The newly combined Holley-Lyndonville 8-man varsity football team began preseason practices for the fall 2023 season on August 19. Players and coaches got the chance to meet their new teammates and bond over pizza ahead of preseason. There are currently 18 players on the roster.
The Holley-Lyndonville football team is coached by Wil Prince and assisted by Wyatt Wink. Prince has coached football at Holley since 2014. Their first game will be at Holley’s Stadium on Saturday, September 2, against Allegany-Limestone Central at 1 p.m.
“Our main goal is to be as successful as we can and to build the program back to what it was,” said Wil Prince, Head Coach. “Many of the players from Lyndonville have been on three different teams in the past three years. Our goal is to make them feel that this is THEIR team. We want them to be proud to be part of this program. We would love to see this merger continue to grow for years to come.”
“We really want to make the Lyndonville players and community feel welcome,” said Daniel Courtney, Holley MS/HS Athletic Director and Assistant Principal. “It is a win-win for both schools, the merger creates opportunities for a lot of students. We would like to develop and build numbers at the Modified A level with the goal of moving to a competitive 11-man program in the future.”
“We are excited for our new partnership with Holley for the upcoming season,” said James Zeliff, Lyndonville Athletic Director. “We are grateful for Holley’s willingness to host us this year and hope our partnership leads to a successful season this year and years to come. The return to Section V and being able to work with a school that is also in the Genesee Region league will make the logistics much easier. I am hopeful that we will eventually be able to build a program that can return to 11-man football, but I think that the recent success of area programs in 8 man football (Oakfield-Alabama, Pembroke) proves that 8-man football is a viable and competitive option for smaller schools while they look to rebuild. Holley gained some momentum in 8-man football last year and we hope the addition of some of our Lyndonville kids help keep the ball rolling.”
Holley introduced its 11-man football program in 2002 and moved to 8-man in 2018. Holley did have a 6-man football team from 1948-1955.
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