Our History
The Racine Raiders celebrate the team’s 70th season in 2023. Founded in 1953, the Raiders are the oldest semi-pro football team in Wisconsin still in existence and second oldest non-collegiate sports team in the state. The Raiders are the second oldest semi-pro football team in the country.
With 652 wins, the Raiders have more wins than any other semi-pro team in the country. They have the fifth most wins of any non-collegiate football team in the United States, trailing the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Raiders were originally founded in 1953 by local restaurant owner Wigs Konicek. The Raiders adopted the colors of black and silver, seven years before anyone would even hear of the American Football League and the Oakland Raiders.
Decade of the 1950s
The team played their first season in the Bi-States Football League (BSFL). The season was what someone might expect from a first year team. The team went through two coaches and managed to compile a 2-8-2 record.
The next season, a new head coach was brought in and the Raiders won the team’s first league championship under new head coach Frank Schinkowitch. They would repeat the feat under Schinkowitch in 1956. Schinkowitch would lead the Raiders for nine seasons and compiled winning records in his first six seasons at the helm.
Decade of the 1960s
The decade of the 1960s didn’t begin well for the Raiders, however. After being runners-up in the BSFL in 1959, the Raiders would stumble through two seasons in the Tri-States Football League, going 0-18-2 combined in 1960 and 1961. The team joined the Central States Football League in 1962 and faired a little better, going 3-7.
In 1963, Jim Haluska was named head coach. Haluska, a Racine native, was a standout quarterback at the University of Wisconsin and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 30th round of the 1954 National Football League draft. After being released by the Cleveland Browns, Haluska signed with the Raiders in October, 1957 and played with the team for two years.
Haluska coached just one year for the Raiders and the Raiders went just 2-8. Haluska would go on to have a prolific high school coaching career. In 28 years of coaching at Don Bosco and Thomas More, Haluska would compile a 152-39-1 record and win three state titles and six Catholic Conference titles.
In 1964, Harry Gilbert, a three-year letterwinner at the University of Wisconsin, took over the reigns of the team and the Raiders saw instant success. The Raiders would win 26 straight CSFL games and back-to-back CSFL championships under Gilbert in 1964 and 1965. The Raiders would then go just 5-5 in 1966 following the retirement of quarterback Jim May. Gilbert would leave to coach the West Allis Spartans in 1968.
A former teammate of Gilbert’s at the University of Wisconsin would replace him at the helm of the Raiders in 1968. It was a time where a major shift was made in how the CSFL was run. Beginning in 1968, the league went from a semi-pro league to a professional league with all players signing contracts and getting paid. Jim Thompson would lead the Raiders for two average seasons. Racine went 6-5 in 1968 and 5-7 in 1969. Thompson would resign in December, 1969.
Decade of the 1970s
The Raiders would begin the 1970s with a new head coach. The team chose former Raiders guard Bruno Wojtaszek to lead the team. Wojtaszek, 32 when he took over the helm, was a teacher and assistant football coach at Oak Creek High School. Wojtaszek was a native of Wheeling, West Virginia, and graduated from Whitewater where he played tackle on the team.
Wojtaszek couldn’t get the Raiders back to their winning ways either. In three seasons, the team finished no better than .500 in the CSFL and finished all three seasons with a 5-8 overall record.
The Raiders looked to their familiar foes, the West Allis Spartans, for their next head coach. Warren Greco worked his way up the Spartans organization quickly. He was a scout for the team in the mid-1960s and then became an assistant coach in the late-1960s before succeeding former Raiders head coach Harry Gilbert at the helm of the Spartans.
Greco, 35 when he took over the top position with the Raiders, was a graduate St. Catherine’s High Schoo. He went to St. Norbert College and played guard and linebacker for the Raiders and even served as an assistant coach in the early-1960s. He also previously coached at Shullsburg High School and was an assistant at Kenosha Tremper High School. After graduating from St. Norbert, Greco received a master’s degree in physical education at Eastern Michigan University.
