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Prep football preview 2017
Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 • The Hays Daily News
Knights don’t want to fall short again this season By NICK SCHWIEN nschwien@dailynews.net
VICTORIA — One foot. One inch. One point. That’s what is printed on the front of the gray T-shirts. And that’s what the Victoria High School football team is focusing on entering the 2017 season. The Knights won back-to-back Eight Man Division II state titles in 2014 and 2015. But a year ago, Victoria went 5-4 with a young team that featured only two seniors in Eight Man Division I. What made the season difficult to swallow was the fact that one single district point kept the Knights from making the postseason. Instead, that second spot behind Osborne — the eventual state champ — went to Solomon, a team Victoria defeated by the mercy rule in the final regular season game. But due to allowing an extra point in a game and not making one themselves, the Knights were on the outside looking in for a playoff spot for the first time in more than a decade. “That’s the motto this year,” said senior center and nose guard Wyatt Engel. “We definitely were kicking ourselves, especially after the Logan-Palco game,” said senior quarterback Collin Kisner. “We came up just a little bit short there, and all that matters in the end. We missed it by a point, and that shows how something so small as a two-point conversion can keep you out of the playoffs.” That Logan-Palco district game ended in a 50-28 loss for Victoria. It was safe to say it wasn’t the best outing the Knights had last year. “You can go back and look at the Logan-Palco game,” said head coach Doug Oberle. “Obviously, we’re getting beat. We give up a touchdown late in the ball game and then give up the extra point. Those are things we talked about all year. The game isn’t over until it’s over. We have to compete up until the end. I felt we kind of quit there a little bit. I think Bennington, kind of the same way. At the same time, we scored late and missed the extra point. If we stop an extra point or make an extra point, we have an opportunity to go to the playoffs. Learning lessons, life lessons, and hopefully we can correct those and be a better football team this year.” Oberle has seen improvement in his team defensively this preseason. It’s one of the areas he said the Knights needed to show growth in — and quickly. “We’ve done a good job in the weight room in the offseason,” Oberle said. “I feel we’re a pretty complete team in terms of athleticism. We have some good size, have some good athletes. Now it’s
Wyatt Engel, with ball, returns as the team’s starting center on offensive and nose guard on defense for his senior year.
NICK SCHWIEN, nschwien@dailynews.net
Victoria coach Doug Oberle instructs senior Cooper Pfanenstiel during a drill in preseason. a matter of are we good football players. Defensively, we were not a good team last year. We’ve got to get better on that side of the ball if we want to be one of those teams at the end of the year that has an opportunity.” Seniors Cooper Pfanenstiel and Cole Schmidtberger will play key roles at linebacker this fall for Victoria, which allowed an average of 24 points per game in 2016. The Knights allowed a season-high 54 points to Osborne, which went undefeated en route to the state crown. “We just have to come out ready to play against everybody else, just like we did against Solomon,” Pfanenstiel said. Victoria has six starters returning on offense and six on defense. “I like our kids,” Oberle said. “They’ve worked hard, and we have a good number of kids out. That’s encouraging. I think the guys get along well. Those are all good things. If you have those things, you can work with it. We’re hungry, but at the same time, everyone else is hungry. There’s some good football teams out there this year.” The schedule once again will be tough. The Knights open at Central Plains before hosting Macksville.
