G.B. Southwest’s Zacharias tackles new challenge
Bryce Zacharias felt like a fish out of water at the start of the football season.
The Green Bay Southwest senior not only wasn’t sure how to do most of the drills, but he also had to ask teammates if he had put all the equipment on correctly before his first padded practice.
“I had to double and triple check to make sure everything was on right that I needed,” he said.
Zacharias has turned out to be a perfect fit for the Trojans at right tackle on their offensive line this year.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder worked his way into the role after deciding to go out for tackle football for the first time in his life.
Based on how well he has played during his team’s 3-0 start, it’s hard to believe that No. 50 on Southwest’s roster was actually more familiar with swimming the 50-yard freestyle than stepping on the 50-yard line entering the year.
“I was talked into it by a couple of friends that, even if I didn’t play necessarily, I could make an impact on the team,” said Zacharias, who also swims and plays baseball. “Even if I didn’t play, I would have seen it as an opportunity to stay in shape and ready to go for the swim season coming up right after this. Being able to contribute and play on the field is just an added bonus.”
Zacharias was certainly a welcome addition to Southwest, which lacks the typical depth on its roster that you would expect from a school its size.
His story is a refreshing one for the sport to hear since many high school football programs – big and small schools alike – have struggled to maintain numbers in recent years.
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Zacharias was originally approached about going out for football in March by Allen Bunker. He continued to hear the request from baseball teammates Cameran Crawford and Nathan Steinbrecker in the spring.
Zacharias is glad he made the switch from the cheering in the student section to clearing holes for fellow senior Josh Komis and creating a pocket for junior quarterback Nick Howard to throw from.
“The rush was so different from being in that student section and watching a win to actually participating in something like that,” Zacharias said about his team’s overtime win at Pulaski in Week 1. “It was such a rush and purely amazing.
“On the field, you’re more of a family out there as you get going in the season. I thank all the guys, the coaches and the players, on this team for allowing me to work right alongside of them and taking me in as another addition to Trojan football.”
Zacharias, Robert Miller, Isaac Klarkowski, Paul Couillard and Crawford paved the way for the Southwest offense to rack up 536 yards in a 45-28 victory last week over Green Bay Preble.
Miller, a right guard, and Klarkowski, a center, have been crucial to Zacharias’ smooth transition to life in the trenches, where he is wearing the same No. 50 that his father wore during his playing days at Chilton.
Klarkowski is a three-year starter on the offensive line and quite adept at blocking for Komis, who is a four-year starter in the backfield.
Having a first-year player like Zacharias in the lineup is a bit unconventional, but it seems to work nicely for the Trojans’ no-huddle offense.
Watch G.B. Southwest co-head coach Pat Wallace on WFRV Channel 5’s High School Sports Xtra
“We feed off each other and push each other to do what needs to be done,” said Zacharias, who is member of Student Council, the Social Studies Academic Team and Boy Scouts. “That’s the way the whole offensive line is. We’re a line that gels together well. We work together, communicate and believe in each other. We may not be the biggest line in the conference, but we’re willing to tango with anybody.”
Southwest is aiming to secure a WIAA playoff spot for a third straight year and contend for its first Fox River Classic Conference title since 2012.
Zacharias feels helping the team strive towards those goals is an experience that will help him later on life. He wants to go to college to study history and economics to pursue a career as a financial consultant.
“One thing that has definitely helped me get to where I am right now is that it may not always be about the technique or the footwork, but it’s definitely always about the effort,” Zacharias said. “If you give that effort, there is little that can stop you.”