Prepzone Pigskin Preview 2017

WOOD RIVEREAGLES
By: Kevin Sjuts
Jeff Ashby turned Giltner into
one of the top eight-man football
programs in Nebraska. Now,
he’s hoping to resurrect the
Wood River Eagles. Ashby left
Giltner after ten years during the
off-season and accepted the head
coaching position at Wood River.
“It was time for a new
challenge,” Ashby said. “The
timing felt right. I want to see
if I can turn another program
around.”
At Giltner, Ashby led the
Hornets to ten consecutive
playoff appearances, including
championship game appearances
in 2009 and 2012. Giltner won
the Class D2 title in 2012. Ashby
implemented a pass-oriented,
fast-paced offense at Giltner that
broke multiple individual and
team records during his tenure.
He plans on keeping the same
playbook at Wood River, despite
the Eagles being in Class C2
which is 11-man football.
“It takes awhile to get used to,”
Ashby said. “(Players) seem
TEAM FACTS
Team Name: Eagles
Class: C2
2016 Record: 0-9
Playoff Appearances: 7
Head Coach: Jeff Ashby
Assistant Coaches: Clark Benne
and Philip Smith
excited. There’s a lot more to it
than they know. It’ll be quite a
bit of a change to what they’re
used to.”
Wood River is looking for a
spark after struggling offensively
in 2016. The Eagles averaged
eight points last season and
failed to score more than two
touchdowns in a game. Overall,
Wood River went 0-9 in 2016 and
carries a 12-game losing streak
into the upcoming season.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,”
Ashby said. “Changing the
culture is the big thing.”
Ashby hopes to grow the
popularity of Wood River
football with more studentathletes
joining the team. He
said turnout right now is decent
with plenty of room to grow,
and growth can go beyond
numbers. Weight training has
always been important with
Ashby, no matter which school
he is coaching. Ashby attributes
7-on-7 tournaments and summer
camps to his success building
Giltner’s program.
“It’s important to get extra time
in the summer,” Ashby said.
Wood River will have a firstyear
starting quarterback this
fall. Junior Tanner Herman and
sophomore Ty Swanson are
battling for the top quarterback
job. Herman hasn’t played
football since middle school, yet
2017 SCHEDULE
8/25 St. Paul
9/1 @ Centura
9/8 Fillmore Central
9/15 @ North Platte St. Patrick’s
9/22 Hastings St. Cecilia
9/29 @ Southern Valley
10/6 Gibbon
10/13 Sandy Creek
10/20 @ Doniphan-Trumbull
Ashby expects him to make a
strong push at quarterback.
Another player that has caught
the eye of Wood River’s firstyear
head coach is Grant
Gannon.
“He looks pretty good in drill
work,” Ashby said. Gannon
is a two-way player entering
his junior season. Classmate
Camden Thompson was Wood
River’s tackling leader last
season.
The Eagles will be tested early
in their 2016 schedule. Four
of Wood River’s first five
opponents finished the regular
season with a winning record
last year. Ashby’s coaching debut
will be Aug. 25 against St. Paul.
Key Players:
Jose Trejo (5’7” 140 lbs) Jr. DE/K
Diego Guerrero (5’9” 165 lbs) Sr.
RB
Camden Thompson (5’6” 135
lbs) Jr. RB/LB
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