Week 4 has the team traveling to Otis-Bison before hosting Logan-Palco the following week to open district play. The final four weeks are also district games against Bennington, at Osborne, against Lincoln and at Solomon. “We just want to come back this year and do a lot better than we did last year,” Engel said. “People who sleep on Osborne are not giving them the credit,” Oberle said about a Bulldog team that lost several key players. “There were some kids on their sidelines that could have played for a lot of teams last year. They are going to be very good. Solomon lost some kids, but they’ve always got a good number of kids out. They’re always a big, physical group. Coach Tiernan has been around for awhile and done a lot of good things. And obviously Logan-Palco is a good team that last year was, in terms of fundamental football, one of the best we saw all last year. They have a special running back there, some weapons, a good offensive and defensive line. Bennington is a good football team, and Lincoln is a team on the rise. It’s going to be fun. It is what it is. You’ve got to play them, and for us
to get where we want to get, we have to play those teams. It’s no big deal. They’re on our schedule. We just have to go out and do it. As long as we put our best foot forward, we’ll be fine.” Offensively, Kisner returns at quarterback, and Pfanenstiel will serve as a running back again. “These guys around me have really grown, and so have I,” Kisner said. “You can tell they guys have come into their role for sure.” Kisner provides speed from the backfield, having won numerous state titles in Class 1A at the state track and field meet. “He’s a young man that has a lot of speed,” Oberle said about Kisner. “Probably the fastest guy we’ve had as far as straight-line speed. He’s done a good job. And he has to take a big leadership role offensively. He has to step up and be able to throw the ball a little better than we did. We have to be able to catch the ball a little better than we did. At the same time, he has to provide that leadership on the offensive side of the ball. I feel good about our offensive line up front. I think things are going well. We’ve created some depth in that position. I feel good, like we have four or five runnings
backs that are talented, have some speed. We don’t necessarily have a thumper, but I think we have guys that we can get the ball in their hands and they can do good things for us.” Engel has started multiple seasons on the line, and Oberle is counting on his leadership to aid the team this year. “We’re a lot better this year,” Engel said. “We’re going to carry that momentum we had from last year at the very end. Hopefully we can continue to do that.” Kisner led the way with 127 carries for 1,210 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2016, while Pfanenstiel added 112 carries for 703 yards and 10 TDs. Victoria also has more depth than a year ago, with multiple players who can rotate in to different positions. “We have a lot of people that can fill in,” Pfanenstiel said. “We’re deep this year. If one guy goes down, we have another guy coming in.” While the Knights might have stumbled last year and didn’t make the playoffs, they still have a solid tradition to maintain. The coach hopes the team can find that sense of powerhouse football that resulted in state titles just a few years ago. The school also has state titles from 1981 (2A), 1985 (21A), 1988 (2-1A) and 2006 (8MDII). “You hope so,” Oberle said. “Obviously you want to use that tradition. Last year, we struggled some. I don’t know if that allure is still there. I don’t know if that’s still the case. Every year, it’s a different thing. I don’t think anybody is going to be afraid of us. We have to continue to build. Each year is a new year. We have to sustain and build what we want to build this year. Nobody is looking at what we did two years ago or four years ago or five years ago or 20 years ago when they were hanging banners. This is the year. We have to get better this year, and we have to build our own tradition.”
Ellis looks to make push for playoffs with old faces in new places By NICK SCHWIEN nschwien@dailynews.net
up, so I knew all of our plays for every position,” he said. “It’s really not too much of a ELLIS — There’s a clean jump.” slate for the Railroaders. Amrein will rely on running It might not be by design, back by committee offensively but the loss of several key with the loss of the talented players to graduation from a backfield from a year ago. year ago has forced it. “At quarterback, it will be Still, the cupboard isn’t Eck carrying the ball quite a exactly bare. bit,” he said. “I told our guys “We said that as coaches,” said head coach Craig Amrein. we’re going to kind of be running back by committee. We “It’s like a fresh start, in a way. This is what we want the have three or four guys who young kids coming up through are trying out for it. No real burner or anything like that. our program to be like, the type of football player we want They are meat grinders. I told them they are going to get hit, them to be like.” One of the biggest changes get hit every play. Just forward will be at quarterback. Easton lean and give us a few