Red Devils Gearing Up to Send Off Seniors with Pride
EUREKA – Before the last home game of the 2022 season, the Eureka football team will honor its seniors under the bright lights of Pete FioFrito Stadium.
The Red Devils' senior class is a diverse cohort that features a committed group of players who have been through it all in their time 'neath the elms and on the turf of McKinzie Field. The common characteristic that connects all of them is their dedication and perseverance.
"It's a group that's been through a lot," EC head coach Kurt Barth said. "They've experienced the ultimate highs of winning a championship, and the ultimate lows of having a season canceled and not getting things that you hope for in a football experience and in a school experience. But they've persevered, they've hung with it, and they're finishing out strong."
The main event will follow the celebration at 6 p.m., when Eureka (2-5, 2-3 NACC) kicks off against Wisconsin Lutheran (2-4, 2-2 NACC) in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference action.
An Esteemed Class of Seniors
Some of Eureka's seniors are in the same unusual situation as other seniors across the country whose collegiate careers were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
This group has the option to decide to use a COVID waiver to play another season. They don't have to make up their mind now, and some are undecided and focusing on the present moment instead. Others, however, have already used the COVID waiver and are winding down their careers in maroon and gold with finality. On Saturday evening, at least 11 EC seniors are planning to take McKinzie Field for the last time.
The fifth-year players are Bryson Smith, Pierce Bradford, Nehemiah Butler and Gabe Newlin. The fourth-year players are Brendan Durr, Jack Arnett, Alex Brittain, Donovan Hathaway and Ben Wright. Garrett Wayne, a third-year player, will also be graduating.
The first group were all, in some way, a part of the 2018 NACC championship team. They experienced the pinnacle of team success early on, but they came into their own and became vital team contributors and leaders over the course of their careers.
Smith, a defensive end, was a contributor as a freshman in 2018 and he only got better with each passing season. An energetic, tone-setter, Barth said that Smith has grown as a player and leader.
He is interning with the Red Devils' strength and conditioning program this spring and has brought a new element to the team in that role. He has notched 88 total tackles, including 18 for loss, and made 9 1/2 sacks since 2018.
"He's had a fantastic career, and he's going to have a fantastic career as a strength coach as well," Barth said.
Bradford, a wide receiver, came to a team that didn't throw the ball very often in 2018 and started off as a return man.
Over the next four seasons, he became one of the most prolific wide receivers in program history. He is third in program history in receiving touchdowns with 19, fourth in program history in receiving yards with 1,624, and seventh in program history in yards per reception with 16.4. With 99 receptions, he's also one away from tying for fifth in program history with Alex Hess (2009-11) and Andy Craig (2002-04).
"He's been a fierce competitor and leader in our program," Barth said. "He's a hard-working young man, passionate about football; just has done a lot of great things here, and hopefully, he'll have a great day for us."
Doughty, a running back, is winding down a career filled with adversity. After showing a lot of promise as a freshman, he suffered a career-changing knee injury at the beginning of his sophomore year, and he has had to battle his way through other injuries since then. This season, he's managed to stay relatively healthy and has been productive for the Red Devils.
"His perseverance has been admirable," Barth said. "He could have walked away and nobody would have second-guessed him because of everything he's gone through. But to his credit, he's come back, worked hard and had a really good year."
Barth described Butler as "one of the most unselfish kids that I have seen." After playing a lot as a safety during his first couple of seasons, he made the move to running back because the Red Devils had so many injuries last season. He stepped up and had over 100 rushing yards in his first game. This season, he started off at running back and moved back to defense to continue to help fill the team's needs.
Newlin, a tight end, has also faced injuries in recent years. After being a positive contributor for the Red Devils' offense last season, he has seen limited action due to injury this season. Barth described him as another player who "has done everything the right way," always providing steady, dedicated effort.
"Talk about a kid that has persevered and kept coming back for more, even though things weren't always going his way," he said. "He's been an outstanding young man to have in the program."
Brittain, a four-year senior, has been a staple of the Red Devils' defensive line since 2019, a couple of injuries notwithstanding. He started off his career with a bang, getting named Freshman of the Year in the NACC and a member of the All-NACC First Team. A Eureka native, he has continued to be a defensive anchor for the Red Devils, and he's coming into Senior Night after producing two big sacks against Aurora last week.
