LINN — For the Linn Wildcat football program, Family Night is about considerably more than getting players, cheerleaders, coaches, and parents together before the season begins. It is also a reflection of what organizers hope the program becomes for the young people involved in it.

Families from third grade through the varsity level gathered Friday for dinner and an evening together as the Wildcats prepared for another football season, with Coach Mitch Swann saying the event remains one of the highlights of the year, particularly for the younger athletes.

“We preach ‘family’ to every athlete, from the youngest to the oldest, and that is something we take very seriously,” Swann said. “Our goal is to develop every athlete in our football and cheer programs into great adults. We believe strongly in building strong communities, and that is exactly what our mission is.”

The program has grown considerably in recent years.

Linn currently has teams at the third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade levels, along with a combined seventh- and eighth-grade team. Swann estimated approximately 130 players are involved in youth football this year, in addition to about 33 high school players.

There are also approximately 45 cheerleaders involved in the program, with organizers hoping that participation at the younger levels will eventually strengthen the high school program as well.

Swann believes some of the football growth has simply come from players recruiting friends and encouraging them to become involved, but success on the field has also generated enthusiasm. He estimated Linn’s youth teams lost only about six games combined last season, while the third-grade team and combined seventh- and eighth-grade squad each won championships.

That development is not limited to football. Swann said coaches encourage athletes to participate in multiple sports and activities rather than specializing at a young age, with the larger objective centered on what the players become away from competition.

“Our ultimate goal is to make these kids into great humans,” he said.

Building that program has required substantial community support as well.

Swann said Linn Wildcat football has raised just shy of $1 million that has gone directly back into the program. Donations and fundraising have helped build and improve the game and practice fields, add irrigation, construct a 90-foot press box, install bleachers and practice-field lights, and fund a new weight room that is nearing completion.

“There’s no way we could do this without it,” Swann said. “Just about everything you see here, from the press box to the scoreboard to the practice field, has been from people donating.”

Support has ranged from local businesses and individuals to companies outside the Linn district, and Swann said contributions over the years have ranged from $1,500 to $20,000 or $30,000.

Parents have also played a major role through the program’s fundraisers.

Gun raffle calendars remain available for this year’s fundraiser, with 52 prizes scheduled and each ticket entered in every drawing. The prizes alternate between firearms and other items, including equipment and outdoor products.

The program will also hold its fourth annual Mouse Race on Nov. 7 at St. George. The event has become one of Wildcat football’s major fundraisers, and Swann said organizers are planning several changes for this year’s event as they look to continue building on its success.

Taken together, the facilities, participation numbers and fundraising reflect a football program that has grown well beyond what happens on Friday nights.

For Swann and those involved with it, that growth still comes back to the same word emphasized to athletes from third grade through varsity — family.

2026 Wildcat Football donors: State Technical College of Missouri; Legends Bank; Osage Ambulance Corp.; Caspers 66; Dave’s Pizza & Wings; Jim Butler Chrysler Dodge Jeep & Ram; Rudy Roofing; Ruhe Coffee; TMF Excavating; American Family – Mike McDaniel; Locks Mill Propane; Pioneer Biomedical; Three Rivers Electric; Osage Seed and Chemical; Keith Hostetler (Hostetler & Sons); Capital Epoxy; Show Me Commercial Roofing; Carved in Stone; Classic Buildings LLC; Mid-America Bank; Osage County Abstract & Title Company; Edward Jones – Kurt Baker; and Diamond Pet Food.