By Robert Paul
On Friday, October 10, 2025, our Delavan-Darien Comets will play against the East Troy Trojans. The Comets are currently 3-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference, while East Troy is 2-4 overall and 1-3 in conference play. Homecoming is special not just because of the football team, but because of the community’s involvement.
In an interview with Joe Ketterhagen Jr., he talked about the mindset coming into the game; however, Joe said that the team’s mindset for every game is the same, homecoming or not. “The team needs to play hard, work together, and win.” I asked him about the no-huddle offense and its advantages. He emphasized conditioning, which allows us to push the pace on other teams that aren’t as conditioned. The number of players that East Troy has is similar to ours, so they won’t have enough backups to keep up with the Comets’ speed-up offense. How much has changed from when Joe was a freshman to now, and he pointed out that the culture has changed. He believes that the community is more interested in the team now due to the success that the Comets are seeing in comparison to a few years ago.
Also, in an interview with the athletic director, the man himself, Mr. Polzin. While asking him about his role in the community events, such as the pig roast, he emphasized that it takes a lot of us, the community, to be on the same page. He said that he needs to schedule ahead of time, meet with community leaders to discuss the events, and confirm with the Delavan Police that Walworth Avenue is secured for the parade. Mr. Polzin reminisces about his playing days in high school here at Delavan Darien High School, being part of the homecoming events back in the day, and how those experiences apply to his position today. He talked about playing multiple sports and heavily emphasized that playing sports can help students’ high school experience and school spirit. As a former football player himself, he understands the importance of good coaches who lead on and off the field.
Homecoming is centered around the team. However, the culture shift in this team is really important because glorious victories taste sweet, and the vibes carry over to this community. CUE THE FIREWORKS!
thecometeer