The Yates Center Wildcats heard the yells and cheers from the Olpe (8-2) players and fans as they made their way across the field, through the misty rain after their 62-0 defeat in the regional round of the 2-1A playoffs on Friday.
The tone was solemn and sad, their season that had just had new life breathed into last Friday as they beat Oswego to advance to the playoffs for the first time in several decades for an 11-man Wildcat team, was done.
One could only call the game close throughout the first quarter. Olpe scored twice but more than once, Yates Center showed some defensive promise, ending the quarter with a goal-line stand to go into the second quarter down 13-0.
But a safety on the first play of the second quarter spiraled into a 30 point nightmare that left the Wildcats in the dust at halftime.
“There were times where we shot ourselves in the foot again but plain and simple, they’re a good team,” co-head coach Tanner Davis said. “Olpe is a team that you sit there and look and want to build and aspire to. We use them as an example and hopefully, our boys can see that and realize that they need to work hard and hopefully get to that point.”
Olpe tacked on another three scores in the second half but the writing was burned into the wall at that point. Their season was over.
The Wildcats and coaches Davis and co-head coach Ryan Panko now see themselves at a new beginning after a crushing end.
“Anytime that you have a new head coach you need to have a starting point,” Davis said. “And there’s no better point than your first year to try and get started up. Some of our players earlier in the season didn’t even think that getting to the playoffs was attainable but they got there. With the four seniors that we had they helped us build it and now we have some juniors that add a lot of experience going into next year. Hopefully, you can build off that next year and make a trip back to the playoffs.”
Yates Center loses just three seniors off this team including running back and linebacker John Righini, linemen Julius Hodges and Devon Hathaway and tight end and linebacker Ricky Grogg.
“Devon and Julius are big presences for us on the line and they’re going to be hard to replace next year,” Davis said. “John (Righini) is probably the heart of our defense. He’s all over the place in that middle linebacker spot and he got some tackles tonight that he had no right getting. And then Ricky is a four-year guy who got some significant playing time this year. All four of them came in and worked hard.”
While each played a role in getting the Wildcats to the playoffs, Yates Center has a chance to build off of this season going into next year rather than taking a step backward. To do that though, the coaches are looking for their returning players to buy into the 2018 season starting right now.
“The offseason is where you become better as an individual,” Davis said. “That’s what the offseason is for. It’s too late when you get to the season to get better, that’s team time. In the offseason, we need to get to the weight room and look at some things. Offseason may be the most important part of the year for people but getting them to realize that sometimes is difficult.”
Time will tell if the Wildcats are able to take that step but Davis hopes that the atmosphere that he and Panko have started to cultivate around their program this season helps with that process.
“You just never want to quit and this year we’ve tried to build a family attitude,” Davis said. “You go out there and you fight for each other and continue to build on that. I think if you go out and fight for your family and fight for your guys then passion’s going to build up.”
The Wildcats finished their season at 3-7.
