Collins hopes to build on first season
By Greg Seubert
It’s been a long time – 14 years – since the New London football team won a playoff game.
Second-year coach Kyle Collins is out to change that and believes this season’s version of the Bulldogs has an opportunity to be successful.
The Bulldogs are coming off of a 2-4 season that saw them split four games in the Bay Conference before dropping a 14-7 decision to Kewaskum in the first round of the WIAA playoffs.
Collins is back for his second season after dealing with COVID-19 last year.
“It was really tough, but we have great administration here and we had an awesome group of kids who came ready,” he said. “The biggest thing I learned was the kids would do whatever it took to play. It is going to be nice this year where we can focus on football. We’re moving forward.
“One of the things we’re talking about this year is bringing the energy and bringing the enthusiasm,” he said. “There were times when we were warming up last year and it was silent. We’re playing a varsity game here in 20 minutes and it’s quiet. Those are the types of things we’re excited for.”
The Bay Conference will have a different look now that two programs – Menasha and West De Pere – have moved to the Fox River Classic Conference.
Besides the Bulldogs, the Bay now consists of Fox Valley Lutheran, Seymour, Shawano, Waupaca, Winneconne and Xavier.
Collins expects Xavier, Fox Valley Lutheran and Shawano to contend for a championship.
“Xavier will be the one to beat, as they are every year,” he said. “Fox Valley Lutheran will be tough as well with a really good quarterback coming back. Shawano has a good up-and-coming program and they’ve been doing a nice job up there.”
The Bulldogs are moving on without the graduated Gabe Wohlt, a first team all-conference wide receiver as a senior.
“It’s not often that you can build an offense around a wide receiver, but that’s what we were able to do,” Collins said. “We’re much more balanced this year. Last year, when we needed a big play, everybody knew we were going to Wohlt. This year, we have three or four guys that we can go to.”
The conference schedule, which starts Friday, Sept. 3, with a game at Shawano, will help the Bulldogs prepare for the postseason, according to Collins.
“The reason I love our conference is there are no guaranteed losses and no guaranteed wins,” he said. “It’ll be a good game week in and week out. You have to prepare and you have to be ready. We lost some of those bottom teams in the Bay Conference as well and I think they did a nice job making it a really balanced conference. I think it’ll set us up really well for the playoffs because it’s going to be a fight every week.”
Senior Payton Ludick will line up behind center at quarterback.
“Great kid, super-smart,” Collins said. “We’re really blessed here where just about every one of our starters are some of the smartest kids in school. That helps in that we can throw a lot at them. Payton’s probably our most athletic kid as well. He had a great track season and he’s a good basketball player.”
The Bulldogs have not won a playoff game since 2007, the year they played for the Division 3 state championship. If the team is going to qualify for the playoffs for a fifth straight year, a few things are going to have to go their way, Collins said.
“We’re going to hit adversity. We have to overcome that and stay together. We talk a lot about doing whatever it takes to get the win. If kids buy into that, I think we’ll be successful.”
COVID-19 caused the Bay Conference to not allow fans at games last year. Collins is looking forward to fans turning out this season at Bulldog Stadium.
“The reason I love high school football is it brings the whole community together,” he said. “That was something that was kind of taken away, so I’m really hoping our stands at home games are packed with fans.
“I know New London is a community that has a ton of pride in the high school,” he added. “A lot of these kids’ parents played for New London and a lot of community members stayed in New London. It means a lot to them to see a successful program and we don’t take that responsibility lightly.”
New London 2021 Football Schedules
Varsity
Friday, Aug. 20 – at Little Chute, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 27 – vs. Denmark, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 3 – at Shawano, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 10 – vs. Waupaca, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17 – at Xavier, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24 – vs. Winneconne, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1 – at Seymour, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 15 – vs. Marinette, 7 p.m.
JV1
Monday Aug. 23 – vs. Little Chute, 5 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 30 – at Denmark, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 7 – vs. Shawano, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 13 – at Waupaca, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 20 – vs. Xavier, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 27 – at Winneconne, 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 4 – vs. Seymour, 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 11 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 18 – at Marinette, 5 p.m.
JV2
Thursday, Aug. 19 – vs. Little Chute, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 26 – at Denmark, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 2 – vs. Shawano, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 9 – at Waupaca, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 16 – vs. Xavier, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 23 – at Winneconne, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 30 – vs. Seymour, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 7 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 14 – at Marinette, 5 p.m.