The Gallatin Bulldogs look to bounce back from a rough 2010 season under new head coach Kevin Meyer, a 27-year coaching veteran in Nebraska. The Bulldogs, three seasons removed from their last winning campaign of 8-2, fell to 1-9 last season but are highly motivated to get back into the win column after dropping their final four contests of 2010.
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Coach Meyer has been a high school defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and spent 18 years as a head coach, including the last dozen years at Fremont (Neb.) High School. He says that no matter the size school involved, coaching is the same at any level.
"This is my 28th year of coaching football, 18 as a head coach, and it’s all about having a plan and sticking with it," Coach Meyer says. "It’s about motivating young men and getting kids to work together to learn how to play as a team and trust each other," he added.
He also adds that he is extremely gratified by the reception he has gotten at GHS and in the community.
"I can not say enough about how positive and helpful everyone has been for me and my wife, Amy. We feel very comfortable here and are looking forward to being a part of a great community and school," he added. "I have been very impressed with our football players with their work ethic, dedication and willingness to work together."
Offensively, the Dogs must do a better job moving the football and finding the end zone. Gallatin ranked seventh of eight teams in the league (all games) in points scored last season. Of league members, only Albany scored fewer. Defensively, only Albany and King City gave up more points that Gallatin did a year ago.
Last Friday’s dress rehearsal at Albany gave Coach Meyer some things to be pleased about, as well as some continued concerns.
"I thought things went well for the most part with our jamboree," he said. "Offensively, we moved the ball well and mixed up our passing and running games, which kept the opponent’s defense off balance," he added. "Defensively, when we lined up correctly we played well, but still need to work on being more detailed at each position."
Junior Zach Lollar will quarterback the Bulldogs, with senior Jordan Jeffers and junior Chad Ness rotating at I-back. Junior Isaac Mattis, senior Mitchel Lewis and junior Devin Hall are competing for the starting fullback position. Juniors Derrick Lin and Dexter Daniel will be working at the tight end position.
Ness, Mattis, junior Wes Cole and junior Cody Engel will rotate at wide receiver. Seniors Hayden Bott, Ryan Wood and Brandon Hunt; juniors Jack Malo and Garrett McNeely; and freshman Michael Stanley are working with the offensive line.
Defensively, Lollar, Engel and Cole are working at the corners. Ness, Lin and senior Peter Steele will rotate at outside linebacker. Lewis, Hunt, Daniel and Jeffers are in the mix at the inside backer position.
Stanley, Bott and Hall will rotate at defensive end. Wood, Malo, juniors Jim Dale and Robert Carder, and sophomore Harrison Pettit are competing for starting positions at defensive tackle and nose guard.
Ness will punt when needed. Daniel will be the short and long snapper. Cole will be the Bulldog kicker, with Ness, Jeffers and Mattis as kick returners.
The Bulldogs travel to Dearborn Friday night to face a North Platte team that finished 4-6 a year ago, despite losing five straight to close out the season. Gallatin returns home on Sept. 2 to face Mid-Buchanan.
For one more season, the road to the Grand River Conference title leads through Hamilton. The two-time state champions, once in Class 1 and again in Class 2, begin their farewell tour through the conference on Friday against King City. Hamilton vaults to the KCI Conference in 2012-13 after spending over 60 years in the GRC.
Gallatin once again finds itself in the same Class 1 district as Braymer, Polo and South Harrison.
The MSHSAA has adopted a new playoff format beginning in 2012. Under the new format, teams will play a nine-game regular season and move to district play in week 10. At that point, teams will be placed in districts made up of eight teams and seeded by a point system over the nine-game regular season.
The third game of the district championship series will be the district title game. District champs will then advance to the state quarterfinal round.