The Green Bay East High School football team in action | Facebook/Green Bay East High Football
The Green Bay East High School football team in action | Facebook/Green Bay East High Football
On the eve of his second season as the head football coach at Green Bay East, Levi Nelson believes he fields a Red Devils team that thrives on its connectedness.
Quoting legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson, Nelson told the Green Bay Reporter, “They say the strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf.”
“[One of] our biggest strengths [is] we're hoping that it will be our connectedness, the way we care for each other,” he said. “My personal coaching philosophy and the philosophy of our program is based on the acronym L.E.A.D., and that stands for: ‘love, effort, attitude and discipline.’”
The Red Devils during Nelson’s first season compiled a 1-5 record in the alternate fall season that was played earlier this year, the website MaxPreps reported.
As disheartening as it was to notch just one win, Nelson is excited about what his sophomore season at the helm holds.
Among the players he touted is Henry Beiler, a senior, who was new to the game but worked his way to become a valuable asset in all three aspects.
“Henry had never played football before the spring, and in our alternate fall season, he came in and was a two-way starter for us, and was also our kicker and punter so we look forward to watching Henry [in] the senior season playing offense, defense and special teams,” Nelson said.
Nelson is especially high on junior Julio Perez, confident his efforts during the offseason will carry over into the real campaign.
“Julio is trying a new position on both on offense and defense,” he told the Green Bay Reporter. “So he, in my opinion and the coaching staff agrees, had the best offseason I think of any one of our athletes and we just felt like he needed to be more of a playmaker for us on both sides of the ball. So he is going to now play middle linebacker for us. And slot back on offense.”
The 2021 Red Devils also return all-conference senior two-way lineman Anthony Posenke.
“We're excited for him he is an offensive and defensive lineman,” Nelson said.
As for his expectations of the season, the coach said it’ll take at least a decade to judge its success.
For him, success isn’t defined by the standings but whether his players take his L.E.A.D. mantra to heart and apply it to their day-to-day lives.
“Can we instill it in our young people?” Nelson said. “That's kind of my expectations for the season.”
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