Barth described Durr – a standout linebacker – as "the perfect model of a student-model of a student-athlete; tremendously talented and an even better young man." He is a 4.0 student, a team captain, is active in the weight room and a force on the field.
This season, Durr is averaging 8.1 total tackles per game. He has racked up a team-high 57 total tackles, including 23 solo efforts, 34 assists, 3 1/2 for loss, 1 1/2 sacks and one pass-breakups.
Arnett, a defensive back, has been a three-year starter in the Red Devils' secondary. He has improved every season, and he is currently second behind Durr in total tackles with 30, including 19 solos, 1 1/2 for loss and a team-high six pass breakups.
Hathaway, a defensive tackle, is another key defensive lineman who has been one of the most consistent players on that side of the ball for the last four seasons. He has stepped up on special teams and made several key blocks. This season, he has tallied 19 total tackles, including 13 assists and six solos. He also has a pair of big pass breakups.
Wright, like Butler, is another Red Devil who has stepped up, been unselfish and filled in wherever the team needed him. He started off on the defensive line, then he moved to the offensive line and special teams for a while. Finally, this fall, he found the right role for him as a starting defensive tackle, notching a career-high 19 total tackles and three big sacks.
"He's just been a hard-working kid, and it's good to see that," Barth said. "He stayed with it, kept working hard and kept doing things the right way, and in the end, it's paying off."
Brittan, Durr, Arnett, Hathaway and Wright all have another year of eligibility, should they change their mind.
Wayne, a third-year defensive back, has two years of eligibility remaining, but he is on track to graduate early. After getting his feet wet during the COVID 2020 spring season, he has been a key contributor to the Red Devils' secondary for the past two full seasons. This fall, he has notched a career-high 19 total tackles, including 12 solos, along with three pass breakups.
In Several Ways, Wisconsin Lutheran Mirrors Eureka
When Barth examines film of Wisconsin Lutheran, he sees a lot that is very familiar to him.
There are some different wrinkles here and there, but the team makeup, the formations, the sets, and even some of the results remind him of his squad.
"Really, I think it's like watching a clone of us," Barth said. "This is a very good matchup. I think the teams are very similarly built. It's a team that I know is going to play hard. They're going to do everything they can to get a win, just as I would say about our team.
"They believe in what they're doing, they're well-coached and they're going to get after us. We've got to match that intensity."
Wisconsin Lutheran comes to town with a 2-4 record on the season and a 2-2 record in NACC play. Like the Red Devils, they opened the season with very tough non-conference opponents and have had mixed results in league play.
The Warriors started off the NACC season with a 25-21 upset over traditionally strong Lakeland. They then got blown out by league leader Aurora, as Eureka did. The last two weeks have been generally encouraging. The team lost against St. Norbert, but it held the Green Knights to the surprisingly low score of seven points. Then, last week, the team earned its second league win of the season with a 52-35 triumph over Rockford.
Quarterback Matthew Davis went down with an injury in Week 6 against St. Norbert. Freshman Nate Griffith stepped up and completed 19-of-26 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns in the Rockford win in his absence.
The team's most consistent offensive player has been senior running back Justin Parbs. He scored four touchdowns and amassed 307 total yards last week and has 566 rushing yards on the year.
"He runs hard, he catches the ball well, is tough to tackle and he's got some elusiveness," Barth said of Parbs. "When I watch him, he's just a very good football player. I think that's the best compliment you can give somebody."
Junior Trevion Green is the team's top receiver with 344 yards and two TDs on 20 receptions, while Carter Schneider has hauled in 15 catches for 263 yards and a team-high four TDs.
Defensively, Barth says, the Warriors will make you be efficient and patient. They've been particularly solid against the run.
The Red Devils will need to get their running game and passing game back on track and in sync after a rough week against Aurora. Defensively, they will need to communicate better, tackle well and stick with the game plan.
When Eureka went to Wisconsin Lutheran last fall, the Red Devils were thin on numbers and they lost two starting linebackers due to injury early in the game. It ended up being a high-scoring shootout, and the maroon and gold couldn't keep up, ultimately falling 68-41.
The team is in much better position to compete and succeed this time around.
"We've just got to do things the right way," Barth said.
