Fall Sports Preview 2011 - The Hutchinson News

2011 Football Preview
28 Thursday, September 1, 2011 The Hutchinson News
Reminder:
NESS CITY EAGLES
Coach: Chris Bamberger (second year, 5-5)
League: Central Prairie
Record: 5-5 (5-1 district)
Top returners: Dalton Gantz (6-0, 185, jr., RB-LB);
Koltyn Ratliff (5-8, 142, jr., QB-DB); Garrett Flax (5-
9, 155, jr., TB-DB); Tucker VonLehe (6-0, 171, jr., OL-
DE); Blake McVicker (5-11, 172, jr., OL-LB)
Top newcomers: Drew Clarke (6-2, 165, sr., QB-DB);
Matthew Frank (5-10, 135, jr., TE-DB); Jaiden
Richardson (6-1, 193, jr., OL-DL); Joey Rufenacht (5-
8, 186, jr., OL-DL); Will Frusher (6-0, 141, jr., TE-DL)
Outlook: Five starters are back on both sides of the
ball for a team that made the playoffs out of a very
competitive district. Gantz was an all-league running
back and linebacker last season. Bamberger said the
team will have good quickness, but is a bit undersized.
PRETTY PRAIRIE BULLDOGS
Coach: CT Young (10th year, 61-26)
League: Heart of the Plains
2010 record: 10-1 (6-0 district)
Top returners: Tanner Cooper (5-9, 190, sr., RB-DB);
Jared McMillian (5-10, 195, sr.); Kyle Danahy (5-10,
200, sr., RB-LB); Tyler Gehring (5-7, 192, sr., OL-DL);
Alex Mains (5-9, 135, jr., QB); Stetson Broce (6-4, 205,
jr., OE-DB); Mark Schnittker (5-8, 165, jr., OE-DL)
Top newcomers: Justin Haflich (6-0, 161, jr., RB-DB);
Tyler Markus (5-10, 160, jr., RB-DB); Troy Nagle (6-
3, 180, jr., OL-DL); Jacob Welker (5-6, 127, jr., OE-DB)
Outlook: Behind a strong senior class, Pretty Prairie
was a dominant team last season. Now the Bulldogs
try to reload with three offensive and one defensive
Bulldogs
l From Page 10
front of them win.
“They don’t want to be the
group that doesn’t win.”
In other words, they may be
green, but this program is
supposed to win.
“Our expectation doesn’t really
change,” Young says. “We
try to pride our kids to believe
they have the opportunity to
win no matter who we are
playing. That expectation hasn’t
changed.”
The Bulldogs have just 21
players this year, including a
Panthers
l From Page 6
graduated after passing for 726
yards as a senior.
starter back.Young said the Bulldogs have had good
competition for those spots as 14 lettermen return.
ST. JOHN TIGERS
Coach: Nick Garcia (seventh year, 34-25)
League: Central Prairie
2010 record: 5-4 (3-3 district)
Top returners: Pat Prescott (5-9, 170, sr., RB-LB);
Kinser Crissman (5-8, 160, sr., QB-DB); Jacob Blunt
(5-9, 235, sr., OL-DL); Levi Tucker (6-0, 185, sr., OL-
DL); Ethan Long (6-0, 180, jr., TE-DL); Schuyler
Brown (5-7, 150, so., DB)
Outlook: St. John returns a solid nucleus with five
offensive and six defensive starters back, and Garcia
said he likes the senior leadership that is being provided.
He expects 23 players to be on the roster, so
depth on the lines is a question mark. Garcia also said
the Tigers gave up too many big plays on third down
last season.
SKYLINE THUNDERBIRDS
Coach: Jon Novotny (fifth year, 9-27)
League: Heart of the Plains
2010 record: 5-4 (2-4 district)
Top returners: Brennan Stotts (5-9, 160, sr., RB-DB);
Brandon Broce (5-9, 150, sr., QB-DB); Jake Harts (5-
9, 220, sr., OL-DL); Easton Burgardt (6-4, 215, sr., OL-
DL); Adam Flowers (5-10, 210, sr., OL-DL); Chase
Lykins (5-10, 170, sr., TE-LB); Brandon Baird (5-9,
190, jr., FB-LB)
Outlook: A strong group of seniors who have played
since their sophomore year leads the Thunderbirds.
