South Harrison will do it again and join exclusive club

A Grand River Conference football race is not for the faint-hearted player, coach or fan. There are no “givens” or roll-over opponents. Relax after a win at your peril. The formula for a winning season often simply includes hard work and lucky breaks.

Last season’s league bottom-dwellers all look to be improved, and the top teams from a year ago suffered greatly from graduation, but don’t get ready to crown a new champ just yet. Defending champion South Harrison confidently wears the bullseye while attempting to do what only 2 schools, Princeton and Gallatin, have done in the 70-year history of the Grand River Conference.

Three GRC teams kick off with new coaches. Only 2 schools return quarterbacks from last season. The running game takes center stage as the option offense has become the attack of choice in the league.

South Harrison is a huge favorite, and it would be hard not to pick the Bulldogs to repeat, despite the fact they must replace 9 starters. The Bulldogs are trying to become the first school since Gallatin to win 4 straight conference football titles. Gallatin won 4 straight from 1980-83. Princeton is the only other league school to win 4 in a row (1941-44) since 1930.

Last season’s Bulldog squad was the largest in Bethany in several years and this season promises a squad of nearly 50 players. That’s just too much depth and returning experience for the rest of the league to contend with. Holes to be filled include quarterback/defensive back (Cole Leazenby), halfback (Brandon Hunter), tight end (Ian Baldwin), center/defensive end (Clint Meadows), guard/linebacker (Joe Thayer), guard (Casey Woodward), defensive end (Casey Schroff), linebacker (Lance Cisler) and defensive back (Ben Butler). Look for seniors Caleb Obert, Seth Wooderson, Phillip Maxwell and Tyler Luellen to lead. Junior quarterback Barrett Wright has big-game experience after subbing for an injured Leazenby in last season’s playoff game against West Platte. Junior Jerad Jennings, last season’s leading rusher, is back at a beefed up 190 pounds. The Bulldogs face Trenton in a traditionally-tough opener, but it is the Oct. 25 Plattsburg game that will make or break South Harrison’s playoff plans.

Rock Port may still be the best of the rest despite the loss 10 hard-nosed starters to graduation from last season’s GRC runnerup. The Blue Jays, with 31 participating, will look to fill several holes in the line and at the skill positions. At the top of the list of departures is 4-year starter and 3-year all- GRC first team quarterback and defensive back Jared Meyerkorth. Cousin Micah Meyerkorth, a sophomore, is next in a recent line of solid Blue Jay quarterbacks that has also included Wyatt Amthor, Waylon Ross and Clint Thomas. Also gone are Nick Gray (se,db), Brent Dahlin (fb,dt), Nate Bunton (rb,lb), Kalen Smith (og,lb), Colby Roup (c), Randy Clemens (ot,de), Ben Gebhards (ot) and Travis Holmes (te,de). Lone Blue Jay starters returning are junior Kyle Rice (wb,db), senior Trent Shineman (rb,db), senior Cory Stanton (ol,lb), senior Regan Griffin (ol,lb) and senior Adam Meyerkorth (c,dt). Freshman Trevor Ottman (5-9,190), younger brother of former Blue Jay standout lineman Shane Ottman, will provide a much-needed boost on the line. The Blue Jays have dropped their long-time opener against Sidney, in favor of a meeting with Avoca (Ia.).

Gallatin faces the challenge of finishing in the league’s top half after losing only 6 conference games over the last 5 seasons. The Bulldogs and new coach Mark Cole have their work cut out for them with few starters returning from last year’s team that included 11 seniors. Gallatin’s graduation roll included Robert Heldenbrand (rb,lb), Brant Conover (lb,te), Jake Humphrey (qb,db), Adam Whitney (rb,db), Blake Parker (rb,db), Scott Wilkinson (c,de), Austin Story (og,lb), Justin Kerns (ot,dt), Zach Strange (ot,dt), Brian Youtsey (ot,dt) and Ricky Hendricks (wr,db). Senior Andrew Parker moves from halfback to quarterback. Senior Justin Baker moves into the backfield from guard, where he will join junior Tyler Nichols, who also started at defensive end a year ago. Junior Colby Swanstone is a returning flanker. Senior Zac Osgood and junior Pat Dickinson head a list of ends. Sophomore Klint Kloepping will get carries in the backfield. Young offensive and defensive lines will have to mature under fire. All new to varsity are senior Dustin Carter, junior Mitch Riley, sophomores Adam Strein, Chris Barnes, John Runde and Jacob Gardner and freshman Clayton Baker. Senior Anthony Eaton is currently ineligible but will add leadership to this young group.

