Wildcats eye repeat in 3A District 2 football
Returning lettermen for the Wildcat football team, front row (l-r): Owen Hubbell, Michael Illg, Lance Coon, Trever Beach and Jayden Drewis. Middle row: Christian Lee, Corey Dettmann, Josh Thurm and Hunter Dery. Back row: Carrson Bothne, Kaleb McCullough, Josh Beldin, Tayeton Lohaus and Will Orness. Independent photo. To buy this photo and more, visit our photo gallery on this page.
Last year the Humboldt football team ran the table in Class 3A District 2 and went unbeaten during the regular season before suffering their first loss in the state playoffs to finish 11-1.
After graduating a talented 19-member senior class, some outsiders may not expect much from the Wildcats, and that’s fine with head coach Derrick Elman, who begins his fifth year leading the Wildcats.
“A year ago going into the new season, we felt like we could be pretty good. A testament to the kids that they really put it on and made it a special and memorable season,” Elman said.
“They did some things that haven’t happened here in a long time. We took that experience with our underclassmen going into the off-season and worked hard and let them know constantly that big things happen when you have big dreams and work really, really hard,” Elman said.
“A lot of those guys really lived that as they prepared for this season. Now the season is here and we’ve got some practices under our belt. It’s been fun to see the leadership and development in some of our seniors this year,” Elman said.
“It’s fun to see those underclassmen a year older and take on different roles on the team. We’ve been really excited about what we’ve seen so far,” Elman said.
Elman knows the cupboard is far from bare, with several key performers back to fuel optimism this season in 14 lettermen.
See full story in The Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started!
