Journal Courier - Football 2023

Beardstown Starts Another Rebuild With Some Key Pieces Back

By Dennis Mathes For the Journal-Courier

The Beardstown football team lost a lot of key players but hope to continue a tradition of making the postseason

Elliott Craig is facing another rebuild in his third season at Beardstown. But the Tigers have plenty to rebuild with.

“We’ve got a lot of pieces to try to replace,” Craig said. “And some of the guys have not seen a lot of time on Friday nights – so trying to get them caught up offensively was kind of the main focus.”

Starting with virtually a clean slate is nothing new to Craig or the Tigers. Beardstown lost a ton of players heading into last year but still managed to finish 5-4 in the regular season for a return trip to the playoffs.

“We had lost 13 seniors from my first year,” Craig said. “And a lot of those guys, especially on the defensive side, rotated in, played a lot. We had to find some pieces up front as well. So I thought it came together fairly well. The first two years kind of mirrored one another a little bit, in wins and losses and getting hot toward the end of the year and winning several games in a row to get in, which is what we kind of did the first year.”

Craig said Beardstown had more than 30 players at camp and should have a roster numbering in the mid-30s this season. Returning players include two key building

blocks – Christy Domitien and Braxton Baer. Both have started for the Tigers since they were sophomores. Domitien is a running back who will also split out at wide receiver.

“Everybody in the league knows about Christy Domitien by now,” Craig said.

Baer is entering his fourth year as a lineman. He started as a freshman during the COVID spring. Baer has started all three years on both sides of the ball for Craig.

Domitien will be a key piece on offense. Built like a fullback, he has breakaway speed and an uncanny knack for making tacklers miss.

“When you look at the kid, he looks like a fullback,” Craig said. “He looks like an old-school fullback-type kid. He’s about 200 pounds. He’s 5-10, he’s very thick – he’s certainly a kid who’s been in the weight room. ... The difference is, is that he doesn’t run like a fullback. He runs more like a tailback or a single back, or whatever you want to call it nowadays. He’s certainly got some breakaway speed to go with that big frame of his.”

Craig said Domitien wants to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Lucas Domitien, and continue his education, and football, at the next level.

“He loves football,” Craig said. “He does basketball and track also here at the school. I think football’s his number one love. I think he wants to go on somewhere, like his brother is going to McKendree this year – he’ll be a freshman. I don’t know where he wants to go, but I definitely think he wants to, after

Beardstown, continue his education and football somewhere. … He’s a good player, on both sides of the ball. He’s got good size, he’s got good speed. I thought he really improved from his sophomore to junior year in ballhandling – in a variety of ways, not just as a receiver, but also hanging onto the darn ball and not fumbling. He did a much better job of that as a junior than he did as a sophomore. He’s certainly a really nice player.”

Domitien isn’t the only piece of the Tigers’ offensive puzzle. Beardstown’s Ethan Heller, Elizah Thomas and Gavin Epping are all talented skill players. “We do have some other guys to go around him,” Craig said. Thomas is a wide receiver who started last year. Heller started at tight end about halfway through the season. He’s back. Ryder Hamlin was an offensive lineman who started as a sophomore last year. He’s back. And

A Beardstown receiver looks in a pass during practice last week in Beardstown. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Abraham Hernandez saw a lot of time on the offensive line, filling in for some injured players to start the season, then later rotating in on defense. He’ll contribute this year.

Last year Epping was injured during two-adays and missed the first three or four games. “He’s a got a little bit of experience playing some wide receiver as well,” Craig said.

All of Beardstown’s other starters graduated. Lucas Domitien, Owen O’Hara, Micah Wink, Owen Quigley, Isaias Torres and other key players are gone. But the Tigers return eight seniors.

Beardstown will have to replace Quigley at quarterback. Craig said it might wind up being a combo deal. Heller and Thomas both have been working at the position, and each brings something different. Both served as Quigley’s backup last season. Craig said regardless of which is at QB, both will play on offense. Both are dual threats, and can run and throw.

Domitien and Heller or Thomas might be in the backfield. Epping will play at wide receiver.

Senior Gustavo Cortes played a lot of JV last year and will start at wide receiver. Craig said several players will be in the mix at wide receiver.

Craig was still working to find the right combination on the offensive line. Baer, who has played center and guard, will be back at one of those two spots this year.

Hernandez could play guard or center. Hamlin, who played at left guard last year, could play anywhere on the line. In camp, he worked at tackle. Hernandez also is the team’s long-snapper.

Leonel Lopez should figure in somewhere. Last year, Lopez broke his wrist on the first day of practice and missed the entire season.

Victor Solano started the past two years on the junior varsity team. “He’ll have an opportunity, I think, to win a line job,” Craig said.

Sophomore Jayden Stephenson could figure in as well. “Jayden’s put in a lot of work in the weight room,” the coach said. “Big, strong kid. He’s going to kind of battle with those other guys.”

Barring injury, Beardstown should have six players available for the line. All are

versatile. “Having a quality backup is –sometimes, you just don’t,” Craig said. “And I think we will.”

Craig coaches the offensive line. He knows what his players can do.

“Baer’s pretty versatile,” Craig said. “He’d been a center, and then he ended up breaking his hand and he couldn’t snap anymore so we had to move the O’Hara boy from guard to center – basically, they flipped positions. … So he’s pretty versatile in what he can do.

“Ryder has pretty good feet. He’s not the biggest kid in the world. He’s a wrestler – I think he understands leverage. He’s got good feet. As a sophomore, I thought he did a pretty good job. It’s not easy to be a sophomore in this conference, as good as it is in the trenches. I thought he did a pretty nice job.

“And then the Hernandez kid, Abraham, he’ll do anything you ask. He’s one of the most coachable kids I’ve ever had, whether it be at Beardstown or at North Fulton. Very coachable. Hard working. Energetic. He’ll do

whatever you ask him to do. He doesn’t care. He just wants to play. That’s refreshing in this day and age. You don’t always get that. … He wants to be good. He wants to be a starter.”

Heller started all last year on the defensive line and likely will play there again this season. He also can play linebacker if the Tigers need him there.

Hernandez will be on the defensive line, along with Hamlin and Lopez.

Senior Rylan Alhorn, a tall, lanky basketball player, will play some defensive end and could factor in somewhere on offense as well.

Gunner Looker, a sophomore, played a lot on the defensive line as a freshman as the season went along. He’ll probably be back there again. “We’re hoping to be able to rotate a bunch of bodies in on that defensive line,” Craig said. “We have a lot of those type of bodies this year.”

Domitien and Baer will play at linebacker. Craig was looking at some other candidates

there early in preseason practice.

Thomas will be one of Beardstown’s defensive backs. He played a lot of corner last year but can also play safety.

Craig said Cortes has looked good on defense in preseason practice. “I thought he looked really good at Pittsfield as a corner,” the coach said. “Gus will probably play corner. But he could play safety, too. We’ve kind of got some interchangeable parts.”

Epping played a little in the secondary last year and could play safety or corner.

Two relatively new players should work their way into the lineup this season. JeanLuc Aplogan, a two-time state track qualifier in the 300 hurdles, didn’t play football as a freshman but came out for the team last year as a sophomore. He primarily played defense. Senior Purav Patel didn’t play his first two years but came out as a junior last year and played a lot of junior varsity. Craig said he looked good in camp.

Craig expects this team to get back to the playoffs.

“My expectation, and theirs, is to play week ten,” he said. “That really hasn’t changed. We’d like to get into the playoffs like we have the first two years. We certainly know it’s a challenge in this conference.”

Beardstown

Nickname: Tigers

Head coach: Elliott Craig

2022 Record: 5-5

Aug 25 Carrollton, 7p

Sep 1 at Pleasant Hill, 7p

Sep 8 at Camp Point, 7p

Sep 15 Routt, 7p

Sep 22 at Triopia, 7p

Sep 29 at Brown County, 7p

Oct 6 Mendon Unity, 7p

Oct 13 North Greene, 7p

Oct 20 at Calhoun, 7p

Beardstown football players battle for position as they work on technique during practice last week in Beardstown. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Will This Season Be A Turning Point For Spartans?

By Dennis Mathes

F or the J ournal -C ourier

The North Greene football team seems to have all the pieces in place to start a long-awaited turnaround

Riding back-to-back winless seasons, it’s a been a long road for the North Greene football team. But coach Brian VanMeter thinks his team might be close to a turning point.

“Well, we’re never where we want to be,” the coach said. “We’re always wanting to be better. But I think we’ve made big steps over the year. We’ve had a full summer. We know the kids better. Ironing out our coaching staff a little more. … Coaches have worked hard all winter. We feel like we’re getting there. We’re still going to be a tad young, but we think we can go out and maybe compete with some of these teams.”

VanMeter expected a roster of between 35 and 40 players when the season begins. The coach said some new faces have been showing up this summer.

“I’m pretty pleased,” he said. “We’re always looking for more, but it’s a slow process. We’ve got some new faces this year, so we’re happy about what we’ve got.”

Those new faces include a couple of basketball players. One of them is junior Garret Hazelwonder, who will be a wide receiver this year. “I think he’s going to shock some people,” the coach said.

North Greene has eight returning starters, another positive sign. Most of them were freshmen and sophomores last year. “We’re moving in the right direction,” the coach said.

“They’ve got some experience under their belt,” VanMeter said. “The intimidation factor shouldn’t be as bad as playing varsity football (as underclassmen). I think we’re just a little more comfortable.”

Junior Logan Tepen returns at quarterback. “Really strong arm,” VanMeter said. “Probably the fastest kid on our team, so I think he can do it with his legs and his arm. Excited to see what he can do this year.”

North Greene football players run a play during practice last week in White Hall. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Tepen was thrust into the starting QB role last year when Brody Berry broke his leg the night before the Spartans’ first game. Tepen took over in week two as a sophomore. “Never really played the position,” VanMeter said. “Wasn’t real comfortable. He’s getting more comfortable now. Really been pleased with his summer.”

Tepen had to learn everything, from how to command the huddle to how to call the plays. But gradually, he gained his teammates’ confidence and became a leader on the team. “They believed in him, and they still do,” the coach said.

As the year wore on, injuries forced the Spartans to throw the ball more, and Tepen improved there, too. “He really progressed,” VanMeter said. “This summer we’ve learned a lot more about reading the defense, knowing where to throw the ball and when to run it and just make good decisions.”

Tepen will be one of six captains on the squad.

“He’s really stepped up,” the coach said. “Kids feel good about him. So we’re real excited to see him hit the field.”

Kaleb Williams returns at running back. “He’s a strong kid. He can squat over 500 pounds, dead-lift over 500 pounds,” VanMeter said. “Little short, compact kid. He’s pretty fast, and I think it’s going to be tough for guys to get him on the ground.”

Berry will play at wingback this year. “Quick in space. Really smart kid,” Van Meter said. “He’ll help us a bunch, too.” The coach called Berry a complete team player who will do whatever is asked of him. “Like everybody here, we want to start getting some wins,” the coach said.

