CLARK – The storm warning sirens have been on for the past two months as the Clark-Willow Lake Cyclones have pieced together a memorable fall season so far.
Clark-Willow Lake has lost just one football game, and came back to avenge that defeat two weeks later. The squad is rated just outside the top five in the latest Class 11B poll. The Cyclones are 15-0 in volleyball this season and rated fourth in the latest Class A poll. And the Clark-Willow Lake girls’ cross country team has won multiple meets and is coming off a championship at a meet this past week.
“This is my sixth year in Clark and being heavily involved in the Clark-Willow Lake coop, we’ve had a good run here kind of going to back to boys’ basketball season. Last year was pretty good for us, getting back to the state tournament,” said Clark athletic director Travis Ahrens. “Our wrestling program’s been pretty tough here since I’ve been here. We’ve had some place winners and some tough wrestlers, too. Things have been spread throughout, especially this fall with football, volleyball.”
Ahrens, who was quick to point out that Willow Lake plays a big role in the sports cooperative, said that numbers are key in the football program.
“I think the credit goes to the kids and the coaches,” Ahrens said. “Our head coach Dave Severson has done a great job building numbers in the program and getting kids out for football. … He’s a done great job getting kids in the weight room, and working on their strength and development in the off season. All the long hours in season and out of season that our coaches and kids have put in are starting to pay off and you’re starting to see the results of that.”
Ahrens also credited volleyball coach Betty McGraw for the development of the volleyball program, again building the program through off season work.
“We ramped up our off season JO volleyball programs, too. … Again, the extra work and effort of our coaches and kids have been paying off dividends there, too,” Ahrens said.
Ahrens said its probably been more than two decades since both the football and volleyball programs have competed at such a high level at the same time.
“As an administrator, dad and old coach myself, it’s fun to see kids devote themselves to something,” Ahrens said, “and I think it’s really special to the kids to see the rewards for all that effort that they put in.”
The Cyclones have been a force in girls’ cross country for the past couple of seasons, including a fifth place finish at the State A meet last fall.
“The girls have been really outstanding here the last 2-3 years,” Ahrens said.
Ahrens said that athletics are an important part of both schools.
“We’ve got fairly good participation between us and Willow Lake. I would say the vast majority of our students are involved in something. That’s what kind of obviously fuels a lot of potential for the success that we have,” Ahrends said. “It’s a lot of hard work. I would say we have competitive kids that want to do well and they’ve been willing to put a lot of time in. What’s been really cool as an adminstrator is for them to see the fruits of their labor.”
This past summer, the Clark-Willow Lake baseball team also had a solid run, making it to the State B American Legion tournament. Ahrens some of those guys are also a part of the programs this fall.
“We’ve got a lot kids that do a lot of things. That’s great to see, too, the multi-sport athlete,” Ahrens said. “I would say, it’s really no surprise the core of that baseball team is the core of our football team, and even some of those baseball players are some of the core of our cross country team.”
Ahrens said on top of competing in sports, the students are also involved in programs such as FCCLA, FFA, and also excel in the classroom.
“Every season they’re in something,” Ahrens said. “I don’t know how they do it, to be honest with you. I don’t when they eat or sleep sometimes and a lot of them are great students, too. We’re blessed right now, I would say.”
