September 9, 2020
Edgewood Crusaders savor fall football opportunity
Jon Masson, Wisconsin State Journal
Madison Edgewood football coach Jesse Norris has a roster filled with sophomores and juniors that he considers young, but talented.
Norris, eager to see how they will come together as a team, is thrilled the Crusaders have the opportunity to play football this fall.
“I’m really happy we are able to go this fall,” said Norris, hired as Crusaders’ coach in 2018. “It’s awesome for our kids. It’s great they have the opportunity.”
Concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and county health guidelines varying across counties led area schools to make different decisions about academic models and athletics this school year — including for football, which is considered a “higher-risk” sport.
Edgewood is the lone Madison school and one of 13 area schools playing football this fall. The other area schools plan to play during the WIAA’s alternative spring season.
“It’s just about letting our kids play the game. It doesn’t matter where.”
JEsse Norris, EdgeWood FootBall Coach
We couldn’t agree More. No New Stadium
“I honestly didn’t expect that we were going to be able to play this fall, so it was definitely good news to hear those words,” said Edgewood senior Charlie Clark, a 6-foot-7, 302-pound offensive and defensive lineman. “It was a really big surprise, really nice to hear, especially because we will be able to show how we’ve improved over the summer.”
Said junior quarterback and cornerback Joe Hartlieb: “I was super-excited. We’ve been throwing all summer with the receivers, so we have been prepared and are ready for the season.”
The first day for football equipment handout for football was Monday, followed by the start of practices. Edgewood had its first practice Tuesday.
“I’m super-excited,” Crusaders junior receiver and safety Jackson Trudgeon said. “I’m just happy we get an opportunity to prove ourselves. I think we are really fortunate, so we have to try to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Due to strict Public Health Madison and Dane County guidelines, Edgewood has scheduled all road games, beginning with a Sept. 25 contest at Watertown.
“It’s just about letting our kids play the game,” Norris said. “It doesn’t matter where. We’ll play in a cornfield if we have to. Being able to play football is important. … The benefit is the mental health of our kids. With being virtual (for academics), this gives them an outlet.”
Norris said coaches talk to players about handling adversity and that they are learning life lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the season will give them an opportunity to play and he believes the team can do it safely.
Edgewood, a member of the Badger Conference, was supposed to play football in the Rock Valley Conference this fall in the WIAA’s realigned football conference setup. Now, the Crusaders will play non-conference games.
Norris expects there will be limitations on the numbers of spectators at games, which likely will differ by school. Trudgeon said that will be a different experience, taking away from the normal high school atmosphere he enjoys.
Norris said Edgewood and its opponent each week plan to be in contact with health updates on Wednesdays or Thursdays to make certain the game can be played in a safe and healthy fashion.
Norris said he contacted Dane County health officials and went over his practice plan. Each gathering of 25 on a field has to be separate, so the 55-player team is divided into smaller groups for practices, such as varsity, JV and offensive linemen and defensive linemen. Cones are used to maintain socially distancing.
Norris said Edgewood had a successful workout/weightlifting period and five contact days in July during the permitted time this summer, without players becoming ill or exposed.
Temperatures were checked and wellness interviews conducted, and individuals wore masks and stayed socially distanced (6 feet apart), Norris said. Offensive linemen and defensive linemen were kept socially distanced and there was no one-on-one contact. Blocking bags were wiped down.
“We’ve been doing what we needed to do — at a successful rate,” Norris said. “We followed CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines. Our athletic director, Chris Zwettler, was phenomenal in getting that running.”
Zwettler addressed the team prior to Tuesday’s opening practice about the opportunity ahead.
Norris believes the team’s successful summer program gave Edgewood’s administrators confidence to move ahead this fall.
Edgewood, which was 1-8 last season, now will continue with the county health protocols during practices.
Typical blocking and tackling drills will be altered. For instance, blocking bags can be used instead of live tackling, Norris said.
“We won’t really be able to do any major contact in practice, so that might hinder our ability at games, unless we can find a different way to have contact,” said Clark, who’s receiving interest from NCAA Division I programs. “Without that, we won’t know what a real game experience feels like.”
The Edgewood players will have helmets with splash shields available. They can wear masks during games, but aren’t required to, Norris said. The coaches are scheduled to wear masks on the sideline during games, he said.
The Crusaders use a no-huddle offense, meaning they don’t use the traditional, tightly bunched huddle to play calls.
Despite the changes, Norris is glad the Crusaders have the opportunity this fall.
“It’s a blessing,” said Norris, whose roster has five seniors. “We’re the only school in Madison and one of two or three in Dane County (Marshall and Cambridge, which is in Dane and Jefferson counties). We don’t take that responsibility lightly.”