“So whatever it takes to get there, that’s what the kids are going to do.”

North Greene’s line is solid, and now, experienced.

Kolten Kisselbach, at 6-foot-2, 300 pounds, played as a freshman last year and will be at tackle.

Ben Tepen, the quarterback’s older brother, is one of only four seniors on the team. Coaches had thought about moving him to wingback because of his speed, but Tepen is needed on the line. He’ll play at guard.

Landon Gilmore, a sophomore, also returns on the line. VanMeter said he’s a hard worker who hits it hard in the weight room. Junior Brendin Staszkiewicz will be at the other guard.

And with the addition of Hazelwonder, the Spartans suddenly have a terrific pair of wide receivers. The other is All-WIVC South selection Ethan Clark.

“I feel our skill positions are pretty good,” VanMeter said. “And they’re all juniors.”

The coach said North Greene will try to stay balanced on offense, and run to set up the pass. “We have that capability,” VanMeter said. “We’re going to take our shots when we get the chance.”

With 17 or 18 juniors on the roster, North Greene has some depth to play with on defense. VanMeter said the Spartans will try not to play Kisselbach on the defensive line to keep him fresh for offense.

“I think we’ll be pretty solid,” Van Meter said. “We should be able to pull four or five kids off of going both ways.”

North Greene added former Carrollton All-Stater and Quincy University All-American Cody

a Great Season North Greene!

Leonard as defensive coordinator. “He’s bringing a lot to our defense, helping the kids,” VanMeter said.

Leonard started teaching at North Greene last year. He was hired again this year as a physical education teacher, so he’ll be able to coordinate weight training throughout the year.

“He’ll be with the kids every day to keep them going in the right direction. … The kids love him,” VanMeter said. “They respect what he’s done. So that’s a good addition.”

Ben Tepen will probably play at end, with sophomore Lucas Turner (6-5, 250) vying for the other end. Senior Isiaha Mudd is expected to play defensive tackle. Senior Noah Riley also will be on the line. Both Mudd and Riley are competing for the center spot on the offensive line as well.

Gilmore, Williams and senior Ethan Lawson will be at linebacker.

Hazelwonder will play at safety, with Berry at corner. “I think he’s going to be a really good corner for us,” VanMeter said. The other safety and corner spots were unsettled early in practice, but VanMeter said the team has several capable candidates.

From all indications, it seems like the Spartans are starting to turn a corner. “We’re hoping,” VanMeter said. “We’ve got a rough start. We’ve got some big teams coming in the first few weeks, so we’re going to find out where we’re at real quick.”

The coach said he’s seen much improvement, both in skills and attitudes. “These kids, they’re pushing kids every day to be there, and to work hard,” VanMeter said. “Attitude’s starting to change. It’s really positive. We’re just trying to focus on that and be a little better every day.

“All of our sports have been down

for the past few years,” the coach said. “It’s an attitude thing we’ve got to switch. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. Like I tell our kids, we’re the same kids as all these other schools have. We have the same problems, same issues. It’s attitude and effort.” When choosing captains for this years team, every coach turned in the same list of names: Ethan Clark, Logan Tepen, Ben Tepen, Kaleb Williams, Brody Berry and Landon Gilmore.

“A few more captains than we thought, but we’re having six,” VanMeter said. “And those guys are leading by example. A couple of them are quiet leaders, a couple of them are more vocal, so it’s a good mix.”

VanMeter said the team wants to get to that five-win mark. “That’s our goal,” he said. “First goal is to win one game. That’s our first goal, because we haven’t done it in a couple years. So, win one game and just keep building on that.”

North Greene

Nickname: Spartans

Head coach: Brian VanMeter

2022 Record: 0-9 Aug 25 Camp Point, 7p Sep 2 at Routt, 1p Sep 8 at Calhoun, 7p Sep 15 at Greenfield-NW, 7:30p Sep 22 Carrollton, 7p Sep 29 Pleasant Hill, 7p Oct 7 West Central, 1p Oct 13 at Beardstown, 7p Oct 20 Mendon Unity, 7p

Even Without Owens, Crimsons Could Be Tough To Beat

By Dennis Mathes

For the Journal-Courier

Jacksonville football team prepares for first season without All-State QB

Elijah Owens

What happens to a football program when it loses a quarterback like Jacksonville’s two-time All-State selection Elijah Owens?

Coach Mark Grounds was ready for it, and made sure his team was prepared for it, even going back to last season.

“Well, you know, hopefully what you’re doing is you’re putting some people in positions in practice even when he was there to learn from him, but to step up and be mentored by him whenever he’s not in there,” the coach said. “There’s a lot of times that whenever we have the backup quarterback in, I would give Elijah my play sheet and make him call plays for him. Yeah, so, you know, kind of a mentorship. But I’m not gonna lie -- when you had somebody around for three years that you saw grow up in front of your eyes as a starting quarterback, there’s a vacuum of experience and knowledge and just comfort when you first start, OK, over the summer. But we’ve been with these kids now for June, July and now August. You know, unfortunately, time moves on and Elijah is playing for the Sycamores of Indiana State right now. So you can’t worry about the people that are gone once you get started in the early summer.”

Stepping in as the Crimson’ new quarterback is senior Mani Moore, a running back with last year’s team. Moore, whom Grounds describes as a “high academic kid,” grew up with the Crimsons,

carrying water on the sidelines many years ago.

“Now he’s a senior that’s going to be our starting quarterback,” Grounds said. “And, you know, just the leader knows what everybody’s supposed to do on the field. He was mentored and got to watch a pretty special kid play that spot before him the last couple of years. And I think he’s really taken the baton and is trying to put his own imprint and his own style on what we do.”

Moore won the job after an impressive summer. He’s an accurate passer and an effective runner, and fits in perfectly with Jacksonville’s offense.

“You know, obviously he was a running back for us last year, so the running part comes pretty natural for him,” Grounds said. “And when I was talking to him about the quarterback spot, I said, you know, as a wing, you don’t touch the ball every play. As a quarterback, you get to touch the ball every play, which means that you could run the ball every play. And I think that got his attention. And he’s done a really good job of trying to figure out what his strengths are. And we’re trying to live within his strengths in the passing game as well as the running game.”

The Crimsons have plenty of starters back at the other positions, with as many as nine players who started on offense and eight on defense. The returners include some real stars from Jacksonville’s track and field team.

“You know, I was fortunate to be able to help Coach Thrasher out with track this year, and he and Coach Heaton in years past have done a great job of developing our track program, especially our relays,” Grounds said. “And, you know, relays are our team, right? Your strongest depend on

Jacksonville football players run a play during a recent practice in Jacksonville. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Thursday, August 24, 2023

each other, and that kind of fits in really well with football and especially when you’re a three- and four-back offense and those guys are wide receivers and running backs -- they’re used to having a role and trying to excel at that role. And that’s kind of a really neat carryover from the spring to the fall.”

And it’s not just the fast guys. Ryan McCombs made a name for himself in the Central State Eight in the shot put in the spring, and anchors an offensive line that returns everybody from a year ago.

“The great thing about our on line on both sides of the ball is they’re 100 percent back from last year there,” Grounds said. “We played with a lot of juniors and sophomores last year that are now juniors and seniors that got a ton of experience, and that really makes it a good fit for a young quarterback.”

Even though the Crimsons’ line was young last year, they made it work. “Yeah, they did. They did,” Grounds said. “And they got better and better each week against better competition. And, you know, they didn’t rest on their laurels. They had multisport athletes that played other sports, and the ones that didn’t were in the weight room and doing extra agility work on their own and really, really took to heart, you know, what we wanted to accomplish this year that we talked about from the moment our season got done up at Metamora last year.”

Jacksonville returns some extreme speed in the backfield, including CS8 all-star sprinter Cam Ron Mitchell.

“I mean he’s number one or number two in almost every event,” Grounds said. “And you know, that type of speed, when you have the line in front of him, you give him a crack, and he has the ability to go the distance any time he touches it. And that takes a lot of pressure off of your play calling, takes a lot of pressure off of the line as well as the quarterbacks.”

Grounds said Mitchell has some high expectations for himself this season. “Yeah, I mean, I think he came into the program with expectations of where he wants to be as a senior,” the coach said. “And I think that he’s met and exceeded some of those expectations that he had for himself and

we had for him. But, you know, each year we set the bar a little bit higher for him. … I think that he’s really looking forward to that first game and starting a senior campaign.”

Mitchell will have help in the backfield.

La’Marion Williams, a junior, got plenty of carries when Jacksonville pulled its starters last season. “We gave him the ball nonstop to really force him to develop,” Grounds said. “And he’s settling into Mani Moore’s wing spot as well as the fullback spot that he played last year, and has really just done a tremendous job of improving his comfort level, his hustle. You know, there’s a difference between the intensity you need as a varsity player and the intensity you need as a younger level player. And he’s really done a good job of taking those steps.”

Sophomore DaShawn Armstrong is another running back with big-play potential. Sophomore Easton Ackerman should figure into the mix as well at fullback and wing.

The Crimsons also return a fleet-footed corps of receivers. “Probably the highest yards-per-catch person coming back in the league is Rodney Reed, and I don’t know anybody … you talk about a track star. There’s very few people that can defend him over the top with his speed,” Grounds said. “He’s just worked hard every year to improve on his craft and leadership and is really somebody that’s put in the work to follow up a very good junior year with a very special senior year.”

Crucifixio “Cross” Mitchell, Cam Ron’s younger brother, was in the running for the quarterback spot but transitioned to wide receiver this summer. And he became a good one. “Had a phenomenal summer at 7-on-7s there,” Grounds said.

“We’ve got a lot of younger and inexperienced guys that are really improving at the wide receiver spot,” the coach said. “Fighting, fighting for the ability to replace Deone Salther opposite Rodney Reed.”

The offensive line will be a team strength this year. “Well, you know, you’ve got four sophomores that had very good seasons on the varsity level,” Grounds said. “And legitimately, most of them, in regular years, would have been playing JV football,

OK? But we needed them to step up. And they did. They met the challenge and got better and better every week. And then you had a junior in Oliver Cooley, who’s a great wrestler that played JV football as a sophomore, but was a first time starter on both sides of the ball for us as a junior -and man, you want to talk about somebody

that just does not stop? He’s relentless. And, you know, he just attacks and attacks and attacks and is literally one of the toughest kids I’ve coached.”

Avery Cook and Miradi Dandu-Mwani

Continued on Page 8

A Jacksonville defensive player blows up a play in the backfield during last Friday’s scrimmage in Jacksonville. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

return at guards. “You know, they’re both 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5, 280 and 300, and they can move,” Grounds said. “They’ve put so much work in to improve their quickness. They’ve slimmed down. They’re big, athletic linemen that really work well with each other. And they’re in competition with each other on a daily basis, whether it’s a game or whether it’s practice, or trivia. Those guys compete and they’re competitive with each other.”

