My voicemail contained a message last week from a self-described “high school football nut.”

The caller was inquiring about the location of Wednesday night’s Southeast Conference matchup between Bradford and Tremper at Indian Trail Academy.

I was taken aback when I returned the message and found out that I was calling Plano, Texas.

When reached after a game of phone tag, Mike Sigman told me that he planned on attending the regular-season finale between the rivals. During a 10-minute conversation a few hours before their big victory over Franklin, the inquisitive Sigman peppered me with questions about the unbeaten Red Devils.

On Monday, I called the 66-year-old to ask if I could write about his 965-mile trip to take in a mid-week high school football game.

“While I don’t seek publicity,” he responded, “anything that’s positive and uplifting for high school football is good — whether it be in Plano or Kenosha.”

Left in 1957

A Kenosha native, Sigman moved with his family to California after completing eighth grade at Washington Middle School in 1957.

While he has family members who returned to the area — brother Rodney Sigman and sister Trudi Sigman live in Kenosha and sister Audrey Andrewski lives in Sturtevant — Sigman graduated from high school in California and stayed there until moving to Texas with his wife, Ann, 32 years ago. Ann died seven months ago. The two were married for 46 years.

Living in ‘Big D’

Plano is a suburb on the northeast side of Dallas.

“The year we moved here in ’77, the neighbor boy was on a state championship team,” Sigman said. “In fact, that year they played before the largest crowd ever for a high school game in Texas — just a shade under 50,000 at Texas Stadium. Then, the next year they lost in the finals. I was hooked.

“This is a hotbed for high school football. Living in Plano, Texas has been a high school football fan’s dream.”

The Plano High School team has won seven State championships. Sigman serves as one of two coaches for the school’s 7-on-7 summer league squad.

Paid a visit two years ago

His last trip to Kenosha was two years ago for a niece’s wedding, but he said the last time he saw a high school football game in Kenosha was in 1961.

Other than the fact that the Red Devils lost, the details are fuzzy.

Sigman, who is semi-retired, said that he follows the current Red Devils and the Kenosha high school football scene over the Internet.

He even purchased three tickets for Wednesday’s game online last week for himself, his brother and brother-in-law.

“I would not be there if it wasn’t for that game,” Sigman said. “I love my relatives, but I’m coming up there for one thing and that’s to see the Red Devils and the Trojans play.

“ I’m looking forward to it. The more I read about Bradford, the more impressed I am. I haven’t seen them in person, but, athletically, it sounds like those skill people could compare to anybody. I’m expecting big things out of them when I see them.

“I am coming for that game only, but if they were winless, I was still coming. As luck has it, one of them is doing quite well.”

After his visit to Kenosha, Sigman plans on heading west for next week’s homecoming at Arroyo High School in El Monte, Calif.

He said that a second trip to Kenosha could be on his schedule depending on how the Red Devils fare in the playoffs.

As far as upcoming seasons, a Bradford vs. Plano matchup has intriguing possibilities.

North vs. South. A cheese curds vs. BBQ bonanza.

ESPN would eat it up.

“I wish I was in a position to do that,” Sigman said with a laugh. “I don’t think I’d want to play Bradford next year. The pride of Texas would be on our shoulders.”

Andrew Horschak can be contacted at ahorschak@kenoshanews.com