By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Wyoming High School head football coach Irvin Sigler III would likely call it an “opportunity” not a “challenge”, but he had to know his team was going to have some growing pains this season after he took over the program midway though the summer.

With new coaches and a new system, the Wolves experienced some competitive, and not-so-competitive, games as it opened the season 0-5 including tough losses to OK Gold Conference powers Grand Rapids Christian and East Grand Rapids.

But with Sigler’s first win leading the Wolves last week, a 33-21 home win against conference foe Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, the coach thinks his team is close to flourishing in the new system.

“There’s always that question in the back of your mind, and this game definitively answered it for us,” Sigler said, in an interview with WKTV. “We understand now what it takes to win a game and how to accomplish that.  (It was a) major milestone as far as I am concerned.  Something we really had to work at.

“The most important thing we did (against Middleville T-K) was battle through adversity. We had a lot of tough situations, some self-imposed with turnovers, and yet found a way to stay together and figure out how to win.”

Wyoming has experienced its share of “tough situations” so far this season.

After staying close until late in its season opening game, a 28-6 loss to Holland, and the Wolves (1-5, 1-3 in the OK Gold Conference) played three of their next four games on the road with a 20-16 home loss to Wayland being their most competitive contest.

After another road game this week, against another conference power — South Christian (5-1 2-1 in OK Gold) — Wyoming will close the season with two more home games, a non-conference tilt against Greenville (3-3, 1-3 in OK White) and a conference game against Forest Hills Eastern (3-3, 2-1).

And Sigler expects his team will continue to grow within the new system and strive to be competitive week-in and week-out, for several reasons.

The first reason is that his team is learning from their sometimes-hard lessons, both on and off the field.

“I tell our kids that a football game is a microcosm of life,” Sigler said. “There will be great things that happen and really tough things. We’ve got be resilient in the face of both. We’ve got to handle both situations with equal grace.  Learn how to do that, and you learn how to navigate in life.”

Another reason for optimism is that he has players getting back from injury and players who have set an example for the rest of the team, win or lose.

He said that senior Donnie Buentello and junior J’Darious (JD) Jones, both running backs, have gotten healthy and “are starting to play really well. Donnie is a very quick and shifty runner, JD is a more of a one-cut and slash type player.  The compliment each other very well.”

He also said the offensive line has solidified as senior Elijah Harden has moved into the right tackle position and “started playing really well”, as has senior tight end Grant Nabors.

On the defensive side, Sigler praised junior Rush Bash, the team’s leading tackler, as a “big hitter” who is getting comfortable in the new defensive scheme. He also pointed out senior defensive ends Sean Dewent and Travis Wright — “As these two go, our team goes, (and) both had great games against TK. Both … do a great job as leaders on our team.”

Sigler made special point of pointing out senior offensive and defensive lineman Jackson McClure: “Playing both ways on the offensive and defensive line, he’s had a great season and his strength and durability have allowed him to be a two-way player in the toughest of positions.”

The final reason Sigler sees optimism for his team to finish this season and in the future is the work being done at the junior varsity level.

“Our JV team has had a really difficult year,” Sigler said. “They’ve not had the numbers for a game every week — yet they have really toiled to get better and have given a great deal to our program. It’s hard to practice on weeks when you know that you won’t have a game. Yet these guys have really done special work and we feel they are going to have a great contribution to our future.”

That future starts with the teams remaining three games of this season.

The Wyoming against South Christian game, to be played at Byron Center Friday, Oct. 6, is the WKTV featured football game of the week and will be broadcast the night of the game on Comcast Channel 25, usually at 11 p.m., and repeated on Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/