The chinks in the armor started to appear after Muskego's Steve Kleinertz rushed for 303 yards against them in the regular-season finale, and the defense failed to respond to the challenge the following week against Waukesha West. Like I said last week, whether you love them or hate them, they were always interesting to watch. I think Marquette has a chance at winning the Division 1 title, but like any other team, the Hilltoppers need to stay healthy and play nearly error-free football to do so. Dick Basham is a tremendous coach and he always has his teams well-prepared. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see private schools advance to the finals in at least two divisions.
Every year there are numerous incidents involving high school athletics and young people drinking.
That's a touchy subject with most people, but every year you hear stories about kids being suspended. We had a high-profile case just this year in the area, as I'm sure you're aware. You'd think kids would learn and try and avoid being in that situation altogether, but it's always an issue. I think it is the school's responsibility to establish clear guidelines as to what is and isn't acceptable and the penalties that will result if the athletes choose to break the rules. In my opinion, and also in the opinion of the courts in recent years, playing sports in school is a privilege, not a right.