The kids in the stands were jubilant, the players were elated, and all this understandably so, because a 35-0 running-clock victory such as the West Bend West football team put on visiting Sheboygan South Friday night in its 2024 season opener isn’t something that has happened very often for the Spartans in the last decade or so.
Not at all. But third-year coach Taylor Ripplinger, as happy as he was with the sometimes-dominant, penalty marred effort, wanted everyone to keep perspective, even as West broke a 15-game losing streak that had stretched back to Sept. 2, 2022.
“I’m not satisfied, and I hope you’re not either,” he told the team afterward, as the student section loomed nearby waiting to celebrate with their team. “Let’s not make this the best night of the season. We’ll have 24 hours to enjoy this and then we’ll get back to work…