EDITOR'S NOTE: The Titans fell in the state title game Saturday — the highlights and postgame reaction can be found here.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Being a smaller school didn’t hold back Lena and St. Thomas Aquinas when it came to having a football program.
When numbers declined 12 years ago, eight-man football was the best option. The two schools didn’t have enough players for an 11-man team, so they combined to form an eight-man team, which allowed them not only to play but also to excel.
“It allows us to be competitive,” Co-Head Coach Dale Lange said. “That was one of the things even our players said the first year, like, ‘Wow, we felt that we actually had a chance to win games here.’ And we did win some games.”
The players agreed that eight-man football is a great option for smaller schools.
“It’s great actually for a team and for these small schools to even participate,” senior Calvin Peters said. “I think eight-man football is getting more popular, even with schools like ours.”
Peters admitted that, at first, playing eight-man football was an adjustment, but he’s grown to love it.
The players agreed that the biggest difference is how open the field is. There’s a lot more room for an offense to create big plays and a lot more space that a defense needs to cover.
“I think it’s harder,” senior Tyler Shallow said. "Defense-wise, it’s harder. People say it’s not the same, it’s flag football, whatever. Defense is hard.”
Despite playing with fewer people, eight-man football is just as competitive as 11-man football.
“The skill sets are all the same: blocking, tackling, passing, holding on to the ball,” Coach Lange said. “It’s still football. It’s real football.”
The Titans eight-man football team has not only brought together two small schools and communities, but it’s also given the players an opportunity to win a state championship.
“It’s amazing,” Shallow said. “I never thought I’d be in this scenario, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Peters agreed that this run has been the highlight of his football career.
“It’s fantastic,” Peters said. “It’s like a dream come true.”
Co-head Coach Dale Lange said this is his first time making it all the way to a state championship.
“I get kind of choked up,” Lange said. “I started coaching forty-five years ago. This is really the cherry on top. It’s great to see any small community, when you see things going great, everybody gets excited, and that’s part of the whole atmosphere.”
The Titans will face Owen-Withee at South Wood County Stadium in Wisconsin Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.
