Two of the area's best quarterbacks squared off in the high school football season opener, but only South Milwaukee's Sam Oliden walked away with the victory.
Oliden threw two touchdown passes to Brandon Proesel and rushed for two more as the Rockets defeated visiting New Berlin West, 27-13, in a nonconference game between two 2009 WIAA playoff qualifiers Friday.
The South Milwaukee senior senior signal-caller rushed 10 times for 99 yards, including scores of 21 and 17 yards. He also completed 5-of-10 passes for 113 yards with one interception.
West's Dominique Bledsoe was nearly as impressive. He completed 15-of-26 passes for 266 yards including two touchdown strikes to receiver Chad Mathwig in the first half. But his receivers were plagued by drops in the second half. After starting 9-of-12 for 201 yards in the first half, Bledsoe was only 6-for-14 for 65 in the second.
He did get his team going, leading the Vikings on touchdown drives during their first two possessions, giving them a 13-6 lead with 2 minutes, 39 seconds remaining in the first quarter. But an impressive touchdown by Oliden early in the second gave the Rockets momentum for good.
With 9:13 left in the quarter, Oliden fumbled a bad snap out of the shotgun, chased down the ball and while rolling to his right while on the run, he delivered a perfect pass to Proesel 29 yards down field and in the end zone.
Oliden and the Rockets took the lead for good on the senior quarterback's 17-yard TD run with 4:11 left in the third, and on the first play of South Milwaukee's next possession, Oliden hooked up with Proesel for a 51-yard TD.
The loss was the first for Aaron Mack as head coach of the Vikings, who were without senior fullback Steve Vogl, a 1,000-yard rusher a year ago.
The victory came on Rocket John Day when the Rockets honored their late superfan, John Bogadi, with a pregame memorial, a moment of silence and "RJ" decals on their helmets.
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