yards.” The Railroaders will rely on Smith graduated and led a potent passing attack in 2016. the ground game this year, and then throw in a few passing He threw for nearly 1,000 plays here and there to keep yards and 13 touchdowns the defenses honest. while being intercepted only One of the top targets in four times. the receiving game will be Gone, too, is the running back combo of Clay Feik and senior tight end Ryan Herl. “We’re going to be running Dalton Hensley, who coma lot more than last year,” Herl bined for more than 1,000 rushing yards and 11 TDs for said. “Joseph has a good arm, but nobody is Easton. We’re a team that went 4-5 and just going to need the hands out missed out on the Class 2-1A there. Certainly me and Geofplayoffs. That means a lot of the of- frey (Soneson) will be out there fensive responsibility will fall on as receivers, and we’ll have the shoulders of senior Joseph some other good receivers out Eck, who will be transitioning there as well.” Herl had eight catches for to quarterback. But it will be a 132 yards and one score in familiar position for him. 2016, while Soneson scored on “I feel like I am (ready) because I played it all through two of his four catches. “We’ve got low numbers, little kids and through junior but there’s a lot of potential,” high too,” Eck said. Herl said. “We’ve got a lot “He brings a lot of things of young bodies coming in. to the table at quarterback,” Amrein said. “He’s definitely a Numbers are low as usual, but fast kid, pretty physical. We’re we’re working really hard. This is one of the hardest working liking what we see out of him teams I’ve seen.” thus far.” Amrein said staying away Eck carried 70 times last year while amassing 369 yards from turnovers and injuries will be crucial. and scored three TDs. “Offensively, we have to “Last year, I was our back-
Ellis head coach Craig Amrein instructs his team during practice. Ellis last made the playoffs two years ago before losing to Meade in the first round. This year, the Railroaders will face La Crosse, Oakley and Plainville in district play. Plainville finished as state runner-up in 2016 but lost some key playmakers, although Amrein expects the Cardinals NICK SCHWIEN, nschwien@dailynews.net to be the favorite again. The Leopards and PlainsEllis senior Joseph Eck carries the ball during practice in men are in a similar boat to the preseason at Ellis. Ellis after losing key seniors. “I’m sure those other teams eliminate turnovers,” he said. great at linebacker. Cade Lew“We have to have patience, un- is, as a sophomore, didn’t play — La Crosse and Oakley — are saying the same thing as derstanding we can break one much at all. All of a sudden at any time but being patient he grows 6 inches and puts on us,” Amrein said. “This thing has opened up. Plainville looks with the game plan. Defenabout 30-some pounds and great still. I know they lost sively, our linebackers have got looks like a linebacker. He’s to really step up. There’s only stepped up quite a bit. And we some great players, but they’ll be a great team and have some a few of them there. When have Joseph Eck, who’s kind good leaders there. I know I look at the whole picture, of playing a strong safety/ it’s depth. If we start getting linebacker role and all over the Oakley didn’t have the best guys hurt, we’re going to be in field. He’s looking good there, season last year, but they’re right in the thing. La Crosse is trouble.” too.” right in the thing. It should be Herl will fill one of the Eck was the team’s top linebacker roles, and Eck’s ath- tackler last year, finishing with fun in districts.” Ellis won its first three leticism will allow him to play 63 total tackles. Herl is the next games last year before losing as a linebacker and defensive top-returning tackler with 38 five of its final six games — inback. The summer growth of last fall. Cade Lewis also is expected to “The key is us going to stay cluding losses to Plainville and help the defense. positive,” Eck said. “And keep La Crosse in district action. The Railroaders beat Oakley, “Herl is really looking working hard throughout the 61-40, to close out the year. good,” Amrein said. “He’s 6-3, season and encourage these “Coming No. 1 or 2 out of 220 pounds, and he’s looking guys as much as you can.”
our district isn’t a bad thing,” Amrein said. “The way we match up with the other districts, we’re in a pretty good spot.” But it will be the middle portion of this year that will begin a tough stretch once again. Ellis will play its first two games at home. In Week 5, the team travels to Phillipsburg, followed by Smith Center at home before district play begins. Two of the team’s district games are on the road — La Crosse and Oakley. “The middle part of our schedule is just nasty,” Amrein said. “We’re going to Phillipsburg, then have Smith Center, then come right back into district play. The schedule is not set up well coming right before district play, which will be tough, too.” Despite the tough schedule, the players know a playoff spot is attainable. “We want to get back to the playoffs,” Herl said. “We were there a couple seasons ago, and we had a similar looking team then. I really think we can do it. Everybody is really working hard.”