Skyline will have plenty of size and strength with
core group of four seniors that
Young is counting on to lead.
Stetson Broce, Jared McMillian,
Kyle Danahy and Tanner
Cooper will be two-way
starters this year. Broce was an
all-state defensive back who
will also play tight end on offense.
McMillian will anchor
the offensive and defensive
lines, while Danahy will play
fullback and middle linebacker.
Cooper inherits Krehbiel’s
role as the featured back –
something that isn’t completely
foreign to him at the varsity
level. Spelling Krehbiel during
Pretty Prairie’s string of
blowouts allowed him to earn
all-league honorable mention
Coaches should submit the scores of their games on
Friday nights.
Games can be submitted by sending an email to
sports@hutchnews.com or fax to (620) 662-4186. Games
can also be phoned in by calling 1-800-766-5742
EIGHT-MAN I CAPSULES (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24)
“Speed-wise, we’re probably a
little faster than we were last year
on the defensive side of the ball.
Depth-wise, we’ll have good
backs,” said Heinlein, who said
depth on the lines is a concern.
Nickerson’s new starters will be
seven starters back on both sides of the ball, but it
won’t have much depth.
SOUTH CENTRAL TIMBERWOLVES
Coach: Matt Smith (sixth year, 23-25)
League: SPIAA
2010 record: 3-6 (2-4 district)
Top returners: Clay Jarnagin (6-0, 170, sr., QB-DB);
Austin Mounts (6-0, 165, sr., TE-DB); Steve Westrup
(6-3, 190, sr., TE-LB); Jordan Sanders (6-0, 170, sr.,
LB); Joey McCleary (6-0, 175, sr., TB-NG); Cole
Cronin (6-4, 275, jr., OL-DL); Coby Lindsay (5-10, 230,
so., FB-DL); Nate Brooks (6-2, 190, so., OL-DL); Alex
Bruckner (5-10, 155, so., DB)
Top newcomers: Kestyn Fredrickson (6-0, 215, jr.);
Terry Moree (6-1, 160, jr.); Austin Darnell (5-8, 220,
jr.); Kelby Edelman (6-3, 280, so.); Sam Mosshart (5-
10, 205, so.); Stetsen Underwood (5-10, 150, so.)
Outlook: South Central returns plenty of experience
as it returns seven offensive and eight defensive
starters. Those players were productive last season.
Jarnagin leads the way as he passed for 1,156 yards
and rushed for 712 last year. McCleary rushed for
1,023 yards, while Mounts caught 45 passes.
Defensively, Westrup recorded 138 tackles last year.
SOUTH GRAY REBELS
Coach: Jeff Blattner (third year, 13-5)
League: SPIAA
2010 record: 7-2 (3-2 district)
Top returners: Coulter Croft (5-9, 165, sr., RB-DB);
Storm Mosher (5-9, 180, sr., RB-DB); Luis Gallegos (5-
11, 190, sr., RB-LB); Joe Carter (6-0, 220, sr., OL-DL);
recognition last year.
Now he is the man – even if
replacing Krehbiel, now a
freshman at Tabor College, is
far easier said than done.
“Daniel is Daniel,” Young
says. “I don’t know that anyone
is going to replace him.
Tanner is not trying to be the
next Daniel. He’s trying to be
the first Tanner.”
Replacing Pittman, the area
eight-man player of the year
last season, could prove to be
challenging, too.
Junior Alex Mains will lead
the Pretty Prairie offense as
the quarterback, and so far he
is relishing the opportunity.
It’s the first time Young has
tested right away as the Panthers
open against Smoky Valley and
Abilene.
“The good thing is we have some
tough tests at the start, so we can
gauge where we’re at,” Heinlein said.
And with a new leadership
Brett Bullinger (5-10, 165, sr., OE-DB); Hunter Brown
(5-10, 175, sr., OE-DB); Caleb Watts (5-11, 215, jr., OL-
DL); Colten Dirks (6-1, 190, jr., OE-DL)
Top newcomers: Wyatt Slaven (6-1, 165, sr., QB-DB);
Ronald Martin (6-1, 200, sr., OE-LB); Henry Friesen
(5-11, 190, so., OL-LB); Ryan Griebel (5-7, 135, so., OE-
DB); Jake Peters (5-11, 200, fr., OL-DL); Tate Skinner
(5-7, 135, fr., RB-DB); Carson Skidmore (6-1, 160, fr.,
QB-LB)
Outlook: Blattner, a former coach at Haviland, now
is consistently winning with the Rebels. South Gray
returns six all-league players from a team that suffered
two close losses. It also has solid upperclassmen.
