Fulton

Senior-laden Steamers seek experience

By DAN WUSSOW

dwussow@shawmedia.com

FULTON – With high school sports seasons underway, teams are back to their normal operations and process of piecing together the puzzle of starting lineups and depth charts. Excitement is in the air at practice fields all around the state.

For the Fulton Steamers, it’s no different.

“Very excited. When you have as good of a postseason run as we had last year, it makes you pretty eager to get back the next season,” Fulton coach Patrick Lower said. “We’re just excited to get going teaching these kids the game of football.”

“We’re really excited. Everyone’s been working really hard. It’s been fun,” senior QB/DB Brayden Dykstra said. “We’re ready to go. Everyone’s ready. We know what we’re doing.”

Coming off a 9-3 record and Class 1A quarterfinal appearance in 2021, the Steamers have high hopes entering the new season.

After squeaking by Galena, 14-13, in Week 1 of last season, they’re hoping for a better start to 2022.

“It was a rough game for us offensively,” Lower said. “I know Galena had a lot to do with it with their defense; we won the game, but we were disappointed in the way we played, and we want to get off to a much better start Aug. 26 at our place.”

Although Fulton has 19 seniors on the roster this year, many of them lack extensive playing experience. Getting the new senior starters up to speed quickly will be essential as the Steamers try to navigate a challenging NUIC schedule.

Weeks 3 through 5, in particular, look like a gauntlet, as Fulton travels an hour-and-a-half northeast to face reigning conference champion Durand-Pecatonica, then hosts Michigan powerhouse Muskegon Catholic Central, before hitting the road again to battle two-time defending Class 1A state champion Lena-Winslow. Forreston also awaits in Week 7, coming off an 8-3 season and second-place finish in the NUIC.

“We’ve got a few guys, we have some juniors that are going to step up. We have quite a few seniors that are going to get a lot of playing time, and they’re going to be able to do things they need to do to make us better,” Lower said. “We are a veteran group with a lot of seniors, but we have a lot of seniors that haven’t had a lot of playing time. I think our guys getting ready and getting used to the speed of varsity football [will be our biggest challenge this year].”

Although the Steamers are somewhat lacking in varsity game experience on both sides of the line, senior OL/DL Zane Pannell has faith that his teammates will step up and fill those roles admirably.

“We’re less experienced on the line, but we’ll definitely be good there because Logan [Rathburn] is new,” Pannell said. “We have some juniors that have to step up.”

The backfield will look a little different without 2021 IHSFCA All-State First Team RB Keegan VanKampen, who graduated this spring, but senior RB Ryan Eads is ready to take some of those snaps and fill the void along with a handful of newcomers. Seniors Lukas Schroeder and Ben Fosdick, and junior Jimmy Crimmins add to the backfield rotation this year.

Returning starters from last year’s playoff run include Eads, Pannell, senior OL/DL Braiden Damhoff, senior TE Ethan Price, junior WR/LB Baylen Damhoff, senior DB Conner Sheridan, and senior K Endi Qunaj.

SVM file photo Fulton’s Zane Pannell (55) works against an Ottawa Marquette blocker in their second-round playoff game last season. Pannell is back to anchor the lines for the Steamers this fall.

Roster

No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

2 Braeden Brennan 5-6 130 So. E/DB 3 Payton Curley 5-10 160 Sr. E/DB 4 Brayden Dykstra 6-0 170 Sr. QB/DB 6 Endi Qunaj 5-9 150 Sr. K 7 Kole Schipper 6-1 165 Sr. E/LB 9 Daken Pessman 6-2 170 Sr. E/DL 10 Conner Sheridan 5-11 160 Sr. E/LB 12 Carson Wherry 5-8 135 Sr. E/DB 13 Dom Kramer 6-1 180 So. QB/LB 17 Ethan Price 6-4 195 Sr. E/LB 19 Trevor Tiesman 5-10 145 Jr. E/DB 21 QJ Mangelsen 6-1 160 Sr. E/DB 22 Baylen Damhoff 6-6 180 Jr. E/LB 23 Dysin Rathburn 5-10 135 Jr. E/DB 24 Jimmy Crimmins 6-0 180 Jr. RB/LB 30 Lukas Schroeder 6-2 185 Sr. RB/DL 33 Joel Ford 5-10 175 Sr. RB/LB 34 Ryan Eads 5-10 150 Sr. RB/DB 42 Jensen Ludin 5-9 130 Jr. E/DB 43 Ben Fosdick 5-5 150 Sr. RB/LB 45 Mason Kuebel 5-8 175 Fr. RB/LB 48 Broden VenHuizen 5-8 140 Jr. E/DL 51 Dan VanZuiden 5-8 145 So. E/DB 55 Zane Pannell 5-9 190 Sr. OL/DL 56 Logan Rathburn 6-2 240 Sr. OL/DL 57 Skylier Crooks 5-7 150 So. RB/LB 58 Chris Carroll 6-2 240 Jr. OL/DL 60 Braiden Damhoff 6-0 280 Sr. OL/DL 63 Isaac McWilliams 6-0 240 Jr. OL/DL 64 Zeke VenHuizen 6-3 165 So. E/LB 66 Rigo Facio 6-0 245 Sr. OL/DL 67 Elijah Stillings 6-2 200 Sr. OL/DL 68 Jacob Simpson 5-10 245 Sr. OL/DL 69 Robbie Sheckler 6-0 230 Sr. OL/DL 74 Jacob Huisenga 6-2 180 So. E/LB 75 Daniel Holman 5-10 200 So. OL/DL 79 Josiah Heald 6-0 180 So. OL/DL

Schedule

Game time Opponent

Fri., Aug. 26, 7 Galena Fri., Sept. 2, 7 at West Carroll Fri., Sept. 9, 7 at Durand-Pecatonica Sat., Sept. 17, 12 Muskegon Catholic Fri., Sept. 23, 7 at Lena-Winslow Fri., Sept. 30, 7 Stockton Fri, Oct. 7, 7 at Forreston Sat., Oct. 15, 1 Eastland-Pearl City Fri., Oct. 21, 7 at Dakota

Meghan G. Crisham, D.D.S. Michael L. Brechon, D.D.S. Shailee S. Patel, D.D.S www.dentistdixon.com 815-288-4731 Good Luck To The Fulton Steamers, Sterling Warriors, and Erie-Prophetstown Panthers!

Sterling 2707 W. Lincolnway 815-625-7240

Prophetstown 412 Washington St. 815-537-5151

Fulton 915 Second St. 815-589-3100