In the 10 years since Nick David took the reins of the Mound Westonka football team, he's done what many believed was close to impossible: Turn a perennial loser into one of the winningest programs in the Twin Cities.
He's a Waterville native, and his success — his record at Mound Westonka is 59-30, and the football team has won more games under him than in the team's previous 32 seasons combined — has helped turned the entire athletic program.
"When I got here, the athletics culture wasn't great," he said. "When the football program started winning, other teams started winning. Winning breeds success."
The White Hawks are 7-0 this season and ranked first in Class 4A, thanks to one of the strongest lineups of David's tenure. They're averaging 50.4 points per game, and the defense has allowed only seven first-half points all season. It's a veteran team that has come up through David's system, and he expected it to be good.
"We're pretty stout," he said. "We basically have six of our seven starting linemen back. Those are our leaders. And with linemen, those guys are the types that put in the work and do what they have to do to get better."
David counts himself as that type. He was twice an all-MIAC selection at defensive tackle when he played for Gustavus.
Even amid prosperity, there is still a ways to go. A victory over a tough Spectrum team Wednesday would send the White Hawks into the Class 4A, Section 6 playoffs with an 8-0 record for the fourth time under David. On the three previous occasions, they lost in their first playoff game.
In fact, they have never won a section title. David admits that not winning a playoff game last year weighed heavily on him. "I was more depressed as a coach than I've ever been," he said.
