I am posting to address the opinions of all the critics on here that have ridiculed our school for the past six years for opting down to Class D-1. My name is Mike Hassler, I’ve been the K-12 Art Teacher at Wakefield Community Schools since 2005. Along with that, I am also the sponsor of yearbook, Art Club, and the school’s inflatable mascot. I have been the schools head track coach since 2008 and have been involved with the Football team since I first arrived. The last 9 years as head coach. I have been a paying member of the Huskerland Prep Online Community for over 15 years and I enjoy the wonderful coverage by Bob Jensen, and the lively discussion that ensues on the message boards. One thing is for sure, Nebraska still has a passion for High School Football.
For those of you that do not know, Wakefield has a wonderful, diverse population of students. I don’t have the exact number, but we are right around 50% Hispanic K-12. I absolutely love my job and the opportunity to work with students from different ethnic backgrounds. My daughter will start pre-school here next year and I am excited that she will get the same experience as me.
With that being said, why do we opt down? We are just like any other school in Northeast Nebraska (or anywhere in Nebraska for that case). Of all the 13 teams on our 2006 state title schedule, the only squads that remain 11 man are Wayne (who is struggling for numbers this year), Lyons-Decatur (Co-op), Ponca, and Fremont Bergan. Many teams on that schedule have dropped as far as Class D-2. As many know, Northeast Nebraska C-2 Football is some of the best in the state. In 2009 the State Champion (Ponca) and State-Runner-Up (Cedar) came out of our district. From 2009 to 2011 we went 1-23 with a 22 game losing streak mixed in there. With each season, our numbers went from 38, to 35, to 31. When we qualified for the play-offs in 2012 we suited 27. Our last season of 11 man saw 23 boys on our squad. Most games that season less than 20 boys were suited, there were several times on a Monday we wondered if we would be able to survive and finish the next game on Friday. In the span of five years we never had a full J.V. schedule, in 2012 and 2013 we played two and a half of our twelve J.V. games. This was absolutely horrible for the health of our football program, as younger players were never allowed the opportunity to develop or were simply thrown to the wolves on Friday night.
The decrease in participation followed the pattern of all other schools in our area. The only difference was our student population was not dropping. When it comes to Athletics, we are a D-1 school trapped in a C-2 schools body. As I stated we have a wonderful, diverse population of students. Every year the percentage of Hispanic students in our school has grown. I love having them in my classroom and their families in our community. There are barriers that keep my Hispanic students from participating in football. The first being language. It takes time, but many have limited English speaking skills when they arrive. In a game of communication like football, that doesn’t work. Many that move in have never grown up around the game, so we are starting from square one if they do go out for football. The biggest issue is they can’t afford to be a part of team. Every year we have a free & reduced lunch count that is close to 60% of our student population. I have students that go to school for 8 hours and work for 8 hours. Football is not an option for them because they need to provide for their families. I could go on with many more examples, but I hope you get my point. Talk to schools like Schuyler, Lexington, South Sioux City, and Madison. They will tell you the same things.
What were our options headed into the 2014-2015 scheduling cycle? We looked at all of them. Co-op? In 2014 no one was ready to Co-op. Allen and Emerson-Hubbard still had strong numbers and were the biggest schools in Class D-2. So we looked at opting down. At that time, it was our only option for the well-being and health of our football program. We took a vote of our boys, they overwhelming voted to opt down knowing the playoffs was not an option. We have voted with each two year cycle, and both of those times it was almost one hundred percent in favor of playing 8-man. Our first season of 8-man we went 3-5. Every team but one on our schedule suited more boys then us. In 2015 I had a very talented squad that went 2-6 because 8 starters missed 13 games due to injury. Thank god we were 8-man, because I guarantee we would have cancelled games that year had we been 11-man. In 2016 we went 6-2, we did not beat a team with a winning record. The 2017 season saw a 7-1 record, the one loss being a 70-38 drubbing at the hands of Creighton. Last season we went 6-2 with big wins over LHNE, GACC, and Wisner-Pilger. Those wins did not happen because we were a C-2 school opting down. They happened because we work our rear ends off in the weight room and we have had a full J.V. schedule every year since opting down. My boys were provided the opportunity to develop at their own pace. Even during the injury riddled season of 2015, I did not have to put a player on the field that wasn’t ready for varsity action. My boys have been given the chance to learn a system. Our last years of 11 man were scrambling and changing offenses and defenses to fit the limited number of skill types our team had. We are successful because of the work we put in, not because we should be C-2.