Players often quiz one another on football trivia at practice. “They do,” Grounds said. “And they quiz me. You know, Avery Cook will quiz me about football trivia. And he flat-out knows it. And he puts me to shame on some of them that he knows that I don’t. I like to think of myself as a football trivia buff myself.”

Three-year starter Aiden Surratt, a junior, returns at the other tackle spot. Surratt, who has started for the Crimsons since the COVID spring season, has a chance to start as many games in his career as any Jacksonville offensive lineman ever has. “And, you know, another kid that’s a multisport athlete, a great wrestler – he qualified for the Fargo Nationals this early summer out in Fargo, North Dakota,” Grounds said. “And, you know, just a kid that’s relentless as well. So, I mean, there’s five guys that are multi-sport athletes that just absolutely attack it in the off-season. And that’s what you want to have on the offensive line. And they play defense as well.”

Some of the same players will man the defensive line. “Well there’s a lot of people that have played a lot there,” Grounds said. “You have Drake Nicholson as a senior, Oliver Cooley as a senior. You have Aiden Surratt as the junior. Brody Clayton has worked hard to put himself in the mix there as well. Aden Hartkey is a senior that can literally play every position on the offensive line and the defensive line and has earned the right to be on the field for us as well. So, I mean, there’s a lot of bodies that have played there that are back from last year.”

Cam Ron Mitchell and Reed return in the defensive backfield. “They were impressive on offense, but they did some impressive work on defense as well,” Grounds said. “And Casimir Jackson started several games for us. He’s back as well in the secondary and linebacker role. So, you know, there’s some experience to build around there that had some successes but was also stressed by some of the better teams like Rochester, Chatham and SHG, to where they were exposed as young players and had to work hard to improve their craft. And, you know, I’m very proud that they’ve done that.”

Jacksonville graduated most of its linebacking corps, but Grounds said several players were battling for those positions. “They all do something well and they all have to do some things that they need to work on,” the coach said. “But the competition’s been exceptionally fierce there, and probably more so than in recent years, just because we have so many guys that are battling for those spots right now.”

Senior Darius Armstrong, another track star, also will be in the defensive backfield, along with his younger brother, DaShawn Armstrong. Senior Will Hutchison, a player Grounds said is exceptionally smart and has a knack for getting to the ball, also returns.

“There’s a lot of flexibility there,” the coach said. “I think we’re going to be able to manipulate who plays where. Cross Mitchell has been very good back there as well as at corner and safety. So, just like linebacker, I think we’ve got some pretty fierce competition in the secondary, and they’re athletes back there. In our league you’ve got to have secondary people that

can cover and that can run and eventually get into some man coverage situations. And I think that we have some track athletes and some multisport athletes that work really hard to put themselves in a position to try to put themselves where they need to be to defend the type of offenses that really space the field horizontally and vertically in the Central State Eight.”

The Crimsons are set at kicker as well. “You’ve got, really, two guys that kicked for us last year,” Grounds said. “You know Brandon Sims was our starting kicker and punter, and he’s back. He had a great sophomore year, great freshman year. His leg’s stronger. Owen Daniels is somebody that was a soccer player that came to football. I think he was eight out of eight or nine out of nine on extra points last year. So you know, we tried to get him in and get some experience so we always had two guys in case something happened. And they’ve both really picked right up where they left off. You know, they put the work in as a kicker. A lot of times you’ve got to put

the work in by yourself. We’ve got Nathan McCombs, who’s a great kicker for us in his own right, that’s been working with them and has done a tremendous job with their techniques and their approach on how to practice and get themselves ready. So, you know, I feel really good about our kicking game.”

With Owens gone, some teams might overlook the Crimsons this season. Grounds said that would be a mistake.

“Jacksonville always is somebody that is easy to overlook because of some of the teams in the conference,” the coach said.

“But year in and year out we consistently compete for the playoffs. I think this is a team that will compete for the playoffs, and if people take us lightly, I think what we have coming back -- the coaches that do their work know that we’ve got experience in all phases, and that our staff, our defensive staff, our offensive staff, I think they do a great job of preparing our kids, developing our kids and putting game plans together that give the Crimsons a chance to be successful.

“I think people know that we’ve got some commodities back that were successful, and big plays on both sides of the ball and the kicking game last year,” Grounds said. “So I think people know that we’re a very solid team and you know, we were a lot more than Elijah. Elijah was a huge part of what we did, but he’d be the first one to tell you that his teammates picked him up and he picked them up. So I think that we’ll have a very similar belief in each other this year, and that’s because of kids like Elijah and Deone and Jacob Pool and others that have come before -- they have graduated and mentored the young kids about the right way to play the game.”

Jacksonville

Nickname: Crimsons

Head coach: Mark Grounds

2022 Record: 6-4

Aug 25 at Eisenhower, 7p

Sep 1 MacArthur, 7p

Sep 8 SHG, 7p

Sep 15 at Rochester, 7p

Sep 22 Peoria ND, 7p

Sep 29 at Lincoln, 7p

Oct 6 at Southeast, 7p

Oct 13 Springfield, 7p

Oct 20 at U-High, 7p

A Jacksonville defender catches up with a ball carrier during last Friday night’s scrimmage in Jacksonville.(Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Hornets Winning The Numbers Game

By Dennis Mathes For the Journal-Courier

The Brown County football team has 52 players on the roster this year. And that bodes well not only for the Hornets, but for football.

When it comes to the numbers game – and football is a numbers game – Brown County coach Tom Little is king.

An unusually large freshman class has pushed Little’s roster to an almost unheard-of 52 players. But that’s not necessarily unusual at Brown County, even as some schools are seeing participation numbers start to drop.

“You know, we’re excited about our numbers, for being a small school to have 52 of our kids out playing football,” Little said. “You know, getting that every day is, you know, not only huge for our school, but, you know, it’s huge for the game of football to be able to get these kids a chance to play in this kind of situation where there’s eight-man football and there’s all these different things that people have. A school of 200 to be able to play a full freshman schedule, a full JV schedule and a full varsity schedule is a good thing for our program and for our future.”

Brown County has only five seniors on this year’s squad. Little said part of that was the COVID effect, where players got interested in other sports during the pandemic. The junior class stands at 15 players.

“Our numbers, besides that, we’re at double digits everywhere,” the coach said. “And, you know, we’re excited. We know there’s a lot of young kids that are excited about playing Hornet football when they when they get into high school. So, you know, we feel like our program’s in a really, really, really good spot.”

Brown County is coming off a a 5-5 season, a playoff season. The Hornets opened with a win over Calhoun, then, sitting at 4-4, beat Carrollton in week nine to qualify for the postseason. The Hornets came within two points of upsetting Tuscola in the first round, falling 20-18.

The Hornets have six starters back on both

sides of the ball, including quarterback Angel Duarte, who had a good season last year.

“You know, Angel is just a phenomenal athlete,” Little said. “He came to us as a sophomore and, you know, we didn’t really know where to put him, and we put him at the quarterback spot. But in the varsity games, he was so athletic that he played some running back, he played some receiver, he played a little bit of tight end in a few games. He’s just a tremendous athlete who’s strong, fast, and is able to do a lot of different things.”

Little said Duarte has developed into a leader on this team. “He knows he’s the guy this year,” Little said. “And so, you know, his leadership and the way that he’s working with his teammates and just getting guys prepared has been really, really good to see this offseason.”

The Hornets are set at running back.

“Right away, you know, Tyce Fullerton jumps off the page,” Little said. “As a sophomore, he had a really good season for us. You know, got a lot of tough yards, a lot of touchdowns. You know, he’s probably one of the better running backs in the area. And, you know, we’re excited to have him back.

“And then in the backfield we’re working with Layden Volk, who got a lot of carries last year as a junior in the backfield. And then Tyce’s brother Trey is a sophomore for us who has done a really nice job, had a great offseason -- you know, big, strong kid who likes to be hit and likes to give out some punishment. All three of those guys are really, really skilled and can do things not only in the run game but also in the pass game.”

Senior Jack Anderson returns at tight end for the Hornets. “You know, he’s made some big plays,” Little said. “He has big-play potential every time that he touches the ball. And Drew Markert got a lot of playing time for us last year -- had some spot starts here and there and has really developed. They give us two big, tall receivers who are very hard to match up with.”

Brown County returns several linemen, including senior tight end Dylan Hendricks, who was a starter last year. “He did a really nice job this offseason, really getting himself into a

different level of shape and, you know, looks really good.”

Tanner Sitze, a physical player who moves well, returns at guard. He started all last year as a junior. “Now he looks looks the part, loves the contact -- a physical blocker. And we’re excited to see where that takes him.”

Kalvin Schenk returns after getting some spot time on the line last year. “I think he knows that it’s his time to shine, and he really needs to take that opportunity and make a name for himself,” Little said.

The Hornets were still working to finalize the last few spots on the line late last week. Jack Buss and Dylan Reische are both in the mix for the remaining positions after solid offseasons and good work in preseason practice. Little said a couple of other players could contribute on the line when the team needs their skill sets against a particular opponent.

It figures to be an athletic line, with extreme versatility. “We think there’s a lot of athleticism there and it’s kind of which guy fits the best for what we need that week,” Little said.

Several linemen will play both ways this season. Anderson, an All-WIVC North selection, returns at defensive tackle after working hard in the offseason.

Markert and Sitze both got a lot of playing time on the defensive line last year. Sophomore Jace Leonard also got some time last year as a freshman. “We’re excited about him and his offseason and what the future looks like for him,” Little said.

As a unit, Brown County’s defense got stronger week by week. “To see that group from when they started last year and how they ended, you know, we were really impressed with those guys that they did become a very good defense last year,” Little said. “You know, we expect big things from them this year. And hopefully, you know, the tough competition they saw last year and the opportunity to be in the playoffs and gain that confidence from that will be a big, big contributor to their success this season.”

Tyce Fullerton returns at linebacker after a solid season last year. “He does a great job

of, you know, being able to cover sideline to sideline, and he matches up well with guys in the passing game,” Little said. “And then Trey Fullerton is a sophomore and he did a good job for us last year filling in some games. He also had a really good offseason and we’re expecting big things from him.”

Duarte returns at defensive back, along with junior Maverick Henry. “Both those guys are our leaders,” Little said. “Both of them have a great sense of the game of football.” Volk returns at the third defensive back position. Football is a numbers game. Maintaining those numbers takes commitment from every player, from their first practice as a freshman to their last game as a senior.

“If they’re never there or they just show up, you know, and they’ve missed two or three seasons and try to play as a junior or senior, it’s tough to teach them all that stuff and create the habits they need to be a good football player,” Little said. “So, you know, we’re always excited, especially when our young kids give it a chance as a freshman. And, you know, after we get them in the weight room for a season, they come back as a sophomore. They’ve got the experience, and they’ve got that added size and strength that they gain throughout the year. And I think that is, you know, one of the keys to building a successful program.”