Greco had more success than Thompson and Wojtaszek, going 7-3 in the CSFL in 1973 and 1974. Greco left after two seasons at the helm of the Raiders.
Larry Benjamin would take over the head coaching duties in 1975 but the team managed to go just 2-6 in the CSFL and 4-8 overall. The Raiders were forced to declare bankruptcy after that season and didn’t field a team in 1976 and 1977 but the team did remain organized for those two years.
Football returned to Racine in 1978, although not on a regular basis. A team called the North Shore Gladiators played four home games at Historic Horlick Athletic Field and one game at Pershing Park. The team also played a game in Highland Park, Ill. They were coached by Jim Perry and went just 1-9 in the Northern States Football League (NSFL) and 2-10 overall.
New owners organized the Racine Gladiators in 1978. The team paid players and were very successful on the field, winning three national championships. Benjamin returned to lead the team in 1979 and they finished 6-2 in the NSFL and 11-4 overall and finished as the NSFL runner-up. Benjamin was named the CSFL coach of the year in 1979.
Decade of the 1980s
With the change in decade, the team would once again find itself needing a new coach and once again looked inside the organization. This time they tapped former center Bob Milkie who had played 118 straight games with the team from 1957-71 and was an assistant coach under Benjamin.
Cable Television Promotion
The Gladiators went 7-2 in the NSFL and 12-3 overall in Milkie’s first season and were the NSFL runners-up. Also that season, the Gladiators took part in an interesting promotional opportunity when they played the Columbus (OH) Metros in mid-July.
During that game, fans in the Columbus area were given the opportunity to help call offensive and defensive plays from their couch at home! Columbus fans who had QUBE cable television through Warner Amex were able to communicate choose from a selection of plays provided by the Metros coaches. The play that got the most votes was relayed to the Metros coach who would give the play to the players. The Gladiators won the game, 10-7.
The game was taped by Warner Amex and they flew the tape to Milwaukee and hand-carried it to the WMVS, channel 10 studios so it could be played for Southeast Wisconsin viewers on Sunday night. The game was played especially for the cable arrangement.
1981 Championship
The team ran through the regular season in the NSFL in 1981, going 10-0. They were upset in the championship game by the Delavan Red Devils, 17-10. The Gladiators still got an invite into the Minor Professional Football Association (MPFA) national tournament and returned to their winning ways, beating the Canton (OH) Bulldogs, 24-6 in the semi-final game and then defeating the Chambersburg (PA) Cardinals 17-10 in the championship game, winning the team’s first national championship.
1982
Milkie would step down and a familiar name took over the top spot. Gilbert returned to coach the Gladiators in 1982 and led the team to a 10-0 record in their new league, the American Football Association (AFA), and an 11-1 overall record. The team’s only loss came in the AFA semi-final game against the Carolina Storm.
1983
Gilbert would leave following that one season and Pete Bock took over as head coach in 1983. In his first season, Bock would ride the arm of quarterback Charlie Bliss to an unprecedented 20-0 overall record, including 12-0 in the NSFL. The Gladiators won the NSFL title and would go on to beat the New Jersey Rams in the MPFA championship game to win their second national title.
1984
The Gladiators would have another good, but not great, season in 1984 as they finished 7-1 in the NSFL and 12-3 overall. After winning the NSFL championship, the Gladiators easily dispatched the Indianapolis Westside Warriors in the MPFA semifinal. The Gladiators now had an opportunity to become the first team to win back-to-back national championships but fell just short with a loss in the championship game to the Scranton Eagles, 21-6.
1985
Bock stepped down after the 1984 season and was replaced by Rich McClure. McClure had coached the Rockford Rams of the NSFL the previous season. McClure surrounded himself with former NFL players as assistant coaches. Former Chicago Bears Willie Holman and Allan Ellis and former Kansas City Chief and Dallas Cowboy Gloster Richardson were named assistant coached. Former University of Wisconsin running back Greg “Grape Juice” Johnson became the general manager of the team.
