Hafner Impressed With Squad

William Penn University Head Coach Todd Hafner leads his team to the field at Homecoming 2012.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The William Penn University Football Team will open at home on Saturday, August 28th, 2021, at 6 pm against perpetual powerhouse Benedictine from Kansas.

Now in his 18th season at the helm of the Statesmen, Head Coach Todd Hafner talked with Oskaloosa News about his team. “We have good kids. We have good football players on our team right now.”

“Our team chemistry right now seems to be as good as it’s been in such a very long time. It makes it so much easier to come out when it’s 95 degrees and the Sun’s beating down on you when you know your kids are going to work hard and try and do the right thing- and encourage each other.”

The squad has approximately 150 athletes at practice every day, and for Hafner, that can be both a blessing and a curse. “We have enough good players that cause some hard decisions. Who’s going to be the starter, who’s going to be the backup or the third-string guy. Then you have to tell the ones that have been practicing hard and are really good football players that they didn’t quite make the cut.”

“We’ll put some of those kids on the scout team, go make us better on offense and defense, get them in the weight room for a year, put a red shirt on them, and give them the extra year at the end,” added Hafner.

For area fans that haven’t had the opportunity to watch college-level football, the game is much faster than a high school contest.

Hafner said the players that adjust to the speed of the game the fastest are the ones that make the travel squad as a young player. “The ones that can make that adjustment the fastest are the ones that play the soonest.”

Super Seniors like quarterback Alex Crehan, fullback Ben Sherman, tight-end Adrian Aviles have opted to return, using the COVID extra year for another chance to return to the field.

“It’s made for good leadership because they know what to expect,” says Hafner of the returners both on offense and defense.

The injury-plagued Statesmen battled that adversity to end the season with a winning record. “We really did some good things toward the end of the season.”

“Kids stepped up and did a great job for us, and maybe made us better because we had to play some kids that wouldn’t have normally played,” says Hafner. “That gave them some really good experience. We’re hoping that they can take that experience and bring it into this year and make us a better football team with more depth.”

Hafner hopes to see the number of fans in the stands grow for Oskaloosa’s hometown college team. “We play good football, and our kids have a lot of fun.”

You can find out more about the William Penn University Football Team and all of the other athletics that are taking place now by visiting https://www.statesmenathletics.com/index