This fall the Varsity Football team here at Williston will begin a new season with more changes than the average year.

 The Wildcats have moved up into the Erickson League, as well as receiving a new head coach, and multiple other additions to their coaching staff.

The past 40 years have seen only two head football coaches until this point. The last one was Athletic Director, Mark Conroy, and before him was Rick Francis.

Coach Tom Beaton will be filling the role of Williston head football coach.

When asked what Coach Beaton has brought to the team, senior quarterback Ian Ostberg said, “Coach Beaton has brought a fresh competitive attitude and a new playbook that incorporates some advanced elements of football. He has high standards and high expectations for us, which is really bringing out an exciting team.”

Ian and senior linebacker Derek Zewinski both agreed playing at the higher level would be challenging, but they are eager to continue the football team’s long streak of winning records.

“The higher platform will be a challenge, but I think the Wildcats will step up and continue our tradition of success on the football field,” Ian said. “It will take more than just athleticism, and we know that we need to be sharp and prepared to play to the best of our abilities.”

Derek said, “I think we are ready to put together a winning season. We have solid returners but what is going to put us over the top is our new players.”

Derek said he is happy with the the new additions to the coaching staff, including Coaches Porter and Stern.

“With the amount of knowledge he shares, it is tough to believe how young Coach Porter is,” Derek said. “He is a great guy, very personable, and a true motivator. On top of that Coach Stern brings his many years of experience to the linebacker corps.

He added that, “Overall, this is no doubt the best group of coaches I have ever played for.”

Coaching is an intergral part of what makes players perform at their best, but the majority of the effort has to come from the players on the field. And Williston has many new players to be on the lookout for.

Ian went into detail on a few of the players to keep your eyes on.

“There’s lots of new players on offense to be excited about,” he said. “New additions to the offensive line such as Bert Aulean and Andrew Marshall will surely have a huge impact.”

At skill positions, Ian said, “We’ve gained a couple new threats in the passing game too, such as Nate Balthazard, Brandyn Jones, and Austin Ryan, who all have the ability to shine as playmakers.”

He also noted that “Williston football isn’t about just one or two guys. We take pride in using every athlete we have to the fullest of their potential and really sharing touches on offense to keep the defense on their toes.”

Ian remained upbeat and positive about the new seasons, and said he doesn’t let nerves get to him.

“I try not to be nervous about anything because you can’t play football nervous,” he said.

He added, “I know how hard the team has worked in preparation, and with the limited amount of opportunities we get in the season, I really hope that we are able to come out of the gate strong, rather than feeling like we can take the first few games as adjustment games for the new league.”

Catch the Wildcats first home game on Saturday, October 1st against Taft, at 7 p.m. under the lights of Sawyer Field.