Blattner said the team will have good team
speed and decent size. The Rebels need to replace its
quarterback.
SPEARVILLE ROYAL LANCERS
Coach: Matt Fowler (third year, 4-14)
League: SPIAA
2010 record: 1-8 (1-5 overall)
Top returners: Hunter Heiland (6-1, 175, sr., QB-DB);
Chad Barnett (5-8, 145, sr., RB); Blake Loder (5-10,
150, sr., RB-DB); Weston Stein (6-4, 185, sr., OL-DL);
Aaron Gunkel (6-2, 170, sr., TE-LB); Lucas Baker (6-
1, 260, sr., C); Raul Flores (5-10, 165, sr., DL); Seth
Stroud (5-10, 160, jr., TE)
Outlook: A strength for the Lancers this season is
experience as seven offensive and six defensive
starters are back. Most of the starters are seniors.
Heiland rushed for 737 yards last season, while
Barnett had 392. Loder amassed 96 tackles. Fowler
said a key is developing his offensive and defensive
lines.
had an upperclassman step
into the position as a firsttime
starter. In the past, he
has had to bring in a sophomore
after a senior graduated.
Mains is ready for this,
Young said.
“He is excited,” Young says.
“You can see it.”
The Bulldogs might not be as
explosive – at least early on – as
they were last year, but they
will be ready by the time substate
play begins, Young said.
“We’re going to do a few
things differently,” he says.
“We won’t be as wide open as
we were at the start of last
year, but we’re going to get
there.”
Celtics
l From Page 8
group of upperclassmen, the Panthers
are eager to follow up last
year’s breakthrough season.
“I think we can do it with this
group of kids. They came here
this summer and worked hard,”
Crandall said.
the quarterfinals the last two. Many of its wins
have been dominant.
Three starters return on each side of the ball,
led by senior lineman Joe Schrock. By the end of
last season, Schrock became one of the top defensive
players in 3A, finishing with 75 tackles and
eight sacks.
“Joe’s one of those kids who has been starting
since his sophomore year,” Racette said. “He does
things the right way, he had a strong offseason and
he makes a lot of plays for us. He’s been successful,
and he knows what it takes to be on a winning football
team.”
Schrock is now in the same position that talented
senior class occupied last year.
“I’m in that leadership role,” Schrock said. “I’ve
started for three years, and I’ve got to step it up
now and lead this team.”
Other returning starters include senior running
back Austin Rea (800 yards from scrimmage), senior
linebacker Alec Mailloux (60 tackles), Tom
Mailloux, sophomore lineman Jerome Miller and
junior lineman Dalton Rodriguez.
Many of last year’s seniors were two- or three-year
starters. This year, a good number of junior varsity
players are moving up to start on Friday nights.
“They’ve had success at JV,” Racette said.
“They’ve played in some of those varsity games,
but you’ve got to learn how to start and finish
games. There’s no pressure in a varsity blowout,
but they’ve had success at the JV level.”
Senior Holden Thielen, a three-year JV starter,
will be the quarterback. Senior Ivan Guerrero and
junior Issac Thibault will join Rea in the backfield.
Other top newcomers include senior defensive
back Caleb Brening, senior lineman Jose Garcia,
junior defensive lineman Josh Hermes and junior
lineman Greg Flores.
Many new faces for the Celtics, but that doesn’t
necessarily mean the Celtics are in for a long season.
“I’m really excited,” Racette said. “These guys
have been putting in a lot of time. They really got
after it in the offseason. It was as good participation
as we’ve had (in the offseason), and I think the
kids will do well. We’re not to the point where
we’re playing a lot of freshmen. We have a lot of
guys who have played at the varsity level.”
“A lot of these kids tasted winning
last year, so hopefully they
know what it takes to get over the
hump,” Heinlein said. “But they
also know that that season is over.
Anything can happen this year and
they need to establish themselves.”