W-MU opens up season against Springville

WINFIELD - It's business time for the Winfield-Mt. Union football team. The Wolves open up their 2019 schedule tonight against Springville, the same openening day opponent as last season.

The Wolves, who fell 52-28 in Springville last season, will take on the Orioles tonight (Friday) at 7 p.m. in Winfield.

W-MU and Springville battled back and forth in the first half of last year's contest. A crazy first half saw three kickoff return touchdowns and 60 points total. The Orioles held a slim lead, 32-28 at the break.

The Wolves couldn't get their offense going in the second half of last year's game. The Orioles outscored W-MU 20-0 in the final two quarters to seal the win.

W-MU was one of the youngest teams in the class last year, but so was Springville. Both teams will, however, be without key players from last season's battle.

The Wolves graduated Brandon Snowden, who scored two touchdowns in last season's contest, including a 74-yard kick return touchdown. The Orioles will be be without receiver Zach March, who torched the Wolves for 176 yards and three touchdowns.

W-MU had some success running the ball against the Orioles last year. Juanito Piper went for 78 yards. Andrew Brady scored on a 42-yard touchdown run, and quarterback Daunte Oepping ran one in from two yards out. Oepping also completed a 42-yard touchdown pass to Snowden. Piper and Oepping are entering their senior years and Brady will be a junior.

Out of the six players who ran the ball for Springville last year, none of them were seniors. Spencer DeMean, who is entering his junior year in 2019, ran for two touchdowns. Grant Gloeckner, also a junior this year, went for a four-yard score of his own.

It may be a tougher task this time around for now senior quarterback Kyle Koppes. He threw for 200 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions last year, but the vast majority of success came when he was throwing to March. All three interceptions went to Oepping.

W-MU comes in to tonight's game hoping to snap a six-game losing streak dating back to last season. The Wolves went 1-8 on the year with their only win coming in blowout fashion, 72-0 over Tri-County, a team that will not field a team this season.

Springville started out red hot lsat year, winning three of their first four games. They ended up losing four of their last six to end the year 5-5.