Iola-Scandinavia coming off of an 8-1 season
By Greg Seubert
Get better every day.
It’s a formula for success that has worked for the Iola-Scandinavia football team.
The Thunderbirds outscored their seven Central Wisconsin Conference-Small opponents 344-60 and rolled to a 7-0 regular season record.
Scott Erickson is entering his 29th year as the T-Birds’ coach.
“We’re trying to get better every day,” he said. “Regardless of talent or year in school, we want everyone to improve and do the best they can. That’s what we strive for every year.”
Erickson expects his team’s second season in the CWC-South – which also includes Assumption, Loyal, Pacelli, Pittsville, Rosholt and Wild Rose – to be more competitive.
“Every team in our conference is very capable of having a good season,” he said. “Pacelli doesn’t have a lot of kids, but they have some quality athletes. We have to be ready to play every week. I don’t think there are going to be any gimmies.”
The T-Birds were originally scheduled to open CWC-Small play Sept. 3 against Almond-Bancroft, but the Eagles opted to switch to eight-man football this season. Iola-Scandinavia is now scheduled to play that week at Edgar, the team that handed Iola-Scandinavia its only loss last season, a 56-8 defeat in the second round of the WIAA playoffs.
The offense will revolve around senior Parker Prahl, a first team all-conference quarterback and defensive back who rushed for nearly 1,300 yards and passed for more than 600 yards last year.
“This’ll be his third year as our starting quarterback,” Erickson said. “His leadership and veteran ability means a lot right now. His first year as a starter, he learned a lot and built on that. Last year, he got that much better. He’s come in this year with a real command of what we’re doing.”
The T-Birds will have to replace the CWC-Small’s defensive player of the year, Brye Hardel, who averaged more than 10 yards a carry while rushing for almost 1,250 yards.
Senior running back Isaiah Hoyord is back after missing most of last season with an injury.
“Isaiah’s not the size of Brye, but he’s got that speed and cutting ability,” Erickson said. “He played the first game, was injured and didn’t play the rest of the year. In the game he played, he had 100 yards and a couple touchdowns. In the halfback position, it’s going to open a lot of doors for us to be able to utilize him in a lot of ways as a receiver and runner.
“We’ll do a fair amount of one-back sets,” he said. “Will Tappa and Kaden Jueds, our ends, are going to see the ball a lot in the pass game and they’re a real force in the run game as well. Our line’s going to be a good-sized group of kids and we have some speed at our other wideout positions, so we’re excited for them as well.”
The T-Birds’ roster includes 10 seniors, eight juniors, five sophomores and 11 freshmen.
“Hopefully, we can do a little platooning where kids can get a little rest and not have to run down on every kick team and play offense and defense,” Erickson said.
Like all other football programs across Wisconsin, COVID-19 affected the 2020 season.
Erickson believes this season is an opportunity to return to normal.
“It was different,” he said. “Not having two-a-day (practices) last year was a big thing. We were restricted in practice. We’d get a couple of hours in and had to move on. They were focused and hungry to play. A lot of their sports got canceled. They got a chance to play and it meant something to them.”
The T-Birds have only missed the WIAA playoffs four times – in 1994, 2008, 2012 and 2019 – since Erickson took over as coach in 1993.
“We’ve been in the mix every year,” he said. “I just want kids to have fun, play their best each week and try to get the job done.”
Those successful seasons include the Division 6 state championship in 2018.
“The seniors this year were freshmen on that team,” Erickson said. “They got a taste of it. They know it’s possible.”
Whether the T-Birds can return to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison to play for another state title remains to be seen, but Erickson likes his team’s chances.
“We’ve very excited for this group of kids because they’ve worked hard in the offseason and it means something to them,” he said. “I’m looking for them to come in and compete. I think we have the ability to compete with anyone if we stay healthy and add more depth.
“We have a really good chance this year,” he added. “The focus is let’s be 1-0 this week and not look ahead and not look behind.”
Iola-Scandinavia 2021 Football Schedules
Varsity
Friday, Aug. 13 – Scrimmage at UW-Oshkosh, 4 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 20 – vs. Marathon, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 27 – vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 3 – at Edgar, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 10 – vs. Loyal, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17 – at Assumption, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24 – at Wild Rose, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1 – vs. Pacelli, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8 – vs. Rosholt, 7 p.m. (Homecoming)
Friday, Oct. 15 – at Pittsville, 7 p.m.
JV
Monday, Aug. 23 – at Marathon, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 7 – vs. Pittsville, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 13 – at Loyal, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 20 – vs. Assumption, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 27 – vs. Wild Rose (Iola-Scandinavia High School), 5 p.m.; vs. Lourdes Academy (Thunderbird Field), 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 4 – at Pacelli, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 11 – at Rosholt, 4:30 p.m.