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Prep Confidential

Tuscola-Galena

Posted by: Marcus Jackson

Tuesday, November 20, 2007 11:10 AM

As Coach Stan Wienke told me yesterday, he and the Tuscola players have dealt with the unfortunate situation that occurred this weekend and are focused exclusively on repeating as state champions.

- Tuscola will be short-handed, this we know, but for a Class 1A school, it has plenty of depth to make up for any losses. Not to mention, Matt Bailey, a star on special teams, offense and defense has been limited this postseason. He said on Monday he plans to play on Friday if his injured knee, which he says is getting better everyday, will allow him.

- Galena is a good football team, really good. Wienke is particularly concerned with how the Warriors are going to slow quarterback Gavin Kaiser. The 6-foot-3 senior is extremely athletic and can make plays in a variety of ways.

- Tuscola has played its last four games on Saturdays, giving it an extra day to prepare for games. With the game being on a Friday, Wienke said the work week changes a bit but it also provides he and his staff the opportunity to simplify the game plan. That's good for the players because they think less and just let their ability take over.

Be sure to check out our coverage all week.
- Fred Kroner spent some time with Wienke and will have a profile on the longtime coach for Wednesday's News-Gazette.

- I will sit down with Robin Wienke, Stan's wife, and John and Jud's mom, and have her story for the Thanksgiving day paper.

- Also on Thanksgiving Day, we will break down both Tuscola and Westville's state title games.

- Inside Memorial Stadium this weekend, make sure you grab our stadium edition, complete with information on all 16 teams competing this weekend.

MJ

Comments

I grew up in the area and I had the thrill of being associated with a State Championship team. It was an incredible part of the High School experience. We also drank but we were not caught. That still did not make it right. In hindsight as an adult, I know that what we did was wrong and that if we had been caught we would have deserved to be punished. You can't allow the atmosphere to dictate the punishment. Should a bunch of kids that get caught drinking at a school not in the finals also not be punished? These young Tuscola players are in a small way, celebrities. Our society has a horrible habit of forgiving celebrities for bad behavior and we are appalled by the attitude of these celebrities with their ideals of entitlement. Why start that mentality with these kids. Unfortunately, some innocent kids will be affected. But some innocent person could also have been affected if one of these kids took a life while drinking. When someone does something wrong, it most often affects someone innocent, that is why it is wrong. It is the initial action that affects the innocent, not the punishment.

Posted by InVANow on November 23, 2007 at 8:57 AM

Having attended the Class 1 A final game today, I can attest to a hard fought game with solidly executed plays from both teams on both sides of the ball.

Wienke (18) looked like a real prospect with his size and arm. To be honest, there were quite a few dropped balls and missed blocks that one might attribute to second string players having to step up. Some forced balls by a pressing Wienke that ended up intercepted hurt the Warriors in the second half.

Galena executed their game plan well and controlled the ball and time of possession. Kaiser's kick-off return for a TD immediately following Tuscola's first score stole back the momentum, which Galena never relinquished.

It was a great game for the Galena faithful and will bring much joy to a small tourist town in Northwest Illinois. Go Pirates.

Posted by brisa on November 23, 2007 at 6:27 PM