RACINE — Tyler Tenner bid what he knew would be his final farewell to his great-grandfather around noon Friday, just seven hours before the most important game of his life.
Inspired by what the 92-year-old Harry Jacobsen had long meant to him, a determined Tenner joined his Racine Lutheran High School football teammates on the bus trip to Elkhorn. He was somber, yet supercharged with emotion.
“He wasn’t very responsive, but I believe he was able to hear me,” Tenner said. “I told him I would win the game for him that night.”
Which was a tall order.
Lutheran’s WIAA Division 6 semifinal opponent was Lancaster, a seven-time state champion, but that did nothing to intimidate Tenner. Instead, he felt empowered. This kid never demands the ball — Lutheran coach Scott Smith says he is one of the most unselfish kids he has coached — but he was going to welcome it that night.
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And then Tenner went out and rushed for 302 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kickoff 100 yards for another score. By the end of the night, David had taken down Goliath with a 55-28 victory and the Crusaders were on the way to their first WIAA state championship game.
That was for you, Grandpa Harry.
About seven hours after the latest in Tenner’s string of superlative postseason performances, Harry Jacobsen passed away from cancer.
And as Tenner prepares for Thursday’s 1 p.m. Division 6 championship game against undefeated Iola-Scandinavia, his mind is cluttered with thoughts.
He’s thinking about bringing back the first state championship trophy in the program’s history. He’s thinking about another exceptional season, which will almost certainly end with him being Racine County’s leading rusher for the second straight season.
Hugs and corner pockets
And he’ll be thinking about his late great-grandfather and super fan, who could still give bear hugs even in his later years. Just as the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Tenner is strong for his age, the same could be said for Grandpa Harry.
“We played pool a lot together,” Tenner said. “What I probably remember the most are the huge hugs he used to give me. He was pretty strong for his age and he was able to pick me up until I was probably 10.”
And did Tyler ever pick up Grandpa Harry. That came every time Tenner played football and routinely piled up big numbers. Harry, who lived at Elizabeth Garden, 5111 Wright Ave., toward the end of his life, reveled in hearing the latest exploits from his great-grandson.
“He was very interested in my success in football,” Tenner said.
As Harry weakened in the final weeks of his life, Tyler only grew stronger.
He started out relatively modest by rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns and returning a punt 70 yards for a another score in a 20-19 first-round victory over Pecatonica-Argyle Oct. 19.
As the competition toughened, so did Tenner.
He rushed for 235 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-14 victory over Mineral Point Oct. 26. Then he rushed for 310 yards and four touchdowns and returned a fumble for another score in a 41-21 quarterfinal victory over Cambridge Nov. 2. And then came his performance against Lancaster.
In four postseason games, Tenner put together statistics most other running backs would welcome for a season: 937 yards on just 116 carries and 14 touchdowns.
For the season, Tenner has rushed for 2,149 and scored 30 touchdowns even though Lutheran was deprived of one game after Kenosha St. Joseph forfeited to the Crusaders Sept. 15.
“He was in my heart, especially the last game,” Tenner said. “I just wanted to play as hard as I could, knowing he would be proud of me, no matter how I played.
“Before the game, it was kind of tough getting ready for it mentally. But when it was time to clock in, I had to do it. And after the game, I felt really relieved, knowing I was able to do it for him.”
Tenner has similar thoughts this week as Lutheran prepares for the state championship game Thursday afternoon.
“I’m going to put my whole heart out in this game and do everything I can to help the team win,” he said. “My biggest effort will be for my grandfather.”
