Unforseen week off gives coaches time to reflect on Wausa’s football future
WAUSA — The Vikng football team was hoping to get a crack at District rivals Wynot Friday.
However, COVID-19 decided to be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ruined the night for both teams with positive tests found among the Blue Devils, meaning Wausa was left without a game to play. So now, the Vikings will hope to host Homecoming 2:30 Friday against Osmond.
“I expect our kids to come out ready to get back on the game field, they know that with the cancelling of the Wynot game we need to win out,” Wausa coach Adrian Alonzo said. “Our kids will be rested, healthy and ready to go. We are better than our record shows… now we have three weeks to prove it to everyone else.”
“It’s pretty simple: Win three games and get into the playoffs. After that, let’s see what happens.”
Alonzo had some time with the unforeseen break to wax poetic about the Vikings youth programs that have continued to show great strides in numbers and on the field.
“I’m happy and proud of the youth program that some of the parents have put together and grown,” Alonzo said. “It’s exciting to see these young kids go out and compete, it’s exciting to see their successes so far. Having this program will do nothing but help with the building of a winning culture at the junior high and high school level. The future of Wausa football is bright.”
Tim Schindler is the Wausa youth football coach – leading the junior high program as well – while also working as an assistant coach for the varsity working with special teams.
So far, the fifth-sixth grade team stood at 3-0 with some impressive performances including Sunday’s 42-12 whooping of Bloomfield. They have also beat Randolph 42-6 and Laurel 30-0.
“They are a group that play a lot of sports together and there are quite a few boys in those two grades,” Schindler said. “Last year they were 5-2 and both of those losses to Plainview, and they are good. Our O-line guys are big and physical, and our backs are fast and talented and that always helps.”
The junior high team is now a co-op with Osmond and is figuring out how to gel with a 2-2 record.
“There are a lot of big linemen and we’ve just got to get them to block and stay low and how to drag people out of there,” Schindler said. “Once they understand and enjoy physicality, I think they will come along.”
The varsity program has a roster loaded with freshman that make up a large portion of the player pool so with this strong group of youth coming up and showing interest, Schindler believes the numbers at the top will increase.
The last few years, varsity numbers were at issue as they hovered at or below 20 players. The program even considered a move to Six-man football prior to this year.
That won’t be a problem going forward.
“I think in the next three years our numbers should be really, really strong at the high school,” he said. “I could see within five years us having 30 kids. Right now, we are at 20 and a lot of those never played before.”
