by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — After endless summer workouts, late afternoon practices, media interviews, bonding, fussing, and speculation amongst friends, families and the world in general; a football game will be played.

Provided it doesn’t rain – and there’s 50 percent chance of that tomorrow night.

Wellington opens the season with Augusta at 7 p.m. at Sellers Park Friday. It will be nerve wracking to say the least for those closely aligned with the Crusader program. The words out there “this is your year,” is also mixed with uncertainty. The schedule is a brutal one and Augusta is one of those teams that the Crusader faithful have penciled in for a win.

But it is the first game. Anything can happen in the first game. Last year, Wellington was not expected to go up to Goddard and win, and did just that. Remember that trip to Andale in 2011? Wellington got itself a win ending years of futility with the Indians. Wellington hasn’t beaten Andale since, but it just illustrates how crazy the first game of the high school season can be.

This is what we know about Augusta… 

Nothing.

Augusta has a new coach, Jason Filbeck. So the offense will be different. The defense will be different. As far as we know, Filbeck runs a single wing offense and is the great-nephew of Vince Lombardi.

But Augusta has eight returning starters from a 2-7 team. So there is continuity there.

Filbeck told Vype Magazine in its preview: “We are platooning this year so we should be fresh in close games. We have decent team speed and are going to hang our hats on defense.”

Now that is a scouting report of no substantial information.

So Wellington goes into this game not knowing much about its opponent. But, then again, Wellington does not know much about itself. The Crusaders accumulated a 5-4 record in 2013, the first winning record since 2009. Yet it was a mixed bag. Wellington failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive year. The final two games were not good.

But Wellington had some great success throughout the year including a record school-breaking passing game. And for the most part all those pieces are back in place and then some. Look at our more in-depth Wellington preview here.

One could legitimately proclaim, Wellington could be very, very good tomorrow night, or be very, very mediocre.

We will see – providing the weather gods leave us alone.

Some other things to note for Friday:

Wellington-Augusta game at a glance:

Season opener: Augusta (0-0) at Wellington (0-0), Friday at 7 p.m.

Follow the game: Internet: Live twitter blogs on this site, Sumner Newscow. Twitter: Follow us at Cueballnewscow. Radio: Adrian Young, play-by-play, KLEY-AM 1130. Television: Sumner Cable TV, Channel 5 (audio). Photos and recaps: wellington.cc and Sumner Newscow.

What else is going on: First game of the season and the field is looking good. It will be a true opening for the newly improved field since the scrimmage was canceled because of rain a week ago.

Game night weather: There is 50 percent chance of rain. So hopefully it won’t be one of those nights. The temperature will hover between 70 and 80 degrees. Humidity is at 85 percent.

Series history: Wellington leads the series since 1999: 4-3. Sorry we don’t have the records before 1999.

1999 — Wellington 28 Augusta 8

2004 — Wellington 19 Augusta 17

Playoffs: Wellington 14 Augusta 12

2005 — Wellington 0 Augusta 9

Playoffs: Wellington 7 Augusta 27

2012: Wellington 6 Augusta 14

2013: Wellington 19 Augusta 10.

Game’s significance: Even though this is now a non-conference game, and has no real significance to the overall outcome of the season, it is big in that it is the first game of the season for the Crusaders and it is essential to start on the right foot.

Injury situation: Jared Shields, a junior, suffered a knee injury in practice the other day. But the others appear to be good to go.

Intangible fact: Augusta moved up from Div. IV to Div. III this year and switched with Mulvane. So even though Augusta is on our schedule, it is no longer a league matchup.

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Wellington’s Schedule 

2014 SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT HOME/AWAY

9-5 Augusta Home

9-12 @ Eisenhower Away

9-19 @ Circle Away

9-26 Clearwater Home

10-3 Andale Home

10-10 @ Collegiate Away

10-17 Rose Hill Home

10-24 @ Mulvane Away

10-31 @ Ulysses Away

Wellington’s roster: 

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