Prepzone Pigskin Preview 2017

ANSELMO-MERNACOYOTES
By: Derek Kopp
Coming off a .500 season, the
Anselmo-Merna Coyotes and
head coach Matt McGinn are
looking to capitalize on 14
returning starters to push to
the playoffs in 2017.
The Coyotes missed out on the
playoffs in 2016 after a strong
2015 campaign that saw the
team go to the quarterfinals
before getting knocked out
by eventual state runner-up
CWC.
“Last year we were a young
team with not a lot of game
experience,” McGinn said. “So,
for this season we are going to
find out which of those kids
want to step up and show the
way for the other.”
Offensively, the Coyotes run a
fast-paced, electric zone-read
spread offense. In 2016 the
team was heavy on the ground
averaging 296 yards per game
compared to just 47 yards
through the air. But ultimately,
the offense put up an average
of 41 points a game. However,
TEAM FACTS
Head Team Coach: Name: Coyotes Shawn Mulligan
Career Class: D2 Record: 7-11
Assistant 2016 Record: Coaches: 4-4
Class: Playoff C-1 Appearances: 21
Team Head Coach: Name: Patriots Matt McGinn
Career Record: 46-13
Assistant Coaches: Chad Duryea,
Jason Reed, Stephen Rush
last year it was the lack of
consistency on that side of the
ball that ended up hurting
the Coyotes. In games against
Twin Loup, Mullen and
Sandhills/Thedford, the team
combined for 18 points, but
against Stapleton, Brady and
Maxwell the Coyotes pumped
out 222 points.
The offense will need to
replace three key players
in quarterback Keenan
Stupka, center Lane West,
and offensive lineman Joel
Mundorf. Under center
expect to see a healthy dose
of Jace Leibhart, as well as
three-year letterwinner and
senior running back Cameron
Downey. The offensive line
will be led by Reece Huhman.
Last season Downey ran the
ball 114 times for 1,017 yards
and had a higher yard per
run average than the team’s
leading rusher. For Leibhart,
the experience of Downey
will be invaluable as the
sophomore quarterback has
only attempted seven passes in
2016 and only had five carries,
one going for a touchdown.
On defense, the Coyotes
will put forth a little bit
of everything, with a
combination scheme of a 3-4
and a 4-4. The Coyotes defense
will loom large in defeating
what is considered their
toughest competition of the
2017 SCHEDULE
8/25 Ansley-Litchfield
9/1 Twin Loup
9/8 @ Mullen
9/15 @ Central Valley
9/22 Stapleton
9/29 @ Brady
10/6 Sandhills/Thedford
10/19 @ Maxwell
season, state runner-up Twin
Loup.
“Twin Loup will be a tough
opponent, they are state
runner-up and have many
starters returning,” McGinn
said.
The road to the state playoffs
is never an easy one. But
McGinn said he “likes our
kids’ commitment to summer
training and conditioning.”
Time will tell if the
commitment and conditioning
will pay off and send the
Coyotes to the playoffs once
more.
Key Players:
Jace Leibhart (6’3’’ 160 lbs)
Soph. QB/CB
Cameron Downey (5’8’’ 140
lbs) Sr. RB/CB
Reece Huhman (6’0’’ 185 lbs)
Jr. OL/DL
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