RACINE — Sawyer Schick’s role as backup quarterback of the Racine Raiders means he must always be prepared to step in at a moment’s notice.
That was no exception last Saturday night, when his name was called on to lead the offense in relief of starter Andre Locke with about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Raiders trailed the Alabama Beavers 12-0 at the time, and the team turned to Schick to provide a spark for a lethargic offense.
“I came in and told the offense, ‘Hey, we don’t need it all in one play. We’re down a couple scores, but there’s plenty of time,’” Schick said.
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And then Schick, who threw just 60 passes as a senior for Horlick High School in 2017, went to work.
He brought the Raiders within 12-6 on a 26-yard touchdown pass to veteran receiver Will Norwood with 6:15 to play in the fourth quarter.
“(Norwood) was the first read on that play,” Schick said. “The corners both pressed up and there were two safeties, so I was thinking ‘Cover 2.’ (Norwood) had a vertical route, so I thought, ‘OK, we can hit him in one shot down the sideline.’”
The touchdown and ensuing extra point made it a five-point contest, but there was still work to be done and not much time remaining on the clock to make it happen. To make matters tougher, the Raiders’ coaching staff hadn’t been able to gather much information on the Beavers, who had just started their season but were still up for the challenge.
“They were super athletic and a ton of them were young, freshly out of college and in better condition than us,” Schick said. “So it was a test. And as much of a physical test it was, it was also mental because we did have to come back and win the game in the fourth quarter.”
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Racine did just that behind Schick, who found Alex “Bubba” Rewolinski for a 6-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds remaining. Schick’s two-point conversion pass attempt failed, but the 13-12 score stood for the 6-2 Raiders.
Schick, who is in his third year as a senior audit associate for Vrakas CPAS and Advisors, completed 7 of 14 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in his relief role. The Raiders named him their player of the game.
“Sawyer is one of those kinds of guys who, when he comes in, he makes an impact on the game,” said Rewolinski, a 2018 Union Grove High School graduate. “If you want that guy, Sawyer’s him.”
Schick will prominently fit in the Raiders’ plans as they vie for a third straight national championship. Despite a pair of losses this season following two consecutive undefeated seasons, Schick believes perspective is needed with this year’s team.
One of those Raiders’ losses came in a 16-15 defeat to the Phoenix Outlaws on June 14. The other — a 27-7 loss to the Detroit Ravens on May 31 — looked more lopsided than it realistically was, according to Schick.
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“We had the ball in the red zone five times in that game and only managed to score once,” he said. “There were a couple missed field goals and a couple turnovers on downs.
“It always comes down to execution on our part. We were there. We just have to finish the play.”
The Raiders are nearing the end of the regular season with a matchup against the Fayetteville (N.C.) Commanders at 7 p.m. Saturday at Horlick Field, followed by a challenging conference showdown against the Motor City (Mich.) Rams coming July 12. The Rams are 9-0 in The Players Association.
Then comes The Players Association playoffs. If the Raiders prevail from those, they embark for a national tournament and try for a historic third straight national championship.
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Schick knows that Raiders will be ready, especially after weathering a multitude of injuries throughout the season.
“The sky’s the limit,” Schick said. “It’s a next-man-up mentality. Everyone rallies around each other, picks each other up and helps each other out. We’ve got a really good unit.”
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