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2020 Pre-Season Football Article

Experienced Eagle squad looking to improve on 6-3 finish in 2020 season……..

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The 2020 edition of Allen Eagle football will be in search of returning to the playoff picture for a fifth consecutive year following a 6-3 overall record in 2019.  The Eagles had their 2019 season ended in a loss to Lawrence-Nelson in the first round of the playoffs.  The Eagles will be returning five offensive starters and five defensive starters.  The team totals 22 currently in number. 

The Eagles, return five starters on both sides of the football, along with several others, who played significant minutes in 2019, and all will be called upon to show leadership.  Jelling as a unit will be paramount for the team to be successful.  Staying healthy the entire season will be important to develop continuity.  What the Eagles lack in physical size, they will compensate with speed and aggressive play.

Lost to graduation from the 2019 season were, Brogan Jones, Lukas Oswald, Josh Grone, Noah Carr, Steven Cooks and Austin Gregerson.   The cupboard is not bare though as several returning players have gotten 2 or three years of playing time entering the 2020 season.

Six seniors will be on the roster, and youth will supplement the team, but forced playing time in the last three seasons by many of the upperclassmen, will bring  experience to a group that have seen success and should be ready to accept the challenge of a favorable schedule during the 2019 fall.

Seniors leading the Eagles are Anthony Isom, Kobe Kumm, Reed Hingst, Steven Sullivan, Devin Hoesing and Wyatt Verzani.  Isom, Kumm and Sullivan all received post season honors for their play in 2019.  Isom was the second leading tackler in 2019, and will be looked to roam the inside areas defensively.  Kumm returns with two years of quarterback experience, as well as being a defensive back.  Steven Sullivan, emerged in 2019 as a pleasant surprise on the offensive line.  He will line up as a defensive end as well.  Reed Hingst will work at the quarterback position and should add depth to the defensive secondary.  Hoesing, started at nose guard in 2018, and is set to make his return.  Verzani could be a cornerback and special teams candidate.

 The junior class is headed by letter winners, Josh Olesen, Ty Krommenhoek, Ryan Anderson and Nathan Oswald, Kaleb Kumm and Gabe Reinert.  Olesen was an all district selection on the offensive line in 2019.  Krommenhoek and Oswald return as ends on the offensive side of the ball, and both played cornerback in 2019.  Anderson, a part time started on both sides will tote the ball, and join Isom on the defensive inside positions.  Reinert led special team play, and could add running back depth and linebacker depth this fall.  Other juniors on the squad included, Santiago Tinajero-Rodriquez, Octavier Martell, Bryce Williams, Chase Kallsen and Cole Verzani.  All will have opportunities if they work hard and learn schemes.

Sophomores include returning letter winner, Joe Grone, who could find time on the field early in the season with a good preseason camp.  He is a defensive back and offensive back with breakaway speed.  Jaylen Jackson and Dean Roth join the squad for the first time and will be looked at for specialty play and bolstering depth.

Freshmen, Michael Dickens and Landon Monteith will round out the squad in 2020.   Dickens is going to learn quarterbacking skills, while Monteith will learn both line and back play.

Preseason practices will help better determine who is going to play where on both sides of the ball, and at this point, things are not definite, but surely some are assumable.  The preseason will sort out and set the squad in a more definite mold as time unfolds.  Athletes are going to have to be willing to be molded into position and role players, as the Eagle talents are relatively even across the board.

The Eagles will be under the direction of head coach, Dave Uldrich, and assistants will be Marc Bathke and Josh Batenhorst and Jason Olesen.

The Eagles open non-district play with a home game on Friday, August 28^th, at 7:00 p.m.   The Eagles will be looking to get off to a fast start in the season opener.  Other non-district games include:  Mead, Bloomfield and Wynot.  Five of the eight opponents were playoff participants in the 2019 season.

District competition will be with Homer, Pender, Emerson-Hubbard and Walthill.

Coaches Comments: 
“We look to get better with each practice.  We are always a work in progress, even with the experience we bring back, and will need to get things accomplished in camp.  Hopefully, we will jell quickly, play hard and smart, and have a very enjoyable season.  We have the ability to be a highly competitive squad, but what we do with those opportunities will be up to the team to accomplish.  The old saying, “You are as good as your seniors”, will be the challenge to our squad leadership. If we play hard, we could be a darn good squad.  We hope to be playing as a confident team in November as a goal.”