Prep football: Revitalized Eau Claire North in playoff contention for first time in 13 years
Sep. 29—This is unfamiliar territory for the Eau Claire North football team, but there's nowhere else the Huskies would rather be.
For the first time in 13 years, North is in playoff contention as the season rolls into October. The Huskies are 2-2 in the Big Rivers Conference and are playing high-stakes games deep into the season. They haven't been able to say that since 2009, when their postseason hopes were still alive entering the penultimate week of the regular season.
"We're definitely more up at practice, guys are running around and getting a lot more stuff done," quarterback Jack Kein said. "Our motto this season is 'change the culture,' and you can see that kind of happening right now."
"(The energy) is definitely different," first-year coach Matt McGinnis said. "That's a credit to the kids, the seniors and upperclassmen leaders. They're keeping these guys dialed in. Coaches have to bring energy every day, but it's really on the kids to have a player-led program."
North can guarantee itself a playoff spot for the first time since 1998 if it can win two of its final three games. The Huskies are fully aware of the challenge ahead. Their remaining opponents — Hudson, New Richmond and River Falls — have a combined record of 15-3 entering Week 7.
They'll face some of the top teams the Big Rivers has to offer across the final three weeks of the season, starting with Hudson on Friday at Carson Park. But with postseason dreams at stake, they're excited for the test. After years of playing late-season games with little on the line, the Huskies are glad to have the opportunity.
"It's huge," Kein said. "We got a big win last week. We're coming off a huge momentum swing. I think we've got to use some of that heading into this week."
The Huskies put themselves firmly on the playoff bubble with a historic win over Menomonie last week. The 20-6 victory over the Mustangs' was the program's first since 1991, and showed that North can play with anybody when it's at its best. The Huskies were in control from start to finish against a team that dominated them for more than three decades.
The win was nice, but the celebration was short-lived. The Huskies know there's work ahead.
"We've got a lot of momentum right now, but we've got a really good team coming to town this week," Kein said.
That kind of focus has helped the Huskies win two of their last three games. In addition to the victory over Menomonie, North beat Superior 21-0 in Week 4. It's the first time the Huskies have strung together two victories in such a span since 2010, when they won two straight to end the season.
It's been satisfying for the players, who are seeing the fruits of their long-term buy-in to the program.
"I think a big part of it is leadership," Kein said. "This group of seniors has really bought in to what Coach McGinnis is talking about, and I think it's been showing. It's been good."
It started with belief, and it's grown into results.
"A lot of it is believing that you can do it, and the other thing is that these guys have also put in the work to put themselves in a position to be competitive with teams," McGinnis said. "They've put in work to have that belief. ... Before the season, you definitely hope that's going to happen. You try not to get ahead of yourself, but I'm just really happy for them because it's something that they've wanted to do since they got here. Now their hard work is paying off.
"There's still a lot to do — we still have three really tough games left — but it's still really good to see."
