5 things to know about Racine Raiders in national championship game (2024)

PETER JACKEL

RACINE — The Racine Raiders. Horlick Field. A national championship game.

It’s happened so many times during the last 43 years. And it will be happening once again on Saturday when the Raiders host the Upstate Predators of Rochester, N.Y., on Saturday in Gridiron Bowl XV.

The Raiders were piling up the miles last season when they made two successive trips to the East Coast to complete a 15-0 season and the Gridiron Developmental Football League championship.

One year later, they are in position to make it two straight national championships and their 11th overall in the comfort of their own home.

Their first championship came on Nov. 22, 1981 when the organization, then known as the Racine Gladiators, defeated the Chambersburg (Pennsylvania) Cardinals 17-10 for the Minor Professional Football Association championship.

Of course, none of the Raiders players were born when that game was played. Wilbert Kennedy, the Raiders’ 57-year-old coach who has been involved with the organization for 35 years, was just a high school student back in 1981.

Here are five things to know as the Raiders pursue that 11th national championship and try to extend their winning streak to 27 games — within one of matching the longest in the organization’s history:

The Predators are likely going to give the Raiders all they can handle

Predators coach Damon Glasgow has credentials similar to Kennedy, with a 115-25 record with three teams and plenty of playoff success. He won his three national championships from 2007-09 while coaching the Monroe County Sting.

He’ll be bringing to Racine what team owner Tommy Love II (who is also a wide receiver and running back for the Predators) said will be 38 players.

The Predators, led by playmaking quarterback Billy Joiner and a couple of pass-rushers with double-digit sacks (Ricky Norris Jr., has 14 and DeAnthony Terrell has 12) have cruised through the season with a 9-1 record.

Their only setback came on July 13, when they lost to the Syracuse Sting 14-0. But the Predators came back to defeat the Strong 14-0 in the Impact Conference Championship game, earning them a trip to Racine.

Locke versus Joiner

Most teams that pursue championships have playmaking quarterbacks, and that certainly is the case with the Raiders and Predators.

Joiner has been a force with his arm and his legs, passing for 1,311 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushing for 132 yards and one score. He has led an offense that averages 516.3 yards per game.

“The film I saw on him, he’s a heck of a football player,” Kennedy said. “He’s probably the best quarterback we’re going to face. He seems to have a real command for his offense, he’s very elusive ... the thing that makes him dangerous is that even when he’s scrambling, he’s looking for somewhere to throw.

“He’s got a big arm, he’s got a good pocket presence about him, and he’s very calm. That guy is a heck of a football player.”

But the Raiders have an impact quarterback of their own with the 34-year-old Locke, who has not lost a game in his two seasons with the team. Despite only having his top two receivers — Joe Garcia and Jordan Payne — in the same game once this season, Locke has passed for 1,593 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Maybe Locke isn’t the pure passer that former Raiders greats Charlie Bliss and Craig McClelland were. But all he does is get the job done week after week.

“He makes things happen,” Love said. “He’s an improviser. Improvisers make things happen, whether that’s making guys miss in the backfield or extending plays. I coach varsity football, and I know that I like quarterbacks who can extend plays.”

Said Kennedy: “Andre is just a baller. He loves the game, he wants to win, he plays with a lot of enthusiasm, he gets excited for his guys when they do something well, he’ll get on them when they do something wrong, and the guy knows how to win. When you’ve got a guy who believes in his teammates, his coaches and himself, that’s a dangerous combination. It makes it hard for a guy like that to lose.”

By the way, Kennedy said Garcia and Payne will play on Saturday night. Payne has played in only a few games this season because of his work commitment as an officer for the Kenosha Police Department.

“They’re my go-tos, my get-out-of-jail-free cards,” Locke said. “Payne turns nothing into something, and we know what Joe Garcia does.”

The Raiders’ steel curtain

The Raiders have fielded numerous dominating defenses over the years. Kennedy was a member of several of those as a defensive tackle from 1989-2009. But this one just may be the best.

This unit has shut out six opponents (not including two forfeits) and have compiled 66 sacks and 14 interceptions.

Among the numerous standouts are linebacker Gary Young (team-high 57 tackles), Jake Mittelstaedt (41 tackles), Cordero Williams (nine sacks), Ronald Haggins (eight sacks), Willie Clay (seven sacks), Antonio Dundy (seven sacks) and Jordan Danowski (five interceptions).

“I think one of the biggest factors in this game is way our defense has played all year long and how they just don’t give up anything,” Kennedy said. “These guys have been just absolutely outstanding all season. They’ve been great to coach. They have great leadership on that side of the ball ... from JD Hardy to Gary Young to Anton Graham.

The architect is defensive coordinator Jahamal Hardy.

“He looks at the entire defense and sees what we can do,” Young said. “People think we only have one or two things. We have a tremendous amount of formations that we can run. We just see which one fits our scheme at that moment. (Hardy) is a great coach. He challenges me, and he challenges everyone against everybody.

“He asks for the best out of all of us, and we want to give him the best each every time we step on the field.”

Keeping Locke uprightLocke has only been sacked four times this season. And he’s taken the blame for a few of those after claiming he held on to the ball to long.

The Raiders’ offensive line will be challenged to protect Locke on Saturday night considering the Predators’ Norris and Terrell have combined for 26 sacks this season.

“I have the best left tackle in the nation in Shanault Carey, and my right tackle came from the Inglewood Blackhawks last year — Michael Hill. Most of my tackles are ready for speed rushers.”

Carey and Hill, incidentally, weigh a combined 575 pounds.

Filling the house

Largely because of rain during games this season, attendance has been soft. But the Raiders drew a season-high 1,011 on Aug. 17 for their 32-0 victory over the Tri-City Outlaws in the Xtreme Conference championship game, and there’s hope for more Saturday, which is expected to be in the low 80s with little chance of rain.

“Last week, we got 1,100 (actually 1,011) and, honestly, I want to push that to 3,300,” Locke said. “If we can get 3,000 here —and we have the best fans in semi-pro, it’ll just be another notch on our belt.”