Football tradition the stuff of legends

TUSCOLA – By about any standard, the football program at Tuscola High School has evolved into the area's best.

Under the direction of head coach Stan Wienke, the Warriors have qualified for the postseason playoffs 13 consecutive years. Only one other area school, St. Joseph-Ogden (16 years) has a longer active streak.

Tuscola won every game last year en route to the Class 1A state championship. No opponent was closer than 11 points to Tuscola and it won the championship contest over Aledo, 35-20.

The 14 wins the Warriors accumulated in 2006 boosted the school's total in 112 years of football competition to 605 victories. The lone area school with more triumphs on the gridiron is Champaign Central with 640.

Amazingly since Tuscola athletes first donned the pads for a varsity football game, the school has won an average of two out of every three games. The school's all-time winning percentage is 66.3 percent.

Tuscola's 19 total playoff appearances are also the area's second-best all-time total, trailing rival Arcola by one.

The success and consistency are reasons Tuscola's football program is at the level other schools seek to attain.