“I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to bring back the emotions and memories of a big event in a small town over forty years ago, but it’s clear Jody Pritzl did it with the cleverness only a talented author could.”
“The book re-lives the magical time in a small town when a championship finally came their way. The team wasn’t perfect but a lot of guts, sweat and teamwork created an awesome never say die effort that lead to amazing wins. Great book about growing up in a small town back in the 80’s. There are many details that bring back the memories of the time and moments that were forgotten but made you say “Oh yeah! I remember that!”
“I simply could not put this book down. Get this book and relive the years growing up in Two Rivers, WI in the 70’s and 80’s. The details are remarkable and outline how the circumstances, the hard work, and learned fundamentals from JR Rambler Football all helped mold that championship team in 81 and the 3 year dynasty in Wisconsin Div 3 football.”
“This book is a pleasurable read and a warm homecoming for residents of Two Rivers Wi, past and present, as well as a kind reminder of what small town Midwest America was like in the 70s. While very much focused on the Two River Washington Raiders high School Football team of 1980, anyone who attended a small-town high school in that era will very much relate to and appreciate the observations it provides.”
“This is a story for anyone who grew up in a small town or just has a deep connection to their past and childhood memories.”
“As a 47 year resident of “Trivers”, WI and an assistant coach on that 1980 championship Raider team, I found Jody’s book delightful! It cleared away 40 years of mental cobwebs and opened the gates for a torrent of awesome memories to com flooding in.
I especially enjoyed Jody’s exploration of the heart, soul, spirit and everyday happenings of our small community, personal things about the players outside of football, and the involvement of the rest of the student body, the staff and the community in the season, all told from her unique perspective as a classmate and a friend. It gives the book a very personal feel and engages the reader far more than the simple recounting of mere game scores and highlights.
The author does a great job of capturing the essence of the season, its ups, downs, triumphs, tragedies and combines it with enough technical football jargon to impress even a game day NFL commentator. The chapter on Coach Bonino, his background and his legacy, provides a special insight into this magical and legendary man.
Give this book a try. Bet you’ll not only be so immersed in it that you’ll feel you were right there in good ole “Trivers” for that glorious 1980 season yourself, but that it will also jog some old high school memories of your very own!”