By JEFF LAMPE
For The Prairie News
If ever there was a football season to be one year away from fully loaded, this is it. That’s good news for fans of Stark County football, as the Rebels will field a much more competitive team, but are still likely a season away from reaching their full potential.
Even so, the six sophomores who started last year are ready to give out more lumps than they take when the season opens Saturday in Wyoming at Gary Johnson Field against Ridgewood at 1 p.m. Ridgewood defeated Stark County 22-14 en route to a 6-4 season last year.
“In 2019 we had six sophomores who started for us, three of them on both sides of the ball,” Coach Jade Noard said. “With that experience, and increased depth, we feel like this spring we will be very competitive.”
Those six are James Groter (QB/DB), Jack Meinders (RB/LB), 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman Blake Orwig, Ethan Unhold (DB), Cole Regan (DB) and Avery Whittle (LB). Those sophomores helped Stark County win two of its last five games and be competitive in two of the others.
Senior returnees include wide receivers Raidon Porter and Brenden Gibler, both of whom also play linebacker, and 6-4 offensive lineman Matthew McCauley.
Top newcomers according to Noard include senior lineman Tyson Price, junior WR/DB Keagan Newton, junior lineman Christian Brady, junior RB/LB Tristan Gerber and sophomores Ethan Baxter (OL/DL) and Camren Watson (LB). Those two are part of a group of 30 freshman and sophomores who have boosted the overall turnout to 49.
“After having two of our smallest rosters in history, our numbers are back up this spring,” Noard said.
Noard said Annawan-Wethersfield is “the clear favorite” in the Lincoln Trail Conference, with Princeville and Mercer County also solid.
Spectators should note that LTC teams agreed to allow 100 visiting fans into games this spring. The rest of the crowd is at the home team’s discretion, which in the case of Stark County is 500 home fans who will be admitted for no charge and must wear a mask. Games will also be livestreamed.
Mid-County
With seven starters back on both sides of the ball and a full season to become familiar with Coach Grant Gullstrand’s system, Mid-County is poised to improve on a 2-7 finish.
Opening day has been delayed, though, as Saturday’s game with United was postponed.
Gullstrand took on his first head coaching experience in June of 2019, less than two months before the season opener. In the summer of 2020, instead of learning names, he ran football drills. And he had 50 or more players out for practices, even with the fall season very uncertain
Now with football finally allowed, Gullstrand hopes to build on that enthusiasm. On offense Mid-County returns Parker Hopping, Denver Weedman, Nathan Welch, Mark Dennis, Seth Johnson, Hunter Ramage and Cal Clucas. Many of the same names started on defense, including Hopping, Welch, Johnson, and Clucas. Other defensive returnees are Chase Davis, Hunter Foglesong and Trevor Bird.
Gullstrand’s list of top newcomers includes Logan Kuberski (QB/DB), Carson Malek (QB/DB), Parker Sornberger (WR/DB), Matthew Sanchez (RB/LB), Josh Dunn (OL/DL) and Jett Olson (RB/LB).
“Team speed is one of our team’s biggest strengths. We may not be the biggest time out there, but everyone has become much faster,” Gullstrand said. “Knowledge of schemes will help out as well.”
Familiarity also helps with coop communities. Last week, Williamsfield was site for a football practice for the first time in 50 years. That has boosted turnout, with 31 players from ROWVA and 24 from Galva and Williamsfield. In junior high, 16 of 33 players are from ROWVA.
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