Wauneta-Palisade finishes 4-4 on gridiron in 2021

    The Wauneta-Palisade football team had its best season since 2018 this fall, finishing with a 4-4 record.
    WP Co-Head Coaches Randy Geier and Joseph Frecks said the team set out to practice and play with more consistency this season, especially in tackling, blocking and having a better turnover differential.
    “We put a lot of time into all of those things in practice with a focus on doing things all out all the time. We believed by improving in these areas, we would be able to be competitive in every game this year and give us a chance at qualifying for the playoffs,” the coaches said.
    WP was led by seniors Trace Bley, Garrett Hanna, Colby Hoskovec, Aidan Kennicutt, Laiden Lawler, Hunter Miner, Wyatt Muths and Grant Walker.
    At quarterback, Hanna completed 88 of 150 passes for 985 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. On defense, Hanna led the team in solo tackles and assists.
    Kennicutt had a team high 15 tackles for loss and 30 solo tackles. Offensively, he had 12 rushes for 79 yards and three touchdowns and 17 catches for 145 yards and two more touchdowns.
    In his first year playing football, Miner snagged three interceptions to tie for the team high, while also catching 15 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns.
    Walker caught a team-high 29 passes for 295 yards and gained another 157 yards on 28 rushes. Walker tied Miner with three interceptions.
    Hanna, Kennicutt, Miner and Walker were team captains.
    Geier and Frecks said they are proud of the seniors and the positive impact they have had on the football team the past four years.  
    “We look forward to continuing to watch them develop into successful young men throughout the rest of their senior year and after high school,” the coaches said.
    The team only had five sophomores and juniors, but the group was a big contributor.
    Junior Kyle Jutten led the Broncos in rushing. Sophomore Conner Bryner was second on the team in rushing and tackles. Juniors Michael Duvel and Jacksen Littrel also contributed throughout the season.
    “We look forward to them working hard in the weight room and being strong leaders and contributors to the team next season,” Frecks and Geier said.
    A large group of freshmen also got their feet wet this season.
    Coaches liked their attitude and effort throughout the season.
    The Broncos played three JV games. WP lost to South Platte and Bayard and beat Southwest.
    “Those games provided great experiences for all of our underclassmen and we look forward to seeing their growth in the weight room and as players next season,” Geier and Frecks said.
    Compared to last year’s 1-7 team, the coaches said this team’s physicality was a big factor in the turnaround and a strength in 2021.
    “The physicality and overall focus of the team contributed tremendously to that turnaround,” coaches said, adding that solid commitment to the weight room over the summer made a big difference in their team strength and confidence, which allowed them to play with a lot of physicality.
    “That physicality led to much improved tackling from a year ago and the ability to have a diverse offense. Our biggest struggle was consistently playing at our best. Mental lapses caused us troubles at times throughout the season,” Frecks and Geier said.
    Statistically, WP improved dramatically from last season.
    The coaches pointed out an improvement in turnover differential. The Broncos went from a -13 differential to +8 this season.
    Offensively, WP’s passing game improved, which Frecks and Geier credited to staying healthy, which helped with continuity in the offense overall.
    Tweaks by the coaches on defense helped to simplify the players’ reads and allow them to play faster.
    The season started off with losses to Silver Lake and Franklin, but the Broncos headed into district play with a win over South Platte. WP took down district opponents Banner County, Southwest and Paxton before finishing the season with losses to Sumner-Eddyville-Miller and Wallace.
    Wallace and Franklin are ranked in the Lincoln Journal Star Top 10 and Silver Like and SEM are listed as contenders..
    Each of those teams advanced to the playoffs and will have games Friday.
    The coaches said the Paxton game was a special one.
    WP trailed 14-28 before coming back to win 34-28.
    Frecks and Geier said the game winning touchdown in the final seconds showed a lot about the makeup of the young men on this team and their commitment to each other and the coaches.
    “That game could be considered a microcosm of our season. Things didn’t always go the way we wanted or very smoothly, but the team stuck together, trusted each other and the coaches, and continued battling until the end and it ended with success in a result we are all proud of,” Geier and Frecks said.