By Greg Bates
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Southwest football team’s playoff hopes are alive and well.
One week earlier after being shut out 33-0 by Pulaski, the Trojans fell to 2-5, and a postseason appearance seemed bleak.
Southwest temporarily saved its season with a 39-20 Fox River Classic Conference road victory over Notre Dame Academy Oct. 11.
A win in the final week of the regular season at home against Sheboygan North (1-7) and the Trojans could be playing at least another week.
“We were practicing all week saying this was a playoff game, and we were taking this serious,” said Southwest senior Taejon Richard, who had two, first-quarter touchdowns. “We didn’t let up at all.”
Southwest (3-5 overall, 3-5 FRCC) co-head coach Patrick Wallace had his players focused on a postseason berth, and they responded.
“For the first time all year, we felt our kids quit at Pulaski when things got out of hand,” Wallace said. “We didn’t do it against Bay Port; we didn’t do it in any other game. The message was: ‘How do you want your seasons to end? Do you want to go down where you make a statement to the WIAA and hopefully put two wins together or do you want to hang it up and say, We weren’t as good as some of the best teams, so I guess it’s time to call it quits.’”
On the first play from scrimmage, Trojans quarterback Alex Kowalczyk threw a short past to Richard who raced down the right sideline and scored from 57 yards out.
A few minutes later, Richard stepped in front of a Caden Capomaccio pass, corralled an interception and raced 45 yards to put his team up 14-0.
It was another rough start for Notre Dame (1-7, 1-7), which lost its seventh straight game after a season-opening victory.
“Unfortunately, we’ve been there,” said Notre Dame coach Mike Rader about the two-touchdown hole early in the first half. “It’s terrible to say, but our kids we’re used to it at this point.”
It was the ideal start for Southwest.
“You can’t get much better than that,” Richard said. “Our special teams played amazing. Our defense let up a little bit, but we didn’t give up and we finished the game strong.”
The Trojans’ lead ballooned to 26-0 after a Kowalczyk touchdown plunge and Kowalczyk hit Javonnee Szymanski on a 54-yard touchdown pass.
That’s when Notre Dame’s offense finally went to work.
Capomaccio hit Daniel Hornacek for a 27-yard touchdown, but Southwest answered with an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Szymanski.
A few plays later, Szymanski was helped off the field with an injury.
The Tritons got a 14-yard touchdown from Ben Smet and a 25-yard scoring run from James Arett to cut their deficit to 33-20.
“Those aren’t just aberrations, those are actual plays you’re making,” Rader said. “We’ve got to make them more frequently. That was the story of the season – we haven’t been able to sustain things.”
After the win, the Trojans were looking ahead to the North game and a shot at a postseason berth.
They were also wondering if they’ll have one of their best players in Szymanski available for the game.
In what appeared to be an injury to his leg, Szymanski left late in the third quarter and never returned.
“He’s one of the best players in this conference,” Wallace said. “One thing I know watching all the kids respond tonight, they’ll rally for him, so that’s a good thing.”
If Szymanski can’t play against North, that’s a big hit to the team.
“That’s going to be a huge loss, not only on the field but in the locker room,” Richard said. “He’s one of my best friends, an important guy and an important leader on the team. We’re going to have to push through that – he’s going to keep us all positive. We have to come out hard and make sure we don’t let up at all.”