Brown County

Nickname: Hornets

Head coach: Tom Little

2022 Record: 5-5

Aug 25 Greenfield-NW, 7p

Sep 1 at West Central, 7p

Sep 7 at Mendon Unity, 7p

Sep 15 Triopia, 7p

Sep 22 at Camp Point, 7p

Sep 29 Beardstown, 7p

Oct 7 at Routt, 1p

Oct 13 Calhoun, 7p

Oct 20 at Pleasant Hill, 7p

Pitts eld Pushes For Playo s

By Travis Zuellig

For the Journal-Courier

Pittsfield football team hoping to end playoff drought with strong group of returning players

The Pittsfield football team is in a 13-season playoff drought. The last playoff appearance came in 2009 and ended with a first-round exit. But this year could feel different for the Saukees as Pittsfield returns seven players on defense and eight on offense after a building year last season where plenty of sophomores saw playing time.

Those sophomores are now juniors, and after a productive offseason, head coach Zach Ferguson said this is the strongest team he has seen at Pittsfield in quite some time. The Saukees are ready to make a push for the playoffs.

“We definitely got bigger and matured physically,” Ferguson said. “Physically, we’re probably bigger all around than we’ve been here at Pittsfield for a while. We’re averaging about, I think about 240 on the offensive line, which is pretty big for us. And all our skill guys got bigger and stronger this offseason, and then we had a really good summer. So we’re looking forward to the next two weeks of practice and then seeing what we got when we go to Athens.”

One player who had to grow quickly last season was quarterback Javen Petty, who took over the starting role at the beginning of the season. Petty completed 105-of-186 passes for 996 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. He also finished with nine interceptions. Ferguson thinks Petty has matured since last season.

“He’s gotten stronger this offseason,” the coach said. “He’s throwing the ball well this summer. Last year, we had some varsity jitters

kind of thing, and he’s mentally matured this year.”

Petty completed passes to 11 different receivers. Two of his top four favorite targets -- Konner Allen and McKelvey Mohr – return for their senior season. Allen tied for the team high with 23 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Mohr had eight catches for 101 yards. Justin Pennock, who had nine catches for 61 yards in five games, should provide good depth.

Mohr also finished last season with 103 yards on 13 rushes. Mathew Edwards rushed for 27 yards on 12 carries. Those two are the returning leading rushers. Tracer Mowen, Jaron White and Daxton Nutter also will see time at running back. Clayton Reinhardt, Cordell McKee, Keaton Hittner and Zane Perry will be the main blockers on the offensive line.

Last season, Pittsfield’s two wins came in the last two weeks. They scored over 20 points in each of those games, which was something they hadn’t done all year. Ferguson hopes those two wins can help the momentum heading into this season.

“We were very young last year. So it was one of those growing years where we got better every week,” Ferguson said. “Our conference is pretty loaded, so there’s no easing into it. You kind of just jump into it and focus on getting better every week. And we finished with two wins in a row at the end of the season, so we kind of hopefully have a little momentum coming into this year.”

The Saukees return six of the front seven on defense, with Edwards being the lone returner in the secondary at safety. Braxton Forshey, Cordell McKee, White and Reinhardt played the line. Owen Shaw and Draven Puterbuagh come back as inside linebackers, with Allen as an outside linebacker.

The Sangamo Conference is loaded, with five teams making playoff appearances last season

and two of them making the final four in the Class 2A and 3A playoffs. Pittsfield starts the season with a trip to Athens, which finished third in the conference last season. Next, the Saukees host Olympia before traveling to Williamsville — both playoff teams. Ferguson said the Saukees have to come out ready to play week one and then continue to develop as the season goes along.

“We’ve just got to take it one day at a time and take one game at a time,” Ferguson said. “We can’t worry about things that are out of our control. We’ve got to worry about things that are in our control. We control our preparation and our effort and how we play. And the chips are going to fall where they may. The guys want to make the playoffs, and so do I. But we also have to be focused on what it takes to win in our conference, and then the wins will take care of themselves if we do the little things right.”

Pittsfield

Nickname: Saukees

Head coach: Zachary Ferguson

2022 Record: 2-7

Aug 25 at Athens, 7p

Sep 1 Stanford Olympia, 7p Sep 8 at Williamsville, 7p Sep 15 New Berlin, 7p Sep 22 at Maroa-Forsyth, 7p Sep 29 Pleasant Plains, 7p

Oct 6 at Auburn, 7p

Oct 13 PORTA/A-C, 7p Oct 20 at Riverton, 7p

A Pittsfield ball carrier tries to break away from a defender during practice last week in Pittsfield.(Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

New Coach Hopes To Lead Pretzels Back To The Playo s

By Travis Zuellig

For the Journal-Courier

New coach James Dambacher hopes to lead the New Berlin football team back to the playoffs

Taking over a program as a first-year head coach can have its challenges, and new New Berlin head football coach James Dambacher has already made changes to move the Pretzels forward. From moving weightlifting times to the morning, to increasing the knowledge of the little things and the intensity at practices, Dambacher is trying to get the team moving in the right direction after missing the playoffs last season.

Dambacher, an Auburn grad who played four years of football at Illinois College, has an uphill battle ahead of this new season.

New Berlin is coming off three straight 3-6 seasons and hasn’t made the playoff since 2015. Dambacher is looking for that first big win to get the ball rolling.

“Being in the playoffs, that’s a big step,” Dambacher said. “I think it’s going to be a big step for the kids. It’s going to be a big step for the community. Getting those big wins going and getting back in the playoffs, that’s the goal. Getting in the playoffs even at 5-4 … a team from the Sangamo at 5-4 is a pretty dangerous team in the playoffs.”

After a 3-1 start last season, the Pretzels lost their final five games. Four of those losses were to playoff teams.

Dambacher comes into his first as a head coach this season after serving as an assistant at Auburn since 2018. After graduating from IC, he joined the Marine Corps and returned

home after an injury. He tried a couple of things but finally decided he wanted to be a head football coach. With some encouragement from his wife, he went back to school for his master’s degree to become a teacher.

“I’m pretty excited. This is something I’ve wanted for a while now,” Dambacher said. “Obviously, I’ve been around a lot of good people and a lot of knowledgeable people. Just hopping on whatever job opened up was never really my goal. I had schools in mind, and schools that I thought could be successful, and my top one opened up. So, yeah, it’s pretty exciting to get that opportunity on something that you wanted.”

Dambacher expects to run a lot of different formations and will not rely on a run- or pass-heavy offense. Trent Turley is New Berlin’s leading returning rusher from last season, racking up 210 yards on 56 carries and one touchdown.

Lucas Bixby, who played quarterback as a sophomore, returns for his senior season at QB. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Bixby will be used to run the offense and run the ball. He gained 57 yards on 31 carries in his sophomore season. Tanner Fry is also back out for football after spending the past two years concentrating on golf.

Other notable returners include Clark Nelson and Noah Lyons. Nelson made eight catches for 178 yards and one touchdown during his sophomore campaign. Lyons caught nine passes for 97 yards last year. Bryce Pridemore and Hayden Surratt return to the offensive line.

“Just a good number of kids that have seen some varsity time, and you can’t take away that varsity time,” Dambacher said. “It’s so

important in their development, and they’ve been there and done it. Now it’s just getting that football knowledge into those kids to be even more successful.”

New Berlin will open the season by hosting Dambacher’s alma mater. Auburn made the playoffs last season. Next will be a trip to PORTA/A-C Central before the Pretzels host Riverton. Some early wins could help New Berlin build some momentum ahead of Williamsville and Maroa-Forsyth later in the season. Dambacher said the success will come.

“I think really just bringing up the intensity and that football knowledge,” the coach said. “We do those little things right and just play with some speed, intensity and violence the way football should be. That’ll get us back to the playoffs. We’ve just got to be disciplined. Disciplined football can take you a long way.”

New Berlin

Nickname: Pretzels

Head coach: James Dambacher

2022 Record: 3-6

Aug 25 Auburn, 7p

Sep 2 at PORTA/A-C, 7p

Sep 8 Riverton, 7p

Sep 15 at Pittsfield, 7p

Sep 22 Stanford Olympia, 7p

Sep 29 at Williamsville, 7p

Oct 6 Athens, 7p

Oct 14 Maroa-Forsyth, 2p

Oct 20 at Pleasant Plains, 7p

New Berlin football players run a play during practice last week in New Berlin. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Routt Hopes To Turn JV Wins Into Varsity Success

By Dennis Mathes

For the Journal-Courier

The Routt football team replaces almost everybody from one of the team’s best seasons in recent memory

Routt lost 18 starters from a football team that went 8-3, beat Greenfield-Northwestern, and almost beat Tuscola in the second round of the IHSA Class 1A state playoffs.

The Rockets return a brand new group of players who won all of their games at the junior varsity level last year.

“Trey (Gause) is back, Adam (Huffman) is back, (Gavin) Amdal is back. So, you know, those guys weren’t all two-way starters,” Routt coach Barry Creviston said. “You know, obviously, we lost a great senior class -- 11 seniors, probably 18 starters, I’ll say. And, you know, it’s just a process where those guys had a great junior varsity career. They didn’t lose a game. And we hope that they can continue their maturation process to becoming varsity players. And we had a good summer doing that.”

Do wins at the JV level translate to success in varsity football? Creviston thinks they can. Creviston coached the junior varsity team himself last year, and he knows what these players can do.

“You know, it’s just one of those things where, running the same offense, doing the little things right,” the coach said. “You know, when you start getting a program to where you want it to be, you know, I always say tradition doesn’t graduate. It just moves on. And hopefully these guys are just going to step up where those guys left off. Obviously, you know, we lost a lot of good players, but we have a lot of good … you know, the cupboard’s not bare. We have a lot of good players coming in.”

Routt has a big junior class with a good mix of sophomores and seniors around them.

A lot of skill position players are juniors. The roster will top out at around 40 this season.

Kohen Hoots, who took some knocks early at quarterback on his way to becoming Routt’s all-time record holder in numerous categories, is now playing for Illinois College.

Stepping in at QB will be the coach’s son, Kellen Creviston. He has a strong, accurate arm and knows the offense inside and out.

“His arm strength has improved,” Coach Creviston said. “He knows the offense well. He runs the offense well.

“Very coachable kid, had a great summer,” the coach said. “Does he make mistakes? Yes. But hopefully we can minimize those. And, you know, he works as hard, if not harder than anybody on the team because he knows what’s expected.”

Joining Creviston in the backfield will be an entirely new set of running backs, including Routt point guard and second baseman Isaac Long.

“We replace Will Jackson, who rushed for about 1,300 yards last year,” Creviston said. “It’ll probably be a three-headed monster this year with senior Gavin Amdal and junior Charlie Alan, and newcomer Isaac Long hopes to factor into the mix somewhere.