The team struggled on the field in 1985, going 6-4 in the NSFL and 9-7 overall. The team caught lightning in a bottle late in the season and made in to the NSFL championship game but lost to the Chicago Chargers, 20-9. They then fell to the River Grove (IL) Cowboys, 14-9, in the MPFA semi-final game. The Gladiators would following the 1985 season due to financial concerns.
1986/Gladiators Fold/Raiders Form
Upon hearing that Gladiators owner Ron Weisman was closing up shop in January, 1986, Milkie, police sergeant Joe Mooney and banker Jess Levin, along with others took immediate action. Milkie had previously coached the Gladiators and Mooney was involved with the team from 1980-84. Milkie and Mooney established the team as a non-profit organization under the direction of a 21-person board of directors consisting of Racine businesspeople.
“I put things aside so I could concentrate on the Raiders,” Mooney told the Milwaukee Sentinel in October, 1986. “I wanted to do it my way by getting back into football with a community-based team without an owner.”
One of the challenges of this setup is that there wasn’t an owner who could put money into the team so the new Raiders organization had to rely solely on ticket sales and donations.
Milkie became the head coach of the Raiders organization. The team struggled in their first season in 1986, going just 6-4 in their new league, the Metropolitan Football League, and 7-5 overall. Milkie turned things around the next season and never looked back.
1987
In 1987, the Raiders ran through the Midwest Metropolitan Football League (MMFL), going 9-0 and outscoring their opponents by an average score of 27-5. The team won the MMFL championship with a 31-17 win over the DuPage (IL) Eagles but fell to the Palos-Orland (IL) Force, 20-14, in the American Football Association (AFA) quarterfinal game and finished the season with an overall record of 15-1.
1988
In 1988, the Raiders again ran through their league, this time the Midwest Football League (MFL). They went 6-0 and outscored their opponents 34-8. They were able to handle the Palos-Orland Force in the MFL championship game and moved on to the AFA national tournament. The Raiders beat the Florida Renegades , 44-0, in the semi-final game and moved on to play the Brooklyn (NY) Mariners for the AFA National Championship in one of the most historic games in team history.
1988 Championship
The game was played in driving rain and mud at Historic Horlick Athletic Field and both teams came in with 13-0 records. The Raiders allowed Brooklyn just six first downs, 55 rushing yards and 59 passing yards. They forced three turnovers and scored a safety on special teams when Phil Micech blocked a Joe Ferrera punt. The Mariners Bob Madigan was able to cover the ball in the end zone which resulted in a safety for Racine.
The Raiders were able to mount some offense with a drive that started at their own 36-yard line with under ten minutes to play. Racine got the ball down to the Mariners ten-yard line and Steve Schonert booted a 27-yard field goal with 7:50 to play, giving Racine the third national championship in team history.
“They hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to beat us,” said hall of fame Mariners coach Pudgi Walsh after the game.
1989
The Raiders would again go undefeated in the MFL in 1989 and earn the MFL league championship over the Palos-Orland Force. They would move on to the Minor League Football Alliance (MLFA) national tournament and easily beat the Kenner (LA) Knights in the semi-final game, 34-0. That win would setup the most important game in team history and perhaps the history of semi-pro football. The Raiders would have to travel to Canada to play the Ottawa Bootleggers for the first world championship in semi-pro football history.
1989 World Championship
In what legendary Racine broadcaster called his most memorable broadcast in a 2002 interview with Peter Jackel of the Racine Journal Times, the Raiders would defeat the Bootleggers, 15-13, in front of over 6,000 fans on December 2, 1989, in Ottawa.
The temperature was seven degrees at kickoff and it was snowing pretty heavily. Very few fans were from the United States and the crowd was very rambunctious.
