Published: Oct. 21, 2017
East seniors to team: ‘Continue to work
hard’
ndettmann@conleynet.com
262-306-5043
HARTFORD — The message was clear from the 16
seniors to the West Bend East underclassmen after the Suns lost 38-10 on Friday
night to Hartford Union in Level 1 of the WIAA playoffs.
Don’t wait six years for the next postseason
berth.
“Our seniors told them when we met, one of the
first things our seniors said was they’ve got to continue to work hard, get in
the weight room year-round and continue to work hard so that not only do we do
this again, but we win some ball games,” East coach Jeff Rondorf said.
One week ago, the Suns (4-6) walked off the
field after a 21-14 overtime loss to rival West Bend West thinking the season
was over. Because there weren’t 224 teams with at least a .500 conference
record, teams that finished under .500 got a chance to sneak into the playoffs.
That’s how the Suns got in, with the help of
their strength of schedule.
Six North Shore Conference teams made the
playoffs and East beat one (Port Washington), while losing by one possession to
two others (Slinger and Hartford).
All week, the Suns’ players and coaches
approached Friday’s game as a second chance.
For that reason, despite the 28point loss to
the Orioles (8-2), it was a thrill to play a 10th game.
“It meant the world to me,” East senior
quarterback Tony Bland said. “I was obviously down after losing to West,
thinking we were out. And to know that we had another chance, another
opportunity to come out (and play).
“Obviously we didn’t get here the way we wanted
to get here losing to West. But we made it to the playoffs.”
It was only the second playoff game for the
Suns
played since losing in Level 2 to Kaukauna in
2008. The other postseason appearance was in 2011.
From that game forward, East was 7-37 heading
into this season. After this game, the Suns hope those losing ways are over
with. “For us to make it here, it just proves to the underclassmen, East Suns
football is capable of the playoffs and capable of getting further than just
Level 1,” Bland said. Slinger went through a stretch between 2006-2012 with one
playoff appearance. Now the Owls have four in the last five years.
Hartford Union, after a long run of postseason
berths, went into a funk. From 2011-15, the Orioles went to the playoffs once.
Now the Orioles are in the playoffs in back-to-back years.
Then there is Kewaskum. The Indians missed the
playoffs in 2003 and 2004, but haven’t missed the postseason since. That’s 13
straight appearances.
“We have, fifth through 12th grade, quality
coaches, quality kids,” Rondorf said. “For our seniors to set that expectation
to be in the playoffs every year, it’s certainly an attainable goal for the
talent we have coming into the program. Our program is on the upswing.”
Unfortunately it wasn’t the outcome the Suns envisioned heading into Friday’s
game.
Hartford Union had 508 yards of total offense,
including 355 rushing. The Orioles got 233 yards rushing from Logan Broker,
plus four touchdowns runs, and 123 yards rushing and one score from Richard
Smith.
For the Suns, running back Kyle Yochem finished
the game with 52 yards rushing and a touchdown to push his final season total
to 1,104. Big picture, Rondorf, his staff and the program hope this is the
turning-the-corner moment it has longed for.
“I knew it was something they wouldn’t
appreciate until it actually happened,” Rondorf said.
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