“Charlie Allen is probably the fastest – I think he is the fastest runner in the WIVC, track-wise,” the coach said. “He’s a hundredmeter guy. He just needs to come along about, you know, learning how to hit holes. And he can’t outrun everyone’s defense. He has to be able to find creases and make good cuts. Gavin is more of a straight-ahead runner and can get us yards. I hope Isaac Long can give us some added things that the other two can’t.”

Routt will replace its entire offensive line – all five starters. “Our two linchpins are probably Adam Huffman and Trey Gause,” Creviston said. “They were part-time starters last year, off and on. But you know, those are the two strong, strong returners on the

offensive line. Center is a question mark. A kid who was injured last year was Aiden Meyer. Aiden Meyer is taking snaps, and then the other one is (senior) Yawo Mignanou. And then (sophomore) Cannon Creviston has also been taking some snaps.”

Henry Rawe also figures in on the offensive line. Everybody slated to play on the offensive line this year played on the line for the junior varsity team – which also served as a scout team for last year’s varsity team.

Routt has a talented corps of wide receivers, any of whom could have started on last year’s team, had it not been for the Rockets’ outstanding senior group. “You know, it’s tough to get on the field when you’ve got those four guys,” Creviston said. “But, you know, at any given minute, if any of

those guys needed a break or needed to come out of a game for whatever reason, you know, we had four capable guys who could go in at any time and play well.”

Last year’s receivers were tall and fast. This group is fast and quick. And they can catch the ball. They include lightning-quick Nolan Turner, a star on the Routt basketball and baseball teams. Jace Lautemann, the same. “He and Nolan are two peas in a pod,” Creviston said. “They both have kind of the same skill set of good hands, good route runners, very fast.”

Joining them at tight end will be Carter Lightfoot – a bit undersized, but fast and a good route runner. Rounding out the corps is junior Eli Olson, a newcomer from Havana.

Another solid pass-catcher, Declan Lahey,

Routt’s Isaac Long takes off after getting a handoff from quarterback Kellen Creviston during last Friday night’s scrimmage at the old MacMurray College football field in Jacksonville. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

is out right now with a knee injury. Creviston hopes to have him back by midseason.

“I’m just as excited about these guys as I was last year’s group,” Creviston said. “You know, it’s going to be tough to replace the four receivers that we had last year, but I think these guys have done an ample job, you know, in the weight room and in summer workouts. And then, again, you know, they had a lot of success at the JV level.”

How did the JV team win games?

“We definitely ran the ball effectively, and, you know, it just -- we looked like our varsity at the JV level,” Creviston said. “So we were very good, in my opinion. Threw the ball well, ran the ball well, played good defense. So, you know, the good thing about having numbers, and playing against a good team

that we had last year is, you know, either you have to get better, or else practice isn’t any fun. So, you know, they saw how those guys worked well as a unit. And these guys are a fun group and work well as a unit as well. So like I said, you know, we’re not going to know until we know, but, you know, I think we have all the pieces in the right spots.”

Creviston has a special bond with these players, and it goes beyond having two sons on the team. Creviston not only coached them in JV, but he coached them during their seventh- and eighth-grade seasons in JFL. It’s a tight-knit group.

“The Creviston house is kind of the place to go and hang out,” the coach said. “So I’ve kind of gotten to know all these kids definitely on a different level, you know,

because they’re always at my house and I get to yell at them to clean up and stuff like that.”

Routt has three starters back on defense. Huffman started at linebacker, Gause started at end, and Lightfoot played a little bit.

Gause will be the Rockets’ mainstay on the defensive line. A second-team All-WIVC North selection last year, he finished with 52 total tackles, fourth on the team. Gause had six tackles for loss, three sacks and two caused fumbles.

Huffman, who had 48 tackles and two interceptions last season, returns at linebacker. “He’s a small package, but he’s an excellent tackler and a good hitter,” Creviston said. “And he reads the field well.”

Replacing Will Jackson at middle linebacker will be tough. An All-Stater on both sides of the ball, Jackson led the team in tackles and rushing.

Newcomer Gavan Sheehan, along with Gavin Amdal, who had 43 tackles last year, will also play at the linebacker spots. Long, a hard-nosed player on the basketball court and the baseball diamond, could figure into the mix as well.

Offensive linemen will play on the defensive line. The team was rotating players early in preseason practice to see who fit where.

Olson, Lautemann, Turner and Alan will play at the defensive corners. Kellen Creviston could factor in, but Coach Creviston said the Rockets will try to keep him off defense.

Routt has a new defensive coordinator, Jim Huffman, from New Berlin.

As a group, this squad played solid defense – at the JV level.

“They had a lot of a lot of three-and-outs,” Creviston said. “You know, they played good, swarming team defense. So it will hopefully just be, you know … the whole story of our season is going to be did we mature in one year to be varsity players. And if we didn’t, we’re going to struggle. If we did, we’ll be a playoff team.”

Sophomore Dom York is expected to be the team’s place-kicker. He was accurate in Routt’s scrimmage last Friday night.

Routt has shown some early signs. The Illinois High School Association allowed

11-on-11 scrimmages this summer. Creviston said it was an eye-opener for some of his players.

“Every day you have to kind of learn how to practice because a lot of times you’re going against freshmen every day, so you really don’t know how good you are until the first game,” the coach said. “Carrollton starters and JHS starters really kind of opened a lot of kids’ eyes, you know, how varsity play will go, and we had some success. Obviously, there’s a little bit of improvement needed, but you know, I was happy the way it went.

“We had a couple of breakaway runs,” the coach said. “We had a couple of touchdowns, and I was like, OK, you know, we’re going to be all right, hopefully. Now, can we sustain it for four quarters and stop anybody? I don’t know. We may have to outscore a lot of people and if we can’t do that, then we’re in trouble.”

Routt went from 2-7 two years ago to 8-3 last year. The coach thinks this year’s team will be good enough to get back to the playoffs.

“I mean, I think we’re a playoff team,” Creviston said.

Either way, the good news for Routt is that the Rockets won’t lose much after this year. Almost everyone will be back.

Routt

Nickname: Rockets

Head coach: Barry Creviston

2022 Record: 8-3

Aug 25 at Calhoun, 7p Sep 2 North Greene, 1p Sep 8 at Triopia, 7p Sep 15 at Beardstown, 7p Sep 23 Mendon Unity, 1p Sep 29 at Camp Point, 7p Oct 7 Brown County, 1p Oct 13 at Greenfield-NW, 7p Oct 21 Carrollton, 1p

Routt’s Jace Lautemann reaches out to stiff-arm a defender during last Friday night’s scrimmage at the old MacMurray College football field in Jacksonville. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Cougars Battle Low Numbers

By Dennis Mathes For

the Journal-Courier

The West Central football team will have to manage with low numbers on the roster this season

The West Central football team this year has had to deal with something it doesn’t ordinarily face – low numbers.

But coach Matt Coultas is fortunate that the players he does have back are experienced, and dedicated to continuing the tradition of Cougar football.

West Central’s roster will fall somewhere in the mid-20s – just enough to scrimmage.

“I think everybody would like quantity and quality,” Coultas said. “We definitely, I think, have the quality. It’s just we don’t have the quantity. So I think we’re going to be OK. We’re actually probably more competitive top to bottom this year than we have been in years past with low numbers.”

Why the low numbers? Coultas wasn’t exactly sure. Falling enrollment, maybe. More activities offered in the fall, including golf, bass fishing and trap shooting. And maybe some kids just aren’t into football.

“We’ve got kids who are taking their interest in different directions, so that might be causing us some of our problems,” Coultas said.

A few football player also are participating in trap shooting, and bass fishing, too. “I think with anybody, that just becomes a little bit too much, at times, for some kids,” Coultas said. “So they make selections, and sometimes I’m not the

side that

they select.”

To its benefit, West Central has a nice-sized senior class, but the other classes just don’t have the numbers coaches would have hoped.

The Cougars have 11 seniors, and 11 returning players who started at some point last year.

One senior they’ll be without at the beginning of the season is KJ Spencer, who is going through basic training in preparation to joining the U.S. Army.

Spencer was an All-WIVC South defensive lineman last year and was the team’s center on offense. When he does rejoin the Cougars, he’ll be in shape.

“He’ll be delayed a couple of weeks into the season before he’ll have his time in and be able to participate with us,” Coultas said.

“If we can learn how to play ball without him, he’ll just be another nice added piece once he does get back,” the coach said.

Grant Coultas a junior, will take Spencer’s place at the beginning of the season. “I think he’s been working pretty hard,” the coach said. “He’s been one of our staples in the weight room this summer, and hopefully he can make those gains in the weight room transfer over to the field for us.”

West Central lost quarterback Tyson Brown to graduation. Brown, a tough, competitive athlete, became a leader in football, basketball and baseball in his senior year.

“We not only lost our quarterback, but we lost our leader,” Coultas said. “I keep waiting around thinking one of these young men who’s going to be a senior this year, or a couple of them, are going to stand up and take hold of that leadership role.”

Replacing Brown will be either

Ryker Ford, a sophomore who played a little JV quarterback last year, or Landyn Woods, who also played JV QB last year. “Both those guys

have taken a few summer snaps throughout our camp, and we’ll just see how that shakes out,” Coultas said.

Both Ford and Woods are solid athletes. Whichever one isn’t playing quarterback will have a prominent role somewhere else on the offense.

West Central linemen work on their technique during practice last week in Winchester. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Ford, especially, has looked good running the ball. He had a knee injury early in the season last year. “He seems to be over that and moving forward, so we’ll see how he matures and develops with a little experience,” Coultas said.

Returning at fullback is Chance Little. Mason Berry played quite a bit at tailback. The Cougars also return senior Conner Turner, who spent some time in the backfield last year.

Little and Berry were the Cougars’ main threats out of the backfield last season.

“Your Chance Little type, he’s a downhill, hard-nosed, big, strong kid,” Coultas said. “He likes that physical contact. He’s going to get those hard yards for us, hopefully, when we need them. Mason, he’s more of a shifty, athletic kid who can get out in space and do some good things for us. So you’ve got two different types of young men. So if we get one blocking for the other and vice-versa, I think we’ve got a pretty good shot of having a pretty solid ground game this year.”

West Central has some experience back on the offensive line in Jackson Surratt, Matthew Hopkins and Carson Brown, but all three were injured last season.

“That’s the big question we’ve got right now,” Coultas said. “Of course we had three young men last year, two who will be seniors this year, one that’s a junior, in Jackson Surratt and Mathew Hopkins and Carson Brown that missed the majority of last season due to injuries. Hopefully, they’re all three back and healthy and ready to go. So far so good from what we’ve seen this summer.

“And if we get those three guys in there and get them working in the right direction, I think we’ll be pretty solid.”

Owen Barber also returns on the line. Coultas said he’ll be the anchor.

“He’s a two-year starter, so this’ll be his third season there on that front end at a guard position,” the coach said. “I’m really kind of hoping that we can hang our hat on his leadership and his experience, and get some of these younger guys, these inexperienced guys, up to speed. I’ve got another junior in Nolan Melanson who played a lot of offensive tackle for us last year who will be back. And he’s grown some. He’s put some time in the weight room over the summer and since the first of the calendar year. So hopefully what he’s done there in

the weight room will transfer out to the football field.”