“They booed the flag when we brought out the American flag, they booed the Star Spangled Banner when it was played and it really affected the players on the Raiders,” Suhr told the Journal Times. “They (the Raiders) wanted that game very, very badly.”
There were also a lot of concerns surrounding the hotel the team was staying at and the money the Raiders were promised for making the trip to play the game in Ottawa. Len Ziolkowski, the general manager of the Raiders at the time, finally had to put his foot down and tell the Bootleggers that there wouldn’t be a game if the Raiders didn’t get the check.
The Raiders scored on an 80-yard touchdown run by Les White, a short field goal by Schonert and a 50-yard pass from Bliss to Ron Dougherty.
“That was the last score of the game and, after Dougherty got that one, he raised the ball in the air, he faced the crowd and he slammed it down,” remembered Suhr in that 2002 interview.
The Raiders had become the first, and still only, semi-pro football team in history to win a World Championship. Perhaps even more importantly to the team, and to every semi-pro football team that now has official non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is it was an international amateur game. Playing in this game allowed the team to apply for, and receive, official non-profit status from the IRS. It set the framework for the future success of the organization.
The Raiders would again go undefeated in the regular season in the MFL but would fall in the league championship game to the Force, 34-28, ending their season with a 12-1 record. Milkie would step down after the season.
Decade of the 1990s
The Raiders would look to Terry Converse who had played linebacker collegiately at Carthage College and earned all-star recognition twice before playing with the Raiders. The Raiders, looking for better regular season competition, also decided to forego a league affiliation and played an independent schedule instead. The team also added cardinal red to their already established black and silver color scheme and unveiled the masked cowboy logo. The team went 9-2 overall and lost to the Palos-Orland Force in the Minor League Football Alliance (MLFA) quarterfinal game, 10-7 in overtime.
The team would rejoin the Midwest Football League (MFL) in 1992 and easily ran through the league, going 9-0. The Raiders won the MFL championship with a 30-0 win over the Milwaukee Express and advanced to the MLFA Championship game where they beat the Brooklyn Mariners, 17-10 to earn the team’s fifth national championship. The team was dominant, scoring 501 points while allowing just 25 points in 15 games.
Following the victory over the Mariners, hall of fame quarterback Charlie Bliss announced his second retirement. Bliss won five titles with the Gladiators and Raiders plus he added a national title with the Lincolnwood (IL) Chargers in 1986.
The team was once again undefeated in league play in 1993 and won the league title but lost to the Marlboro Shamrocks, 14-7, in the United States Football Alliance/Minor League Football Alliance national championship game. The team was nearly as dominant as the year before, finishing 13-1 and scoring 513 points while allowing just 59 points.
The Raiders would again run through the MFL and win the league championship with a 26-21 victory over the Palos-Orland Force. The team joined the Greater Midwest Classic Football Tournament after not getting invited to a national tournament, despite a 12-0 record. They defeated the Lake County (IL) Vikings in the semi-final game, 6-0, and the Wichita (KS) Warriors, 36-7, in the championship game. The team wasn’t awarded the national title despite a dominating performance yet again, going 12-0 overall and scoring 537 points while allowing just 49 points, with 36 of those being scored by the Force in two games.
Converse stepped down after four years at the helm. The Raiders combined to go 49-3 under Converse scoring 1,917 points and allowing 249 points. That computes to an average score of 37-5 over the span of four seasons!
The Raiders chose Kurt Kampendahl, who played for the Lake County (IL) Rifles, Lincolnwood (IL) Chargers and Lake Geneva (WI) Red Devils before coming to play for Racine from 1982-93, as interim coach to fill the shoes of Converse and Milkie in 1995. Kampendahl was a standout at Eureka College before making training camp with the Washington Redskins of the NFL.
