Year End Review

This past season we had a number of highs and lows, but over all very successful and enjoyable. The kids were very receptive to what we were teaching and improved immensely during the course of the season. Also, we were very fortunate to have terrific parent support and there ability to get the kids to practice on time. Without them our success would not have been possible. The measure of our true success will be based on how many of the players return for next season. Our hope is that all of them will and encourage their friends to do the same. The potential of each player on the team is enormous.

If they took one aspect from the season our hope is that they now realize that football is much more than a game. Many life experiences and lessons are learned on the football field. Also, many life long friendships are developed, both for the coaches and the players, which may be the most valuable aspect of all. Hopefully, they learned the true meaning of team work, planning, preparation, how to handle failure and success and good sportsmanship.

We hope to see all of you again next season!

Best Regards,

Mark Oechsner

The First Game was a Great Learning Experience.

The first game against Lake Country Red was a terrific learning experience for our kids. For most of them this is their first game action ever. They played hard and with heart. On offense, we moved the ball well especially early in the game. On defense, we had some lapses but overall played pretty well. Based on this game there is a lot to build on for the future.

Our next game is against West Bend East, which will be played at Trenton Town Hall which is located just east of West Bend. The directions so Trenton Town Hall: 45 North to the Hwy 33 exit. Turn Right (East) onto Hwy 33. Continue on Hwy 33 until you pass through West Bend. The field is located on the Right (South) side of Hwy 33 near the airport. By the way, it is an away game so make sure the players wear their black pants with their white jerseys. Arrive at the field no later than 10:45 am for warm-ups because the game is schedule to begin at 12 PM.

First Game Preperation Starts this Week

We have been practicing for 5 weeks now and for 3 1/2 weeks as a team. This coming Saturday we will have our first taste of game action in Hartland against Lake Country Red who, undoubtedly, will present a great challenge for us. We do not resemble the same team that scrimmaged Germantown just 1 1/2 weeks ago. We have improved in every aspect of our game and continue to make great strides. That being said, we have a long way to go to be competitive and will attempt to overcome our size deficiency by being creative both defensively and offensively.

This past Tuesday, we had our first Special Teams practice, which we installed our kick-off, kick return, punt and punt return teams. The kids caught on very quickly and were very enthusiastic about their roles on special teams. Going forward we will try to emphasize the importance of special teams because they make up 1/3 of the game and can change the entire complexion of a game. They can also change the field position battle, which is critical especially at the youth level where every yard counts.

Our First Scrimmage is behind us

On Wednesday the kids learned a lot about the game of football, about themselves and the importance of the "team" always comes first motto. Many of them didn't know the extreme physical aspect of the game. The Germantown teams were very physical and presented a great challenge for us. We did a number of things well on offense such as our receiving making a block 15 yards down field that sprung our running back for a TD. We created a number of holes in the running game and seem to be doing a better job of remembering our blocking rules. Also, our QB's made several outstanding throws and our TE's made several outstanding catches. Our defense, for the most part, was attacking the line of scrimmage and made a number of big hits. Our little man had the hit of the day to end the scrimmage. Wow! The defense also had 2 interceptions, a number of passes defensed and had several tackles for losses. On the negative side, we made too many mistakes to mention on both sides of the ball so we won't mention them here. We understand that this scrimmages is not the end but only the beginning. We will only improve from here.

A Busy Week Ahead - Week of 8/24

We have a very busy week coming up.

Monday (8/24): We have our normal practice focusing on Defense. Also, the players will be issued their game Jerseys, both home and away, and Pants.

Tuesday (8/25): We have our normal practice focusing on Offense. Tuesday is also our annual picture night. The players must wear their black game pants and black home jersey to practice for the pictures. They have the option of receiving individual pictures so make sure that they have their picture packages completed correctly to ensure that the process is fast and efficient. Also, be sure to include a check for the required amount. There are too many picture options to mention, so please be sure to look over the picture packet closely.

Wednesday (8/26): At last , we finally get to hit someone else! We are scrimmaging Germantown in Germantown starting at 5:30 PM. Make sure to be there no later than 4:30 PM for warm-ups. The players will wear their practice uniform (white pants and blue jersey). The directions to Germantown; Hwy 60 East to Hwy 41 South. Take the Mequon Road/Lannon Road Exit. Travel East (Left) on Mequon Road through Germantown. When you begin to enter the country after crossing rail road tracks, turn left on Country Aire Road. Travel approximately 1/2 of a mile to the park, which is located on the right (east) side of the road.

Thursday (8/27): We have a normal practice focusing on Defense.

Friday (8/28): The Hartford Varsity plays their home opener against OakCreek. Everyone is encouraged to attend. The game starts at 7 PM, but please try to be there at least 1/2 hour early to avoid the rush. This is also Youth Football Night. So if your son wears their home black Jersey they will be admitted into the game for free. Also, all of the players and coaches will be recognized at halftime of the game by parading across the field. Lastly, The 8th grade teams will get to play a brief scrimmage at halftime, also. It should be a special evening for youth football.

Saturday (8/29): We will play our final scrimmage against Mayville at the Town Hall fields. The scrimmage is scheduled to begin at 9 am. Please be there no later than 8 am for warm-ups.

It should be a fun week. The players have been making tremendous strides at improvement so the scrimmages should be a great barometer of were we are and how far we have to go. Enjoy the week!

Our first contact day is finally here

Finally, our first contact day is finally here. We know that many of the players have been waiting for this day a long time. It is very important that we teach the players the proper tackling techniques to keep them as safe as possible. We will emphasize the "4 ups" of tackling, which are the "eyes", "head", "chest" and "arms". Monday, we are going to conduct a 4 phase tackling drill, which emphasizes the "4 ups". After that, we will conduct additional tackling drills as part of a station sequence. See you on Monday!

Test Blog

This is just a test to make sure that everything is working properly.