2013 Junior Varsity Team
How the “Red Rockets” Got Name?
By Nels J. Monson When you think South Milwaukee sports, everybody thinks ”Rockets”, right? If you, however, would have graduated from good ol’ SM High before 1938 you would have spent your time cheering for the South Milwaukee “Cardinals” instead. Headlines in the February 18, 1938 issue of the local newspaper, the South Milwaukee Journal, proclaimed that “ ‘Red Rockets’ Is New Name for High School.” So, what events prompted this change? According to the Journal, most notable was the fact that Suburban Conference rivals Wauwatosa High School were also known as the Cardinals. This led to some confusion for area sports writers. The new name was immediately adopted. The high school newsletter, The Harbinger had this to say of the new choice of names: “It’s spirited! It has possibilities for dance themes, class jewelry, and athletic emblems! It signifies speed, pep, and vitality! It’s new and different!” Not to be outdone, The Journal added their own two-cents worth regarding the change, “Might we add that the name is typically modern with talk of rocket airships in coming transportation methods.” “Red Rockets” was chosen by the students in a contest conducted by the high school’s “cooperative government.” Interestingly enough, the name change took place during the basketball season. Also, Wauwatosa decided to switch names to the “Red Raiders” around the same time. With that, the Suburban Conference went from two teams going by the name “Cardinals” to none. Fittingly, the last mention of the old name also appeared in the February 18 issue of The Journal when it reported that Coach F. Clark Van Galder’s Cardinals beat Whitefish Bay at home 36-30. Alumni Athlete News
Kelmend Islami 7
Class: Junior Hometown: South Milwaukee, Wis. High School: South Milwaukee Height: 5-5 Position: F 2013: Has played in all seven matches this season ... Registered an assist vs. Green Bay (9/1) ... Made his first start of the season at Milwaukee (8/30) ... Scored two second-half goals in 3-3 preseason draw vs. No. 1 Indiana (8/22). 2012: Has started every match this season ... Scored his first goal of the season in the first half of MU's 5-0 win vs. DePaul (Sept. 22) in the BIG EAST opener ... Picked up an assist on MU's second goal in a 3-0 win vs. Western Illinois (Sept. 8) when his cross in the 28th minute found teammate Adam Lysak at the top of the box. 2011: Played in 16 games and made nine starts as a freshman at left wing ... His first collegiate goal was the game-winner in a 2-1 double-overtime victory at Michigan (Sept. 18), beating the Wolverines goalkeeper with just 51 seconds left in the final overtime period ... Also scored against Georgetown (Oct. 19) after recording an assist in a 2-1 upset over West Virginia (Oct. 15) in the team's previous match ... Was injured at Seton Hall (Oct. 22) and did not play the remainder of the season, missing the team's final three matches, which included the postseason. Prior to Marquette: A prolific scorer, Islami tallied a single-season record 43 goals as leader of the South Milwaukee boy's soccer team, which won the 2009 Woodland Conference title and finished undefeated in league play ... Named 2010 Woodland Conference Player of the Year following his senior season ... Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association second-team all-state selection and two-time all-conference selection ... Grew up playing with the Croatian Eagles, where he guided the club to back-to-back state championships, and later joined FC Milwaukee. 
John Gottwald
(South Milwaukee) has been picked as UW-Whitewater men's soccer players of the week. John Gottwald (South Milwaukee), the offensive pick, scored two goals on eight shots in two wins last week for the Warhawks. In a 1-0 win over Dubuque. Gottwald fired three shots while playing the entire 94 minutes of the overtime game. In a 3-0 win over Beloit Gottwald notched two goals on five shots in just 30 minutes of action. Gottwald's first goal came in the ninth minute of play while his second goal came just 47 seconds into the second half. The Warhawks are now 6-0-0. |
Meet Your Coach
Coach Noah Skowronski Boys Varsity Program Coaching History: Noah has been involved in the SM Boys Soccer Program since 2007 Spending the first 2 years as Assistant Junior Varsity Coach. Noah spent the last 5 years as Head Coach Boys Junior Varsity Coach/Assistant Varsity Coach. 2014 will be his first year as Head Boys Varsity Coach Playing History: High School: South Milwaukee High School 1998 - 2002 3 year Varsity player from 1999-2001 Earned All North Division honors as Senior Captain 2000 – First winning season in SMHS history 2001 – First Rocket Invite Championship in SMHS history 2001 – First Regional Championship in SMHS history 2001 – First Sectional Final appearance in SMHS history (lost in double overtime) Club(s): During high school Noah played for the Simba Lions coached by Jimmy Banks, the current Head Coach of the Men’s Soccer Program at MSOE Noah currently plays for Simbas SC in the Wisconsin Soccer League (WSL) First Division Coach Taylor York
Boys Assistant Varsity Coach Boys Varsity Reserve Head Coach Girls Varsity Head Coach 
Taylor York is
a first year coach from Grayslake, IL. There she played Varsity Soccer and
continued her career to play Division 3 soccer at Carthage College for her first
two years. Prior to college, Taylor has been apart of club teams such as
Grayslake United, Grayslake Galaxy, and the Chicago Kickers. Her time playing
for Grayslake United lead her to play in a National Tournament in Hawaii in
2008.
Taylor York is
currently the Physical Education teacher at South Milwaukee Middle School and
lives in Milwaukee. She hopes to continue with South Milwaukee for years to come
and develop the South Milwaukee Soccer Program to what it deserves to
be.
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