Jefferson County high school football preview 2008

Perry-Lecompton senior starting quarterback Shane Gimzo and senior Eric Hastert roll out to their right during passing drills in a recent Kaw practice. The Kaws return many players from a team that finished 8-2 and made the 4A playoffs last season. Photo by Kenneth Lassiter


Two county teams made a march to the high school football playoffs in 2007 and five of the six county head coaches return to try to lead their teams to postseason berths as regular season play starts Friday.

The one exception to the trend of returning head coaches is at McLouth High School, where four-year assistant Chris Stewart takes the head coaching reins from Harry Hester after a 1-8 season in 2007. Hester returned to Cherryvale High School to take the head coaching job there and was an assistant there prior to coming to McLouth.

The road to the high school postseason is a little steeper for some teams than others in the county. The cream of the 2007 county crop was the Perry-Lecompton Kaws at 8-2, as their season ended in a 1-point loss to Marysville in the bi-district playoffs. The Kaws return the bulk of players from that team. Oskaloosa also made a postseason appearance but was blanked by Rossville in the bi-district playoffs. The Bears lost a group of 10 experienced seniors but do return some players that got some key experience in 2007.

Jefferson West and Valley Falls were in the middle-of-the-pack at 4-5 last season but both have some key returnees. Jefferson County North and McLouth had tougher seasons with finishes at 2-7 and 1-8, respectively, and have some holes to fill from senior departures.

Two county teams start the season head-to-head as Oskaloosa plays host to Valley Falls in week 1. Jefferson West makes a long trip to Abilene to open the season while JCN is home against Wathena, McLouth welcomes Immaculata in the Raiders’ first game as a member of the Delaware Valley League, and Perry-Lecompton tries to start another winning season but faces the monumental task of a trip to Holton to face the traditional power Wildcats as they return from a 10-2 2007 season. All games begin at 7 p.m.

Pictures and schedules for all the fall sports teams in the county can be found in the annual fall sports preview section in this week’s edition of the Independent and Vindicator.

Following are capsule reviews of each team in order of their finish in 2007.

Perry-Lecompton Kaws
Coach: Mike Paramore, eighth year
2007 record: 8-2

The Kaws return a host of key players from a team that lost only one regular season game last season and lost a bi-district playoff game by a point in a heartbreaker finish.

Paramore has built a strong program at Perry-Lecompton and that shows through in the 60 players out for football, including a large group of 17 seniors. Senior quarterback Shane Gimzo settled into the position last season as one of the best players in the area and returns to lead a Kaw offense built for speed and built to rack up points. Paramore went to a more spread-style offense this year so senior Kyle Morgison has moved to a backfield and outside flanker-type position with seniors Aaron Andrew and Mark Higgins also in that mix. Senior Eric Hastert and junior Ethan Moe will backup Gimzo but also be part of a Kaw receiving corps with junior Brad Phillips and senior Nathan Wilbur. Senior Joel Gantz and junior Logan Hurd will play tight end for the Kaws.

The Kaws lost some offensive linemen but still return some good experience on the lines on both sides of the ball. Senior Caleb Wege is the lone returning starter but several others got playing time last year. Wege is joined by senior Josh Durflinger, senior Dillion Freed, senior C.J. Bunce, junior Wes Boaz, senior Casey Quigley, senior Trey Moss, senior Roy Roberts, junior Gage Bergman and sophomore Nathan Turpin in the group of players Paramore has to pick from for the line. Durflinger, Boaz, Wege, Quigley and senior Brad McNish will flip around to the defensive line side as well with Freed, Gantz, Hurd, Andrew, Higgins and junior Mason Durkes in the linebacker group and Gimzo, Morgison, Hastert, sophomore Trent Robb, Wilbur, Phillips and Moe all in the mix in the secondary.

“We’ve had good competition for many spots,” Paramore said. “We’ve got a lot of seniors but we’re gonna fill in and find time somewhere to get some juniors and other guys in there. We’ve got some guys that didn’t start but have been out there in the fire and aren’t new to what we’re doing. They’re all working hard to get better.”

The Kaws were one of the frontrunners in a perenially tough Kaw Valley League in which Perry-Lecompton is one of the smaller schools. Paramore said he looks for the KVL to be a tough road to hoe once again. The Kaws are set up for a very tough test off the bat by paying a visit to perennial 4A power Holton.

