Bryan Wells knew exactly what he was doing. His Neuqua Valley football team was holding its first practice Wednesday, a year after the Naperville-area school opened, and the excitement was palpable.
Wells knew his players would be paying close attention to their first taste of varsity football. So when practice started at 8 a.m., Wells set up their inspiring, carefully chosen first drill.
Punt coverage.
Jeez, coach, what was your second choice–learning to shake hands after a loss?
“It may not sound very optimistic, that’s true,” Wells said. “But it’s the one special team that, any time you step out on the field, can really hurt you.”
Wells’ decision was as psychological as it was practical. He was subtly letting his players know that football is a game of details, and that the best teams aim to have every player perform his task properly on every play. The soon-to-be-Wildcats have spent enough time dreaming about touchdown catches and interceptions. Wednesday, it was time to work.
Neuqua Valley has less than a month to create a complete football team, and that means everything, even punt coverage, must be taught. “It’s not something where we’re going to throw 11 guys out there and we have to punt once in a while,” Wells said.
Wells was impressed with his players’ grasp of the game’s fundamentals on the first day. Most of the varsity candidates played on the school’s junior varsity or freshman team a year ago, but this season will be another matter.
This year, most opposing players will be bigger and stronger–and older. Neuqua Valley has no seniors. The school split off from Waubonsie Valley (Neuqua was a Potawatomi Indian, the son of Waubonsie), and the first graduating class will be this year’s juniors.
That puts pressure on players like Andrew Clarke, who will be expected to help lead the team even though he, like all of his teammates, has never played a down of varsity football.
“It’s going to be pretty wild,” said Clarke, who plays defensive end and tight end. “We’re going up against guys that are older than us and are likely going to be bigger than us. We have to work harder.”
Clarke arrived in Naperville from Rapid City, S.D., three years ago, and at first Wells couldn’t remember Clarke’s name. He just called him “Dakota,” a nickname that stuck. Now “Dakota” is being counted on to lead Wells’ team.
Work, not wins, has been the Wildcats’ emphasis. Wells doesn’t want his players deluding themselves into thinking they are better than they are.
“We don’t talk about winning,” he said. “We talk about maximum effort and perfect execution.”
Wells held a meeting Tuesday night for his players and their parents to help prepare them for what lies ahead. One of his warnings was about the media.
“I’ve seen some kids say foolish things in the paper,” he said.
Wells’ words sank in. “We need to have maximum effort and perfect execution,” said lineman John Kennedy, echoing his coach.
This week they can really start acting on that mantra. Neuqua Valley opened a year ago as a $63 million technological wonder. It has been hailed as a school of the future, but its football team has to rely on the same tactics used in football for decades: Practice hard and limit mistakes.
How well they do any of that remains to be seen.
“We’re not even going against ourselves yet,” Wells said. “We’re still going against air and bags.”
Yes, but at least they are going hard against air and bags. Their season will hinge upon the question Wells asked as he gathered his team in a huddle Wednesday:
“Do you want to be a varsity player or don’t you? That’s what you have to ask yourselves.”
