What do you get when you add a new season, a new coach, and a very young team? Well in southern Terry County you get the Wellman-Union Wildcats, football squad. For the past four seasons, the Wildcats have tried to find their way. In 2018 the Wildcats didn’t get a head football coach till very late. Coach Limon would show up after the coveted Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine was published. Although he had 4/3 starters coming back from a bi-district qualifying team the year before, he could not get things going the way he had hoped. The Wildcats finished the 2018 season 4-5, 2-2 in district.
Wellman-Union got a jump start on finding a new coach for the 2019 season and they chose defensive coordinator Brian Sepkowitz from New Home. Coach Sep automatically brought a renewed energy to the team, however after some key injuries and off-the-field issues, the Wildcats could not recover. Winning only three games, and having just eight players left by the time the Wildcats played Morton in the second to last game of the season and it was just too much. Wellman-Union played only one quarter against the Indians during that time two players came off the field injured, leaving only six left. The Wildcats would forfeit the rest of the game after the first quarter and forfeit their final game against Ropes.
Sep’s second season was a bit better, at least in district action. Another season of injuries and off-the-field issues caused the Wildcats to lose out on the playoff again. Also, it was the second season in a row that the Wildcats did not finish the season. The coronavirus played a hand in the forfeit of the last game which would have been Borden County.
Going into Sep’s third season, there was not much hope. The Wildcats lost some seniors to moving and the work program, plus a good amount of freshmen joined the team. Coach Sep made it through the fourth game of the season (Amherst), before his sudden departure. The Wildcats would have the 45-point mercy rule applied to them in nine of the 10 games they played, went 0-10 on the season, and a final ranking in Sixmanfootball.com in 1A DI was 73 out of 74.
Fast forward to today, and the Wildcats have renewed hope. Veteran head football coach John Hodges takes over the program and has been very candid about the team. “We lack experience, but we are getting there. We’ve made great improvements… we are not where we need to be… we are getting better. I don’t how we will do this season, but next season and the next we will be competitive. ” said Coach Hodges.
The Wildcats will sport three brothers on the varsity squad. Toby DePoyster (Junior) will be leaned on heavily, being one the oldest and he has seen a lot of playing time coming into his third season. Toby is big and strong and is hard to take down. His brother Levi DePoyster honestly was probably the best running back in district last season. Unfortunately, someone failed to take stats for the team, so no one is really sure how many offensive yards Levi had. One thing is for sure, he might be small, but his legs are explosive. Then there is the third of the DePoyster’s. Eli is his name and he is a freshman. Although a freshman, Eli is taller than his older brother Levi, and in junior high, he knew how to maneuver around the field. All three brothers when playing together could frustrate their opponents.
Other Wildcats to look out for is QB Keagon Dominguez another sophomore who got a lot of playing time last season. Keagon has become good at reading the field and knows when to throw or hand the ball off, plus his height will help him navigate. Another sophomore to look at is DB Clayton Cochran. Clayton will be a huge threat as a receiver, and his defense quality will be salty. Finally, another player to watch out for is sophomore LB Kyler Neill. Kyler has grown up in the past year. Once was the smallest, now has become a force to be reckoned with.
The Wildcats begin their season on Thursday evening at 7:00 pm August 25, 2022 when they travel to Lorenzo. This game will have a different meaning to it as Wellman-Union’s former head football coach, Coach Sep is now the head football coach at Lorenzo. The Wildcats could very well be playing with a lot of pride. Although they will come out ready, Lorenzo has too much to offer and will come out as the winner.
In week two, the Wildcats travel over to Petersburg for a huge test. The Wildcats could very well take this to the fourth quarter. Both schools are similar in size, but again the Buffalos have the edge. In week three, the Wildcats stay home and take on Loop. Last season Loop won 48-0, but Wellman-Union is wanting some payback. This will be a win for the Wildcats. They travel in week four over to Lubbock to take on Christ The King. Not sure what to say or write about this game because, who really want to go up against Christ The King. All joking aside, the Wildcats will have their hands full with this private school. In week five the Wildcats will get their open week and some time off.
Moving on to week six, the schedule doesnt get any easier. The Wildcats will host Sands on Homecoming night. Sands moved up to DI after the realignment and although Sands will be decent this season, the Wildcats do not want to disappoint their homecoming crowd. Wellman-Union will escape with a win. In week seven, the Wildcats travel all the way to Spur to take on the #10 Bulldogs. This will most likely be an early game for the Wildcats. In week eight, Wellman-Union has a chance to go into district with a good win. The Wildcats host Amherst and will squeak a close one.
Here come district play and first up is Whiteface. The Antelopes are very hungry for the playoffs, however with much turnaround in the coaching staff during the offseason, these two teams look equally good, especially this late in the season. But Whiteface has a bit more than the Wildcats. The Wildcats will host O’Donnell in the final home game of the season and Senior Night. This will be another close one, and since its Senior Night, the Wildcats come out on top.
The final game of the season the Wildcats will travel over to cross county rival Meadow. The Broncos will host the Wildcats and with all that Meadow has coming back this season, this game will most likely be over early.
Dist. 5-1A DI predictions
- Meadow
- Whiteface
- Wellman-Union
- O’Donnell
Wellman-Union Wildcats Football Schedule
