Curt Hogg

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

For every year since 2001, the North Shore Conference football title has been Homestead's, including one run of 67 consecutive league victories from 2002-'11. The North Shore got a face lift in advance of the 2017 season thanks to realignment, but one thing has not changed: Homestead is the team to beat.

Take a look at all 18 of the Highlanders' seasons as North Shore juggernauts:

2018

It may be impossible to choose which one has been more impressive for the Highlanders so far: the offense or defense. Through an 8-0 start, Homestead has averaged 41.8 points per game while allowing just over 14 points. The rushing attack led by Willie Garrison and Jared Schneider has done most of the damage, while quarterback Emory Weeden takes care of much of the rest.

2017

It almost ended for Homestead, but Hartford saved the day.

After Whitefish Bay wiped Homestead out with a 26-0 win in Week 4, the Blue Dukes were still undefeated entering their regular-season finale against Hartford. A win would have snapped the Highlanders' streak at 16 seasons, but the Orioles downed Bay, 28-7. That allowed Homestead, which had won three straight following the loss, to share the title after a 15-14 win over Slinger.

2016

After a Week 1 hiccup against Arrowhead, Homestead won 11 straight games before falling in the state semifinals to Monona Grove. Sophomore Bradley Woldt led the North Shore in rushing with 1,329 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.

2015

After starting the season 2-2, Homestead outscored its opponents, 343-99, en route to winning the Division 2 state title. Senior Matt Winters took the North Shore by force, running for almost 300 more yards than anyone else in the conference.

2014

Homestead lost to Cedarburg in the regular season but still won the title, and the Highlanders avenged the loss to the Bulldogs in the playoffs but fell in the semifinals to Menasha in a gut-wrenching 8-7 buzzer-beater when the Bluejays went for the winning 2-point conversion (then went on to win the state title).

2013

Six 20-plus point victories highlighted an 11-0 start before the Highlanders fell to eventual state champion Kimberly in the state quarterfinals. Senior Eric Wade ranked second in the conference with 1,103 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

2012

The gold ball returned to Mequon Road after Homestead went 7-1 in regular-season play and 5-0 in postseason play. The rushing combination of Shaquille Cole and Jay Schneider helped Homestead rank second in the conference with 2,866 rushing yards. The only other North Shore foes to have more than 1,300 rushing yards were Whitefish Bay (2,891) and Cedarburg (2,086).

2011

A loss to Germantown in the final week of the regular season spoiled a perfect conference record, but a six-game win streak was enough for the Highlanders’ 11th straight conference championship. The team lost in Level 2 of the playoffs to Milwaukee Riverside.

2010

Homestead had a perfect regular-season record, but the Highlanders didn’t necessarily make it look easy. Of the nine wins, three of them were by three or fewer points. After falling behind in the playoffs to Germantown, 10-0, Homestead could never completely come back, losing, 17-10.

2009

The Highlanders had a perfect 9-0 regular season in which they never allowed more than 17 points. Senior Bryan Bronaugh finished second in the conference with 880 rushing yards. Homestead eventually lost to Menomonee Falls in the second round of the playoffs.

2008

Casey Barnes’ 1,855 passing yards and conference-high 19 touchdowns helped the Highlanders go undefeated in regular-season play. Homestead went on to defeat Arrowhead, 13-11, for the Division 1 state title in a thriller that capped a wild three-year run in which the two programs met for the gold ball. Homestead won the series by taking two of three.

2007

Homestead was perfect against in-state programs before running into a perfect Arrowhead team in the state final, forcing the Highlanders to settle for silver. Brett Werner-Powell led the North Shore with 1,230 rushing yards and had almost 20 more yards per game than the second-best rusher.

2006

The Highlanders’ 35-0 win over Arrowhead in the state final epitomized the team’s highly successful season. Nine of their last 10 wins were by at least 20 points. Close calls included a 20-15 win over Whitefish Bay and an 18-17 win over Germantown in the regular season.

2005

Homestead coasted through the North Shore, going 7-0 in the conference and 9-0 overall in the regular season. The team never allowed more than 14 points until the state semifinals, where it lost to Racine Park, 20-13.

2004

Homestead destroyed the North Shore, outscoring opponents, 280-53. The closest game in that stretch was a 21-7 win over Germantown. The Highlanders' luck ran out in the second round of the playoffs in a nail-biting 31-28 loss to Marquette.

2003

Homestead surfed through the North Shore with another perfect 7-0 mark and a 9-0 regular-season record. The only game to be within 10 points was the Highlanders’ 23-20 win over rival Germantown.

2002

A high-octane offense pushed the Highlanders to their second consecutive conference title. The team was 10-0 when it scored at least 28 points. The road ended one weekend short of Camp Randall with a loss to eventual champ Marshfield for a second straight year in the state semifinals.

2001

Homestead captured sole possession of the North Shore title for the first time in five years, earning a No. 3 seed in the playoffs. The Highlanders cruised past Oshkosh North, Menomonee Falls and Neenah before falling to Marshfield in the state semifinals.

2000

Who was the last team to win the conference title that wasn't Homestead? There are two answers: Germantown and Port Washington both went 6-1 to share the crown. Homestead finished 2-4 in league play. Ironically, the down year came after a 1999 season in which the Highlanders went 14-0 and won their first Division 1 title, defeating that pesky Marshfield in the championship game. It was only the first chapter of something special.

By the numbers

Homestead during its 18-year streak of winning or sharing the North Shore Conference title:

4 state championships

1 state runner-up

7 shared league titles*

11 outright league titles

17 first-round playoff wins

11 appearances in Level 4 (state semifinals)

12 appearances in Level 3

67 game winning streak in North Shore games (2002-'11, halted by Germantown on Oct. 13, 2011)

* Homestead has clinched at least a share of the 2018 title. With a win Friday, it is guaranteed an outright title.

- John Steppe contributed to this story, which first published in 2016.