The Raiders joined the Mid-Continental Football League (MCFL) in 1995 and went 9-1 in regular season league play, only losing a road game to the Kokomo (IN) Mustangs. The Raiders would avenge that loss in the MCFL semi-final game, beating Kokomo, 29-3, and then defeating the Southern Michigan Timberwolves, 20-0, to win the MCFL championship in their first season in the league.
The 16-1 season would get the Raiders an invite to the United States Football Association (USFA) national championship game against the Marlboro Shamrocks in Massachusetts. The Raiders would win the sixth national championship in team history with a 16-6 victory over the Shamrocks. Following the season, Joe Mooney, citing burnout, resigned as general manager, turning the reigns over to Gordy Johnson.
The Raiders again rolled through the MCFL in the regular season, going 10-0 but losing in the league championship game to the Southern Michigan Timberwolves, 31-14. The team finished 12-3 overall. Despite Kampendahl’s success, the board of directors voted to replace him after the 1996 season.
Milkie would again take over the top job in 1997. The Raiders went 7-3 in the MCFL in Milkie’s first season back and made the MCFL championship game but again lost to the Southern Michigan Timberwolves, 28-7. Despite the loss, the team received an invitation to the USFA Midwest Football Tournament. They made their way through some of the biggest names in semi-pro football at the time: the St. Louis (MO) Bulldogs, Palos-Orland Force and Detroit Seminoles. The team was the USFA Midwest Region champs and moved on to play the Marlboro Shamrocks in the USFA National Championship game. The Shamrocks were able to squeak by Racine, 21-14, in the game.
In 1998, the Raiders would go 8-2 in the MCFL, losing in the league semi-final game to the Kane County (IL) Eagles, 28-27. The team got an invite to the USFA Midwest Football Tournament but were bounced in the first round by the Detroit (MI) Seminoles, 28-11.
The Raiders would struggle in the MCFL in 1999, going just 5-3 in league play and losing to the Kalamazoo (MI) Tornadoes in the league semi-finals, 21-7. Despite the loss, the team entered the Mid-States Football Tournament and easily rolled through the first two rounds, outscoring their opponents, 90-0. The Chicago Falcons offered some resistance in the semi-final game, but the Raiders were able to get the win, 26-22, in what should’ve been the championship game for the tournament. The Raiders rolled over the Springfield (IL) Buccaneers, 34-0, in the championship game.
Decade of the 2000s
The Raiders rebounded in MCFL play in 2000, going 7-1 in the regular season. They made it to the MCFL championship game but fell to the Kane County (IL) Eagles, 18-7. The Team still got an invite into the USFA Midwest Football Tournament. The Minnesota Maulers traveled to Racine and nearly knocked the Raiders out of the tournament but Racine narrowly prevailed, 28-26. The win setup a rematch with the Eagles who had beaten the Raiders twice already in 2000. The Raiders traveled to play the Eagles and rolled over them, 33-11 to advance to the USFA Midwest Regional Championship. They hosted the Detroit (MI) Seminoles and easily won, 55-25. The victory setup a rematch with a common foe on the national championship circuit, the Marlboro (MA) Shamrocks. The Raiders traveled to Massachusetts and suffered a 41-17 pounding in the USFA National Championship game.
The Raiders announced longtime player and assistant coach Jordan Kopac would replace Milkie for the 2001 season. The Raiders went 6-2 in the MCFL under Kopac. They beat the Kokomo (IN) Mustangs in overtime in the league quarterfinals, 27-24. The Kane County (IL) Eagles beat the Raiders in the semifinal game, 7-0. The Raiders still got an invite to the USFA Midwest Football Tournament and defeated the Minneapolis Lumberjacks, Minnesota Maulers and Jackson Bombers on their way to the USFA National Championship game. The team easily handled the Scranton (PA) Eagles, 36-14, in front of 3,600 fans at Historic Horlick Athletic Field, to win the team’s seventh national championship. The Raiders jumped out to a 17-0 lead and held the Eagles scoreless in the second half of the game.
