Next Friday was supposed to be the much-anticipated opening of Waukesha South’s revamped football stadium with the Blackshirts taking on Nicolet.
With Nicolet announcing Thursday night that it is canceling the upcoming season due to a lack of players in the program, South’s plans are now on hold.
Waukesha South Athletic Director Dan Domach is now scrambling to try to find an opponent for his team.
“This is late in the game,” Domach said on Friday. “This isn’t going to be easy.”
Domach said he was under the impression that some teams within the Milwaukee Public Schools needed an opponent for Week 1, but he just found out all of the teams now have opponents.
He has sent emails into every athletic director in the state hoping South can find a matchup.
Domach also said he has a call into the WIAA.
Since Nicolet is a non-conference team (South is in the Classic 8 and Nicolet in the North Shore), South will not receive a forfeit win.
According to the WIAA, non-conference games that are canceled in advance are not recorded as forfeits.
Domach said he found out about Nicolet canceling its season from the Waukesha Freeman sports editor around 7 p.m. Thursday. Domach said he immediately got on the phone with South football coach Dave Rusch.
Domach said he came to school today with a voice message from Nicolet’s athletic director Kirk Krychowiak that came in around 6 p.m. Thursday. He hopes to connect with Krychowiak today.
South, which has a scrimmage today against Cudahy, played Nicolet last year in Week 1, defeating the Knights 53-6. South finished 4-5 last season after beginning the year 4-0.
There is a renewed sense of optimism around the program with a new field installed this summer and new scoreboards being put up at its football field today.
Moreover, Rusch has returned to the sideline this fall after being diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year.
Regardless of whether an opponent is found for the Aug. 22 date, Domach said he still plans on having some type of event that night to recognize the new field and the people who helped make it a financial reality.
An intrasquad scrimmage could follow, Domach said.
“I have a lot of disappointed people right now,” Domach said. “A lot of parents are concerned but I’m doing the best I can right now seven days before what was supposed to be our first game.”
If no opponent can be found, South’s first home game playing on its new field will be a Week 3 matchup on Friday, Sept. 5, against Classic 8 Conference foe Muskego. South is at Racine Park on Aug. 28 in Week 2.