(Griswold) Griswold football halted a lengthy losing streak with a Week 9 victory last season. The Tigers will try to carry some of that momentum into the 2022 season.
Coach Chase Wallace’s team got the monkey off their back when they downed River Valley 54-22 at the end of last season. “Getting that win to end the season last year was great. It got that losing streak hump that was always in the back of our minds, even if we didn’t talk about it, off our back. Getting that win was huge for the guys. You could really see it on their faces. Getting that feeling of how good it feels to win. I feel that’s really carried over into the offseason with hard work in the weight room. Even these first few weeks of practice guys are working hard and they seem motivated and ready to get the season rolling.”
The Tigers have a unique roster makeup with 24 of their 28 players being underclassmen. “Four seniors, no juniors, and all the rest are freshmen and sophomores. Our seniors have a lot of experience. A lot of them have been playing varsity since they were freshmen. We are really going to ask them to step up and take it to another level this year to show those guys to show the way.”
Coach Wallace adds several of the sophomores played last year as freshman. “They kind of know what to expect and aren’t going to be caught off guard by the intensity of the varsity level. That sophomore class has really hit the weight room hard and you can see it on the field with their speed and strength. They’ve really taken another step and they seem motivated. I really think they are ready to come out and show something.”
The Tigers lost a 59-8 contest to Exira-EHK last year, led by Trey Petersen’s six touchdowns. “They pretty much have everyone back, so that’s the tough news for us. The good news is we should know what to expect because we’ve played them. Petersen is a do it all quarterback. He can throw, he can run, he’s a special talent.”
The “In the Huddle” show starts at 5:15 on Friday. Griswold and Exira-EHK will kick off at 7:00 p.m. 96.5 KSOM with live video at WesternIowaToday.com.
Griswold coach Chase Wallace:
