Defending state champion Edgar gets back to work on football field
EDGAR – Members of the Edgar football team had barely started the celebration of a state football title in late November last year when the work turned toward preparing to repeat.
“We probably gave it a week just to give our bodies a break and get a chance to relax. Then we got right back to the weight room and guys started working hard again,” said Wildcats senior linebacker and running back Colton Heil. “Once we tasted that success, we knew we had to get back to the state championship (game) this next year, so we started working right away.”
The work for the program’s eighth title officially began Tuesday morning as the Edgar players reported on the first day that prep high school teams in Wisconsin were allowed to practice. It came just over eight months after the Wildcats rolled to a 36-6 win over Shullsburg in the WIAA Division 7 state championship game at Camp Randall Stadium.
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“I’ve been counting down the days, just waiting for (the start of practice),” said Cade Littleton, a senior defensive end and offensive tackle. “I know a lot of guys after that state game didn’t want the season to end. It was a feeling that you just want to keep going. We were saying on the bus (back to Edgar), ‘Who’s next?’”
With 25 letterwinners returning overall from a team that finished 11-3 and with eight starters back on both sides of the ball, the Wildcats are in position to make a run at another title this fall.
“We have no excuse not to be good this year,” said Edgar coach Jerry Sinz, who is beginning his 43rd year with the program.
Edgar opens the season Aug. 18 at Baldwin-Woodville and is on the road for three of its first four games.
The Wildcats players spent a portion of the first day of practice going through individual physical tests — players were timed in the 40-yard dash, the standing long jump and then retreated into the weight room to measure their strength.
The overall strength of the team should be on defense, which has been the program’s calling card for decades. All four starting linemen from last year are back, Heil returns as a middle linebacker and Karson Butt keys the secondary for a defense that allowed an average of about seven points per game during the postseason.
“All of us d-linemen have played (on varsity) for at least two years, “ Littleton said. “Our linebackers will be good this year and our (defensive) backs are athletic. I think we are set for greatness on defense.”
The biggest question the Wildcats have going into this season is finding a replacement for the production that two-way starter Alec Hafferman provided the team. Hafferman led the team in rushing in his senior season and was a difference-maker in the postseason, totaling more than 500 yards on the ground and rushed for 20 touchdowns in five playoff games.
"He was a leader and someone who would do anything that was needed to win the game — whether it was offense, defense or special teams," Sinz said of Hafferman.
Edgar graduated 10 seniors overall from the state championship team. The list includes Seth Schilling, who was a first team All-Marawood Conference offensive lineman and Tyler Matysik who was a second team pick at linebacker.
“We lost big pieces last year, especially in terms of production,” Heil said. “I think everyone has to step up a little bit, and if everyone does their part we should be able to replace those guys."
Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or twjohnson@gannett.com; on Twitter @timmyjo11