The Wausau East football team will play Appleton East at Thom Field tonight and I'll have the game for you on Foxsports Radio AM1390 & FM 93.9 and live streamed at foxsportswausau.com. One thing that didn't happen this week was a JV game which is usually played on Thursday night. That's because the Lumberjacks have decided to cancel the rest of the JV season after finishing last week's game with only 13 healthy players. I spoke with East head coach Tom Tourtillot yesterday and he talked about the situation. You can hear the interview at everythinglumberjacks.com. With only 26 players suited up for the Varsity game its a situation that could not sustained. When your numbers are that low, any injuries cause players to play out of position and that increases the danger. East has been through seven head coaches in the last 8 or nine years. That kind of chaos doesn't lead to any kind of continuity. Tourtillot seems to be a guy who will be here for the long haul. He's determined to build a sustainable program at a school with a small enrollment compared to the conference it plays in. The freshman numbers are decent and they will play the varsity schedule even though the last two games of the season (against Appleton North & Kimberly will probably be non-competitive). That being said…the players are working hard to get better…the coaches are working hard to make them better…and they will be out there tonight and in the following weeks trying to win against formidable odds. I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision to do this but it was the right one. High school sports are supposed to mold character and build confidence. Playing a game in a dangerous and pretty much hopeless situation does neither.
The Wausau East administration has petitioned the WIAA for relief. They have asked to be moved out of the Valley Football Association and move to a football conference that is more in line with it's enrollment and football numbers. The WIAA hasnt even bothered to respond. This isn't about wins and losses although some will paint it that way. East is a Division 2 school playing a Division 1 schedule with numbers that don't support it. I understand it's a tough puzzle to move teams around and each move creates other problems to deal with…but there is nothing useful in Wausau East playing Kimberly in football. And when other teams are suiting up 90 guys and East has 26 to face them…the situation becomes dangerous. In an atmosphere where football is being scrutinized at all levels because of injury concerns, you would think the controlling powers would be more proactive.
Enjoy your weekend and if you're in the Nekoosa area, stop in at Ho-Chunk casino. I'll be playing in a Poker Tournament as a celebrity that the other players will be gunning for. (apparantly all the real celebrites were busy lol) .
Songs Of The Day (from my I-pod)
