By,
Rob Reischel
Middleton Times-Tribune
Janesville — Joe Dye had waited what felt like an eternity for this.
All right. So eight years is a far cry from an eternity.
But for the Janesville Parker football coach, eight was enough.
Enough of playing second fiddle to the Big Eight Conference powers. Enough of fighting
to get over that proverbial hump and always falling short. Enough of seeing his teams'
hopes and dreams dashed each season.
So on Oct. 6, Dye and his Vikings said enough was enough and saw to it that their wait
for Big Eight supremacy and respect officially came to an end.
Behind a superhuman effort from senior all-everything Phil Austin, that included a
game-winning, 21-yard field goal with 1:24 remaining and a handful of huge stands from
a fired up defense, Parker stunned defending league champion Middleton, 16-14, and
thrust itself to the top of the Big Eight.
The Vikings, who clinched their fifth straight playoff berth, improved to 6-1 overall and
5-1 in the league, placing them in a tie atop the conference standings with Madison La
Follette and Sun Prairie with two weeks remaining. Middleton, rated sixth by the
Wisconsin High School Coaches Association coming into the game, dropped to 5-2 in
the league and overall and lost to Parker for the first time since entering the league in
1994.
''People talk about games that get you over the hump,'' said Dye, who afterwards was
doused with a bucket of water despite the frigid temperature. ''I don't know about that. I
just know that was a hell of high school football game and I couldn't be more proud of
my kids.''
With good reason.
The Vikings appeared to be on life-support after Middleton quarterback Jeremy Ziegler
hit tight end J.J. Bliss for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 9:47 remaining to give the
Cardinals a 14-13 advantage and their first lead of the night.
''I wanted the offense to push it in, but the kick felt good all the way,'' Austin said
afterwards. ''This whole night is definitely a step forward for all of us. It feels great.''
Great is certainly a fitting description of Austin's night, too.
After a 43-yard touchdown run from Parker junior tailback Matt Palan (19 carries, 104
yards) and a four-yard TD plunge from Middleton fullback A.J. Ziegler left the game
tied, 7-7, Austin began making his mark.
Midway through the second quarter, the Vikings lined up to punt from the Middleton 43,
only instead of snapping the ball to punter Matt Utzig, the ball went to Austin, who was
lined up on the left as an H-back. Austin sprinted around the right corner and had
nothing but daylight to give the Vikings a 13-7 lead.
''I don't have the airfare to travel to Vegas,'' said Dye, who inherited a Parker program
that had gone 3-51 in the six years before he arrived. ''But we practice that every day
and the way we practice it, I felt it would work.''
Things continued to work well for the Vikings, in large part due to Austin.
First, Middleton drove to the Vikings' 21 on its first possession of the second half. But
Austin ended that march with an interception after wideout Justin Hines dropped a
perfect pass from Ziegler.
On Middleton's next possession, the Cardinals drove deep inside Vikings' territory and
faced a fourth-and-goal from the one. But as Ziegler rolled left and tried to turn it up,
Austin plugged the hole and turned him away for no gain.
''They just played with more passion than we did,'' Middleton coach Kurt Gundlach said.
''We had some missed opportunities. But I thought they just had far greater passion than
we did.''
That was evident in the final seconds, as Middleton had one final shot to win the game.
But the Vikings, sensing their time was now, played defense with a passion and forced
Ziegler into four consecutive incompletions after the Cardinals converted one first down.
And after quarterback Mark Rozeboom took three knees, the Homecoming crowd
stormed the field, Dye got an early shower and it was celebration time for all of the
Vikings.
''I just couldn't be more excited for the kids,'' Dye said. ''But it's a big win for all of us.''
And the end of a long, long wait.