Earlier this year, nine educators in the Antigo and Merrill school districts were implicated in a drug scandal.

Antigo was the epicenter of it all, including then-football coach John Lund and ex-head coach Scot Peterson.

A new head coach and his players hope to restore the Red Robins' good name this season.

For the last several months, a dark could has hovered over Antigo.

But out of the darkness, a new regime has taken over Antigo football,
bent on restoring the good name of the Red Robins.

"Being good students in the classroom, good members of the community, and good football players," said new coach Matt Weberpal. "That's the Antigo tradition."

On the field...

"Alot of blood and sweat, but it's all worth it," said senior Luke Marten.

Senior Tyler Lewis added, "we're going to show that we're prepared to fight and make people forget about the bad name we've gotten in the last year."

And off....

"We're doing a food drive right now," Weberpal said.

"We're involved with a pee-wee football league, teaching the kids the fundamentals," said Marten.

And the kids have responded, with dozens of student athletes braving the hot summer for voluntary workouts.

For these kids to come out after all they've been through in the last year, it really says something about these guys," said Weberpal.

Hoping the school, and the community can rally around this year's group of Red Robins.

"Come fall, we hope that we can be the voice and something positive for the community," Weberpal said.

And defeat the darkness, with the bright lights of Friday nights.

"We're going to show that we can take a big hit and we can stand up to all the bad and when you get knocked down you can get back up," Lewis added.