(Audubon, IA) – The 2023 season may not have ended how they wanted but the Audubon Wheeler football team rounded out a successful 8-2 campaign with a tough loss to Lennox in the second round of the postseason. After losing their first game to CAM, the Wheelers would roll for 8 straight weeks picking up wins along the way. This resulted in an undefeated district record and a district title with Audubon’s fifth straight postseason appearance. Coach Sean Birks was proud of how the season went and the resilience his team showed throughout the fall.
Birks lends a lot of credit to the leadership of his seniors who led the way for an outstanding football season. The seniors also had lots of luck in the individual awards as Logan Schmidt, Edward Miller, and Evan Alt earned First Team All-District nods. Zeke Conkler would also pick up an All-District Honorable Mention for the senior class. Much of his confidence in his leaders came from them being what he called the epitome of what he wanted the football team to be, not just as players, but as leaders too.
Schmidt, Miller, and Alt weren’t the only ones who were able to pick up some recognition from the District as junior Aaron Olsen and sophomore Austin Christensen joined the three seniors on the All-District First Team. Juniors Colton Hansen and Ely Jorgenson earned Second Team All-District spots on the O-line and D-Line respectively. Jorgenson’s partner on the defensive line for the Wheelers, junior Gabe Jensen, picked up his own All-District Honorable Mention.
As Coach Birks prepares his team for next season, he wants the team not only to focus on their physical attributes as athletes but also as leaders and students. He wants his team to focus on their grades in the classroom and understand that they are the new leaders for the team and it is time to build off of the success of the previous season as their schedule only gets more difficult from here.
The Audubon Wheelers will open up the 2024 football season at home against Ar-We-Va on August 23rd.