West Central’s linemen aren’t big, but they’re quick. “We’re going to have to rely on our athleticism,” Coultas said. “I think as far as across the area, we might be one of the quicker teams out there if we put our physical abilities to use.

“We’re going to have to move and be quick about things, I think,” the coach said.

Between injuries and a little inexperience, this is a group that hasn’t played much together. Coultas said the biggest challenge going into the season is getting the players accustomed to one another and getting them on the same page. “We’ve got that nice mix of experience and age,” the coach said, “but with the athleticism that comes along with it, I think just knowing what each player next to you is capable of getting done out on the field is going to be something that as a coaching staff we’re going to have to really take a good, hard, look at and see who works better next to who, and try to position these kids in to where they can be successful and be as much of a cohesive unit that we can put out on the field on Friday nights.”

Junior Hayden Jefferson returns at receiver. He played at tight end all last season. “He’s got a year’s worth of experience under his belt,” Coultas said.

Turner will be a reliable passcatcher. He’s not big, but he’s quick in space. Coultas hopes the Cougars can get him loose and get the ball to him. Berry also will catch passes out of the backfield and is a solid receiver.

After suffering an injury playing basketball this summer, Zack Evans is not expected to play football this year. “He was a big part of what we were able to accomplish last year,” Coultas said.

“I think he’s on the road to recovery, but I don’t know that his body is ready to take on what football’s going to demand just yet,” the coach said. “Stand by his decision. I want what’s best for the young man.”

Ford or Woods also can catch passes. “Their athleticism speaks for itself,” Coultas said. “I think we can make things happen with those two young men as well.”

Offensive linemen will play on the defensive line as well. Senior Jake Bangert will be at defensive end, along with Jefferson. Both have a

year’s experience. “Undersized guys, but athletic, and really gritty,” Coultas said.

Carson Brown returns at middle linebacker, with Barber and Little on the outside edges. All three have played since their sophomore year, so they have two years’ experience. “Linebacking corps ought to be pretty solid,” the coach said.

Ford, Woods, Turner and Berry are all in the mix at defensive back.

West Central has a lot of experience coming back on defense. Coultas expects Barber and Little to key the squad. Good friends off the field, they challenge each other and build off of each other’s successes.

“I think Owen’ll have a big year for us,” the coach said. “He comes to work. He’s learned a lot over the last couple of years.”

Freshman Anthony Hance is

expected to step in at kicker for the Cougars. “He’s got a pretty good foot on him,” the coach said. “Brown was supposed to be our kicker last year, and after he went down, we kind of struggled finding a kicker, and Tyson Brown took that role on for his brother and did a pretty good job for us. But this young man’s got a nice foot attached to his leg, and by golly, I think he can kick a football.”

Dealing with low numbers will be problematic, especially if anyone gets hurt this year. Coultas doesn’t really know what to expect.

“I really can’t put my finger on it just yet,” the coach said. “It’s just been so hectic throughout the summer, and not getting the whole unit together, I think the leadership thing is going to be a big key for us –who we can find to take the role on as a leader, and how well we mesh

together once we do get everybody together and get everybody working together.”

West Central

Nickname: Cougars

Head coach: Matt Coultas

2022 Record: 4-5

Aug 25 at Mendon Unity, 7p

Sep 1 Brown County, 7p

Sep 8 at Carrollton, 7p

Sep 15 Calhoun, 7p Sep 22 Pleasant Hill, 7p Sep 29 at Greenfield-NW, 7:30p

Oct 7 at North Greene, 1p

Oct 13 Triopia, 7p

Oct 20 at Camp Point, 7p

A West Central ball carrier heads up the middle during practice last week in Winchester. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Calhoun Primed For Return To Playoffs

By Travis Zuellig

For the Journal-Courier

With plenty of returning starters, the Calhoun football team hopes to make a deep playoff

run this year

The 2022 season may have been a turning point for the Calhoun/ Brussels football team. After returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, head coach Aaron Elmore has the Warriors moving in the right direction after some bad luck with injuries and a lower number of players hindering the program.

With plenty of returning starters from last season’s playoff team, including third-year starter Miles Lorton at quarterback, Elmore believes this team has the pieces to make the playoffs and win some games once it gets there.

“We’re going in the right direction. We had some dry spells there right

before last season, and we really worked hard to get ourselves back in the playoffs,” Elmore said. “Our numbers were really low. We had some bad injuries in some of the previous years where we lost some key important people. Last year, the attitude was better. And we have some tremendously talented young men and they worked very hard to get back in the playoffs.”

Calhoun, which finished 5-5 last year, will have around 40 players this season -- and for a Class 1A team, that is good size. Numerous players return on both sides of the ball, including the senior Lorton. He made strides during his junior season and the offense improved, with Calhoun scoring 251 total points during his junior year compared to 180 in his sophomore season. Lorton himself rushed and passed for similar yardage in his past two seasons, but he doubled the number of touchdowns, throwing for seven and rushing for nine.

Wolves Hope To Bounce Back

By Travis Zuellig

For the Journal-Courier

The 2022 season was another learning season for a young Pleasant Hill football team. With many sophomores and a couple of freshmen, the Wolves had a tough go of it in the WIVC South, earning just one win.

Despite the one win, head coach Mike Giles said his team progressed last season, and after a strong offseason with outstanding turnout in the weight room, Pleasant Hill is ready to be more competitive this season.

“I’ve seen a couple of them turn into men. We’re a lot bigger than we were last year — a lot bigger,” Giles said. “I think they really started to

“I think that Miles, with this year being his third year as a starter, he’s taking on a leadership role and we’re expecting big things from him,” Elmore said. “He seems to have a really good grasp of the offense, and he’s been putting us in the right positions throughout the summer, and I think he’s going to be able to get the ball to the right people to make us successful.”

The Warriors’ leading rusher last season was Conner Longnecker, and he returns for his junior year. He ran the ball 125 times for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior Chris Stanley was the second-leading rusher and the then-junior had 480 yards on 77 carries and five touchdowns. Stanley also finished last season with nine catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

Calhoun uses plenty of weapons with six players finishing last season with double-digit carries, including sophomore Patrick Friedel, who had 84 yards on 16 carries. Will Hurley will help anchor the offensive line. On defense, eight of the 11 starters

return, and big things are expected of Bo Lorsbach. During his sophomore campaign, the linebacker recorded 109 tackles, second-most on the team.

Stanley, Hurley and Longnecker, who combined for 79 tackles last season, will be the presence up front.

At safety, Friedel finished third on the team with 76 tackles and two interceptions. Drew Wallendorf had two interceptions, including one in the team’s playoff loss to GreenfieldNorthwestern. Senior Gage Bick finished last season with 54 tackles.

“We seem to have a better grasp of what we’re doing defensively,” Elmore said. “We switched some things up from the previous years and we kind of hit the ground running this year. We’re very optimistic about how good our defense can be. We’ve got a lot of athletes and they seem to be pretty hungry to all of them get to the ball, so we’re pretty excited about our defense.”

The Warriors open the season with Routt, a playoff team last season, before traveling to Class 1A runnerup Camp Point Central in week two.

Calhoun welcomes North Greene in week three and travels to West Central in week four to get WIVC South play under way.

“We look to build upon what we did last year. We feel like we have a tremendously talented group,” Elmore said. “We have great attitudes, they’ve worked really hard and they want to win. And we’re just trying, each and every day, to get better. And hopefully, by the time we reach the playoffs, we’re playing our best football.”

Calhoun

Nickname: Warriors

Head coach: Aaron Elmore

2022 Record: 5-5 Aug 25 Routt, 7p Sep 1 at Camp Point, 7p Sep 8 North Greene, 7p Sep 15 at West Central, 7p Sep 23 Greenfield-NW, 1p Sep 29 Carrollton, 7p Oct 6 at Pleasant Hill, 7p Oct 13 at Brown County, 7p Oct 20 Beardstown, 7p

come together as a group and they seem focused on making some major changes this year, so I think that’s going to carry them through. They’re hungry.”

With such a young team last season, there are plenty of returning contributors from last season. Brody Dolbeare will return as the quarterback. He didn’t get to finish the last part of the season after going out with a concussion. He completed three passes for 81 yards and a touchdown and ran for 87 yards on 46 carries and had a touchdown in his five games last season.

“In the offseason, he’s put about 20 pounds on and he’s matured a lot,” Giles said. “So his throws are looking

a lot better this year. He’s going to be a hard person to stop. We’re still going to run the ball a lot, but he looks a lot better, more comfortable this year at that role.”

Gavin Crowder is back for his senior season, and he returns as the leading ball carrier from last year after gaining 221 yards on 73 carries and scoring two touchdowns. He will spend time at fullback and tight end. Tyler Van Dyne, who saw time at quarterback as a freshman, ended last season with 86 yards on 40 carries and a touchdown. Waylon White had 50 yards on 23 carries as a sophomore. Bradly Smith and Rowdy Rodhouse expect to contribute on the offensive line. On defense, the Wolves expect to be pretty big up front. Smith and Rodhouse, along with fellow juniors Carter Jones and Sammy Al-Rawas,

will lead the line.

“Some years, you have guys that are big and they’re carrying a little bit of extra weight, but the weight these guys are carrying, it’s muscle mass, so we’ve really been extremely pleased with that,” Giles said.

The Wolves start the season with a more favorable schedule, on paper, than last season. Instead of hosting Routt and traveling to Camp Point Central — both playoff teams — Pleasant Hill will travel to Triopia and host Beardstown in weeks one and two. Last season, the Wolves lost in week eight to Triopia by a score of 3430 -- its closest game all season.

“South is going to be pretty tough. I think we can be in the hunt too, as well. I really feel good about our team. We’re going to be super competitive,” Giles said. “Just looking forward to

getting on the field again, and the kids are really excited, and hopefully everything can go well for us and keep the injury bug away and all that. That’s what we’re looking forward to.”

Pleasant Hill

Nickname: Wolves

Head coach: Mike Giles

2022 Record: 1-8 Aug 25 at Triopia, 7p Sep 1 Beardstown, 7p Sep 8 at Greenfield-NW, 7p Sep 16 Carrollton, 2p Sep 22 at West Central, 7p Sep 29 at North Greene, 7p Oct 6 Calhoun, 7p Oct 13 Mendon Unity, 7p Oct 20 Brown County, 7p

Porta/A-C Seniors Could Spur Turnaround

By Travis Zuellig

For the Journal-Courier

PORTA/A-C Central football team hopes big senior class can help turn the team around this year

For the first time as head coach of the PORTA/ A-C Central football team, Lonnie McAnally will have 17 seniors — nearly doubling the nine he had last season.

The number of players on the team has remained similar to last season. McAnally thinks this team has improved since last year.

