WINDSOR — Linn’s Wildcats ended their football season Friday night with a 20-16 loss to Windsor in the opening round of the Class 1 district playoffs, but for head coach Billy Sonnemaker, the final game offered something the scoreboard could not measure: evidence that his young team is beginning to understand what it takes to compete.

Although the Wildcats finished 0-10, Sonnemaker saw a different team take the field against Windsor, one that played with greater confidence, responded to adversity more quickly, and began putting into practice the lessons he and his coaching staff have emphasized throughout a difficult rebuilding season.

“It was a completely different vibe this game,” Sonnemaker said. “It felt really good. Yes, of course we wanted to win, but I really think it put the cherry on the top towards the end of the year of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Freshmen played a significant role in the Wildcats’ improved performance, providing an offensive spark and demonstrating the development Sonnemaker hopes will carry into future seasons.

Michael Ramey-Pennington and Ben Swann scored Linn’s two touchdowns, while the Wildcats moved the ball more effectively and challenged a Windsor team that had been forced to make offensive adjustments because of injuries.

“We improved,” Sonnemaker said. “Offensively we were moving the ball really well, and the kids were playing looser. Those young freshmen kind of stepped up a little bit, and it was fun to watch them embrace their roles and do their job, and really put forth what they were coached to do.”

Sonnemaker said Windsor had lost a talented running back to injury, changing the Greyhounds’ offensive approach from what Linn had seen previously. Nevertheless, Windsor found opportunities to attack the Wildcats on the perimeter, taking advantage of the inexperience that has accompanied Linn’s youth movement.

“We had like two real mistakes, if you think about it, defensively, and that’s kind of what cost us,” Sonnemaker said.

He also pointed to a disputed kickoff fumble recovery and a possible safety as plays that might have changed the contest, although film was not yet available for review.

Those moments reflected a frustration that has followed Linn throughout the season. The Wildcats have shown flashes of improvement, but too often have been unable to turn those moments into victories.

“We’ve been trying to generate our own luck and generate our own momentum, but just kind of falling short on that a little bit,” Sonnemaker said. “It’s real hard with the rebuild, trying to teach kids to win and get over the hump and believe in themselves and their abilities.”

Against Windsor, however, he saw a meaningful difference in how his players responded when things went wrong.

Earlier in the season, a big play by an opponent could leave the Wildcats struggling to regain their footing. Friday, they recovered more quickly and continued competing.

“We almost played a full four-quarter ball game,” Sonnemaker said. “We just kind of start slow a little bit, and we’re still learning how to fight and keep our head up, but our chin down.”

He said the improvement was particularly apparent in the team’s response to setbacks.

“We were able to bounce back from adversity quicker,” Sonnemaker said. “It was because those young guys kind of pushed us through.”

The coach was equally pleased to see several seniors finish their careers with some of their strongest football of the season.

“There was a few of the seniors that finally clicked with them,” Sonnemaker said. “I wish we had them another year, but it clicked a little late for them. But those couple seniors where it did click, we were able to get something out of them that last game, and they almost played to their full potential.”

That senior class presented one of Sonnemaker’s more difficult challenges in his first year leading Linn’s program. While trying to establish a foundation for the future, he also wanted to give players who had endured several difficult seasons an opportunity to finish their careers on a positive note.

Sonnemaker said he made a commitment to those seniors and was determined to honor it, even while recognizing that the program’s long-term development would depend heavily on its younger players. “I was a man of my word,” he said. “I did what I could to really try to incorporate that senior class. You know how it is with the rebuild. A lot of coaches try to schlub them to the side and try to move on and instill their own thing.”

He said that experience also taught him lessons he would carry into another rebuilding situation.

Looking back over the season, Sonnemaker acknowledged that he would change aspects of his own approach, particularly in establishing expectations and communicating the daily commitment required to compete successfully.

“If I could have changed one thing, it was maybe be a little bit more aggressive and relentless towards emphasizing what the bare minimum takes to be able to play this game at a high level,” he said. “You have to uphold a standard every day, and you have to try to get better every day.”

Although he believes he delivered that message, Sonnemaker said he could have done more to make sure his players understood it.

“I think I did an okay job of emphasizing that, but I think I need to do a better job of clarifying that a little bit better for the kids to understand,” he said.

The coach also believes the Wildcats made measurable defensive progress over the course of the season, allowing fewer points and yards, although final statistical comparisons were not yet available.

Still, Sonnemaker is not interested in asking anyone to overlook the team’s record simply because improvements occurred behind the scenes. “Statistically and stuff, if you look at all the numbers, we’ve gotten better defensively,” he said. “But what do people want to see? They want to see touchdowns and they want to see wins.”

That distinction is central to how he intends to approach the offseason. Progress matters, but ultimately, the Wildcats must turn it into results. “Yes, it was a rebuild, and yes, we had all of this great positivity, and there’s a lot of great little wins and all that kind of stuff,” Sonnemaker said. “But at the end of the day, nobody cares. We just got to work harder, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

For Sonnemaker and his assistants, that work is already underway.

He confirmed that the entire coaching staff intends to return next season, providing continuity as the Wildcats continue building their program. Coaches met over the weekend following the playoff loss, eager to begin preparations for another year.

“Getting all those guys that want to come back, everybody’s super excited to get back to work,” Sonnemaker said. “That’s positivity right there.”

The Wildcats will also enter the offseason with a new motivational theme. Sonnemaker offered a glimpse of a number that will become increasingly familiar around the program: 638.

He declined to explain its significance, saying the meaning would remain within the team for now. “You’ll see a lot of the number 638 around,” he said.

While other teams continue their postseason journeys, Sonnemaker is already looking toward the opportunity to build on what his players demonstrated in Windsor.

For him, the final whistle did not signal an end to the work. It marked the beginning of another phase. “For a lot of people, football season ends on Oct. 30,” Sonnemaker said. “But for us, we’re getting ready to go back to work and start over again, and hopefully produce a better product.”

The record will show a winless season, but Sonnemaker believes the Wildcats are beginning to develop the resilience, expectations, and commitment necessary to change that outcome.

And judging by the enthusiasm of their returning coaches, they have no intention of standing still. “The misfits are ready,” Sonnemaker said. “That’s for sure.”