Kopac would step down after that season and the Raiders looked to Gregg Brenner in 2002. Brenner, a Baltimore native, was a receiver for the Raiders and even played overseas for the Leeds Cougars in 1990. Brenner led the Raiders to a 6-1 record in the MCFL but the Raiders lost to the Kane County (IL) Eagles in the semifinal game in overtime, 29-23. The Raiders had a chance to win but a 53-yard field goal attempt into a stiff wind by Kurt Hintz was just short, hitting the crossbar and bouncing out. On the ensuing drive, Eagles running back Leroy McFadden busted loose on a long touchdown run, giving the Eagles the win.
The Raiders entered the USFA Midwest Football Tournament but lost in the first round to the Minnesota Maulers, 24-8.
The Raiders would switch leagues in 2003 to the North American Football League (NAFL). NAFL owner Rob Licopoli had a vision for a national league with a true national tournament that intrigued the Raiders board of directors.
In their first season in the NAFL, the Raiders went 7-3 in league play and 10-4 overall. The Raiders would lose to the Kane County Eagles in the second round of the NAFL playoffs, 27-24. It was the third time the Raiders lost to the Eagles that season, and all three games were decided by four points or less.
The Raiders would improve slightly in 2004, going 8-2 in the NAFL. Unfortunately, the Indiana Tornados beat the Raiders in the first round of the NAFL playoffs, 40-21. The Raiders joined the USFA Midwest Football Tournament and beat the Minneapolis Lumberjacks in the semifinal game, 27-20. The championship game was never played because the Raiders and Detroit Seminoles couldn’t come to an agreement on where the game should be played. The tournament organizers had said the game would be played in Racine but the Seminoles balked at that arrangement. The tournament was officially declared “incomplete” by the organizers.
Brenner would resign after the season for personal reasons and the board of directors brought back Kopac as head coach in 2005. The Raiders struggled in their first season in the NAFL under Kopac, going just 6-4 in league play and 11-5 overall. The Raiders lost to the Kane County Eagles in the second round of the league tournament, 39-26.
The Raiders rebounded in 2006, going 7-3 in the NAFL and 5-3 in the Great Lakes Region, Western Lakes Division. The team declined to enter the NAFL playoffs citing financial difficulties but did enter the USFA Midwest Football Tournament. The Raiders rolled over their first two opponents en route to the championship game where they were scheduled to play the Detroit Seminoles. Unlike back in 2004 when the Seminoles refused to travel to Racine, Detroit did make the road trip in 2006. It was a classic back-and-forth game eventually won by the Raiders, 26-22.
The win gave the Raiders an invite to the USFA National Championship game. The game was never played, however, because the Albany (NY) Metro Mallers and Raiders couldn’t agree on a date or location. Albany was to host the game but the travel would’ve cost Racine over $20,000 so the Raiders tried to work with organizers and the Mallers to move the game to a more central location. The teams and organizers couldn’t come to an agreement.
The Raiders would travel to Minneapolis to play in the Norstar Bowl. The game was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Raiders fell to the Twin Cities (MN) Lumberjacks, 37-15.
Kopac would lead the Raiders to a 7-2 season in the NAFL in 2007 and the Great Lakes Division title. The Raiders were beaten by the Kane County Eagles in the first round of the playoffs yet again, 48-17, to finish 8-4 overall on the season. The team declined invitations to enter postseason tournaments.
After the season, a contentious relationship between Kopac and the board of directors became public and Kopac resigned citing several issues he had with the current board of director’s vision for the team. The board didn’t look very far for a replacement, announcing John Mamerow would be the 17th head coach in Raiders history. Mamerow played right guard for the Raiders from 1987-93, starting on three of the Raiders’ seven national championship teams. He played collegiately at Platteville, serving as the team captain his senior season and winning all-conference honors his last two years. He was also an All-Southern Lakes Conference player in his junior and senior seasons at Waterford Union High School.