During this time period of opting down, we have not been sitting here twiddling our thumbs. When the NSAA started to look at Classification by boys count. My administration was at the forefront pushing for a number as high as 55-58, which would have put us on par with most states that offer 8-man football. Had that number passed we would have qualified for 8-man this last 2 year cycle. It fell on deaf ears though and participating schools set the number at 47 (which I think quite a few regret now). In 2017 and 2018 I put a proposal together called the “50% Free & Reduced Lunch” rule. It was based off a rule the State of Minnesota uses. I will not go into detail, google it if you are intrigued. It failed miserably both times, no schools wanted to listen to the issues that schools with our student demographic face.
Six years later we are now starting to approach the Co-op bridge. Emerson-Hubbard and Allen are ready, but it will still take time and there are a lot of wrinkles that need to be ironed out. I have been proactive and a champion for my football players for the past 9 years. My only interest is their safety and a quality high school experience playing the game of football that I love.
I get tired of the uneducated comments about my program and what we “should” and “shouldn’t” be doing. Next time you feel like criticizing my football program with so little knowledge to back your opinion. Take a moment, pick up your phone and give me a call at Wakefield Community Schools, the number is 402-287-2012. I would be more than happy to give you a tour of my wonderful school and sit down with you, and let you look me straight in the eyes and say what you have to say. Football is a new game in a new era, it is not the game we all grew up with in the 80s, 90, and 00s.
With all that being said, I wanted to tip my hat to my young men. The victory over Creighton on Friday night was six years of hard work becoming a reality. My hat is off to Coach Kliment and his boys, they put up a heck of a fight and showed the heart of a champion.
Thanks for reading, you all know where to find me.
Coach Mike Hassler – Wakefield Trojan Football
For those of you that do not know, Wakefield has a wonderful, diverse population of students. I don’t have the exact number, but we are right around 50% Hispanic K-12. I absolutely love my job and the opportunity to work with students from different ethnic backgrounds. My daughter will start pre-school here next year and I am excited that she will get the same experience as me.
With that being said, why do we opt down? We are just like any other school in Northeast Nebraska (or anywhere in Nebraska for that case). Of all the 13 teams on our 2006 state title schedule, the only squads that remain 11 man are Wayne (who is struggling for numbers this year), Lyons-Decatur (Co-op), Ponca, and Fremont Bergan. Many teams on that schedule have dropped as far as Class D-2. As many know, Northeast Nebraska C-2 Football is some of the best in the state. In 2009 the State Champion (Ponca) and State-Runner-Up (Cedar) came out of our district. From 2009 to 2011 we went 1-23 with a 22 game losing streak mixed in there. With each season, our numbers went from 38, to 35, to 31. When we qualified for the play-offs in 2012 we suited 27. Our last season of 11 man saw 23 boys on our squad. Most games that season less than 20 boys were suited, there were several times on a Monday we wondered if we would be able to survive and finish the next game on Friday. In the span of five years we never had a full J.V. schedule, in 2012 and 2013 we played two and a half of our twelve J.V. games. This was absolutely horrible for the health of our football program, as younger players were never allowed the opportunity to develop or were simply thrown to the wolves on Friday night.