The Blue Jays went winless for the second season in a row. They haven’t won a game since October 11, 2019, but there is still optimism in the program as McAnally said the team is “light years” ahead of where it was at this point last season -- and could finish with a record closer to .500 this year.

“It was another growing year for us last season,” the coach said. “We’ve done things the right way, we’ve done things well, but from a record standpoint, obviously, it wasn’t very good for us.

“We can’t predict the future by any means, but I can tell you right now, we are light years

ahead of where we were last year, and that’s very exciting for us, especially on the offensive side of the ball. We evolved our offense a little bit, and having that senior leadership and some of those key components mixed in to complete our offense, we’ll be super tough offensively.”

This year’s seniors were in eighth grade the last time the Blue Jays earned a win in the tough Sangamo Conference. Their freshman year was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last season, McAnally said the team bought into the program, led by last year’s seniors, and has used that momentum to build in the off-season.

“Number one, and it’s a building process for us, would be team culture and getting kids to buy in, doing things the right way and those types of things,” McAnally said. “(In the winter), we had a ton of guys in the weight room doing lifting workouts and speed training. And that continued all offseason all the way through summer. Of course, that’s great for us, great for our culture, great for our kids. So our buy-in was good.”

While still running the same run-heavy offense, the Blue Jays will develop more of a passing game under new quarterback Drew Marr. The junior will have the job of running the offense but will pass when needed.

Senior Hunter Stroupe, who has been starting since his freshman year, returns as fullback to

lead the backfield. Seniors Gatlin Servis and Keith Harbert will be playing halfback, with junior Dane Jiannoni helping in rotation.

The offensive line will be senior-heavy as well with Tobin Turasky at right guard, Logan Peterson at left tackle and Levi Bradley anchoring the line at center. McAnally believes senior experience and numerous underclassmen could lead to a good rotation.

PORTA/A-C’s defense will feature many of those same players. Three-year starter Harbert is back at free safety. Jiannoni returns at middle linebacker with Turasky, Stroupe and Peterson on the defensive line. Jacob Vogel and Bryson Schachtsiek should play corner, and McAnally thinks his team’s pass defense will be much improved.

“Our weak points have always been our pass defense, and with those seniors that have experience back there and our evolution on that side as well, we ought to be really tough back there,” the coach said.

In week one PORTA/A-C will travel to perennial power Williamsville, which finished second in the Sangamo Conference and was the runner-up in Class 3A. The Jays host New Berlin in week two and Pleasant Plains in week four, and that should be a real test. The Sangmo had five teams in the postseason last year, and two

went to final four in the playoffs.

“We’re looking forward to it getting past all those COVID years and having what I would call a complete football team and also an awesome staff,” McAnally said. “We finally got to a point where I feel really good about our staff and what they can do for our kids. And with the buy-in from our kids and the culture that we created, we’re really looking forward to this season.”

PORTA/A-C Central

Nickname: Bluejays

Head coach: Lonnie McAnally

2022 Record: 0-9

Aug 25 at Williamsville, 7p

Sep 2 New Berlin, 7p

Sep 8 at Maroa-Forsyth, 7p

Sep 15 Pleasant Plains, 7p Sep 22 at Auburn, 7p

Sep 29 at Athens, 7p

Oct 6 Riverton, 7p

Oct 13 at Pittsfield, 7p

Oct 20 Stanford Olympia, 7p

A Triopia player reaches out to make a one-handed catch during practice last week. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Triopia Builds Toward Playoffs

By Dennis Mathes

For the Journal-Courier

After battling inexperience and injuries last season, the Triopia football team is ready to turn the page

The Triopia football team is determined to turn around last year’s 2-7 season. How determined? Even after the season was over, the Trojans kept playing, picking up a junior varsity game with Calhoun.

“They allowed us to play a series of our JV guys, which would be our varsity this year,” Triopia coach Adam Brockhouse said. “So we got kind of an extra football game in there.

“It was kind of nice to see that group together. They started meshing from there. We’ve had a pretty good offseason – I wouldn’t say great, but for the most part, they’ve been there.”

Triopia was so eager to start practice this season, they started at 12:01 a.m. on the first day, practicing under the lights at Don Kemp Field.

Triopia is tired of losing.

“Last season we were young at some really, really bad spots,” Brockhouse said. “We were trying to implement some new things. We didn’t have a very strong senior class. We had four guys, five guys. … And it’s one of those that another one got hurt week three. It didn’t work out very well. Week one, our number

one slot went out with a hip. So from about three offensive series in, we were kind of fighting an uphill battle.

“Our kids came together late in the season. They rallied. So I’ll give them all the credit in the world for that. Because a lot of teams, especially with our record – we were 0-for going into eight and nine – a lot of teams could lay down and just call it a season and start going to basketball, because we did have a pretty good basketball team coming back. They rallied. They won their last two.”

The Trojans bring back six starters on offense. They lost their quarterback, two offensive guards and a running back.

Triopia will have seven seniors this year. “They’ve come a long way since their freshman year, I’ll give them that,” Brockhouse said.

“They’ve worked hard. They’ve put themselves in a spot where they can be competitive this year.”

Grant Fricke, who saw some varsity time at quarterback last year, returns to the position this season.

He’ll be joined in the backfield by Evan Bell, who fractured a bone in his foot during practice in the second week of the season last year.

“He’s a nice piece to have back, finally,” Brockhouse said.

Caleb Carpenter will be back there, too. “He’s looking very good,” Brockhouse said. And

so will senior Jackson Gaines.

“He looked very, very good running our wing position for us last year at the end of the year, so I’m excited to see

what he can do,” the coach said.

“We’re strong, we’re fast –we’re actually kinda deep,” Brockhouse said. “We’re going

to be probably rotating in two ways.”

Bell and Gameli White will share carries at halfback, and Carpenter and Gaines will

A Triopia football player takes the ball upfield during a recent practice in Concord. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

be sharing time at the wing position.

“The good thing is, we’re going to be fresh the majority of time, and we’re going to throw, honestly, about three different styles of running back at you,” Brockhouse said.

The coach said Carpenter is a true fullback. “He really doesn’t care if he carries the ball much,” Brockhouse said. “He just wants to hit people.”

Bell is a balanced running back, fast and physical. White is more of a scatback. Elusive. Gaines is small and strong, with a low center of gravity. Tough to bring down.

“They actually looked really, really nice during our scrimmage,” Brockhouse said. “Trying to get everybody touches in a game is going to be the hard part.”

There’s more good news on the offensive line. The Trojans lost just one lineman and a tight end/receiver to graduation.

“My center’s coming back,” Brockhouse said. “I’m bringing back my offensive guard, and then I have two sophomores who are fighting for a guard spot right now. It’s going to be a nice little challenge for them. Both my tackles are back. And I’ve got a tight end who was a tackle last year who’s now moving to tight end this year.”

Jaxon Dion, who started at guard last year, returns. Cole Strubbe and Aiden Crews are fighting for the opposite guard spot. Cooper Pahlmann is a returning starter at tackle, with Ian Kessler battling for the other tackle spot. Ticen

Crawford returns at center.

“We’re not going to be big with our interior guys, but Cole Strubbe and Aiden Crews are two of the most technical football players I’ve had in a long time,” Brockhouse said. “They do a nice job fundamentally, blocking. They’re going to have to use their speed and play the angle game, compared to some of those big boys. But honestly, my tackles are pretty good size.”

KJ Beck, who was a tackle last year, will be moving to tight end this season – a late switch based on his performance in a 7-on-7 this summer.

“He had a nice showing at the Illinois State 7-on-7 tournament,” Brockhouse said. “We didn’t need tackles – and he was playing tackle all summer until that time. And then we decided to take him as a tight end to give our tight ends a rest, and he looked really good. So he kind of stayed there.”

Brock York is moving out of the backfield to play slot receiver. Three or four players could play at the other receiver spot, depending on the formation. Braden Hutson and Connor Howell have looked good so far.

Several linemen will play both ways. George Gallegos returns. Beck will play on the defensive line, at defensive end.

Kessler will play at defensive tackle. Crawford, Tanner Shade and others are vying for time at the other tackle spot. Crews and Strubbe

are competing for the other defensive end position.

Caleb Carpenter will be at linebacker after receiving limited minutes there at the varsity level last year. “He is a very, very good linebacker,” Brockhouse said. “I’m hoping between the next two years, if we can put together a couple of good teams, the kid has all the tools to be, potentially, an all-state player on the defensive side of the football. He has a nose for the football. He does things that I don’t even teach. He’s just one of those natural linebacker-type guys, and he’s a hitter.”

Bell also is stepping in at linebacker. “He’s only going to get better as the year goes on,” the coach said. Dion and Cooper Parrish figure into the mix at middle linebacker.

Bronc Bogner will be playing safety after wrangling steers all summer at rodeo competitions. Fricke, Hutson and York also figure in at defensive back.

Bell will be the kicker and can consistently hit field goals inside the 30.

Triopia hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2018, the last season for head coach Rich Thompson. The Trojans probably would have made it during the COVID spring season, when they finished 4-2.

“Our goal, like it is always, is to get that first win of the year and then get back to the postseason,” Brockhouse said. “We’ve been in a lull, footballwise.

“I was born and raised in this community,” the coach

said. “Growing up here, you knew that the expectation was playoffs, and make a run.”

Participation has dropped a bit, but Brockhouse sees good things on the horizon. “We’ve got some really nice athletes coming out of our junior high and our grade school the next four or five years,” he said.

This year’s team is ready to get it started.

“They’re champing at the bit,” Brockhouse said the week before practice began. “We haven’t even had practice, and I’ve got kids ready for week one.”

Nickname: Trojans

Head coach: Adam Brockhouse

2022 Record: 2-7 Aug 25 Pleasant Hill, 7p Sep 2 at Carrollton, 7p Sep 8 Routt, 7p Sep 15 at Brown County, 7p Sep 22 Beardstown, 7p Sep 29 at Mendon Unity, 7p Oct 6 Camp Point, 7p Oct 13 at West Central, 7p Oct 20 Greenfield-NW, 7p

Triopia

A Triopia football player throws a pass during a recent practice in Concord. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Tigers Hope To Build On Breakout Season

By Travis Zuellig For the Journal-Courier

With nearly everyone back, the GreenfieldNorthwestern football team is hoping to build on last year’s 10-2 season

Last season may have been the best for the GreenfieldNorthwestern football team under head coach Joe Pembrook. The perennial power out of the WIVC South, who has missed the playoffs only twice during Pembrook’s 11-season tenure, took the conference title back from Carrollton and won two playoff games before a quarterfinal loss to Camp Point Central.

That was the furthest a Tiger football team has gone in the Class 1A playoffs since its last quarterfinal appearance in 2007. With returning All-State honorable mentions Dylan Pembrook and Kohen Vetter back, there are expectations to improve on last season’s accomplishments.

