Waukon football team battles through adversity to take 3-6 season to the brink of a play-off berth

Following back-to-back seasons of State Play-Off qualification and two of the most successful seasons in program history, the 2014 Waukon football team was looking to continue that trend heading into this past fall. However, the injury bug and a formidable Class 2A District 3 schedule turned out less desirable results for this year’s gridiron gang, the Indians, instead, playing to a 3-6 overall record and a 2-4 mark that placed them fifth in the final District 3 standings.

As if their District 3 schedule was not going to be tough enough, the Indians led their season off with the first of what would turn out to be three eventual State Semifinalist teams they would face this season, Class 1A top-five rated South Winneshiek. But, in the midst of an ensuing split versus fellow Northeast Iowa Conference teams, Decorah and Crestwood, the Indians suffered the loss of two senior leaders and key contributors to last season’s Class 2A State Runner-Up finish, Marshall Lyons and Jake Ronan. Add fellow senior leader Brennan Frick to the season-ending injury mix a week or so later, and throw in some lesser and nagging injuries at different key positions off and on throughout the season, and the makings of a 3-6 campaign are more than evident.

But, despite those injury and schedule challenges, the Indians gave three of the four teams that did qualify out of their District 3 some of their toughest battles of the season, making them earn their State Play-Off qualification. In fact, the Indians took their own State Play-Off qualification right down to the final play of the second to the last game of their season, a 27-20 loss at Center Point-Urbana, the team that, instead, claimed the final District 3 qualifying spot.