FARGO, N.D. — (KVRR/Nick Couzin) After bowing out in the quarterfinals of the class A playoffs last season under first year head coach Wayne Werremeyer, Davies football heads into a year with new opportunities.
Gone are leading rusher Truman Werremeyer and three year starter at quarterback Reid Hartness. It’s all about the next-man up mentality as the Eagles look to carry on the legacy of those before and fill the voids left behind.
Coach Werremeyer along with seniors on the team say the younger players have really come along and that’s going to play into much of their success on Friday nights.
“It’s typical high school football. You lose great players every year and we’ve got other guys who are working hard in the weight room and they’re ready for the chance,” Werremeyer said. “Effort, attitude and, obviously skill set. In the quarterback position we’re looking for leaders. Other positions, we’re looking for maybe position group leaders, an offensive line leader.”
“We’re losing a lot of players, but we have a lot of people who are good and fill in in those spots,” senior running back and linebacker Eli Mach said. ” I mean, we’re working really hard and we’re getting better every day and they’re just trying their best to do their job and come in here every day and getting better.”
“Good guys stepping up and working hard to make the juniors going onto seniors becoming better and just filling in those key spots that we need filled,” senior lineman Logan Stigmiller said. “It’s not just seniors. Juniors, sophomores and freshmen. We’re just all one big family.”
Week one its all about one of the best rivalries in the F-M area as Davies squares off with Shanley. Both schools share the same street and the excitement level is high as the Eagles debut their new turf field.
“We’ve tried not to talk about it a whole lot. I get pretty excited talking about some schools like Shanley and South,” Werremeyer said. “I’ve got great friends that coach over there, but, obviously, a rivalry, you want to beat them. Until next season, until next Friday, we’re going to worry about Davies Eagles and then we’ll worry about the other teams.”
“Shanley’s usually a pretty fun week for us,” Mach said. “We like preparing for that. We like going over there and playing. We want to get a win because it’s the first game on this new turf.”
“I look forward to that game a lot being it’s our brand new field, home game against Shanley,” Stigmiller said. “And Shanley moved up a class, so we kind of want to make a statement. Show them what it’s like.”>
Davies won the game against Shanley last season on the old grass to end the regular season.
