Fall sports: Van Buren flips the Friday night lights back on

For Van Buren, it?s already a step in the right direction.

The Warriors are back to playing on Friday nights after taking a year off from varsity football last fall due to low numbers. Those numbers are back up as a total of 39 players ? just missing head coach Rich Wiegand?s goal of 40 ? have been on the field for preseason practices the past two weeks.

Wiegand, who was an assistant coach the past three seasons, is now leading that charge in his first season trying to resurrect the program. And first things first, he?s getting his team on the field thanks in part to 11 seniors now on the roster.

?The kids are getting antsy. We haven?t played a varsity game down here at Van Buren since 2009,? Wiegand said. ?But the impressive thing about last year, was that the kids coming out to practice every day never wavered. They worked hard every day, and now we hope to carry that over to this year.?

Van Buren played a full schedule of JV games in 2010 to retain some form of on-field action.

Now the Warriors will be back under the Friday-night lights, and face a tough climb ahead, including a bumpy road through Class 2A District 6. The Warriors will be looking to turn the tide on a tumultuous last few years that have produced just two wins in 36 contests.

Van Buren went winless in both 2007 and 2009 while picking up a lone win in 2006 and 2008.

?Not a lot is expected of Van Buren football. All we can do is focus on what we?re doing today and what we?re going to do tomorrow,? said Wiegand. ?I?ll be satisfied as long as the program is moving in the right direction. We?re here to change the culture, which means working hard, playing hard and getting in the weight room.?

A reason to believe the Warriors can do just that is the return of quarterback Colin Weaver, who handled most of the snaps in JV action a year ago. Weaver will carry much of the offensive weight, and thanks to a deep group of receivers, won?t shy away from throwing the ball.

Zach Boyd and Mitchell Countryman, along with newcomer Blake Scott, give the Warriors athleticism on the outside.

?Obviously, we want to be as balanced as possible, but with Colin?s experience and the depth at some of the skill positions, we may be a little pass heavy the first few games,? Wiegand said. ?We?re still trying to find a good mix on the line.?

Zach Cormann and Mitch Garrels will get their fair share of carries from the backfield, but much of the rushing success will be dependent on how things shake out up front.

Kory Horn and Tyler Rauscher lead that group right now, but Wiegand is also looking to bring some of the other skill position players to the line to assist with blocking duties.

Van Buren will got its season started early, with a Week 0 matchup against District 6 foe Wapello. The Warriors were downed 38-6 by the Indians, and ran into problems against the spread offensive attack ? something that may be the biggest problem to overcome after last year?s hiatus.

?The biggest challenge will be the familiarity with all the teams,? said Wiegand. ?Alburnett, North Cedar, Highland weren?t in our district two years ago, so we may not be too familiar with those schemes. Usually you at least have something you can fall back on.?

The Warriors will continue their season with the Week 1 matchup Friday night at Winfield-Mount Union in non-district play.