By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
If there’s a more complete player in the Rock Valley Conference than Big Foot senior Jack Gillingham, his coach, Mike Welden, would like to meet him.
The numbers certainly seem to back that up.
Gillingham put up fantasy football type numbers Friday night to lead the Chiefs to a 33-18 RVC victory over Whitewater in a game played at UW-Whitewater.
As a receiver, Gillingham had seven catches for 203 yards and caught three touchdown passes from quarterback Basil Demco. Gillingham also rushed two times for 80 yards and a score and was among the Chiefs’ top tacklers with six.
“In my opinion, he has to be in the running for conference player of the year,” Welden said. “That kid just makes plays all over the place… We really enjoy that he’s on our team.”
Gillingham and the rest of his fellow seniors have bought into the new program Welden has installed this year, he said, which has made the transition fairly smooth.
For that group of players, they simply want to taste some success that has eluded them throughout their high school careers to this point, Welden said.
“They were willing to change because they hadn’t had a ton of success,” he said. “They hadn’t been to playoff games or been the championship teams. When we suggested changes, they were all about it because all that they want to do is have success…”
Read more of how the game played out and what Welden had to say in the Times/Reporter.
Special day planned
Big Foot hosts Clinton on Saturday at 2 p.m. in a game that will be preceded by two special ceremonies.
The school will hold the official grand opening of the newly renovated Big Foot Athletic Complex, including a cookout that begins at 12:30 p.m.
At 1:45 p.m., a dedication of the Jim Haeni Press Box will be held. Haeni a former longtime teacher and Big Foot coach, died in January.
Also Saturday, the school will honor Big Foot’s 2009 state championship squad.
