Messmer/Shorewood Football Clinches Its First Ever Midwest Classic Conference Title

Shorewood, WI (October 18, 2013) – This past Thursday night the Messmer/Shorewood (Messwood) football team clinched its first ever Midwest Classic Conference title with a decisive 63-22 win over Living Word Lutheran. For Messmer it was their first football conference title since 1947 and Shorewood's first since 1981.  

 

The Messwood football team is a unique collaboration between two schools that are separated by a mile along Capitol Drive. Messmer, a private, urban school and Shorewood, a public, suburban school, have collaborated to field a team since 2001. The partnership saved Shorewood’s struggling program and resurrected Messmer’s after decades without one. Even though the schools were geographically close, there were many preconceptions existing between the schools. Student athletes and their parents quickly found commonalities through daily interactions, and the shared love of athletics.

 

"This football conference championship is very rewarding for both schools,” said Joy Bretsch, Dean of Students & Athletic Director for Messmer High School. “This is a public and private school football partnership that finally won together, with the help of a dedicated coaching staff, support from both school's administration, support from parents/guardians, and hardworking student-athletes who committed themselves on and off the playing field."

Since the formation of the Messmer/Shorewood partnership, the team has had to overcome its fair share of obstacles. It began with low football turnouts and several losing seasons in the early 2000s. They’ve endured three conference changes, before finally landing in the Midwest Classic Conference. A 2011 legal battle with the WIAA regarding eligibility almost cost them their first ever playoff game and in 2012, a week before their second playoff appearance, questions were raised about Messwood’s helmet logo which featured a greyhound and a cross, forcing the team to remove their helmet decals. This year’s season has presented its own challenges. A last minute forfeit by Kenosha Christian Life put Messwood’s homecoming game in jeopardy before a deal was reached between the schools, allowing the Messwood upperclassmen to coach the underclassmen during the game.

Regardless of all the distractions the team has faced, coach Drake Zortman was still able to keep his team focused on one goal, winning their first ever Midwest Classic Conference title in 2013. Now Messwood is focused on the next goal, their first ever WIAA playoff victory.