WACO football: Togetherness

WAYLAND — What a season it was for the WACO football team.

The Warriors put together one of their best seasons as a program, going undefeated throughout the regular season and punched a ticket to their first ever state title game.

While the Warriors came up short in their final game of the season, the ride meant much more than that.

It was less about the wins and losses and more about the journey and connections made along the way.

“I think the best thing has just been doing everything with these guys,” senior Drew Diers said. “They're my second family.”

For the 11 seniors on the Warriors squad this season, it was always a dream to reach the state championship together and it became a reality in 2022 and for many, never gracing the football field as teammates will never be the same.

“It's just going to be tough not having practice after school and having games on Fridays,” Diers said. “But I appreciate everything they've done for me.”

When this years seniors started out as freshman, the Warriors went 4-5 and then 3-5 in their sophomore year.

From hard work in the offseason and stellar team play, WACO was able to improve to 10-1 and one game from the UNI-Dome back in 2021 to 13-1 and a state championship appearance this season.

“They lead everything (the seniors),” WACO head coach Chad Edeker said. “They make sure kids are at workouts. They make sure kids are at practice.”

From Day One they were leaders and held each other to a higher standard.

“We started practice on Aug. 1,” Edeker said. “We practiced for three and a half months, and I can't tell you one practice in that entire time that I didn't enjoy being at. They're just great kids. It's fun to be with them, and I'm just sad it's over.”

If one things for sure, it’s that WACO has great community support along the way, filling the stand every Friday night rain or shine.

“It was awesome,” Diers said. “The support from our community was incredible.”

The same held true in both the semifinal game and state championship game as seas of blue and white filled the UNI-Dome stands.

“You saw people in the stands today with their WACO jerseys on from the 80s and the 90s,” Edeker said. “In 10-15 years, these kids will be community members, and they'll be standing here in the dome with their jerseys on. They're just a great group.”

There’s no doubt that this years WACO football team has cemented a legacy and will go down as one of the best in school history.

“We've made great connections and friendships,” senior Simeon Reichenbach said. “I think that's the most important thing. Those will carry on for life.”