Wiedenfeld ready to finish Londonderry football career with a bang

When the Londonderry High School football team took the field for its first offensive series of the 2017 season, there was a lot roster-checking going on among spectators and pundits in attendance.

Who was the kid who lined up at quarterback?

Before people could find No. 12 on the Lancers' roster, Jeffrey Wiedenfeld had ripped off a 46-yard gain on his first carry of the season. The then-sophomore would finish that Londonderry win over Bishop Guertin with 250 yards rushing and three touchdowns, letting the rest of Division I football know what Lancers coach Jimmy Lauzon had known for some time.

The youngest of four brothers, Wiedenfield was still two years away from high school when Lauzon took over as the Londonderry head coach, but his older brother, David, was a junior.

"I coached David for two years and he was an excellent player for us as a junior and senior," Lauzon said. "I’ve gotten to know his family since then. They were telling me from the get-go, the best one is the youngest one. We’d been looking forward to having him."

Now, with the youngest Wiedenfeld starting his senior season, expectations are high, not just for him, but for the whole team.

"I just can’t wait to show people," Wiedenfeld said. "We’ve got such a good team. We’ve all grown up together, we know each other, we’ve won together and we’ve lost together. I know what we have, so I know we’ll be one of the best."

Football has been a family tradition for as long as Wiedenfeld can remember. His family moved to New Hampshire from Texas when he was just two, and along with David, his brother, Michael, also played for the Lancers, graduating in 2012.

Having a brother, who was that much older, who also played the same sport, was like having a superstar sitting with him at the kitchen table.

"I was in fourth grade and I remember going to camp with him when he did it for the youth kids," Wiedenfeld said. "It was one of the biggest days of my life because I idolized him, and still do. He’s one of the guys I look up to. Him and David, of course."

Being so familiar with the Londonderry program helped Wiedenfeld from the moment he stepped on the practice field as a freshman. And by the end of that season, he was contributing for the varsity team.

"His first carry, I think it was his first carry, it was a 30-yard touchdown," Lauzon said. "That set the tone. The next year as a sophomore, he was just really impressive.

"We came out the first play (against Bishop Guertin) in the first game of the season with him at quarterback because I figured nobody would know who he was. We did a direct snap and he went 40 yards. It was a great coming-out party for him, really."

Now, everyone in the state knows who Wiedenfeld is, but after spending a lot more time during the offseason in the weight room, he's hoping that he's added a few elements to his game.

"I pushed myself in the weight room as far as I could and that was something I never would have thought of myself doing," Wiedenfeld said. "I worked on my 40(-yard dash), getting it as fast as I could. I definitely could have had a few touchdowns last year where I got caught from behind. I look at myself and go ‘what am I doing.’ This year, I’ve worked on that all the time."

Lauzon believes that hard work will benefit Wiedenfeld not just this season, but beyond, as he plans to continue playing at the next level.

"Jeff swears this year he’s got breakaway speed," the coach said. "He’s trained hard enough in the offseason that may be true. If teams are looking for a hard-nosed runner at any level, I don’t think size will be a problem for him. He’s a strong kid, he’s got a big lower half, he can put on more weight, he’s got great vision."

Where he ends up is something Wiedenfeld believes will take care of itself, but he also feels he can perform at the highest levels in college.

"I want to go take my skills to the collegiate level, see where I can go," Wiedenfeld said. "I’m not out here saying I’m going to the NFL every day, but I’m saying I can play just as well as any Division I player. I believe I can. That’s always worked. Now it’s time to show it off to everyone."