The decrease in participation followed the pattern of all other schools in our area. The only difference was our student population was not dropping. When it comes to Athletics, we are a D-1 school trapped in a C-2 schools body. As I stated we have a wonderful, diverse population of students. Every year the percentage of Hispanic students in our school has grown. I love having them in my classroom and their families in our community. There are barriers that keep my Hispanic students from participating in football. The first being language. It takes time, but many have limited English speaking skills when they arrive. In a game of communication like football, that doesn’t work. Many that move in have never grown up around the game, so we are starting from square one if they do go out for football. The biggest issue is they can’t afford to be a part of team. Every year we have a free & reduced lunch count that is close to 60% of our student population. I have students that go to school for 8 hours and work for 8 hours. Football is not an option for them because they need to provide for their families. I could go on with many more examples, but I hope you get my point. Talk to schools like Schuyler, Lexington, South Sioux City, and Madison. They will tell you the same things.
What were our options headed into the 2014-2015 scheduling cycle? We looked at all of them. Co-op? In 2014 no one was ready to Co-op. Allen and Emerson-Hubbard still had strong numbers and were the biggest schools in Class D-2. So we looked at opting down. At that time, it was our only option for the well-being and health of our football program. We took a vote of our boys, they overwhelming voted to opt down knowing the playoffs was not an option. We have voted with each two year cycle, and both of those times it was almost one hundred percent in favor of playing 8-man. Our first season of 8-man we went 3-5. Every team but one on our schedule suited more boys then us. In 2015 I had a very talented squad that went 2-6 because 8 starters missed 13 games due to injury. Thank god we were 8-man, because I guarantee we would have cancelled games that year had we been 11-man. In 2016 we went 6-2, we did not beat a team with a winning record. The 2017 season saw a 7-1 record, the one loss being a 70-38 drubbing at the hands of Creighton. Last season we went 6-2 with big wins over LHNE, GACC, and Wisner-Pilger. Those wins did not happen because we were a C-2 school opting down. They happened because we work our rear ends off in the weight room and we have had a full J.V. schedule every year since opting down. My boys were provided the opportunity to develop at their own pace. Even during the injury riddled season of 2015, I did not have to put a player on the field that wasn’t ready for varsity action. My boys have been given the chance to learn a system. Our last years of 11 man were scrambling and changing offenses and defenses to fit the limited number of skill types our team had. We are successful because of the work we put in, not because we should be C-2.
During this time period of opting down, we have not been sitting here twiddling our thumbs. When the NSAA started to look at Classification by boys count. My administration was at the forefront pushing for a number as high as 55-58, which would have put us on par with most states that offer 8-man football. Had that number passed we would have qualified for 8-man this last 2 year cycle. It fell on deaf ears though and participating schools set the number at 47 (which I think quite a few regret now). In 2017 and 2018 I put a proposal together called the “50% Free & Reduced Lunch” rule. It was based off a rule the State of Minnesota uses. I will not go into detail, google it if you are intrigued. It failed miserably both times, no schools wanted to listen to the issues that schools with our student demographic face.
Six years later we are now starting to approach the Co-op bridge. Emerson-Hubbard and Allen are ready, but it will still take time and there are a lot of wrinkles that need to be ironed out. I have been proactive and a champion for my football players for the past 9 years. My only interest is their safety and a quality high school experience playing the game of football that I love.
I get tired of the uneducated comments about my program and what we “should” and “shouldn’t” be doing. Next time you feel like criticizing my football program with so little knowledge to back your opinion. Take a moment, pick up your phone and give me a call at Wakefield Community Schools, the number is 402-287-2012. I would be more than happy to give you a tour of my wonderful school and sit down with you, and let you look me straight in the eyes and say what you have to say. Football is a new game in a new era, it is not the game we all grew up with in the 80s, 90, and 00s.
With all that being said, I wanted to tip my hat to my young men. The victory over Creighton on Friday night was six years of hard work becoming a reality. My hat is off to Coach Kliment and his boys, they put up a heck of a fight and showed the heart of a champion.
Thanks for reading, you all know where to find me.
Coach Mike Hassler – Wakefield Trojan Football
