The people behind the scenes do not go unnoticed. 

This statement holds true in the Xavier football program. The scout team is the behind the scenes players who help the starters prepare for their game every Friday night. The scout team consists of seniors, juniors and some sophomores that are not in the starting lineup, yet their contribution to the team is valued no less. 

“We attribute a lot of our success, and we have for the last 23 years at Xavier, to our scout team guys. They are the core of Xavier football. Without those guys we would not be Xavier football,” Head Football Coach Duane Schulte said in an interview with Local 5 News.

The scout team prepares the team throughout the week for the game on Friday by showing the starters what the other team’s defense will do. 

“I help prepare the team by watching film on the opponent, seeing where they line up against different formations, learning their coverage assignments and just learning how their defense runs as a whole, so I can help emulate it for our offense during practice,” Sam Tvedt, senior football player said. 

Every person on the football team at Xavier knows what their job is, knows it is significant and gets it done. 

“I feel like Xavier football is different from other teams in the way that every single player matters,” senior football player Greg Lesnik said. “We all have to carry our own weight because we are all important.”

The starters see the value of the scout team as well because they would not be the same team without those scout players. 

“The scout team is the most essential part of our team as a whole,” Nick Tobin, senior, starting center said. “The starters depend on the scout team to show them their opponents’ formations and to push them to get better everyday.”

Coach Schulte does not just focus on the starters. He focuses on developing every player on the team. 

“Coach Schulte emphasizes that the best teams he has coached are not just the ones with good starters, but also with a scout team that is just as dedicated to the team as the starters,” Tvedt said. 

Football at Xavier is more than just teaching the players how to play football. The coaches teach the players life lessons that will carry on with them. 

“We hope they learn to be tough, be a team player, be unselfish, get up when knocked down, do their job and get what they earn,” Coach Schulte said. 

As the team continues into the postseason, the scout team will continue to prepare the starters for every game as they strive for a state championship. 

The team will be in action October 30 at 7 p.m. as they host Dubuque Wahlert Catholic High School in their 3rd round playoff game.