What’s old is new again at Wayne High School, as elementary principal Russ Plager will return for a fifth season as the head football coach.
The decision was announced late Thursday by Wayne High athletic director Dave Wragge, bringing back a coach that took the Blue Devils to the playoffs three times in four seasons, highlighted by a trip to the Class C-1 semifinals in 2019.
"We are excited to have Coach Plager continue to lead our football program and we look forward to continued success under his leadership,” Wragge said in a news release.
In 2017, Plager led the Blue Devils to a 7-4 finish, highlighted by the school’s first playoff win in over three decades when they beat Chadron.
After a 3-6 finish in 2018, the Blue Devils won their first-ever home playoff game to highlight a run to the state semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion Wahoo.
Last year, the Blue Devils began the season as the No. 1 ranked team in Class C-1 and finished 6-4, losing to Adams Central in the opening round of the playoffs.
Plager, who will continue his duties as elementary principal, said, “I am excited and looking forward to working with the kids.”