Albany finished 4th in the league last season with a veteran, 10-senior team that suited up some of the best athletes in the conference. Gone are Kris Asher (db), Quentin Teel (wr,db), Richard Moad (wr,db), Jeff Adkins (wr,db), Brad Doolittle (qb,lb), Josh Barry (lb), Matt Arndt (te,de), Jared McGinley (rb,lb), Nick Smith (c,dt) and Dennis Van Ausdal (ot,lb). Jim Boothe is now the dean of league coaches and he will rebuild around senior Kyle Sullivan (fb), who will carry a heavy load in the backfield. Senior Sam Gibson (ot,de), senior Jacob Cottrill (og,dt) and junior Case Ruckman (ot) return on the line. Junior Steve Shisler inherits the quarterback spot. Participation numbers aren’t good for the rebuilding Warriors, who are five years removed from their last league title. They must face South Harrison and Hamilton in their opening GRC contests. Winning a district that includes Rock Port, Tarkio and Maysville, is a long shot.

Tarkio will no longer be one of the doormats of the league and could challenge for its first GRC title since 1995 if things gel early for the Indians. Under new coach Tracy Kutscher, Tarkio has a luxury few other league teams enjoy. Tarkio joins Hamilton as the only team that returns a starting quarterback. Senior Jace Champlain returns to guide the Indian offense. Tarkio, with 8 returning senior starters and 29 players overall, has plenty of size on both sides of the ball. Senior lineman Gabe Poptanycz tips the scale at nearly 280 pounds. Senior lineman Trent Traughber played at 240 last season. Senior Tom Lindsay tops 225 pounds. The Indians return a pair of runningbacks and defensive players in senior Trent Phelps and junior Shane Mitchell. Senior Danny Tubbs topped 220 pounds last season as a fullback and linebacker. Tarkio opens against Gallatin, a team the Indians haven’t beaten since 1995 (28-0). Like Maysville, Tarkio will face West Platte early. A pivotal game for the Indians will come Oct. 11 at Hamilton. Tarkio won that meeting, 28-0, a year ago, but the Hornets have renewed aspirations this year.

Hamilton undergoes its biggest shakeup since 1981 with the beginning of Dan Dreesen’s tenure as head coach. Jim Dickey has given up football to become head girls softball coach at PHS. Dickey, who served 5 years as Hornet head coach, was also a long-time assistant under Dave Fairchild and retained much of Fairchild’s system. Dreesen, once an assistant under Chuck Lliteras at Maryville and latest an assistant at Springfield Hillcrest, has gone to a wishbone offensive attack not seen in Hamilton since Ron Dupree (from Texas) installed that offense in 1971. The Hornets have strength in the backfield with the return of junior quarterback Caleb Gilgour, junior halfback Jason Ruffcorn and junior halfback Shawn McGee. Several holes exist on the line with the loss of Andy Greenwood (c), Phillip Snodgrass (g,de), Will Railsback (ot,de) and Cody Arnold (ot,dt). Colby DeVaul moved from guard to fullback last season but must be replaced. The Hornet line will be anchored by juniors Matt Rauber and John Silvey. The Hornets could very well be 3-0 when they meet rival Gallatin for their week #4, homecoming battle. Hamilton wraps up its season in what promises to be a pair of district bruisers against Plattsburg and South Harrison. The Hornets will have a good season, but an even better one next year.

Maysville looks to be greatly improved. A strong senior class will lead a group of 36 Wolverines to more than the 2 victories they earned a year ago. Coach Marc Spunaugle is in his 2nd year at MHS. On offense, the Wolverines must replace quarterback Derek Bird, wide receiver Daniel Flannery and linemen Mike Pulley, Cory Robinson and Randy Jestes. This season’s leadership comes from returning senior starters Pat McGuire, James Smith, Craig Brown, Jaret Smith, Derek Mazurkewycz and Brandon Davis. Junior John Sweeney was also a defensive starter a year ago. Junior Jesse Erickson (6’2″) has the inside track on the quarterback position. Team captains are Smith, Smith and Sweeney. The Wolverine offense has been geared more toward the passing game in the past. Last season’s Wolverine defense gave up more points (315) than any other conference team during the regular season. Maysville, which will lean more toward speed rather than size, faces defending 1A champion West Platte in its Sept. 6 opener. Every other GRC team gets into the conference schedule by week #2 but the Wolverines will play 3 non-conference opponents out of the gate.

Princeton scored the fewest points (42) in league play last season but has a wealth of skilled people back. The Tigers return a quarterback with experience plus its top 2 rushers from last season. Junior John Goodin was the Tiger starting QB as a freshmen, but caught 10 passes for 138 yards last season at tight end. He moves back to quarterback after the graduation of Chris Cavanah. Junior Brett Cavanah (354 yds.) is back at fullback. Also a junior, Nathan Craft was the leading rusher (718 yds.) for the Tigers in `01. In addition to replacing Cavanah, Princeton must fill holes left by Brent Mitchell (wr,de), Jason Hamilton (ot,dt), Kyle Brundage (og,dg), Jeremy Hamilton (c,lb), Landon Brown (og), Jerod VanGenderen (ot) and Brett Buttrey (ot). The Tigers don’t have enough firepower to win the conference but they should move up from last season’s co-last place finish, despite owning the league’s toughest conference-opening schedule of Hamilton, Rock Port, Tarkio and South Harrison.