Over four years ago, head football coach Samuel Stanley stepped into a room full of enthusiastic young men, who, at that time, had very little high school football experience. This group would have to work together to build foundations that would last long after they were gone.
At the post-season banquet, coach Stanley said, “At the end of the day, this is the ultimate team game, and I don’t believe you can be a successful football program unless you have a room filled with guys who put others before themselves, the team before themselves, and are willing to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
Elkhorn North was founded in 2020. With just over 500 students, only freshmen, sophomores, and juniors would occupy the classrooms for the first year. Of those, only 61 (18 juniors, 14 Sophomores, and 29 freshman) decided to take on the challenge to shape the football program for years to come.
The first season was not the ideal start to the program. The team went 1-8, with their only win against a Mount Micheal team that went without a win all season. It is not uncommon for new programs to struggle in their first few years, as programs that have been around for multiple years tend to have more experienced players and coaches.
A major interest to the coaches was the success of the Junior Varsity (JV) team, which was just slightly better than the Varsity. They won just two games in the first season, with multiple big losses, but also several, promising, close games. With a majority of the younger players competing as the JV level for most of the season, this team would be a good sign of what was in store for the future of the program.
Year two was a lot of the same, with the varsity winning just one game, however, the team was much more competitive this season. Three games ended within one score, compared to the zero one score games from the previous season. With around 100 players, this team was much larger than in the first year, as this was the first year the school had a full four classes. This was also the first year of the freshman team, which had an extremely successful season, winning six of seven games with a combined score of 242 to 82. The JV team also has a promising season, as they won over half of their games. This was a great sign, as the younger levels in the program now had lots of experience in one of the most important parts of football: winning.
With high hopes for year three, the team delivered, going 7-4 with multiple dominant victories. The team made the playoffs, and defeated the Pius Thunderbolts 35-14, giving the school there first post season victory. Along with improvement at the highest levels, the JV and freshman teams continued their success. The freshman won six of eight games, along with JV winning five of eight games. This was the Wolves the most successful season so far, and the team was excited for the coming year.
In year four, there were a lot of questions about the team and if this could be the year that the team goes all the way. There was never a doubt within the team, as they firmly believed that they could win a state championship in just the fourth year of the program. The freshmen finished their season 4-3-1. The JV team finished 6-3, the best record a Wolves JV team has ever had.
The varsity also had substantial success throughout their regular season. They won the first seven games by a combined 230 points, almost 33 a game. They then faced Bennington, who was ranked No. 1 in class B. The team played the Badgers close, but lost in the end, handing them their first loss of the season. The wolves finished the regular season off strong with a 28-point win against Blair. In the first round of the playoffs, the team faced off against an in town rival, the Antlers of Elkhorn High. They won and moved on to face Scottsbluff in the second round of the playoffs. The Wolves defeated the Bearcats in convincing fashion and would advance to the semifinals for the first time. The team then came face-to-face with the Bennington Badgers again. They hoped for a different outcome, but would not get one, as their season ended just one game short of their goal.
“I don’t know if you have sensed a common theme, but we have talked about selflessness and putting the team before yourself” Said Stanley, “We have been extremely blessed to have a senior class that’s embodied that everyday for the last four years.” Although Seniors graduate every year, this particular group is arguably the most important. These were the young men that Stanley walked in on four years ago. This group put their heart and soul into this program for the past four years,
Each year, this team improved significantly not only through their record, but also their work ethic and relationships. They believe that as a team they are capable of winning a state championship in the coming seasons. However, it will be hard to do with the loss of such a substantial senior class. They built the foundation of the program from the ground up, and it’s up to the future classes of Elkhorn North to continue building upon it.
