Prepzone Pigskin Preview 2017

WAUNETA-PALISADEBRONCOS
WAVERLYVIKINGS
By: Derek Kopp
By: TJ Eck
Following a jump to eight-man
football in 2016, the Wauneta-
Palisade Broncos made it to the
playoffs in their first year and
finished with a winning record of
5-4.
The team is led by co-head
coaches in University of Nebraska
at Kearney graduate Randy Geier
and Hastings College graduate
Joseph Frecks. The tandem enter
the season with a combined record
of 70-52 and 15 years of coaching
experience between them.
Last season the Broncos came out
of the gate on fire, winning four
of their first five games, but went
0-3 against playoff teams. The
team enters 2017 with a bevy of
returners from that group.
“We will still be a very young
football team, and expect to start
several sophomores and juniors.
However, we do have some solid
experience returning,” Geier and
Frecks said.
The Broncos’ power offense last
season was exactly that, powerful.
The team averaged less than 50
yards passing a game but put up
TEAM FACTS
Team Name: Broncos
Class: D2
2016 Record: 5-4
Playoff Appearances: 8
Head Coach: Randy Geier/Joseph
Frecks
Career Record: Geier (169-105)/
Frecks (25-20)
Assistant Coach: Mark Frecks
over 220 yards per game on the
ground. That rushing game was
led by then freshman and now
sophomore Ty Duvel, who had
106 attempts and 617 yards to go
along with eight touchdowns.
While the team is expected to keep
the ball on the ground, they do
have their leading receiver back in
Cash Yearous. The senior caught
everything in his direction last
season, hauling in more receptions
(21) and touchdowns (4) than
the rest of the wide receivers
combined.
Much like his dominating
performances on offense, he
brings it on the other side of
the ball as well. Yearous led the
Broncos with 49 solo tackles and
62 total tackles, 11 of them for a
loss, three interceptions, and two
fumble recoveries.
“(Cash) is a very aggressive player
on offense and defense who plays
much bigger than his size. Great
leader, outstanding work ethic
and heart. Just an overall great kid
who is ready for an outstanding
senior season,” Geier and Frecks
said.
2017 SCHEDULE
9/1 Leyton
9/8 @ Creek Valley
9/15 Stapleton
9/22 @ Arapahoe
9/28 Wallace
10/6 @ Eustis-Farnam
10/13 Loomis
10/19 @ Hitchcock County
Yearous will have some help
on defense with sophomore
Austen Rozelle behind him at the
linebacker position. Rozelle tied
Yearous last season for the team
lead in tackles with 62.
This season, the Broncos will
not play a playoff team until
Arapahoe in week four, and after
that will have a tough two-game
stretch, facing Eustis-Farnam and
Loomis in back-to-back weeks.
Key Players:
Cash Yearous (5’11’’ 155 lbs) Sr.
DE/DB
Austen Rozelle (5’11’’ 175 lbs)
Soph. B/LB
Ty Duvel (6’1’’ 170 lbs) Soph. RB
Waverly is hoping what head
coach Tim Williams called
“growing pains” in 2016 will
result in growth for the 2017
season. The Vikings bring back
16 starters, many who played
significant roles as sophomores
last fall.
“I feel really good about the
experience the younger kids got
(in 2016),” Williams said.
The Vikings are hoping last
season’s experience can lead to
more wins this year as Waverly
looks to bounce back from a 2-7
record.
In an effort to improve during
the off-season, members of the
team traveled to Colorado for a
team camp in June. 55 Waverly
players were in attendance
and after a bit of a slow start,
Williams said the Vikings were
one of the top teams in terms of
fundamentals by the end of the
camp.
Waverly has two solid options
at the quarterback position.
Juniors Rhett Jordon (381
passing yds, 5 total TD in
TEAM FACTS
Team Name: Vikings
Class: B
2016 Record: 2-7
Playoff Appearances: 17
Head Coach: Tim Williams
Career Record: 11-18
Assistant Coaches: Brian Benson, Mark
Robles, Allen Osborn, Matt Brewer,
Brian Jackson, Kyle Branum, Joe Dalton,
Aaron Jones
2016) and Ben Carter provide
the Vikings with two athletic
options who can run the offense.
Regardless of who wins the QB
battle, both players are expected
to see the field this fall.
Junior wide receiver Jay
Adams (25 rec, 369 yds, 3
TD) is back after leading the
Vikings in receiving yards as a
sophomore. The offensive line
could be a strength in 2017 as
the unit is anchored by three
returning starters in seniors
Alex Schmailzl (5’10” 265 lbs),
Damien Wylder (5’10” 240 lbs),
and junior Logan Schuelke (6’0”
220 lbs).
Nine starters return on defense
for a unit that struggled at
times in 2016, allowing 26.2
points per game. While last
year’s returning tackler Brenden
Corning has moved on, talent
remains on the defensive side of
the ball. Senior Hunter Lee (80
total tkls, 6.5 TFL) and juniors
Thatcher Kozal (69 total tkls,
4 TFL) and Schuelke (56 total
tkls, 4 TFL) are back to man
the linebacker position. Senior
Jack Sharp (47 total tkls, 3 TFL)
started at outside linebacker
in 2016. Wylder (30 total tkls),
Schmailzl, junior Kaleb Canoyer
(5’7” 160 lbs), and senior
Dalton Neeman (27 total tkl, 5
TFL) provide depth along the
defensive line. Jordon (39 total
tkls, 2 INT) brings leadership
and starting experience to the
secondary.
The present and future is bright
for Waverly. The Vikings have
2017 SCHEDULE
8/25 Columbus
9/1 Seward
9/8 @ Aurora
9/15 @ Bennington
9/22 Nebraska City
9/29 @ Elkhorn
10/6 Beatrice
10/13 Norris
10/20 @ Crete
a number of players with
varsity experience who are only
entering their junior season.
After a disappointing 2016
campaign, the Vikings could
be poised to make a run at a
playoff spot this fall. However,
Waverly will have to navigate
a tough schedule that includes
road games at Aurora (9/8) and
Elkhorn (9/29), and challenging
home contests against Beatrice
(10/6) and Norris (10/13).
Although, Williams and the
coaching staff are already seeing
a payoff from last year’s bumpy
ride.
“I am really excited...there’s
been a huge shift in attitude this
summer,” Williams said.
Key Players:
Logan Schuelke (6’0” 220 lbs) Jr.
OL/LB
Jay Adams (5’9” 185 lbs) Jr. WR
Alex Schmailzl (5’10” 265 lbs)
Sr. OL/DL
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