“That’s a great situation and should have some great atmosphere,” Paramore said. “We’re looking forward to that challenge and we’ll find out pretty quick where we’re at. We’re not gonna back off of that challenge. (Holton coach) Brooks (Barta) has built a program up there like we’d like ours to be, so we’re looking forward to it.

“The league looks pretty balanced. We play Lansing in week five and that’s a big school. There are some good folks in the league and you’d better be ready to play every week.”

Paramore said last year’s finish was hard to take for the group of seniors whose high school careers it finished but has motivated and set up this season to give the remainder of the players something to work for.

“That was a great group of players, and you get attached and want the best for them,” Paramore said. “It’s like that every season. We’re excited about this season and looking for a lot of success.

“I’m definitely liking what I’ve seen so far. We’ve got a good group of seniors. They know this is their last run at it so they need to make the best of it.”

Oskaloosa Bears
Coach: Scott Whaley, third year
2007 record: 5-5

Whaley lost the starting quarterback and two main running backs from last year’s playoff squad but has a mix of players both new to the varsity level and some returnees that he hopes combine to form another solid team for Oskaloosa.

The coach had to make the best of a tough situation in 2007 as senior starting quarterback Brock McGinnis suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the first game and didn’t make it back to the field to play. Now-departed senior Boone Heston and freshman Adam Bowser filled in for McGinnis with Heston taking the bulk of the snaps and the Bears used a heavy ground game to success.

That continues to be the focus this season as Whaley has a squad of 29 players, including 10 seniors. Bowser is back for a sophomore season in the quarterbacking role with fellow sophomore Levi Wade as his backup. Junior Brandon Barnes and senior Lakota Coffman are the key returnees in the backfield along with senior fullback Trent Newell and relative newcomer sophomore Mark Newell. Whaley also has some depth at receiver as seniors J.T. Thurston and Chase Tenpenny lead the returnees and will be joined by senior Josh Visocsky and senior Drew Beisel in that role.

The line is the spot Whaley said is an inexperienced point for the Bears. Seniors Kyle Artman, Jarrod Bates and Jake Gamble return and Whaley said junior Mitch Boucher, junior Tyler Myers and sophomore Jake Busher are also in the offensive and defensive line conversation. The linebacking crew will include Beisel, Bates, Mark Newell, and Gamble with Thurston, Bowser, Wade and Coffman in the secondary. Tenpenny will also see some time at defensive end.

“We’ve got some holes to fill on the line,” Whaley said. “Overall, our seniors have done a nice job of being leaders and trying to bring the younger guys along. You kind of wonder who will step up in those roles when you lose a senior class like we lost but they’ve done well.”

Whaley pointed to Pleasant Ridge and Troy as the first teams that come to mind in regard to the DVL race this season, but his focus is on what he thinks could be a tough opener at home versus Valley Falls.

“We start with Valley Falls and they have some good players coming back,” he said. “Otherwise, I look at Pleasant Ridge and Troy as the teams to beat. Wathena could also be good.”

After mentioning the leadership of the seniors, Whaley said he has also been fairly impressed with what he’s seen from his underclassmen.

“Some of the younger guys are doing a nice job thus far, so I’ve been happy with them as well,” he said. “We always adjust a few things from season to season depending on what we’ve got but we’ve still got the same idea to run the ball and throw it when we want to. We want to be dangerous enough there we can keep the other team off balance a little bit.”

Jefferson West Tigers
Coach: Steve Johnson, third year
2007 record: 4-5

Numbers are once again a strength in Johnson’s program at West as the Tigers have 52 players out ready to try to make it three years of improvement under Johnson.

The Tigers struggled in 2005 before going 3-6 in Johnson’s first year in 2006 and 4-5 last season. He’s hoping a group of skill returnees can be supplemented by some younger players to help push the record over the .500 mark at West.

The squad includes 11 seniors, including returning starting quarterback Kyle Sanders and starting running back Garrett Stewart. Stewart’s backfield compatriot from a year ago, junior Steven Skaggs, also returns. Junior Alex Baker will backup Sanders while junior Austin Siess returns in the backfield and will also see time at receiver. Other receivers include senior Cole Buckman and sophomores Dillon Roy and Grady Tichenor.

