This football season the Wesleyan Wolves football coaches and players hope to build a positive and supportive team culture. The record might be all that fans see on the outside, but there is much more going into this year’s football team than meets the eye.
The wolves do more than play on Friday nights; the week begins Monday morning with a before-school lift, followed by practice after school. Practice takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday as well and is followed by a walkthrough before school on Thursday. The Thursday morning walkthrough is a one-hour practice before school in which all the players go through all of the plays planned for the game on Friday night, it is on the game field, with no pads, very low intensity, but super high energy.
Through four games of the season, the football team has won three of them against Commerce, Best Academy and Elbert County, and had a tough loss to North Hall, leaving the wolves with a winning record of 3-1. In order to get the team into a winning mindset, the coaches seek to build culture in fun creative ways. When asked about the team culture, Coach Brandon Siegler said, “The best teams I’ve ever had, has players that were the drivers of the team, and that’s want you want, and what we have.”
Senior Conn Hardy said, “I want everyone to be playing for each other, and for there to be a sense of brotherhood throughout the team where it feels like you got to give everything you have for the guy next to you.” While the result on Friday nights only shows part of the story, the Wolves team is building something more than a strong record. Through early mornings, long practices, and hard work, the Wolves are creating a culture rooted in hard work, unity, and brotherhood. It is clear that the senior leaders are expecting a great season, and so are the guys they are leading.
Senior Coleman Eldridge said, “One of my favorite parts of the week is Thursday morning practice because they’re always fun, even though we have to wake up very early.” He also mentioned that he loves Coach Candler Baxley’s silly antics, like wearing shirts that are two sizes too small.
The team has built a great culture with super fun traditions on and off campus. The newly added “turnover belt” is given now give to a defensive player that causes or receives a turnover during the game. Players also have pregame chapel before games, where one of the coaches gives a devotional from a chapter in the motivational or spiritual grounded book they are reading.
The Wesleyan Football Wolves are brewing a great 2025 season and would love as many students in the stands as possible to support them. As the season unfolds, don’t just watch the games, watch the bond grow.
