Carlton-Wrenshall Raptors Return to Varsity Competition

Co-op fielding 24 players following 2022 JV season

WRENSHALL, Minn.- The Carlton-Wrenshall Raptors have returned to the football field as they prepare for their season opener later this August. It will actually be their first varsity game in over a year after only fielding a JV team in 2022 due to low numbers.

At the end of last fall, the Raptors had 20 high school players on their roster, but that number has slightly increased as 24 boys have taken to the turf in their first week of practice in 2023. Head Coach Brent Pokornowski says last year was a learning experience for his
returning players.

“The guys are absolutely excited.” Says Pokornowski. “We had two older seniors last year who came and helped build the program up. These guys are excited to go, they did not want to play another JV season. We are implementing an offense for the second year, so expectations are that these guys show up and trust the coaches as we implement our offense and defense. Do what we ask them to do, and good things will happen. It’s not anything sophisticated, but it is a repeatable process that if they continue to do it over and over, that they will be successful.”

Meanwhile, Coach Pokornowski’s players know they’re a smaller team than most of their opponents, but senior and QB/WR Carter Woodall believes their tight bond will work to their advantage.

“Everybody knows everybody, so I think that there’s a lot closer of a bond between everybody.” Explains Woodall. “Everybody’s just kind of fun to be around, you know? We’ve known each other forever going to such a small school, so the relationship’s already there, you don’t have to build them. It’s kind of interesting, like, the difficult level when you switch back to JV and varsity, you know? It was a little less competitive, but everyone’s more competitive now, everyone just wants to win.”

The Raptors will kick off their season at home August 25th against the Nevis Tigers.