The state semifinal appearance means a lot to Bonduel

BONDUEL (WLUK) – Bonduel coach James Westrich believed at the start of the season that he would have a good team, but how good?

He wasn’t sure, so he never thought about playing in a state semifinal, but that’s what his team is doing this week. No. 2 seed Bonduel (11-1) will play No. 1 Grantsburg (11-1) in a Division 6 semifinal on Friday at Stanley Boyd.

“Pretty surprised,” Westrich said. “Coming into the season, we knew we had a lot of talent, but we had some holes to fill and we didn’t know how those holes would be filled.

“I would say after the Coleman game and after the Kewaunee game, the team finally started to find their identity and their resilience and that’s when they believed they could be a pretty special team.”

Last week was special as Bonduel avenged a 22-20 regular season loss to Coleman by defeating the Cougars 15-13. With the win, Bonduel makes its second appearance in a state semifinal (Level 4), with the only other trip coming in 2010.

“It means a lot to our city. They haven’t seen something like this in a while, so it means a lot to the fans of the parents of all the students that come to the school,” junior Ryan Westrich said. “It means a lot to our teammates, our seniors. They’ve put in the best they can all season, throughout their careers, and now all that hard work is paying off.”

Indeed.

And last week, Bonduel got some inspiration when the football players watched the girls volleyball team play at the state tournament. Watching their classmates compete on the biggest stage has revved the football team’s engine.

“When we walked into that building Friday morning, you could feel the city walking in with you,” senior Cade Johnson said of walking into the Resch Center to watch a state semifinal volleyball game. “Just seeing those people coming and going to the game on Friday night, we probably had more fans than them and it was a home game for them. Just to see the crowd that they and we bring is just crazy for the city. “

“It’s a great inspiration,” Ryan Westrich said. “Those girls also work really hard all season long. It’s just great to see both programs succeed at the state level, so we hope to follow suit.”

One more win and the football team can take its fans on another state trip.

CARRYING BY THE NUMBERS

• Ten straight wins for Bonduel since losing to Coleman in Week 2.

• 11 wins this season when the opponent is held to 21 points or less.

• 26 TD passes for Cade Johnson in his first season as quarterback.

• 135 points Bonduel outscored its opponent in the second quarter (171-36).

Follow Doug Ritchay on X @dougritchay