12 October 2023
Wade Buckley took over as Eastview High School football coach in the spring, void of expectations and hoping to simply find his footing and put his imprint on the program after serving as an offensive assistant in each of the previous two seasons.
Buckley is just the second coach in program history at the Apple Valley school, taking over for the iconic Kelly Sherwin, who resigned from the position at the end of last season.
What, exactly, did Buckley’s imprint look like? You can see it in practice, where senior offensive lineman Roland Roseman said Buckley will line up against him to give him a legitimate pass blocking rep against what would otherwise be empty trash cans.
Eastview senior quarterback Grayson Osberg, left, and sophomore running back Drew Bartosh celebrate a Bartosh touchdown run during the Lightning’s 37-0 home victory over Hopkins on Sept. 15, 2023. (Piercen Haehnel / Eastview Football)
“The big thing for me was energy. I wanted to bring energy, and with the help of my coaching staff I put together, we’ve really managed to achieve that,” Buckley said. “I think there’s been a lot of energy in practice, a lot of energy on the sidelines, and I think, day by day, we’re starting to understand what the benefits are of that a little bit more.”
One of those benefits is victories. Eastview (4-2) has four of them through six weeks heading into Friday’s road game with Lakeville South (5-1).
This fall marks the first time the Lightning have logged four wins in a season since 2018. It’s a major jump from last year’s one-win campaign.
“Going through last year really, really hurt,” Roseman said. “And I’m glad I’ve been able to experience something really rewarding in my senior year.”
The rewarding aspect extends far beyond the wins, which are the byproducts of the work and approach carried out during the week.
Eastview chose “brotherhood” as its theme for this season. Frankly, Buckley felt that was a risky choice. Last season’s lack of success created some strained relationships. But, through the good and bad this season, he said this team has truly stuck together.
“They’ve really lived up to that moniker of being brothers with each other and pushing each other,” Buckley said. “It’s not always easy to have a brother, and I think they really understand how to push each other to get the most out of it, while also being there to support each other and pick each other up when times get rough.”
“It takes 11 guys to be on the same page,” Roseman added. “And we all understand that, to be on the same page, we’ve got to really love one another and have a real, personal bond.”
Buckley truly likes spending time with this group of players and coaches. He has enjoyed enduring the learning curve of his new position in his current surroundings. That’s largely because of who those around him are as people. But the winning has surely helped the program’s ascension.
“The bus rides back, getting geared up for practice, the meetings. Winning just makes everything easier,” Buckley said. “We’ve been lucky to focus on the process, and have winning be the result, where I think sometimes the message is flipped. We’ve been lucky to be able to have a lot of buy-in with the process, and I think that has translated to wins.”
And while Buckley didn’t carry expectations into this season — per the advice he received from a college coach — Roseman always felt this could be a team that finished with a winning record. Part of that belief stemmed from a strong offseason sparked by fresh blood across the program, from the coaches to the players.
Eastview senior running back Damon Green carries the ball during the Lightning’s 37-0 home victory over Hopkins on Sept. 15, 2023. (Piercen Haehnel / Eastview Football)
An increase in numbers has Buckley hopeful Eastview can add a sophomore team next season. Roseman said a number of players came out for the sport for the first time this season, primarily in the junior class, in hopes of getting the program back on track.
Hunger, he noted, is this team’s identity.
“We’ve gotten pushed to the corner, really, in 6A football. … That kind of lit a fire in some of us,” he said. “Honestly, just really hungry to not be on the losing end in some of these games, because losing sucks.”
It’s not a feeling Eastview has endured many times this season. But the Lightning now head into the most difficult portion of their schedule, with games against the Cougars and rival Eagan before what’s sure to be a challenging first-round playoff matchup.
But the Lightning’s performance this fall suggests they’re up to any task.
“I think we all recognized this season as an opportunity for a new beginning of Eastview football, and they’ve all risen to that opportunity and challenge,” Buckley said. “Been really encouraged with their approach to it.”
“I’m so excited to play South,” Roseman said. “I just want to show that we can compete with some of those top-tier teams.”
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