The Superior High School football team will get a taste of the Greater Metro Conference when it plays the Menomonee Falls Indians at 3 p.m. today in Schofield.
The Spartans and Indians game came about when both teams were in need of another home game. They found each other and eventually decided to play at a neutral site. Since both teams were searching for a home game, a coin flip determined Menomonee Falls will be the home team today.
The Spartans opened the season with a 50-20 win at Merrill, while the Indians opened with a 24-0 loss to Oak Creek.
“Menomonee Falls will be another very tough test,” SHS coach Bob DeMeyer said. “Offensively they have weapons - a quarterback that is a burner, a couple very good running backs that must be contained and their slots and wideouts are playmakers. We need to play with discipline, be fast and physical every play.”
Quarterback Bryce McMurtry completed 13-of-20 passes last week for 73 yards. Mason Jansen was his main target with nine catches for 53 yards. Ty Weber and Patrick Doyle also caught a pass each.
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McMurtry also led the way in rushing with 27 yards on 12 attempts. Boyd Sansone added 22 yards on six carries and Doyle gained 10 yards on four carries.
Oak Creek, which was 9-2 overall last year and won the Southeast Conference at 6-1, gained 315 yards on Menomonee Falls last week, 175 passing and 140 rushing.
“Defensively, they are tough up front, they have big, athletic linebackers inside and outside and their secondary is solid,” DeMeyer said. “We’ll need to be more focused and play with more urgency from start to finish. We have that expectation every day and we’re optimistic about the effort the team will give.”
In the Spartans’ win over Merrill, junior Gunner Johnson was 5-of-10 passing for 126 yards in his first varsity start. He also rushed for 47 yards on 10 attempts.
“Gunner really executed well,” DeMeyer said. “Starting his first varsity game and to perform the way he did is outstanding. I wasn’t surprised though - he’s a competitor who kept his composure, played within our scheme and took care of the football.”
Ross Kennelly rushed for a team-high 82 yards on 11 carries and led the Spartans on defense with 11 tackles.
Mitch Anderson added 80 yards rushing and caught three passes for 95 yards, and Beau Girard rushed for 76 yards and caught a pass for 14 yards.
“I really liked our effort and, for the most part, our execution,” DeMeyer said. “Of course there were first-game mistakes and the team is working very hard to minimize those - especially the mental mistakes.
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“What we are most proud of is that it took everyone to on our team to win that game. Merrill is a good team and we had to dig deep at times and our kids did just that - the 11 on the field and every player on the sideline, they all played a role.”
SPARTAN SPIN: Today’s game will be carried on the web at ifan.tv.
