By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
Local football fans who tuned in to the WIAA Division 4 state finals Thursday night may have caught a glimpse of a familiar face.
That person was none other than former Big Foot assistant coach Brian Ryczkowski, now in charge of the Little Chute program.
Ryczkowski, in just his second year with Little Chute, guided his squad into the finals against perennial power Somerset – ironically enough, the team that beat Big Foot the last time the Chiefs and Ryczkowski were in Madison.
The excitement has been building in Little Chute since the Mustangs won their Level 4 game over Lodi last weekend.
“The first time a team does anything is always the most exciting,” Ryczkowski said. “There’s a lot of unknowns right now for the kids, the coaching staff and myself.
“We had a chance to practice in the Don Hutson Center (in Green Bay) Tuesday night. That’s all part of the experience, all unknown, but all exciting at the same time.”
Little Chute’s journey to Madison began as a third seed with a 47-14 win over Omro, followed by a 35-8 victory over second-seeded Bloomer in Level 2 and a 20-14 overtime win over Spencer in Level 3.
In the Level 3 game, Little Chute trailed 14-0 in the fourth quarter before it rallied for the win. And in the win last week over Lodi, the Mustangs fell behind 17-0 in the first quarter.
It’s been quite the run.
“The playoff run we’ve put together here has been pretty exciting, especially with the dramatic victories we’ve had,” Ryczkowski said. “We’re kind of riding that high all the way to Madison.”
Ryczkowski followed current Big Foot head coach Greg Enz to Little Chute two seasons ago, when he took over a program that definitely was on the rise and considered among the best in Division 4.
And that roll has continued right to this week and the state title matchup.
“The year before I took over, the team had one of the best records in school history, made it to Level 3 in the playoffs before they made their exit,” Ryczkowski said.
“I took over when the program was on the verge of doing great things. I think this group of seniors really turned the corner for the program and shows the younger kids how to handle themselves, the kind of work ethic you need to be successful in football and in life.”
Big challenge awaits
Somerset is in the finals for the third time in four seasons and its sixth overall – its last title came with the victory over Big Foot.
And Ryczkowski admitted he wasn’t too disappointed to see Somerset again this week, with a little chance to avenge that loss when he was with the Chiefs.
“In the back of my mind, I was kind of hoping to see Somerset in Madison,” he said. “I kind of wanted another shot at Somerset. That’s a great program. But it didn’t matter who we’re playing. We’re excited to prepare and come home with the gold ball.”
Ryczkowski knows his team will have to be on its game to knock off Somerset.
Nothing in the state finals ever comes easy.
“The biggest challenge I think we’re going to face is the time of possession,” he said. “Our defense has done a great job of getting off the field and coming up with three and outs.
“If Somerset is able to move the chains, they’re going to hang onto the football for a long time. If we’re able to get our offense on the field, I like our chances.”
It’s safe to say that Ryczkowski has enjoyed his two years with Little Chute and the excitement of the week – and he couldn’t wait to get to Madison to get down to business.
“There’s a lot of things going on,” he said. “There’s a lot of people coming out of the woodwork (offering congratulations) and things like that.
“We’re just trying to make sure the kids don’t miss anything and don’t let the week go by too fast without enjoying it. It’s a whirlwind, it’s my first time so my head is spinning a little bit. But 7 o’clock Thursday night, it’s just football and kids playing on the big stage. We’re getting ready to let them go at it.”
