As the end of summer vacation nears, and classes are set to start, the Sports Thoughts blog also resumes for 2008-09. First, a quick look at some topics regarding the beginning of the high school football season:
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Jeff Setz could not have found a much tougher game for his return to the head coaching spot at New Berlin Eisenhower.
Perennial Division 1 power D.C. Everest will come to visit on Friday evening in the season opener. Everest owns 20 WIAA playoff appearances, a 36-15 overall playoff record and five championships, the last in 2003. Last season, Everest was 8-2 and fell in the second round of the playoffs to Stevens Point.
That game was set up before Setz took the head coaching spot, but he is not shying away from the challenge. "I knew that was staring us in the face," Setz said, "but we will prepare as best we can."
Setz and his assistant coaches did their best to get the team ready, invoking Everest's name and reputation on a regular basis during pre-season practices to fire up the players and get their highest efforts.
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After Everest, Eisenhower and all the other Woodland Conference teams will embark on a different type of schedule. With the departure of Shorewood to independent status, the Woodland is left with 11 teams, and instead of two divisions, will have one large conference this season.
Each team will play eight games from a mixture of the former North and South Divisions, and this format could create some problems. It's possible that some teams might play a tougher schedule than others, and it is also possible that two teams who do not play each other this year could both finish unbeaten at 8-0.
Can there be a true conference champion?
Well, the Big Ten has used this system since Penn State made it an 11-team collection, and has had clear-cut champions in some years.
Here's hoping it works out for the Woodland.
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Another development to watch this season is the rapid spread of the new spread offense among area teams. One program which is dropping the traditional wing-T for the high-flying spread is West Allis Central, which has a new coach in Dax Rodriguez and is coming off a 1-9 season.
Some sets in the spread feature up to four wide receivers, no tight ends and one running back. Also, the line is engaged in zone blocking instead of blocking specific foes. As a recent article in Sports Illustrated pointed out, the spread opens the field and can create havoc for defenses.
"We're not big (in the line), and this gives us a chance by leveling the playing field," Rodriguez said. "We can spread things out and utilize our speed."
Particularly that of receiver Mike Westrich, also a track star who could be primed for a huge season if the system clicks for the Bulldogs.
One thing is for sure: Central and the other teams using the spread will be intriguing to watch this fall.
