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Big Foot opponent faced similar road to state

WALWORTH — With Kurt Warner at quarterback, the St. Louis Rams were known as the “greatest show on turf.”

Can Walworth Big Foot put on the same type of performance tonight at Camp Randall Stadium?

The unbeaten Chiefs play their second straight game on FieldTurf, this time with a state championship on the line. Big Foot (13-0) goes against Wautoma/Faith Christian (12-1) at 7 for the WIAA Division 4 title.

Big Foot coach Rodney Wedig believes the FieldTurf is a perfect fit for his unbeaten Chiefs.

“I think the turf favors us, especially on defense,” Wedig said. “Our linebackers, and the kids in our secondary, are pretty fast. Offensively, we’ve proven we can play the mud game, but defensively, the turf suits us very well.

“Plus, we played on the turf last week,” Wedig said of the Chiefs’ 27-14 semifinal win at Middleton over defending Division 4 champion West Salem. “That’s nice as far as familiarity with the surface and what to expect.”

Whether or not the turf proves to be a difference-maker for either team, one thing is clear. The road to state was similar for both teams

Both teams brought back a wealth of talent from last year, and both set the bar high coming into the 2008 season.

And after struggling for many years, the Big Foot and Wautoma/Faith Christian programs began to turn the corner the last couple of seasons.

“We’re a team that not too many people know about,” Wautoma/Faith Christian coach Dennis Moon said. “We’re located in central Wisconsin and we don’t get a lot of coverage.

“We have been quietly making some noise the last couple of years, and we were excited about this season from Day 1. We returned 16 starters, including nearly all of our starters on defense.”

Like the Hornets, the Chiefs were coming off a 2007 season in which they suffered a disappointing second-round playoff loss (to Evansville). Big Foot returned the majority of its starters this season and is senior-dominated.

Wedig sees a lot of the Chiefs in tonight’s opponent.

“Our squads are remarkably similar,” Wedig said. “A lot of these kids started as sophomores, and now as seniors, they’re getting a chance to play for a state title.

“Both teams have done well the last couple years, but had down years prior to that. And I’m sure their community is excited about Thursday as ours is. It’s a special week.”

Wedig challenged the Chiefs before the season started, and the team responded. Big Foot steamrolled its way to the Rock Valley North Conference title, and in four playoff games, is winning by an average of more than 22 points a game.

“The leadership on this team makes my job a lot easier,” Wedig said. “Every kid on the team does things the right way whether it’s in the classroom, the community or on the football field.

“We worked hard, and set the goal to win them all and keep going. And we’re one game away from doing that.”