Edgar High School’s football team is preparing for a challenging road game against Mondovi, a rematch of last year’s state semifinal. Coach Jerry Sinz views the two-hour trip as an opportunity for team bonding and preparation, despite recent injuries.
The Wildcats will travel to face D6’s No. 1 ranked Mondovi on Friday. The matchup is a rematch of the Division 6 state semifinal from last season, which Edgar won 21-14 en route to their third consecutive state title. Sinz noted the team typically performs well on the road and sees the travel time as beneficial. “I kind of enjoy having a couple hours quietly with the team together,” said Sinz. “Guys sitting by position together on the bus and kind of quizzing each other on their responsibilities and things like that.”
Mondovi enters the game undefeated with a strong offense led by junior quarterback Bode Faulkner and several other talented juniors. Edgar, however, is dealing with multiple injuries sustained during a recent game against Stratford, where they lost key players and narrowly lost 6-3 in the final minute. Despite the setbacks, Sinz is using the game as an early-season test for his team, particularly focusing on improving communication. “That’s one thing that I really got on them pretty stern about after the Stratford game,” Sinz said. “‘Nobody’s talking, guys. Nobody’s saying anything. We've got to start talking. I know it's not in your nature, but you've got to start doing it.’”
Sinz acknowledged Mondovi’s offensive strength, stating that slowing them down will be a “monumental challenge,” even at full strength. He emphasized that the team will not change its defensive strategy but will focus on keying on specific players, particularly Faulkner. “But he's got a great wide receiver, a great running back and a great slot, and once again, they're all juniors. So they're going to be back next year, too and we have to play them again. So that's the luck of the draw. It'll be a monumental challenge for us to go over there and see if we can stay in the game.”
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