Bradford v Tremper…Crosstown Rivals…people in the stands…the beginning of the Colin Zalokar era… and experienced coaching faces in new coaching places, all made for a great Friday evening in KTown, WI USA. In a game filled with some mistakes and some missed opportunities, the overall feel had to be positive on both sides of the field. Bradford let a ton of opportunity go by early, and just played poorly in stretches but still played well enough to win high school football games. Tremper had costly penalties and even more costly turnovers and yet they still were never really out of that game. Their early defensive stands in their own red zone were impressive. The final score read Bradford 30 Tremper 13.
Having fans attending the game was a new wrinkle. Each student involved was allowed two people to enter and everyone in the facility was asked to wear a mask. No issues were reported, as that end of the evening seemed to go just fine. The Colin Zalokar Era at Tremper began with defense and tunrovers. Tremper turned the ball over early but made some really impressive defensive stands to keep the game close. QB Ryan McGonegle took some heavy hits and still managed to move the ball in the first half and then again late in the game. One thing that was completely obvious is that the Tremper sideline showed much more of the enthusiasm and swagger that Kenosha has come to expect from Tremper football…and that was refreshing. Tremper will be competitive.
Bradford lost some coaches to Tremper this year, so that added a little twist to this crosstown plot. In a professional way…this had to be a little bit personal…for everyone…it is human nature. Bradford was the stronger team. They are athletic, they play fast, and Brock Lampe is the ultimate equalizer on both sides of the ball. I have no clue what the future holds for that dude, but he is every high school coach’s dream come true. If Bradford can get out of their own way and keep pressing the issue, they can be special. And they can also put themselves in situations where wins can turn into losses if they are not careful. This is a very athletic group.
And the most “2020” thing about this game is that a Tremper backer can make a case that a few less holding calls and a few less turnovers and this was a game that could have went Tremper’s way. And the Bradford fan could counter with the fact that Bradford very easily could have been up 35-7 at half. And they both would be right. This was a hard-fought game where the better team probably won. But it was a football game. And honestly, it was not long ago when both schools were really struggling to be competitive. Kenosha, as a whole, may have at least begun the turn of the football corner. Bradford got the best of this one and they earned it. It is great knowing that the 2021 version of Bradford v Tremper is going to begin to resemble old-school Bradford v Tremper again.
Franklin 28 Indian Trail 6
This one seemed to mirror the last one for Indian Trail. The offense was never really able to get anything going from a rhythm standpoint and their skill players were kept in check while Franklin rolled to an easy victory. With the exception of an 86-yard TD, the offense was never able to get a flow and the Franklin D racked up huge sack numbers and double that amount in pressures. You know going into a game against the Sabres that you are going to have to score points, and for the second consecutive week, IT was unable to do that very thing. Loaded with talented skill players, the offense has yet to find a way to let those playmakers make plays. And that has to be a concern. In a season of question marks, you’d rather not start 0-2. They need to get this figured out, they have the talent.
The St. Joe’s game was canceled.
Shoreland Lutheran 49 St. Francis 14
Christian Life game was canceled
Bradford Coach Troy Bowe’s post game comments: