Today marks the start of the 2018 competition season for the West Central Valley Wildcats varsity football team. The Wildcats will travel to Urbandale tonight for a nondistrict contest against the Des Moines Christian Lions. West Central Valley has improved each of Eric Addy’s three seasons as head football coach, posting a 3-6 campaign last fall. Des Moines Christian avoided a winless 2017 campaign by prevailing in their regular season finale against Woodward-Academy, 28-21. During Monday’s Wahl McAtee Tire and Service Center Guthrie County PM Sports Page, Addy explained DMC wasn’t your typical 1-8 squad and complimented the Lions’ starting quarterback Jackson Waring. “I know a lot of their losses earlier on, they didn’t have (Waring starting),” Addy said, “(Waring’s) a really good player, and he’s got a connection with some of the wide receivers (on the team). They’re going to make plays on offense, and we have to limit those plays that they do make.”

Waring threw three touchdown passes, each to a different receiver, in Des Moines Christian’s season finale triumph over Woodward-Academy. West Central Valley has the luxury of returning several playmakers from the 2017 season including the quarterback-receiver combo of seniors Carson Wadle and Cole Arnburg. The duo connected on 22 passes for nearly 700 yards (693) and 12 total touchdowns. The varsity kickoff between West Central Valley and Des Moines Christian is around 7 p.m. tonight from Des Moines Christian High School in Urbandale.