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