They played football for Cudahy H.S., now coach together | FOX6 Milwaukee

They played football for Cudahy H.S., now coach together



High school football coaches usually aren't in it for the big bucks, or the glory. They have a passion for their sport, and for the young men who play it.

Cudahy has a rich football tradition, and the hard-working players are building on it. Even though they lost in the first round, Coach Ryan Serfort's Packers made the playoffs for the first time in four years.

"There were some down years there, where it was kinda tough, but to get back into the playoffs and get the excitement going again is a real plus year, and the kids are excited, the school is excited, and as coaches, we're really excited about the future here," Serfort said.

The Wasikowski brothers plan to be a part of that future, and have been a big part of the past!

How many teams can say they have three brothers on the same coaching staff?

Jerry, Max and Paul Wasikowski all work together well, but sometimes, it's difficult to tell them apart! Max is the youngest, Jerry, the eldest, and Paul is in the middle.

Sometimes, you need a scorecard for the Wasikowski brothers. They all look alike, and it is confusing! However, there's no confusion about how much fun they're having!

"It is very unique. I mean, when I was a sophomore, Paul was a junior, Jerry was a senior, and we all played on the field together. Now, we are all back here, coaching on the same field together, so it's wonderful. It's awesome," Max said.

"This whole situation coincides with what this community is about, and it is generations of pride. We love the community. We love the program. We love the kids here, so we are just representing what we're used to," Paul said.

"We're developing these kids for the next step in their life, and at the same time, all three of us have skills on the football field, so we can pass those on as well," Jerry said.

Like any brothers, Jerry, Paul and Max had their moments growing up, and still do, on occasion.

"We were young, and Jerry beat both me and Paul up. Paul would usually cry. I would just laugh it off. Just kidding! I mean, me and Jerry would get into it now and then. Me and Paul, too. Something goes wrong in practice and we start yelling at each other, but that is just our sibling rivalry and all of that stuff. It's all good and fun, though," Max said.

Kid brother Max got his revenge. You see, the Wasikowski's all carried the Cudahy tradition into college ball. Jerry was a tight-end at Purdue, Paul a center at Western Michigan, and kid brother Max owns the championship rings, after his stint as a fullback at Whitewater.

"I never bring them out, and never wear them, but sometimes I like to throw all three of them on my hand, and have them all in a row. It kind of weighs my body down a little bit!" Max said.

"I'm very jealous. I went to a couple Bowl games, but I never got those nice rings that he has. Just a few plaques, but that's about it," Paul said.

All kidding aside, Cudahy football has been a family affair for many years. The brothers' father, Paul Wasikowski Sr., played at Wisconsin, and their maternal grandfather Jerry Bowe coached at Cudahy for 35 years!

"Grandpa Bowe kind of got this whole program started. People call him a legend here, and call him Coach. He comes to practices and games and has kind of built the foundation of what we see here today, so it is pretty special," Paul said.

"We got the genes from our dad, so we were lucky on that. We have football on the other side, with my grandpa being the coach, so again, we played, and now we are back here teaching, and it's very important," Jerry said.