The line on both sides of the ball is what Johnson terms the main “challenge” this season. Junior Paul Brink and sophomore Joe Miller are battling it out for right tackle, sophomore Jordan Hunt is in at right guard, junior Nick Harris is in the fight for the center position with junior Steven Vaught, junior Matt Shenk is at left guard and senior Alex Harris is back at left tackle. Senior B.J. Higgins and Miller are back on the defensive line with a mix of the other linemen filling the other two spots.

“We’re young up front,” Johnson said, “but I think they’ll come along.”

Junior Capp Wood and sophomore Ethan Mumaw will join Skaggs in the linebacking corps while the secondary includes Tichenor, Siess, Buckman and sophomore Chance Higgins.

After tying for fourth in the Big Seven League last season, Johnson knows the going will be tough but says the team’s goal is to finish among the top two in the league.

“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” he said. “We looked at where we finished last year and our goal is to get up there in those top couple slots.”

Johnson said some inexperience has shown in the team in the first couple weeks of practice but he is hoping the line gels and the other younger players improve as the season gets into full swing.

“Hopefully as the season gets going, the line gets better with experience,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to expand on our spread offense. We plan to mix it up but want to be more balanced than last year. We’ve had ups and downs so far, and we’ve got a lot of learning to do, but I think the kids are very capable.”

Valley Falls Dragons

Coach: Rod Bunde, 16th year
2007 record: 4-5

Other than Perry-Lecompton, Bunde’s squad may shape up the most favorably in terms of returning talent as Valley Falls brings back several key players from a team that rebounded nicely from a winless 2006.

The Dragons have 34 players out for football, including only four seniors, and lost only three seniors from last season’s 4-5 team. Junior Mitchell Streeter returns as quarterback with sophomore Alex Lederer as the backup. The backfield is a strength for Valley Falls as senior Josh Kearney and junior Chance Gier had solid 2007 seasons. They will be joined by junior Logan Wynkoop and freshman Taylor Anderson. The receiving corps includes seniors Ridge Glassel and Garrett Jennings, as Jennings will also see some backfield time, and juniors Colby Herren and Billy Morris with junior Riley Bunde and sophomore Alex Nottingham seeing time at tight end.

Bunde also has solid experience coming back on the offensive and defensive lines as junior Justin Sales, senior T.J. Breese and juniors Tyler Miller and Kyle Heuertz are joined by underclassmen sophomore Brooks Glassel and sophomore James Grey. That group will, in part, flip to the defensive side as Bunde and Brooks Glassel will man the defensive ends and Sales and Heuertz will line up at defensive tackle. Brees, Gier, Jennings and Nottingham will man the linebacker slots and Ridge Glassell, Wynkoop, and Kearney will form the core of the secondary.

“We still have quite a few younger kids involved,” Bunde said. “I think we have 16 in the top two classes and more in the bottom two classes, so I’d like to have a little more on the higher end but I’m not complaining.”

Bunde said it’s a nice situation to have so much experience returning while still having a vast majority younger than seniors. That experience is the fruit of a 2006 team that took its lumps while starting freshmen and sophomores and going winless.

“Our seniors and upperclassmen have been doing a good job of leadership,” Bunde said. “The guys we’ve got back have been able to pick up from last season and we’re getting the younger guys into it.”

Bunde agreed that Pleasant Ridge and Troy are the teams to beat in the DVL but said it’s hard to know how it’ll shape up until the ball is kicked off Friday.

“Pleasant Ridge and Troy have got quite a few people back, and they’re almost always good teams,” Bunde said. “We’ve tried to work on adjusting defensively and focusing on the things we were good at last year as the season went along. I think the guys are anxious and ready to get going.”

JCN Chargers
Coach: Mark McMillan, 15th year
2007 record: 2-7

The Chargers are looking to rebuild after losing 10 seniors from last year’s 2-7 squad as a new quarterback and backfield are in place at JCN.

McMillan has some strength in numbers at North with 40 players out for football, including only seven seniors. The bulk of the roster is in a junior class numbering 16 players on the roster. Junior Austin Gaspard takes over at quarterback after playing some running back last season for North. He will be backed up by senior Riley Noll, who will otherwise be in the Charger backfield alsong with junior Lance Leakey and junior Cody McMahon. Senior Matt Perry is the main returning receiver and senior Matt Noll will man the tight end position. Other receivers include juniors Hayden Minor and Lucas Page.

