Pre-season practices are completed - Jaguars football is ready for the 2010 season - WCA Knights football preview is below

Under new Coach David Drexler...
Young WCA Knights ready for Football action
by Kris Beuckens, Herman-Hoffman Tribune sports editor

Young and undersized are two words that accurately describe the WCA Knights’ Football team in 2010 and first year Head Coach David Drexler and his coaching staff will be charged with putting a competitive team on the field.

Most WCA followers will remember Drexler as one of the leaders of a football team that finished as state runners up in 1999 and as a standout on the basketball court. He will be joined on the sidelines by Trevor Schneeberger, another past WCA football and basketball great. Arick Follingstad, Jeff Holsen, Terry Ohlgren and David Schleicher round out the coaching staff.

While the entire coaching staff agrees that the young and undersized aspects of their Knights’ team could be looked at as negatives, they’re accepting the challenge and will look to put an aggressive yet disciplined group on the field.

“We lost nearly our entire offensive line last year so we know we’ve got plenty of work to do, but we’ll approach it positively and coach our kids to play hard and aggressively,” said Drexler. “We’re all looking forward to seeing the team develop and continue to improve on a day-to-day and a week-to-week basis.”

Returning to lead the team will be seniors Colton Blascyk (QB/S), Jake Boeddeker (TE/LB), Brandon Quick (OL/LB) and Austin Gulbrandson (OL/DL) and junior Ethan Supler (RB/LB). Blascyk, Boeddeker and Quick will serve as the team’s captains.

There will be plenty of newcomers to the team who will need to make an impact if the team is to enjoy success. Senior Jon Pikop (OL/DL) will likely see a lot of playing time as will juniors Matt Wagner (CB/WR) and Calvin Anderson (RB/LB).

According to Drexler, there will be many sophomores and possibly even a few freshman who will need to step up and make contributions to the team this year giving them a chance to show their abilities and gain experience for the coming years.

The Knights will be competing for the last time in the Heart O’Lakes Conference this year and would love, as such, to make an impact.

Drexler points to Staples-Motley, Breckenridge and DGF to be the favorites in the Heart O’Lakes Conference this season while Pierz, Breckenridge and Crosby-Ironton will be the teams to beat in Section 6AA.

The Knights open the 2010 season with a home game on Friday, September 3, when the Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Jaguars come to town for a 7:00pm game at the WCA High School athletic complex in Barrett.