Caleb Moyer of Wapakoneta attempts to break away from Vinny Vendetta of Bath on Friday night.
Chris Howell | The Lima News
One thing is clear about football in the Western Buckeye League.
The road to the title always runs through Wapakoneta.
In the last decade, the Redskins have only missed out on at least a share of the league championship twice, in 2020 when one wasn’t given out, and in 2017 when St. Marys won it outright.
Last Friday night’s 48-20 win over Bath gave Wapak the league title outright for the eighth time, and for the 16th time in WBL history, the Reskins claimed at least a share of the crown, which has now happened six years in a row.
Though it’s something that happens often in Wapakoneta, no one inside the program has taken the opportunity for granted.
“You can never take it for granted,” said Wapakoneta coach Travis Moyer. “Our kids have worked extremely hard in the offseason to give ourselves an opportunity to compete because there is no guarantee that we’re going to win every year. For us to have that sustained success makes me grateful and thankful for every player and coach that’s come through our program and how hard they’ve worked to be a part of it.
“Championships aren’t easy and we understand that. To be able to get our sixth consecutive championship and to win it outright, there’s just not enough I can say about how proud I am.”
Moyer often refers to the journey of winning the WBL as “the steps.”
And every Friday night since Aug. 30, the Redskins have taken one step toward the goal of winning the league championship. Now they have an opportunity to finish a perfect regular season on Friday against Celina.
It’s all a part of a winning culture that starts in the weight room during the offseason and continues all the way up until gameday with planning and preparation.
“It’s the culture around here that coach Moyer built,” said Kaden Page, the team’s leading receiver with 951 yards and seven touchdowns. “It’s just winning. Winning everything we do whether it’s practice or competing in the game. As a young kid in Wapak, that’s all you see and all you know, so that’s what we do.”
Moyer, who’s in his 11th season at Wapak, now has a record of 101-24 at the school with a career record of 219-52 as a head coach. This year his team has scored a league-leading 36 points per game with an average of 405 yards on offense. Defensively, they’ve limited opponents to 12 points per game and 223 yards per contest.
“It all starts in preparation Monday through Thursday,” said quarterback Caleb Moyer, who owns the top passer rating in the WBL at 212.4. “Our coaching staff does a great job setting us up for success and all 11 guys hold up their responsibility. Receivers get open, line blocks up front and it’s a team game.”
Moyer, a potential favorite to be named WBL Player of the Year, has passed for 2,012 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes. Moyer has also yet to throw an interception through 168 pass attempts.
“Caleb is special and we’re very fortunate to have him,” an emotional Travis Moyer said of his son and starting quarterback. “He’s grown up around the game and I’m so proud of the man he’s become and the fact that he continues to get better.”
There’s the father-son connection on the team, then of course, some brother-to-brother ties that connect the past to the present.
Starting running back Jarrett Mullen and his older brother Jace have both played roles on WBL championship teams at Wapak.
“I remember watching my big brother (Jace) play when I was a little kid and winning championships,” Jarrett Mullen said. “I always wanted to be like him. I finally got my shot and it feels great to come out on top.”
Mullen, who also serves as the team’s kick-returner and at defensive back, has made the most of his opportunities this season with 1,456 all-purpose yards (595 rushing, 379 receiving, 337 kickoff return, 118 punt return, 27 INT/fumble return yards).
“This (outright WBL championship) means everything to us,” Mullen said. “Everybody’s put in the time, put in the work and it feels great to come out on top.”
The payoff for many long hours in the film room and at practice was evident on Friday night and the Redskins have yet another banner to show for it.
“It’s a bond we’ll always have,” Caleb Moyer said. “We’ll always remember this and that’s a great feeling. I’ve been around the program for all these years and just watching those guys win when I was younger made it something I wanted to do. It’s awesome that we accomplished it. It’s a team effort every night.”
Wapakoneta is a well-oiled machine on Friday nights. Whether it’s offense, defense, special teams, coaches, managers, or the support of the community, everyone plays a part in the sustained success of the program.
For the Redskins, it’s that collective effort that makes the accomplishment so sweet.
“Everyone works together,” Page said. “We have the fans in the stands, the coaches working their butts off and of course my teammates. These are the guys I grew up with and the combination of those things firing on all cylinders is a great thing.”
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on Twitter/X at @Lima_Howell
