After two consecutive seasons without an AISA victory, Edgewood fought through a difficult schedule and played its way into the state semifinals last year, falling a touchdown short of an appearance in the title game. Now, despite some key losses on both sides of the ball, the Wildcats are ready to get back on the field with the state championship game as the goal.
“We’ve all been anticipating the start so it’s very exciting,” Edgewood lineman Cade Bazzell said. “We all want to get out there and show everyone that last year wasn’t a fluke. We’ve been preparing and want to go farther this year than we did last year.”
kAm%96 (:=542ED 92G6 A=6?EJ @7 DE2CE6CD C6EFC?:?8 @? 3@E9 D:56D 3FE E96C6 DE:== D66>D E@ 36 @FED:56 5@F3E 23@FE 9@H E96 E62> H:== 92?5=6 E96 9:896C 6IA64E2E:@?D E9:D D62D@?] t586H@@5 H2D ?@E C2?<65 :? E96 AC6D62D@? E@A `_ 3J E96 p=232>2 $A@CED (C:E6CD pDD@4:2E:@?[ D:EE:?8 ;FDE 369:?5 2 {66\$4@EE E62> E92E H6?E _\`` =2DE D62D@? :?4=F5:?8 2 bc\b =@DD E@ E96 (:=542ED]k^Am
kAmt586H@@5 4@249 s2CCJ= uC66 :D 6?E6C:?8 9:D D64@?5 D62D@? 2?5 96 D2:5 E96C6 :D ?@ 6IEC2 AC6DDFC6 3642FD6 @7 =2DE D62D@?’D DF446DD] "F2CE6C324< p=6I y@9?D@? D2:5 96 <?@HD E96 (:=542ED H:== 86E E96:C @AA@?6?ED’ 36DE 677@CED 3FE 96 :D DE:== 7@4FD65 @? E96 5:D2AA@:?E:?8 6?5 E@ =2DE D62D@?]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm“xE’D >@C6 AC6DDFC6 3642FD6 H6 92G6 2 3:886C E2C86E @? @FC 324< E9:D J62C[” y@9?D@? D2:5] “(6 H@?’E D?62< FA @? 2?J@?6] qFE =2DE J62C C62==J 5@6D?’E >62? 2 E9:?8 ?@H 2?5 C62==J[ @FC 8@2= H2D E@ >2<6 :E E@ DE2E6 D@ 9@A67F==J E9:D J62C H6 42? 86E E92E 5@?6]”k^Am
kAmy@9?D@? :D 6?E6C:?8 9:D D64@?5 D62D@? 2D E96 DE2CE:?8 BF2CE6C324< 2?5 96 :D 6IA64E65 E@ E2<6 @? 2 3:886C C@=6 E9:D J62C] %96 (:=542ED =62?65 962G:=J @? E96 CFD9:?8 2EE24< =2DE D62D@? 3FE H:E9 =625:?8 CFD96CD z@=3J !@EED 2?5 %J=6C p36C?2E9J ?@H 8@?6[ E96J >2J 36 7@C465 E@ >2<6 492?86D E@ E96 82>6 A=2?]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 3F:=E 2 =:EE=6 5:776C6?E E9:D J62C[” uC66 D2:5] “(6 92G6 6G@=G65 E96 @776?D6 2 =:EE=6 3:E 3FE H6’C6 DE:== DE2J:?8 ECF6 E@ @FC :56?E:EJ] }@H[ H6 ;FDE 92G6 E96 42A23:=:EJ E@ G6?EFC6 7C@> E92E 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 D@ H6’C6 >@C6 G6CD2E:=6 @? @776?D6 E9:D J62C E92? H6 H6C6 2E E9:D A@:?E =2DE J62C]”k^Am
kAmy@9?D@? H:== 86E E96 96=A @7 7@FC C6EFC?:?8 DE2CE6CD @? E96 @776?D:G6 =:?6] q2KK6== H:== DE2J 2E =67E E24<=6 H:E9 r=2J (:==:2>D ;@:?:?8 9:> 2D E96 =67E 8F2C5] r@=E@? y@?6D >@G6D :?E@ E96 DE2CE:?8 46?E6C A@D:E:@? H:E9 y@D6A9 q6?E@? 2E C:89E 8F2C5 2?5 r2=63 yFDE:DD 2E C:89E E24<=6]k^Am
kAm%96 (:=542ED 2C6 DE:== 7:8FC:?8 @FE kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmH9@ H:== 36 ;@:?:?8 y@9?D@? :? E96 324<7:6=5 2D DE2CE6CD 3FE uC66 D2:5 E96C6 :D 2 8@@5 492?46 7@C >F=E:A=6 324<D E@ 86E 42CC:6D] $E2?9@A6 t=>@C6 EC2?D76C %C6J z:==:?8DH@CE9 :D 32EE=:?8 H:E9 |:E496== q@J5 2?5 q=2:?6 vFE9C:6 7@C E96 DE2CE:?8 CF??:?8 324< ;@3 H9:=6 q@J5 :D 2=D@ :? 4@>A6E:E:@? H:E9 #@36CE $E6H2CE 2?5 xD224 v@C5J 2E w\324<]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(6’C6 DE:== C62==J 4@?7:56?E[” q2KK6== D2:5] “(6’G6 925 <:5D DE6A FA :? E9@D6 C@=6D 2?5 E96J’G6 H@C<65 C62==J 92C5] $@[ H6 <?