WEBSTER CITY – Nearly 200 games and easily 10 times that many hours of hard work have transpired since the Webster City football program last felt what it was like to win a district championship.

The Lynx haven’t always been patient in their pursuit back to the summit, but they have been steadfast. And now that payoff is within arm’s reach.

No. 4-ranked and unbeaten Webster City (7-0, 4-0 3A District 2) will attempt to end the drought this evening when it travels to Perry to take on the winless Blue Jays (0-7, 0-4) at 7:30 p.m. A win will give the Lynx their first district crown since 1994 and lock up a No. 1 seed for the upcoming playoffs.

Head coach Bob Howard has not shied away from his lofty goals – namely a district crown – ever since he resurrected the program in 2007. He says talk of winning the district this season began inside the locker room nearly a year ago.

“We started talking about this last November in Sioux City (following a second-round playoffs loss to Heelan),” Howard said. “This has been the goal and these kids have done a real nice job of business as usual. We have managed expectations well and the kids have worked awfully hard for this.”

It would seem like almost a foregone conclusion that the celebration is only 48 minutes of football away, but WCHS isn’t about to let down its defenses now.

Can Perry pull off the improbable? It’s not likely. But the Lynx are going to treat the Blue Jays like its got a goose egg in the loss column, not in the win column.

“You never know what’s going to happen. If you turn the ball over and don’t score … If we don’t execute and play well then anything can happen,” Howard said.

WCHS learned first-hand what can happen when turnovers occur in last week’s 20-6 victory over Humboldt. What should have been a lopsided contest was still up for grabs late in the fourth quarter because of three Lynx fumbles inside the red zone.

Working in the Lynx favor this evening will be the return of senior Collin Oswald, one of the team’s leaders who has been sidelined since suffering a partially torn MCL knee ligament in a 21-7 Week 2 win over Clear Lake.

A nose guard when the season started, Oswald has the versatility to play a number of positions. His return gives WCHS a much-needed infusion of depth that has been lacking in recent weeks.

“He adds a lot,” Howard said. “First of all, he was basically the captain of every single special teams and he’ll go back on those. Then he dominoes depth big time. He’s an extra spinback on offense, he can play blocking back on offense, he can catch and he can run if we need him to. He can also play both defensive end and strong safety with some of the spread teams and passing teams we have coming up, being able to rush and cover the underneath passes is a huge deal.”

Oswald has jumped right back into contact and Howard says he hasn’t noticed any rust on the senior.

“He had a good rehab and he’s been full speed. He looks pretty good,” Howard said.

The Lynx own the district’s most formidable offense, which averages 417.4 yards per game, 317.7 of those on the ground. They’ll face an inconsistent Perry defense that has allowed 333.4 yards and 32.9 points per game.

Also going against Perry is the fact that it is yet to score more than 14 points in a game and has been shutout three times. WCHS, which makes scoreboard operators earn their money by putting up 36 points an outing, has scored 14 or more points by halftime in six of its seven victories.

Lynx senior tailback Gavin Dinsdale will be out to tack on a second straight 1,000 yard season. He will take the field needing just 92 yards to get there.

Dinsdale, the 2014 district rushing champion, currently sits third with two games to go. Spinback Avery Fuhs (626 yards) ranks fifth and wingback Payton Kannuan (615 yards) is sixth.

Dinsdale leads the district in rushing touchdowns with 15.

A win tonight will set up WCHS for a Week 9 home showdown against Boone where the purple and gold can put the finishing touches on the program’s first unbeaten regular season since 1987.