The hard times seem to be coming to an end for Waterloo East’s football program. The Trojans dominated the state of Iowa in the 60s and 70s, compiling a 56 game unbeaten streak which still ranks as the state record. But the program fell on hard times in the late 90s and 2000’s, winning just four games in the decade before current coach Kody Asmus took the helm.
Under Asmus, the Trojans qualified for the postseason for the first time in two decades last year, and with a win over Dubuque Senior on Friday, would secure a winning season for the first time since 1999. Asmus says that notching a winning season would be a big step in the process of returning the East High program to its past glory.
He says qualifying for the playoffs and winning a game is the next step as is winning a playoff game. Asmus equated getting the Trojan program going in the right direction to getting a baby to walk for the first time. He says you can’t walk until you crawl and they are slowly moving along and getting their feet underneath them.
Asmus says the difference at East is in his players’ mindset, not the talent level at the school. He says they’ve always had talent, but the players are buying into the system and executing the game plan.
East High will be a part of the Class 4A playoff field next week, marking their first consecutive postseason appearances since the late 80s.
By Jesse Gavin, KCNZ, Cedar Falls