The team suffered their first sub-.500 season in 30 years, since they went 2-10 under Jim Perry as the North Shore Gladiators in 1978. The Raiders finished 3-6 in the NAFL and 5-7 overall. The lone bright spot for the season happened in the final game against the Wisconsin Wolfpack, played at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex.
The Wolfpack, now being coached by Kopac, just needed to beat the Raiders to have home field advantage throughout much of the NAFL playoffs. The Raiders, who only had 35 players even show for the game, upset the Wolfpack, 32-29. The Wolfpack seemed to have an insurmountable 29-17 lead with under six minutes to play in the game. Brent Ferdinand, who replaced an injured Chris Walsh early in the game, led a scoring drive that ended on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Sam D’Alie with under three minutes to play. The Raiders recovered an onside kick and Ferdinand completed a touchdown pass to Dorian Palmer to give the Raiders the lead with 1:35 to play. The Raiders converted a two-point conversion pass to extend their lead to three points. D’Alie, playing both ways for the short-handed Raiders, intercepted a Brian Ryczykowski pass to give the Raiders the win.
The loss cost the Wolfpack everything. Instead of hosting much of the NAFL playoffs, they now had to go on the road for every game. They would lose to the Kane County Eagles in Moosehead, Ill., in the first round the following week.
The Raiders turned things around in 2009, going 8-2 in the NAFL and winning the Great Lakes Region championship. The Raiders had to travel to St. Paul, Minn., short-handed to play the St. Paul Pioneers in the Northern Conference Championship game and lost, 39-17. Mamerow was named the Northern Conference Head Coach of the Year in leading the Raiders to a 12-3 overall record in 2009.
Decade of the 2010s
The Raiders organization made several changes prior to the 2010 season. Mooney stepped down as board president and Milkie was elected the new president. The team also joined the Mid-States Football League (MSFL). While the NAFL had a great idea, the financial reality was even too much for a team that has great fan support.
The Raiders finished the 2010 season with an 8-3 record, losing to the Chicago Mustangs, 39-35, in the MSFL quarterfinals. The league change was just what the doctor ordered though. The team, on verge of a financial crisis, was able to turn things around financially and put the team back on solid footing. Mamerow stepped down as head coach following the 2010 season, citing too many things taking place in his life at the time as the reason.
The Raiders would try and turn back the clock in 2011. The team brought back Kopac to coach and joined the Elite Mid-Continental Football League (EMCFL). The Raiders went 6-3 in their first season in the EMCFL. They lost a 7-6 road game to the Detroit Ravens in July and had an exciting 26-20 road victory over the Michigan Gators in mid-August.
In the final five games of the season, the Raiders had to travel to the Detroit metro area four times. After starting out the season 6-1, the Raiders tripped at the end of the season, losing their final two regular season games which cost them home field advantage in the EMCFL playoffs. They traveled to play the Southern Michigan Timberwolves in the first round of the EMCFL playoffs and won 27-24. The next week, the team then traveled to Detroit to play the Michigan Gators, losing 25-16. The team entered and won the Mid-States Football Tournament with victories over the Chi City Blitz and Lake Geneva Generals. The Raiders finished the season with a 13-4 record.
Kopac resigned prior to the 2012 season after the Raiders decided to leave the EMCFL and go back to the MSFL. Kopac was unhappy with the decision and went on to coach the Wauwatosa Spartans in the Ironman Football League. After a hurried search, the Raiders board of directors announced that Gino Perfetto would be the next head coach.
Perfetto, who served on the Raiders board of directors, had a coaching resume dating back to the 1980s when he was involved in Racine Youth Sports. For the past two seasons, Perfetto has coached at Racine Lutheran High School.
The City of Racine has a long and rich history of football. According to the Pro Football Research Association, Racine had the first pro, semi-pro or independent football team in the State of Wisconsin
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