SOUTH WHITLEY - The way Whitko football coach Bryan Sprunger figures it, the success of this year's team can be traced back to a speech he gave to his team when grueling two-a-day practices were common and cool weather was welcomed rather than dreaded.

"I told the kids early this year 'There's nothing this football team can give you,'" he recalls. "It's the players and the coaches. It comes down to what they're willing to give to the program.

"If they're willing to give to it, then they'll receive from it."

The players put in their effort. What they have received is a 7-2 record and a trip to the second round of the sectional. They will be at No. 6 (3A) Harding, another 7-2 team, at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

How much have the players given to the program?

Practices that were detested under the hot August sun are, if you can believe it, "boring" now.

That's what Sprunger says, anyway.

"Practice is short," he says. "We start at 3:40 and we're done at 5:10. An hour and a half. It's getting boring.

"But that's a good sign. That means they're understanding what we want, and they're getting it done."

How far the Wildcats have come.

At the beginning of the year, Sprunger had many question marks for this season.

With only six seniors, how will this young bunch fare?

With one starter returning on the offensive line, will it ever be more than makeshift?

Who will be the quarterback?

Surprisingly well, yes and Jimmy Linn are the answers to Sprunger's questions.

When the regular season ended, the Wildcats had scored 166 points and given up 152. Only a 14-point difference, yet his players were 7-2.

They earned the handsome record by bucking a trend. Young teams typically make crucial mistakes and turn the ball over often.

Not this team.

No, these Wildcats handled the ball much better than last year's veteran team that went 8-3 and advanced to the sectional championship before losing to Harding, 23-15.

"I figured it up today (Tuesday), and we're +14 on the turnover ratio this year," Sprunger says. "I think it's 26 (opponent turnovers) to 12 (Whitko turnovers).

"That's played a big part. That's almost +2 a game.

"We're an opportunistic group."

Scott Barker was a tight end last season. Sprunger penciled him in at offensive tackle early this year. Outside of him, Sprunger picked out a bunch of new guys.

They are Dustin Patrick at center, Ray Smith and Robbie Nieto at guard, Mark Christian at the other tackle and Alan Wagner at tight end.

Behind the new line, Wildcat runners have rushed for more than 175 yards in eight of the nine games. They have gone over 400 twice.

"One of the big places we've improved is our offensive line," Sprunger says. "You look at our films. I can show you against Southwood - they were stunting - and we did not get it picked up. Against Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley and Blackford, they picked it up very well.

"You have to give our offensive line coaches - Brian Balsmeyer and Dave Lopshire - credit."

The linemen are the bodyguards for Linn, the quarterback who has turned out to be Whitko's playmaker.

He leads the Wildcats with 657 rushing yards on 118 carries. His athletic ability that allows him to run Whitko's misdirection plays almost flawlessly has caused other coaches to sit up and take notice.

He has become the center of their game plans.

"Whitko's more of a threat this year," Harding coach Steve Cooley says. "They don't have the two big, physical backs (Arrick Custer, Neil Hodges) they had last year. However, they do possess a quarterback who is a threat every time he touches the football.

"He's a good one."

Linn, a tailback turned starting quarterback, is passing well now after struggling earlier in the season. He hooked up with wingback Tim Mason, the fastest player on Whitko's team, for 25- and 53-yard touchdown passes in last week's 43-6 win over Blackford.

"I think we completed one pass our first two games," Sprunger says. "Now I think we have completed 23 passes this year. We're not a great passing team, but our percentage (of completions) is high.

"That comes back to our running game. Last week, the Blackford free safety was coming up to the line of scrimmage and making tackles. So we did a little play-action pass, brought him up, then threw it over the top of his head."

Adjusting.

Maturing.

Sprunger's team has done those two things this season.

You almost get the impression that Sprunger wants to say this bunch tries too hard, if that's possible.

"I think we finally convinced them that we'll never play the perfect game," he says. "If we do, we're gonna be walking on water.

"What we're looking for when we call a perfect game is whether our 11 guys on the field are playing hard."

Giving to the program.

Sprunger's players are doing that this season. [[In-content Ad]]