For 17 autumns, Pete Kittel has done a commendable job as Brillion High School football coach.

In all those years, though, the 46-year-old has never been faced with such obstacles. His son, Kyle, a senior running back/cornerback, and his teammates also had to find inner strength. It's the stuff that character is made of.

It was tough for Kittel, the coach, to describe his feelings after unbeaten Brillion trailed Peshtigo 14-0 Saturday during the second quarter of their WIAA Division 5 Level 3 playoff game. To top it off, his son's season ended with an injury. But he tried.

"When my son went down five feet in front of me, it was like my world was crumbling," he said. "It was one of the toughest experiences I've had in my coaching career. You just try to stay focused on the game."

Kyle suffered severe ligament damage to his left leg while making a tackle. His prep football career is over. And he might not be able to play basketball this winter or baseball next spring.

"It hasn't really hit me yet," Kyle said Sunday. "It probably won't until our next game (against 10-2 Arcadia) when I am on the sidelines."

Kyle said he'd try to be an assistant coach of sorts the rest of the way. His dad said his son used to give him advice when he was the ball boy years ago.

Kyle gained about 900 yards this season. He was the Olympian-Packerland-Small's player of the year. If ever the Lions needed to regroup and show that they are a team, it was against Peshtigo.

"We are really balanced. We have no superstars," the coach said. "With Kyle down, it changed the way we did some things. But I couldn't be more proud of the way they responded."

Coach Kittel rattled off several names after the Lions rallied past the Bulldogs. He praised Jacob Hebbard, Dyllan Eichhorst, Justin Zeamer, Bill Hussey and Casey Mueller.

After rallying for a 21-14 win at Peshtigo, he exchanged tapes with the Arcadia coach in Stevens Point late Saturday. He watched the next opponent while an assistant drove them home. He noticed that Arcadia is a fast team, adding that the Raiders have played strong competition.

Regardless of what happens, though, Brillion will win or lose as a team with a lot of interchangeable parts.

Being part of a close team was extra special for Kyle when he arrived to meet the bus at Brillion following a stop to a Green Bay hospital. It showed that teamwork is more than just talk — it's a way of life for Brillion football this season.

"We have a word of the week and last week it was 'focus,' " Kyle said. "But when I got hurt they changed the word to 'Kyle' and yelled it each time they left the huddle. And when I got to the bus at school, they were waiting for me. It was amazing. It meant a lot."

Team players. On the road to prep playoff victories, it's the only way to travel. And Brillion truly has found the route.

Dan VanderPas: 920-993-1000, ext. 230, or dvanderpas@postcrescent.com