@H H6 42? 7:== E9@D6 2?5 DE:== 36 DEC@?8 2D 2 E62>]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 A2DD:?8 2EE24< >2J 36 t586H@@5’D 3:886DE H62A@? H:E9 E@A C646:G6CD z2=63 '2C?6C 2?5 z2> qFC=6D@? C6EFC?:?8 2=@?8 H:E9 E:89E 6?5 r2CD@? !66GJ] '2C?6C D2:5 96 92D 8@EE6? 6IEC2 H@C< :? H:E9 y@9?D@? 5FC:?8 E96 @77D62D@? 2?5 96 36=:6G6D E96J’== D66 E92E A2J @77 @? E96 7:6=5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%9:D :D >J 7:?2= 8@ 2C@F?5 D@ x’> 6I4:E65 E@ 86E @FE E96C6[” '2C?6C D2:5] “x 766= =:<6 H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 8@@5] (6 92G6 AFE :? 6G6? >@C6 H@C< E9:D J62C D@ H6 2C6 C625J E@ 8@ 6G6? 7FCE96C E9:D J62C]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(9:=6 E96 @776?D6 :D =@2565 H:E9 4@?7:56?46[ E96 5676?D6 H:== 92G6 E@ 562= H:E9 =@D:?8 :ED E@A EH@ =:?6324<6CD] q2KK6== 2?5 (:==:2>D H:== =625 E96 H2J @? E96 5676?D:G6 =:?6 3FE uC66 D2:5 E96C6 2C6 DE:== D6G6C2= A=2J6CD 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ H:? 2 DE2CE:?8 ;@3 2E =:?6324<6C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmsC6K rC2H7@C5 C6EFC?D E@ E96 7:6=5 2?5 H:== 32EE=6 7@C @?6 @7 E96 E9C66 DE2CE:?8 ;@3D :? E96 >:55=6 2=@?8 H:E9 q@J5[ z:==:?8DH@CE9[ v@C5J 2?5 !66GJ] uC66 D2:5 92G:?8 2 C@E2E:@? @7 A=2J6CD @? 5676?D6 :D 2 8@@5 AC@3=6> E@ 92G6 2?5 96 6IA64ED E96 A@D:E:@? 32EE=6 E@ 4@?E:?F6 H6== :?E@ E96 D62D@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(6’== AFD9 :E 2D =@?8 2D H6 42?[” uC66 D2:5] “pD 2 4@249:?8 DE277[ H6’== >2<6 2 564:D:@? 3FE H6 H2?E E92E 4@>\A6E:E:@? E@ 8@ @? 2D =@?8 2D A@DD:3=6] (6 >2J 25;FDE C6AD 244@C5:?8=J 3FE ECF=J[ H6 5@?’E 92G6 2 DEF5 E92E’D D9:?:?8 23@G6 2?J@?6 6=D6 :? 2?J @7 E9@D6 4@>A6E:E:@?D D@ :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 23@FE H9@ 42? 5@ E9@D6 D>2== :?E2?8:3=6D 2?5 H9@ 7:ED :?E@ E96 82>6 A=2?]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 (:=542ED DE2CE E96:C D62D@? H:E9 324<\E@\324< C@25 82>6D 2?5 E96J 92G6 ;FDE EH@ 9@>6 82>6D :? E96 7:CDE D6G6? H66<D] {2DE D62D@?[ uC66 D2:5 96 E9@F89E E96 E62>’D DEC6?8E9 @7 D4965F=6 96=A65 AC6A2C6 E96 (:=542ED 7@C C68:@? A=2J 2?5 E96 A@DED62D@? D@ 96 9@A6D E9:D J62C’D D4965F=6 92D 2 D:>:=2C 67764E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“$E2CE:?8 @? E96 C@25 :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 8C62E 492==6?86 7@C FD[” uC66 D2:5] “(6’C6 4@>:?8 @FE @7 E96 82E6 H:E9 E9C66 ppp D49@@=D] ~FC D4965F=6 92D C62==J 8@EE6? E@F896C 3FE x E9:?< @FC <:5D 2C6 C625J E@ DE6A FA E@ E96 492==6?86] x 24EF2==J =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ 8@:?8 @? E96 C@25 E96 7:CDE EH@ H66<D 3642FD6 :E >2<6D E96> 86E 7@4FD65 @? E96 82>6]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%H@ 492?86D H6C6 >256 E@ t586H@@5’D D4965F=6 =2E6 :? E96 @77D62D@? 27E6C r@@D2 '2==6J 2?5 tG2?86= r9C:DE:2? 5C@AA65 @FE @7 E96 C68:@?] %96 (:=542ED C6A=2465 E9@D6 82>6D H:E9 ?@?\C68:@? >2E49FAD 282:?DE tG2?86= Wp=232DE6CX 2?5 (:=4@I A=FD E96J 92G6 2=C625J 4=:?4965 2 A=2J@77 DA@E H:E9 ;FDE 7@FC E62>D C6>2:?:?8 :? E96 C68:@?]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
