By TYLER HENRY
JC Post contributor
After a winless 2021 campaign, the Herington Railers football team is under new management as Boyd Peterson takes the reigns for his inaugural season at the helm.
“I’m trying to build on what was started here under the previous coach,” Peterson said. “I think these kids are having fun and we’re trying to keep things interesting every day in practice, so far we think it’s been going well.”
While the Railers are embarking on a quest for their first win since 2020, Peterson has a lot of confidence in the players on his roster and has been working hard to impart that confidence into them.
“Our biggest focus is on staying positive,” he said. “If you’re not positive, how can you succeed?’ You have to visualize something happening before you can do it and the only person that can make that happen is you. We want to instill that self-fulfilling empowerment into our kids.”
Despite what last year’s record might say, Herington doesn’t see this as a pure rebuilding season, and the Railers will enter their 2022 campaign with something to prove in 8-Man Division I.
“I think our whole team is going to surprise people,” Peterson said. “I’ve been telling them that we’re a good team, we’re a playoff team, we just need to be willing to put our nose to the grindstone and move past our bad days.”
Offensively, the Railers will be led by a newcomer to the district in quarterback Justin Widler, who has the potential to completely change the dynamic of the Herington offense.
“Justin may be new but he’s the type of guy that does whatever you ask him to do,” he said. “He wants nothing more than to play football at the next level and he brings that alpha mentality with him.”
Cameron Svitak will join Widler in the backfield, while guys like Mason Mortenson and Will Lingenfelser add additional size at tight end to an already stacked offensive line.
“Our strength will be in our size this year, Peterson said. “We have some dudes that are willing to move people and we take pride in our physicality.”
That line will consist of Peyton Taylor, Tristan Swarts, and Damion Woods, with Swarts and Woods pulling double duty on the D-Line as well.
The rest of the defense will consist of Justin Widler and Kris Jones at linebacker, Tyus Becker and Cameron Svitak at safety, and Ben Eggleston and Will Lingenfelser at corner.
“We want our defense to be known for straight-up physicality,” Peterson said. “If they’re not willing to put their mark on the game in that way our defense isn’t going to work. We need guys that are willing to be the hammer.”
On both sides of the ball the Railers remain hopeful that if they can add a new sense of confidence to their physical brand of football, they can more than exceed expectations and raise the bar this fall.
“I want to get this team to the playoffs for the first time in a long time and if we can do that I think people should be a little nervous,” he said. “If these kids get some confidence and hit their stride you never know what can happen.”
Herington will open their 2022 season with a road trip to Wakefield to take on a Bombers squad coming off a 1-6 season of their own.
For more on Railer football all season long stay tuned to the JC Post.