WOODWARD — After four years as head coach at Collins-Maxwell, Woodward-Granger graduate Cory Crnkovich (2012) returns to his alma mater to replace departed veteran coach George Ashman.
Crnkovich, who played collegiately at Grand View, was an assistant for Ashman in 2016 before taking over the Spartan program and guiding it into the 8-player game.
“Never in a million years did I ever think I would be back as head coach of the Hawks,” Crnkovich said. “This is very personal for me, having gone to school here.”
“Coach (Ashman) was very successful here and leaves quite a tradition of success, which I hope to maintain and build on going forward,” he added. “If we have the buy-in from our players and the kind of community support that has been here in the past we can keep that winning tradition alive.”
Crnkovich played four years of football, basketball, and golf at W-G and was a three-year participant in track and baseball. He hopes his football players will also be as involved.
“I think it is very important to take part in as many sports as you like,” he said. “It gives you exposure to different skills, different coaching styles, different demands on your time — and all of that helps you in all the other sports.”
W-G opens play at Madrid tonight. They will host AC/GC and Interstate-35 in weeks two and three, respectively, before opening Class 1A District 2 play at Eagle Grove Sept. 17.
South Hamilton visits Woodward for Homecoming Sept. 24, with a road trip to Belmond-Klemme following. A home game Oct. 8 with South Central Calhoun and an Oct. 15 trip to NW Webster wraps the regular season.
Class 1A teams who do not qualify for the playoffs, which begin Oct. 22, will be eligible to schedule a ninth game against a fellow non-qualifier.
