Superior Spartans
Posted at: 08/28/2012 5:30 PM
| Updated at: 08/28/2012 10:53 PM
By: Laura Kennedy
lkennedy@wdio.com
Superior ventured to Rhinelander last Friday and came back with a victory in their season opener.
Head coach Bob DeMeyer says what the Spartans lack in depth, they make up for in enthusiasm.
"We've had kids just step up and accept the challenge," DeMeyer said. "It's a competition every day to earn a spot."
Superior always has a tough travel schedule. Their closest road game is still more than an hour away. But the Spartans say its worth it to play in one of the best conferences in Wisconsin.
"The more competition the better. Who doesn't wanna play the best?" said Aaron Wakefield, Superior's junior running back. "You get used to the long bus rides. Especially being three sport athletes, we do it all the time. We're always traveling."
In fact, senior middle linebacker Benjamin Erickson says the players and coaches make productive use of their travel time.
"Usually we have our playbooks in hand on the bus. We get a sheet that we go over," Erickson said. "We go over every single play on offense and defense, and we usually relax."
But sometimes the return trips get a little long.
"On the way there it's not that big of a deal because we're all jacked for the game. But the rides home are terrible," said Spencer Urban, Superior's senior quarterback. "We're so tired, we're sore. We're sitting on the bus next to someone as big as we are."
Travel has become a Spartan tradition. And tradition is one of the character traits the Superior coaches try to instill in their players every day before practice.
"There's so much more that goes along with football than just being on the football field," Urban said.
"They're not just teaching us how to win football games. They're teaching us how to become better men," Erickson said. "I think that's an everlasting thing that'll travel down with us our whole life."
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