Waterford

Youth football teams to face off for charity

By Chris Bennett

Correspondent

There’s going to be a war in Waterford on Saturday, and Lorma Wendt will emerge victorious.

Waterford Youth Football will have its annual Dave Hanson Memorial Civil War charity game at 7 p.m. Saturday at Waterford Union High School. Gates open at 6 p.m.

Hanson, the game’s namesake, died of prostate cancer in July 2012. Hanson was a long-time supporter of Waterford youth and high school athletics. This year’s game marks the ninth Civil War.

The Civil War charity game has evolved into an event that honors Hanson’s legacy and benefits a member of the community.

Wendt is the designated beneficiary of this year’s contest. Wendt was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2017. Wendt endured chemotherapy and radiation, and is now cancer-free.

Becky Watral, a previous Waterford Youth Football board member still involved with the Civil War game, said Lorma’s husband, Dave, coaches the Wolverine White team.

Gannon Wendt, Lorma and Dave’s son, has played in Waterford Youth Football since the family moved here four years ago.

The Civil War game consists of two teams in Waterford Youth Football squaring off for charity – the Black and White teams. Watral said this season might be the final time two teams from Waterford meet.

“Youth tackle football numbers are decreasing,” Watral said. “This will most likely be the last time the Civil War game will have two WYF teams playing each other.”

Watral said Waterford Youth Football traditionally fielded several teams at each grade level, but said that is no longer the case. Watral said future Civil War games might need to be played as a rivalry game against a team also in the Southeastern Youth Football Alliance.

Watral named Union Grove, Westosha from Paddock Lake or Lake Geneva as possible opponents for future games.

The Civil War game also features a pig raffle, a 50-50 raffle, drop basket raffles, a bake sale and a concession stand.

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