Wheeler returns to coach Covington

Aug. 12—COVINGTON, Ind. — The term Trojan Pride is something that is not taken lightly by current and former Covington High School football players.

So after a 3-7 record last year under Mike cross, Covington looked to one of its past players to bring the pride back.

"What I attribute Trojan Pride to is Unity, discipline, respect, drive, accountability, communication, versatility, leadership, work ethic and sportsmanship," Wheeler said. "Another slogan is Onward. We are not going to worry about what happened last year and all the problems. We are going for a fresh start."

Wheeler played from the 2007-2010 seasons and in his senior season, the Trojans were 6-4 after some slow seasons. He wants to follow in the footsteps of his coach, Phil Cunningham.

"It's pretty exciting to walk the same hallways that you had before in high school," Wheeler said. "In our 2009 push with Phil Cunningham as coach, We wanted to bring Trojan Pride back to the community and build something the town can be proud of off and on the field. It's always to been in the back of my mind, but I get to finally live it. I know this community well except for the four years I was gone for college, but to bring pride back here is something special."

When he was named coach earlier this season, Wheeler saw a little bit of that pride come into action.

"I was proud of the group of guys that came in to life after I was named coach," Wheeler said. "They were able to come in at 6:30 a.m. and lift before school. There were at least 15-20 guys coming in consistently. I am excited to see what that grows into."

Wheeler said there will be 30 players in the final roster and he said that there will be an even split of newcomers and veterans.

"To have 15 new along with the 15 older guys is amazing because of the influx of youth has created a spark," Wheeler said. "Kobe Townsend and Levi Marcinko are the veterans on the line, Wyatt Moncrief will be our quarterback for us, Andrew Bechtold will be our wide receiver and Mike Jones will be our tackle.

"I was worried about those guys because I will be their fourth coach in four years and that is extremely hard to buy into a program when you had to have shifted. They have put in the work, they are silent leader types and they have pushed it into the weight room and I am proud of how they bought in.'

For the newcomers, Wheeler says he has a good amount of them that can make an impact this season

"We have Max Waddell and Bieron Saliji at wide receiver," Wheeler said. "Max is 6-foot-4, so he is going to be tough to stop. Bierion is a track athlete who played tennis last year, but he has picked up the game quickly. He is a good kid and has worked hard in the weight room. We moved our top returning wide receiver Cian Moore to running back and he is looking good there.

"As far as leader for the entire crew, it has been Ben Christoff. He's a junior and the kids gravitate toward him. He is a big physical kid and if he buys in, everyone gets in line. He held the 15-year-old dead lift state record in Illinois and held it national record for a while. He sets the attitude and the tone for practices."

The Trojans will start the season with two home games, which Wheeler said is important for the team.

"I am excited to play both Tri-County and South Newton at home," Wheeler said. "It would be great to get going and the kids are ready to go. We are going into that time where kids just want to hit someone with a different jersey color on."

When the Wabash River Conference part of the season starts, he will see familiar faces like North Vermillion coach Brian Crabtree and Fountain Central coach Herb King, who Wheeler was an assistant to at Seeger.

"Coach Crabtree has done a great job at North Vermillion, so that will be a challenge," Wheeler said. "Fountain Central will be tough because I am going against the man that taught me all I know about being a coach. We have become friends and maintained that."

While the friendship between the coaches are tight, the Trojans and Mustangs are trying to take their rivalry to new heights.

"The last couple of years, things have been chippy in a few sports with them and we are planning a rivalry game with a trophy like Indiana and Purdue with the Old Oaken Bucket," Wheeler said. "We are going to have a joint meal during the week of the game to talk and reemphasize sportsmanship and see each other outside of the four quarters."

All and all, Wheeler said while the main goal is winning, a major goal is making sure the players know and show the pride that the Trojans can bring.

"We are excited for the season," Wheeler said. "We are trying to grow young men. We went out in the community over the summer to give back and show them what Trojan pride is all about. The wins and losses will come and go, but it is about what you give to those young men to make them better."