teams with lesser records in better football-rich areas. Chippewa Falls was given the one-seed in Division 1 after a 9-0 season, but Bay Port absolutely handled Falls in the first round, 34-14. That puts D.C. Everest in the driver's seat of that block, as they were also undefeated with a two-seed. But all four of those teams -- Bay Port, Appleton North, Everest and Stevens Points -- have buckets of tradition behind them.

Top-seeded LaCrosse Logan was dumped in Division 2 with similar lack of ceremony, 25-14 by Marshfield. In the second round, Marshfield faces River Falls, which also trumped a seeded foe in LaCrosse Central.

Other seeded teams went down as well. At Sun Prairie, one of the locals said he was surprised Madison West got a seed and expected that they'd get thumped. He was right -- a 44-14 shellacking by Oshkosh West might tell you how tough the Fox Valley Association is. All five FVA playoff teams won first-round games. McFarland topped a top seed in Division 3, when Mount Horeb/Barneveld went tumbling. Seeded Wisconsin Dells and Evansville went packing in the same block of 8.

Wisconsin Lutheran Open?: It's hard to not hand the Division 3 crown to Wisconsin Lutheran for the fourth time in five years, and an easy win over St. Francis does nothing to dispel that concept. But the defending champs won't have it easy in the next couple rounds. They'll get Catholic Memorial in the second round, and I guarantee the Little Ten didn't offer an opponent of that caliber. If they survive, it's either Woodland champ Pewaukee or Greendale -- wild cards because the Woodland is so weak save for the three teams at the top. It's hard to say just how good those squads are, especially after Woodland heavyweight New Berlin Eisenhower went down in one of the biggest first-round area matchups, to CMH.

Game of the night? I was surprised to see the Journal-Sentinel send a reporter to the Racine Lutheran/Brookfield Academy game. I figured of all the places to dipatch a reporter on the first game of the night, a Division 6 contest would hardly earn a ripple of attention. But it turned out to be a superb choice. Lutheran won when it fell on a punt in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, 35-34. Hard to imagine there was a better game in the Milwaukee area that night.

I'll be headed to Sun Prairie this evening to watch the Kettle Moraine football team in the first round of WIAA playoffs. Local teams like Arrowhead (at home against Manitowoc), Pewaukee (at home against Whitefish Bay), Mukwonago (at Middleton), Hamilton (at DeForest) and Lake Country Lutheran (at Potosi) are also in action this evening, which begins the real awesome portion of the season.

I wrote a column earlier this year recalling my favorite game ever covered -- the Arrowhead Level 3 game against Marquette last fall. At the time, I chronicled the game in a blow-by-blow format for another blog, and I want to share that with you here. It was the first game I covered as sports director of Lake Country Publications -- the second would be Arrowhead's state title victory in Madison.

Hopefully this will whet your whistle for the postseason.

I was somewhat cheering for this new team, since it could mark a return to the state championship games in two weekends -- an experience I took in last year as well when one of my old teams made the state finals. There were moments when I was sure that team would lose, moments I was sure they would win, and two overtimes worth of incredible football. I haven't seen a ton of games, but I am confident that for many years, this will be the best game that I've ever seen.

1. The atmosphere. There were at least 6,000 people at the game, standing three deep along parts of the stadium that offered visibility to the field. Some were even standing a few yards away on an elevated knoll. I was on the sidelines with my media credential, watching the game from that vantage point for the first time. It was an incredible, incredible view.

2. The teams. Hartland Arrowhead is a state powerhouse to be sure, but they also have a streak of five straight appearances in the state title game without a championship. They did win three state crowns prior to the streak, but they're still thirsty for more after many bridesmaid finishes. Milwaukee Marquette is a sports empire, an all-boys school in Milwaukee that often boasts some of the best sports teams in the state. Needless to say, the teams had talent on both sides, and it was being billed as a game with state-title sentiment.

3. The setup. But despite Arrowhead's home field advantage, they were facing a 21-10 deficit with under 10 seconds to play in the third quarter. Marquette's three-headed monster of a running game had given the Hilltoppers a big lead, and Arrowhead found itself in desperate measures.

4. The bomb. Back the Warhawks came, with a 77-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the third quarter to immediately swing momentum back in Arrowhead's corner. It was a perfect pass, a perfect route and a perfect play that had the place going wild.

5. Arrowhead seizes control. The first possession of the fourth quarter was a rocky one for Marquette, with Arrowhead using their new burst of momentum to bury the Hilltoppers on 3-and-out. Given excellent field position on the Marquette 40, Arrowhead methodically worked its way down the field and scored to take a 24-21 lead, with three minutes having passed off the clock since it faced a 21-10 deficit. It was a swift swing.

6. Marquette stages a drive. There were nine minutes left in the game, but I was still surprised that Marquette had the muster to get the ball back down the field. They scored on an incredible drive, with the quarterback eluding a pass rush on 3rd-and-11 to complete a sideline pass deep in Marquette territory to prolong the drive at one point. They converted two more third downs before a touchdown pass to the tight end, re-claiming the lead. There were 2 minutes, 35 seconds on the clock, and Arrowhead faced a 28-24 trail.

7. The second-loudest roar of the day. With very little time to make something happen, Arrowhead scored on a 33-yard touchdown strike to an outstretched receiver down the sideline, a perfect pass that gave Arrowhead the 31-28 lead with 55 seconds left on the clock. It was ridiculous. After the turn of events, Arrowhead was going to win after all, right?

8. The kickoff and the kick. A squib kick was picked up inside the 5 by Marquette, fumbled for a moment, picked up and somehow returned to the Marquette 37. In a desperate series of passing plays, Marquette found its way down the field, but had only 2 seconds left and decided to attempt a game-tying field goal from 42 yards. I'm sure you can imagine that since a 12-yarder is often a challenge for a high school kid, a 42-yarder was something impossible for most. But this kid drilled it as time expired, part of an excellent day for both teams in the kicking department. We had overtime.

9. First overtime. Ball on the 10, one set of downs. Arrowhead scores and converts a point after, and Marquette needs just two plays to do the same. On a day when defense has suddenly been a difficult proposition against the two powerful offenses, it didn't appear that anyone was going to stop either team. It was 38-38, and Marquette took the ball first in the second overtime. Arrowhead stopped them, however, and a field goal gave the Hilltoppers a 41-38 lead.

10. Finish. On the first official play of Arrowhead's sequence, they fumbled ... and recovered it. That could have ended the game right there, but instead in ended two plays later. A rush to the 5-yard line made it 3rd-and-5, and the quarterback plowed into the end zone despite having virtually no room to run. Needless to say, the crowd went bananas. Incredible game, with Arrowhead winning a 44-41 decision. Can't wait for the state semis next week.