Junior High Football Completes Successful Season
For the second straight year, the Junior High Griffins’ football team combined with our neighbors from Southern. This year new uniforms were donned and the co-op team was known as the Thunder (the same name that our combined high school softball team was called).
Numbers were up this year, as 14 boys from each school participated (28 total players). Practices alternated between Odell & Wymore on a weekly basis. With a larger group, practices were spirited, as players got to compete for different positions on offense & defense. The hope is that this competition will benefit these young men as they eventually enter high school football. Six games were scheduled - 4 road games, along with 1 home game in Diller and 1 home game in Wymore.
On the season the boys won 4 games and lost 2. Teams defeated by the Thunder were Pawnee City, Tri-County, Falls City Sacred Heart & Freeman. The team came up short in games against Johnson-Brock & Nebraska City Lourdes. There were also some games where “B” quarters were played, including a full B-game against Freeman. This allowed some of the less experienced or less skilled players to see more game-type action.
Coaches for the team were the same as last year - Devin Garcia & John Mohr from Diller-Odell, and Preston Jurgens & Chaysen Bednar from Southern. Once again overall, it was generally a positive experience for the players, coaches, parents & communities! The players & coaches would like to thank the many parents who provided a meal for the entire team after every game. It was very much appreciated!