The growth the West Central Valley high school football teams made under fourth-year head coach Eric Addy started showing up on the scoreboard last fall. The Wildcats are days away from opening the 2018 practice season, and the squad looks to build on a 3-6 campaign last year. Addy shares with Raccoon Valley Radio the season started and ended with a bang. “We had that crazy finish at AC/GC, and then we were able to beat Panorama for the first time in ten years.” Addy said, “It was good to start with a positive with a win and then end with a win.”

The Wildcats trailed by at least two touchdowns in the first half against AC/GC and Panorama before making a pair of game-winning comebacks. The Chargers held a 27-12 lead in the second half before West Central Valley scored 18 unanswered points for a 30-27 victory to open the season. Panorama held a 14-0 first-half lead over West Central Valley before the Wildcats scored 26 unanswered points to close the season with a win. Addy’s liking the way his team started handling adversity last season. “We kept going, stayed hungry and trusted the process,” Addy said, “Our guys did an awesome job in trusting us as coaches, and we did an awesome job, I feel, as coaches putting trust in our guys.”

Both AC/GC and Panorama are district opponents this season for West Central Valley. The Wildcats football team open the 2018 practice period Monday morning. The Wildcats start the competition season on Friday, August 24, against the Des Moines Christian Lions in Urbandale.