“I think a lot of determination to try to repeat some of the success that we’ve had in past years. We’ve got a very driven group,” Coach Pembrook said. “It’s an experienced group that got a lot of playing time and experience last year. They complement one another very well. All facets of our program, from the seniors all the way down to the underclassmen, they work very well together. We have a great group of guys that have tight unity and great leadership at the top. We’ve put in a lot of hours in the offseason. We’ve had a good summer program to get ourselves ready for the fall, and I like our enthusiasm and our approach so far as the season has progressed.”

The Tigers rolled through the 2022 regular season by winning eight straight games by a combined score of 328-53 -- the closest game a 14-7 win over Calhoun-Brussels in week four. Greenfield-NW lost to a solid Routt squad in week

A Greenfield-Northwestern football player hauls in a pass during practice last week in Greenfield. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Thursday, August 24, 2023

nine, but that didn’t stop the Tigers’ momentum as they rattled off wins over Calhoun and Toledo Cumberland to reach the quarterfinals.

Quarterback Pembrook returns for his senior campaign after a monster junior season. Pembrook completed 83-of-129 passes for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 88 times for 631 yards and seven touchdowns. He led an offense that scored 424 points last season, averaging just over 35 points per game.

“He’s a multi-threat type of player,” Coach Pembrook said. “He’s a good, capable runner in the backfield, and people have to honor that threat -- and then he’s very capable of getting the ball out on the edges to our speedy receivers and also able to throw the ball vertically down the field.

“And with a year of experience and reading defenses, he’s much more comfortable in handling all of the diversity of our offense. He’s put in a good year in the offseason and gained a little bit of muscle weight to make him even stronger this year, and we’re expecting big things from him for his senior campaign.”

Vetter had a big junior season as well, racking up 1,757 all-purpose yards and 21 total touchdowns. He ran for 1,050 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 295 yards and seven touchdowns.

He wasn’t Pembrook’s favorite target, as Garrett Costello caught 23 passes for 408 yards and eight touchdowns during his sophomore season. Nathan Nord made 19 catches for

234 yards and three touchdowns last season, and he returns at receiver, along with Talon Albrecht, Griffin Roberts and Colton Knapp, who all made catches last year. The offensive line returns three from last year’s starting group with Brody Reif, Logan Lawton and Joey Price.

“So we’ve got some guys that return on offense and we’ve got great competition to try to balance that out and hopefully put a group together that can be very diversified and effective on offense,” coach Pembrook said.

The Tigers lost some of their top tacklers from last season’s defense that allowed only 118 points. Knapp is the leading returner with 91 tackles, and Roberts made 57 tackles. Pembrook knows that defense will be the difference, despite his team’s potential for offensive fireworks.

“That’s the staple of our program. We understand that offense does win games, it puts points on the board, but defense is going to win you championships and you’ve got to be very solid on that side of the ball,” the coach said. “We do a lot of focusing on that

in the offseason and throughout the course of each and every week in game preparation, being able to put a physical unit up front and have a lot of athletic kids on the back end of it.”

The Tigers start the season with a trip to Brown County before three straight home games against Mendon Unity, Pleasant Hill and North Greene. Greenfield-NW didn’t play Mendon Unity last season. The Mustangs qualified for the Class 2A playoffs last season.

“We want to just set our own expectations in terms of improvement each and every week,” Pembrook said. “We’ve got a lot of short-term goals, and if we can reach those shortterm goals, then they turn into some bigger-picture goals for us way down the road. You want to get off to a good start early in the season.

“We’re going to be battle-tested early,” Pembrook said. “We want to be able to create a lot of depth for ourselves and utilize a lot of guys, but our expectation is weekto-week improvement and if guys just put their best foot forward, stay unified -- hopefully by doing so, good things will happen for us.”

Greenfield-Northwestern

Nickname: Tigers

Head coach: Joe Pembrook

2022 Record: 10-2

Aug 25 at Brown County, 7p

Sep 1 Mendon Unity, 7:30p

Sep 8 Pleasant Hill, 7p

Sep 15 North Greene, 7:30p

Sep 23 at Calhoun, 1p

Sep 29 West Central, 7:30p

Oct 6 at Carrollton, 7p

Oct 13 Routt, 7p

Oct 20 at Triopia, 7p

A Greenfield-Northwestern football player prepares to hand the ball off during practice last week in Greenfield. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Hawks Work Toward Turnaround

By Dennis Mathes

For the Journal-Courier

Led by seven returning senior starters, Carrollton hopes to turn around last year’s season

After a sub-par season, the Carrollton football team went to work.

“They’ve been there all summer,” second-year head coach Rodney Flowers said. “We’ve had a great summer. We had 85 percent attendance. So we’ve had 26 to 28 kids there consistently all summer.”

It was an aggressive summer. The Hawks participated in 7-on-7s, 11-on-11s, lifted weights, performed plyometric exercises, worked on their footwork, and improved their speed.

“We started when we ended the season last year,” Flowers said. “We said we’ve got to get bigger, stronger, faster. And so, all of the receivers – all of our kids, actually –increased their speed velocity, based off of measurement, and their max-outs.”

Quicker, too. The Hawks worked on their “burst” with broad jumps, vertical jumps and plyometric boxes. Coaches tracked the players’ progress weekly. Most increased their 40s by anywhere from 0.2 to 0.8 second. Grant Cox, for example, ran a 4.8 40 last year. Now he’s running a 4.4 40. And in football, even a tenth of a second can make a big difference.

“All those receivers got much, much faster since last season,” Flowers said.

“We want to be able to out-run people at receiver, not only to get open for a pass, but to also stretch the defense,” the coach said. “We’ve always prided ourselves with athletic kids and fast kids, and speed – we love coaching speed. We’ll take speed over size any day.”

Returning this season are seven seniors – all starters.

The Hawks have a new quarterback –sophomore Carson Flowers, the coach’s nephew. “He’s going to be, probably, our starting quarterback,” Flowers said. “He’s really grown. He’s gotten stronger, and he’s gotten faster, and he’s a straight-A student.”

Flowers has played quarterback since

JFL, and started at QB with the junior varsity team last year.

“He understands our schemes,” Flowers said. “JFL runs all of our schemes. He’s been around football since he was in diapers. And he ended up coming in a couple times week eight and week nine last year and actually did a good job.”

Flowers said his nephew has taken charge of the offense. “He gets everybody lined up correctly,” the coach said. “He knows how to read a defense, and he knows how to read his progressions. He’s got a strong arm, and he’s a tough kid. He’s able to run the ball and throw the ball.”

The Hawks have plenty of people who can catch the ball. “We’ve got a lot of depth there,” Flowers said. Caleb Howard returns, along with senior Wyatt Settles, junior Carson Grafford, senior Karson Kraushaar and sophomore Reed Schnettgoecke.

Cox, a junior, is moving from quarterback to a hybrid running back/ receiver position. Junior Lucas Howard also will be a running back/receiver.

Flowers said he wants those two to touch the ball as often as possible. “They’re both extremely talented athletes, and they’ve worked hard in the offseason,”

Flowers said. “Grant has run track and played football, Lucas plays basketball and baseball as well. So, a three-sport athlete and a two-sport athlete – those two are going to be touching the ball every chance we get.”

Cox worked hard in the weight room and has put on 15 to 20 pounds. “He’s gotten faster, and he’s certainly gotten stronger, so we’re excited,” Flowers said. “He’s an explosive kid.”

Flowers said this team will have the capability to throw downfield, but Carrollton will look to establish the run first. “We’re a run-to-throw team this year,” Flowers said. “In the past we’ve been a throw-to-run. We’ve been blessed at Carrollton for years, being able to throw the ball to loosen a defense to run. This year, we’re going to really prioritize running to then throw, to try to loosen up the defense that way.”

The Hawks’ entire starting offensive line returns.

“We’ve got probably some of the biggest, strongest kids we’ve ever had, frankly,” the coach said.

How big? Real big. Check these numbers: senior Preston Harrelson, 6-2, 185; Kyle Coats, 6-0, 215; Konnor Campbell, 6-4, 300; Hunter Lippman, 5-11, 280; Brady Carroll, 6-4, 300; J.D. Gilbert

5-10, 265; and Braylon Rhoades, 6-4, 285.

“We’ve got some tall, big, strong kids,” Flowers said. “We’ve just got to get them explosive.”

Carrollton’s tight ends/receivers will be junior Eli Flowers (6-4, 215) and Koby Schnelten (6-1, 180).

A Carrollton lineman blocks an imaginary opponent as the Hawks run a play at practice last week in Carrollton.(Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)

Carrollton took some knocks last year, struggling through a 2-7 season. “They certainly got beat up, but they matured,” Flowers said. “And we’ll take the experience all day long.”

Most of the same players on the offensive line will play on the defensive line. Carrollton’s middle linebacker will be Harrelson, who started there last year and didn’t miss a game. Howard and Cox will play outside backers.

“All three of them athletic, fast and strong – and tough kids,” Flowers said. “They understand our scheme very well. They’re the quarterbacks of defense, and they get everybody lined up properly. We’re going to continue to be an aggressive, stunting and blitzing and mix-it-up multiple coverages type of defense. We’ve always taken pride in defense at Carrollton, and we believe that if we can apply pressure, we can cause turnovers, change momentum and we also believe if they can’t score, they can’t win. We’re pretty excited about our defense. All of them, pretty much, returning.”

Sophomore Charlie Stumpf (6-2, 170) will

play at one safety. “He’s a really athletic kid,” Flowers said. Grafford (6-0, 165) will probably play at the other safety spot.

Senior Caleb Howard will man one of the corner spots. Kraushaar, Wyatt Settles and a few other seniors will figure in on the other side.

Flowers said he learned something about his team last year. The Hawks showed endurance and toughness in the face of adversity.

“They didn’t have a ton of experience coming in last year, but they weren’t quitters,” the coach said. “We were in every ballgame.”

Flowers is hoping for early success this year after starting 0-3 last season. After ruling the

roost for so many years, the coach said the Hawks got everybody’s best game.

“I can tell you, it didn’t sit well with our kids, and our kids put in the work in the offseason,” the coach said. “Their mindset’s been great, and they’re ready to change that.”

Flowers said the team’s goals are to win the first game, win the conference, make the playoffs and make a run. After last season, it’s time to get back to Carrollton football.

“I think what’s important with this team is to take one week at a time and not look ahead, which we try to always do,” Flowers said. “But all we care about right now is Beardstown Tigers. That’s all we focused on all summer.”

Carrollton

Nickname: Hawks

Head coach: Rodney Flowers

2022 Record: 2-7

Aug 25 at Beardstown, 7p

Sep 2 Triopia, 7p

Sep 8 West Central, 7p

Sep 16 at Pleasant Hill, 2p

Sep 22 at North Greene, 7p

Sep 29 at Hardin (Calhoun, 7p

Oct 6 Greenfield-NW, 7p

Oct 14 Camp Point, 1p

Oct 21 at Routt, 1p

A Carrollton football player looks to pass during practice last week in Carrollton. (Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier)