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2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 10:41 PM

File photo/The Ottawa Herald

Ottawa High School quarterback Corbin Goedert is one of six Cyclone seniors playing in their final high school football game 7 p.m. Friday at Steve Grogan Stadium against Gardner-Edgerton.

OHS football closes season against Gardner

Seniors lead by example

By Greg Mast/Herald Sports Editor

The Ottawa High School football seniors have been the foundation of turning around the program the past two seasons under coach Marc Bergan.

Those six seniors have turned the program around in many aspects.

“They have been through a tough four years,” Bergan said. “They have contributed to the turnaround. They have stuck it out. It is quite a tribute to them. The seniors have carried the load.

“They have ownership in the program.”

The seniors close out their high school careers 7 p.m. Friday at home against No. 2 Gardner-Edgerton.

“I want them to be proud of their last game,” Bergan said. “We will miss the seniors.”

The OHS football program’s transformation to not being in contention for wins to competing to actually winning did not come without the leadership of the seniors.

“The seniors helped us get that monkey off our back,” Bergan said. “Our seniors have led by example.”

A few of them this year, battled through injuries and were determined to get back on the field.

Bergan hopes that kind of example rubs off on the younger players in years to come.

“We have come a long ways,” Bergan said of the mind-set of program. “We still have a ways to go. There is a lot of room for improvement. We need to continue to develop character, expectations and depth of players.”

The coach said Ottawa has grown in most areas, including having higher expectations around school and community.

“There is an excitement with the program,” he said. “Football is important to a lot of kids. It is a process. We need to increase our numbers.”

Another area of growth is the off-season work. Bergan said players need to understand the season is small compared to the amount of preparation that goes on all year.

“We can close that gap,” Bergan said. “There is nothing magical. We need to get them involved in the off-season.

“We’ve taken baby steps. They need to have ownership and pride.”

Greg Mast can be reached at sports@ottawaherald.com