The WMU football team had a tough 2-7 season last year, but this year they are looking to turn it around with a seasoned team.

On offense Max Fricke comes back as the quarterback, and although his throwing numbers had no touchdowns and three interceptions, he brings back 646 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, and is the best of the ground game returning. Also returning in Thayne McElhinney with 212 yards. As far as throwing goes, each receiver had just one catch last year.

Defensively the Wolves lose their top tackler, but Kyle Davis comes back with his 50 tackles, and Jake Edwards and Sam Jennings also come back with 35 plus tackles each. In the secondary McElhinney and Fricke will need to be the leaders with two interceptions last year.

Special teams wise there is no kicker, but for punting, Jennings will take over with 37 punts last year for 1,038 yards.

Head coach Scott McCarty said in their scrimmage last week, his team worked on a balanced attack, which included doing something that wasn’t a highlight of last season.

“We threw the ball better [at their scrimmage], last year we were absolutely horrendous throwing the ball, and had we kept stats, I think we may have doubled our output from last year throwing the ball,” McCarty said. “We did a lot of good things [Friday night] it was good to see.”

WMU starts off with Wapello this Friday at home, and will then travel to Iowa Valley on September 6. WMU will host Danville on September 13 and Highland on September 20 before hitting the road again against Lisbon on September 27.

The Wolves will host Lone Tree on October 4, and WACO for their rivalry on October 11, before wrapping up the season on the road against Van Buren, Keosauqua October 18 and New London October 25.