The West Forsyth Wolverines football team is embarking on its first full season of games in Region 7B-AAA, and head coach Frank Hepler will be the man to take the young squad through its inaugural year. The veteran Hepler coached 24 seasons at Plantation High (Fla.), leading the Colonels to five undefeated regular seasons and 10 district titles in his 14 years as head coach. When asked about the differences between high school football in Georgia and Florida, Hepler had this to say: “The athletes are very comparable. I think the enthusiasm up here for football, especially high-school football, is much better than what it was in Florida. You have some pretty good programs down there (in Florida) and great followings, but here, at either a brand new school or a school that’s been here 100 years, there are great followings and there’s a lot of pride in their programs.”
The team played an abbreviated season against some Region 7-AAAAA schools last season, but was not eligible for playoff consideration. Their games served as good practice against some solid competition and provided live game action to get ready for 2008.
“The overall schedule was a great preparation for us,” Hepler said. “We played a lot of great teams out of Gwinnett County. The ability to play them without the pressure of the playoffs that year really let our kids go out and concentrate on our schemes as far as offense, defense, and special teams. Sometimes (worrying) about the playoffs can take away from just learning what you’re trying to do.”
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
The playoffs and a region title are lofty goals for West Forsyth in 2008, especially when you consider they are the new kids on the block. Yet, with a team loaded with underclassmen, Hepler is hopeful that his team will have a successful season in region play.
“It’s a tough region for a brand new school. I don’t know if we’re going to compete for the top spot or second spot this season. We’ll give it our best try. I think this year will be a big learning year.”
The Wolverines will be powered by a Wing-T offense led by quarterback Lance Baker and running back Ben Emert, who transferred from North Forsyth when West opened its doors.
The football team came away with the first victory in school history in a 21-14 rivalry win over North Forsyth. Of the game Hepler said, “Me and the coaches that are here from Florida, we don’t have a background in the rivalry, but a lot of the kids do and we were really excited about playing that game. It was tough. They played hard. We played hard. We squeaked it out and I’m happy with our kids’ effort.”
Their game against Adairsville last week was the first ever to be held at West Forsyth and the team’s 77-30 win was yet another stepping stone in becoming a top program. “I think everyone was pretty excited with it being the first varsity (home) game,” Hepler said. “I think they just wanted to see how we would do.”
The rest of the region should take note of how well the Wolverines did as well. And, for a program in its infancy, the Wolverines look to have a bright future with Hepler at the wheel.
Mitchell can be reached at mitchelltakes@yahoo.com.
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