Can youth buck trend, lead Elks to 1st conference win in 3 years?
By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
The Elkhorn Area High School football team has won four games since winning a share of the Southern Lakes Conference title in 2014.
A talented group of committed seniors, increased team speed and the success of other programs at Elkhorn might help the football team reverse its fortunes this season.
The Elks open the 2018 season tonight with a non-conference game at New Berlin West.
Elkhorn finished the 2017 season with a record of 1-8 overall. The Elks went winless in SLC play. The Elks also went winless in SLC play in 2016.
Elkhorn last won a SLC game in 2015. The Elks won 27-0 against Westosha Central at Paddock Lake.
Coach Tom Lee said the Elks open the season with just 10 seniors on the roster, and will feature a lot of younger players.
“I’ve been talking about them for the last four years,” Lee said. “They’ve got great talent, they’re hard workers and good leaders. There’s just not a lot of kids.”
Lee said the Elks’ junior class numbers about 20, which is helpful in getting experience on varsity. In spite of the program’s recent struggles, expectations are high.
“I’m fully expecting, and the kids are expecting, to make the playoffs,” Lee said. “We have to execute. We can’t make the mistakes that we’ve made in the past.”
Read more of what Lee had to say, as well as a preview on the girls golf team in the Aug. 16 Elkhorn Independent.
