E-PC Wildcatz use midnight practice to help energize them for the football season

PEARL CITY, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — Saturday was the first day high school football teams could practice in full pads. The Eastland-Pearl City Wildcatz got right into it. They hit the field at midnight this morning.

The moon was high overhead. The game field lights were on. Once it was officially midnight, the Wildcatz were ready to roll. These midnight sessions on the first Saturday of practices is a tradition head coach Jared McNutt started when he was the head coach at Warren.

“Our guys look forward to this night every year. I think they talk about it as soon as we hit like August.”

Despite the late or early hour, however you want to look at it, the energy level was ultra-high.

“I think a lot of our guys get really fired up because I feel like a lot of us get ready to come out and hit each other at night,” said EPC receiver/defensive back Tanner Stern.

“We get our full pads on and this kind of unleashed the beast really,” said McNutt. “The guys really get after it.”

So will this enthusiasm carry into the season?

“Yea, we’ve got most of our guys coming back from last year,” said running back/defensive lineman Jaxson Kempel. “I think we lost three or four starters, but everyone’s excited for this season.”

The Wildcatz only lost two key starters from last year’s team that went 3-6. They return their entire offensive line led by big Brody Voegly.

Speedy junior Draven Zier will be featured at running back. Senior Jackson Corbin returns at quarterback. He has a big target to get the ball to in 6’5 tight end Zy Haverland.

“Draven Zier is probably going to be one of the better athletes in the area,” said McNutt. “Zy Haverland, he’s just kind of a mountain of a guy, so we’re going to use those guys in different ways and hopefully get the ball to them in space. and in between the tackles and see what happens.

The Wildcatz will also lean heavily on Payton Spears at receiver. Back to lead the defense again is junior linebacker Will Birchen. He’s been starting on the varsity team since his freshman year. He is one of the toughest players in the NUIC.

The talent level between this EPC team and other recent EPC teams is definitely noticeable.

“This year I think that hopefully we can turn the corner,” said McNutt.

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