The boys in the Wauseon Youth Football League will be paying tribute to local veterans in a special night at Harmon Field.
The league will play two games beginning at 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15 and as part of the tribute will be wearing special U.S. flag emblems on their helmets and jerseys. Admission is free.
This is the 17th year for the league which was founded by three men, Rick Stidham, Tod, Emerson and Bob Norris. The league now has four commissioners, Mike Avina, Gaze Carroll, Pat Martin and Bill Orzechowski.
It’s a four-team league (Black, Red, White and Gray). The 65-player league has four coaches: Walter Smith, Black; Eric Borton, White; Joel Yackee, Gray and Sam Smith Sr., Red.
The league invested heavily into new helmets that follow Virginia Tech’s concussion protocol. There are new jerseys as well, Orzechowski said.
But the special part of the evening will be the tribute to the veterans, he said.
“We will honor any World War II veterans. We are going to announce their names between games,” Orzechowski said. “They will have a special area in the handicapped section of the bleachers to sit in.”
Even if they cannot make it to the game, World War II veterans are invited to register with the branch they served in and where they served, All veterans are invited to attend and be recognized as well.
WMTR 96.1 personality Kevin Stamm will be announcing the games.
The league has an assistant coach who is a veteran. Bret Mozena served with the Army in Afghanistan.
Concessions will be offered by Jan’s Hot Dogs of Toledo.
To register a veteran, contact Wauseon Football at 419-374-0028 or Wauseon Parks and Rec at 419-335-8334.
James Pruitt may be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com