THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, August 26, 2015 — PAGE 3
Orioles looking for turnaround season by Hobby King SPORTS WRITER
After a disappointing 2014 season, it’s time to turn the page and move on for the Concordia Orioles and fourth-year head coach Tom Gramates. A year ago, the Orioles slipped to 3-7 overall, which included a 3-4 performance in the I-70 Conference. Two of the other three setbacks were to bigger schools — Higginsville in week one and Trenton in week nine. Offense wasn’t the problem as the Orioles scored more than 30 points per game, including more than 40 points on four occasions. However, the defense allowed more than 35 points per contest, including 50 or more in three games and at least 40 in three more contests. Gramates, who is being assisted by J.K. Basye and Josh Link, will have a roster of 24 from which to pluck starters. The list includes five seniors, eight juniors and five sophomores. Senior signal-caller Jordan Schlueter returns to lead the offense, which is a flexbone out of a pistol set.
He will be helped out in the backfield by another senior starter Patrick Hastings, who was a secondteam all-conference pick last year. The other two players listed in the backfield saw a smattering of playing time last year in junior Sam Rodenberg and s o p h o m o r e Cameron Cooper. Senior Mason Rohr returns to lead the receiving corps along with juniors John Sparks and Spencer Brown. The Orioles graduated Ty Flandermeyer, an honorable-mention all-conference pick last year. Across the front, the Orioles have some replacing to do. Gone are all-conference picks Evan Collner, a second-team selection, and honorable-mention pick Andy Galloway. The line will be anchored by sophomore center Abram Frerking. On his left will be freshman Caleb Pfannkuch at guard and junior Dalton Reynolds at tackle. On Frerk-
ing’s right will be guard sophomore Colton Rosser and senior tackle Collin Stringer. “If the line comes together, we’ll be OK,” Gramates said. In the 3-4 defensive scheme, Frerking and Rosser are slated to be the ends, with senior Marshall Lindstrom anchoring the middle at nose guard. Gone is all-conference second-teamer Trent McGinnis. The Orioles also lost all-conference honorablemention pick David Hemme on the line. Hastings, Pfannkuch, Reynolds, Stringer and Sparks are the leading candidates for the starting spots at linebacker. Rohr, Schlueter and Brown are the team’s top prospects at corner backs, with Kelly at free safety and Rodenberg at strong safety. Defense was what Gramates termed “a huge weakness last year.”
“Coverage is key. We will have to play iron-man football and go allout on every play.”
“It must improve this year,” he said. On the special teams, Sparks and Schlueter are battling for placekicker and kickoff specialist, while Pfannkuch, who was a second-team all-conference selection at punter in 2014 will nail down that spot. It takes more than a good punter, though. “We were not as good on special teams last year as we had been in the past,” Gramates said. “Too many players took plays off during special teams. This led to big returns, punt blocks, etc. “Coverage is key. We will have to play iron-man football and go allout on every play.” Gramates is hopeful the Orioles can return to the state playoffs for the first time since 2011. “We can be as good as good as we want to be,” he said. “That means we have to work extremely hard to be good, but it is something we can achieve. “If we choose to be lazy in practice, we won’t be very good.” Gramates says the conference is hard to figure. “It appears that everyone is having some trouble with numbers,” Gramates said.
We wish best of luck to all Concordia High School teams this season!
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