Two Rivers had high expectations coming into the season, and it’s safe to say they didn’t disappoint. The Raiders finished the season with a perfect 9-0 record, 7-0 in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference. It all came down to Two Rivers and Chilton this past Friday night in a game that will be remembered for years to come.
After a scoreless first quarter, it became clear that this game wasn’t going to be a shootout. Two Rivers trailed 14-7 at the half, and the score remained as such heading into the fourth quarter. The Raiders struck first, about four minutes into the quarter to tie it up at 14. Chilton answered a few minutes later, only for Justin Klinkner to connect with a 55-yard touchdown pass with less than two minutes remaining.
Overtime began with the score reading 21-21, and it read that for two complete periods. The third overtime came around with Two Rivers getting the ball first, and finally, they converted. It was none other than Chase Matthias who ran it in from 20 yards away, and the Raiders successfully converted on their two-point conversion. We later learned that the two-point try wouldn’t have mattered as Chilton was stuffed on 4th and 12 to end the game. Two Rivers clinched the Eastern Wisconsin Conference in one of the best games of the year.
A #3 Seed?
Division 4 is stacked, and even with a conference title and perfect record, one-loss teams still rank ahead of Two Rivers. The one seeds in D4 are the always dominant Catholic Memorial, Colombus, Little Chute, and one loss Racine St. Catherine’s. All of the two seeds have one loss on the season, so it’s crazy to think that with a first-round win, Two Rivers will be on the road against a team that isn’t undefeated.
Remember, this is the second year of computerized seeding. Last year there was confusing and seeding controversy, as there will be every year. The strength of the schedule is a huge indicator of seeding.
The Raiders Path to State
It’s safe to say that Two Rivers doesn’t have an easy path to Camp Randall. It’ll all begin this Friday, October 21st as Two Rivers hosts #6 Kettle Moraine Lutheran. Kettle Moraine Lutheran plays in the East Central conference where they finished tied for fifth this season. They were 3-4 in the conference and have an overall losing record of 4-5. They’ve only thrown the ball 118 times this season, and Benjamin Schaewe is by far their most threatening offensive player. Schaewe has over two times more carries and yards than Adam Zylka.
If the Raiders can make it past Kettle Moraine Lutheran, they likely match up against #2 Kewaskum. Kewaskum is 8-1 overall with a 6-1 record, also in the East Central conference. Kewaskum’s only loss was a 28-21 tight battle against 7-2 Division 3 Plymouth. Keep in mind, Plymouth drew the #5 seed in Division 3. One of the most fascinating things is Kewaskum only defeated Kettle Moraine Lutheran 7-0 earlier in the season. This took place on September 2nd, with the only touchdown coming with just 74 seconds remaining.
There is always a chance that Kewaskum (or Two Rivers) could get upset in the first round. If TR wins and Kewaskum loses, that means Two Rivers will get to host Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian in the second round of the playoffs. This would be a rematch from earlier in the year where the Raiders took down KLC 56-8.
The Toughest Draw
Ultimately, Two Rivers couldn’t have drawn a more difficult path to state. As stated before, the Raiders likely have to defeat Kewaskum on the road. If they can do that, all signs point towards a Two Rivers vs. Racine St. Catherine’s battle. Racine St. Catherine’s was rated lower than Two Rivers in Division 4, so that’s always something to keep in mind. Either way, they’re an 8-1 powerhouse with the only blemish on their record being Martin Luther, the #1 seed in Division 3.
The other #1 seed in Division 4 is Catholic Memorial, a team that is no stranger to winning. Catholic Memorial is the reigning Division 4 state champion, and they also won it in convincing fashion (35-0) back in 2019. Just one season before that, Catholic Memorial won the Division 3 state championship. They also won the Division 3 state championship in 2016 and lost in the championship in 2015. Catholic Memorial is as good as they’ve ever been, so Two Rivers would need to play the game of their lives to stop Catholic Memorial from making another state championship game.
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