McMillan points to the line as a spot of returning experience as senior center Chris Hale is joined by senior Kyle Domann, senior Roman Page, junior Tyler Noll and junior Jacob Robohn. Junior Andrew Swoyer will also be in the offensive line group. Roman Page, Swoyer and Riley Noll will key the linebackers while Gaspard, McMahon and Perry will form the core of the secondary.

Despite the loss of a key group of seniors to graduation, including quarterback Luke Noll and starting running backs Abraham Noll and Vince Foulk, McMillan said he hopes to make some adjustments for more success in 2008.

“Last year we ended up in two-back sets a lot instead of three, so we’re hoping to go more with three this season,” he said. “We made a lot of mental mistakes and had to cover some injuries last year. That’s why it’s important for us to stay injury-free this year.”

McMillan mentioned Pleasant Ridge as the team to beat in the DVL but said, otherwise, it’s a fairly even race.

“I think it’s pretty balanced,” he said. “Horton is coming off a good year, which can make a difference, and Valley Falls has some speed. We open with Wathena and they have some speed we’re concerned about. It’s a situation where a few different teams could stand out depending on how everything plays out.”

The longtime North coach said he is optimistic for better things for the Chargers this season.

“Our senior leadership has been excellent,” he said. “There are a lot of things I’ve seen in practice that I’ve been happy with. We want to try putting the ball in the air a little more and give teams a little different look than they’re used to.”

McLouth Bulldogs
Coach: Chris Stewart, first year
2007 record: 1-8

The Bulldogs didn’t have to go far to find a new head coach following Hester’s departure as Stewart moved up from the assistant ranks after four years coaching at the middle school level and four years as Hester’s assistant.

Stewart enters his first year at the helm of the program with perhaps more questions than answers on the squad. Gone are departed senior starters quarterback Mark Stewart and running back Ryan Smith, but returning quarterback senior Derrick Crouse did see some time while Stewart dealt with an ankle injury last season and senior running back Skyler Terry did play some in 2007 while fighting injuries of his own.

Stewart reports 28 players are out for the team this season, with a group of only 6 or 7 seniors. Crouse will be backed up at QB by junior Cody Winborn, who will also see time at receiver. Senior Jake Hullinger and junior Tyler Drinnon will be in the offensive skill position mix as well.

“Skyler will play a critical role for us this year in the backfield,” Stewart said. “Derrick did get some playing time at quarterback last season and looked solid, so we’re comfortable there.”

The line is where more questions come into play as only junior Sheldon Mills and sophomore Shane Cassatt return from last year’s starting group. Stewart said junior Robert Saxton would also definitely be in the starting mix. Stewart said the rest of the crew would be affirmed after the Purple and Gold scrimmage leading into game week 1.

“We’ve got almost a brand new line,” Stewart said. “We’re very young there. We’ve got to see if they can handle it.”

That same group of players will flip around into the defensive line mix. Crouse and Hullinger along with Cassatt will form a still developing linebacker corps, and the secondary will include Terry at free safety. Stewart said the cornerback positions were also still up for grabs.

“We’re still evaluating several places,” he said. “We’ll keep practicing and hopefully have a clean scrimmage and then we’ll have some decisions to make.”

Stewart said he isn’t changing much from Hester’s regime and said he feels he has a good group of assistant coaches backing him. Assistant Gary Freeman returns and two newcomers join the staff, including former MHS standout running back Kevin Stewart, who is Chris’ son.

“We’re still doing what we’ve always done the last few years – focusing on fundamentals and teaching where and how to line up,” Stewart said. “It’s a little slower process with a more inexperienced group, but I think it’s going well. They’re steadily making improvements. We’ve got a good coaching staff with most having played some college football.”

Stewart named no clear-cut favorite in the DVL this season. He said it’s hard to know what to expect from the Bulldogs this season and his focus is on a shorter range.

“I think there will be teams in the league that are good like always and some can go one way or another,” Stewart said. “There are a few teams in that same boat.

“We’ll give it all we got (as coaches), and the players will do the same. Right now I’m not thinking too far ahead. I’m taking it one day at a time. I feel good about the team, because they’re improving, but I’m going to take it week-to-week.”