The Osmond Tigers football team is ready to go for the 2019 season.
Tigers ready to begin new season
The Osmond Tigers football team is ready to go for the 2019 season.
Of course the Tigers lost two fantastic seniors to graduation last season in Nick Reikofski and Anthony Heiman, but for every senior who graduates, it opens an opportunity for returning student-athlete to step in make a big difference.
This is true for the 2019 who have put in a tremendous amount of work in the offseason in attempt to help the team make the most of its potential.
This starts with the Tigers’ captains Joshua Gansebom (Sr.), Alexis Solorzano (Sr.), Landon Stelling (Sr.), and Logan Stelling (Sr.). These guys set the precedent for the work standards throughout the offseason and have continued that into the season.
Connor Gutz (Jr.) and Zach Huwaldt (Jr.) are the team’s two honorary captains. They both have added an equal contribution to the work ethic of the team.
Blake Bahr (Jr.) and Brenden Gillespie (Jr.) are upper classmen who have worked well in the weight room and who are looking to make a contribution on this years team.
Sophomores Patrick Vinson and Bryan Solorazano are continuing to improve. Each looks like he is going to take a step forward.
Several freshmen joined the team and have done a nice job familiarizing themselves with the details of being a part of the team.
These include Bradee Gubbels, Reese Hanna, Kayson Maertins, Zach Reikofski, Alex Vinson, and Caden Wingert.
The fun part is watching how all of the players come together to make a unified team. Seeing how the young and older players blend together to develop a group is exciting.
The Tigers core begins defensively. On this side of the ball, the Tigers are expecting to turn into an intense, angry, and physical unit.
The team’s strength with be its front five. This starts with its defensive line.
Landon Stelling (DE/NG), Zach Huwaldt (DE), Logan Stelling (DE/NG), Zach Reikofski (DE/NG), Blake Bahr (DE), Reese Hanna (NG), and Kayson Maertins (DE) are the teams defensive linemen.
They work closely with the inside linebackers, another important group for the team. This year’s inside backers are Alexis Solorzano, Patrick Vinson, Alex Vinson, and Caden Wingert.
Other linebackers include the outside backers. They, along with the safeties, will work hard in the team’s secondary. These players include Joshua Gansebom (OLB/S), Connor Gutz (OLB), Bryan Solorzano (OLB), Alex Vinson (OLB), Brenden Gillespie (S), and Brenden Gubbels (OLB) make up this group.
Hopefully the Tigers’ student-athletes will all be ready to contribute to develop depth for the team.
Offensively, the Tigers success will start on the offensive line. Alexis Solorzano (C), Landon Stelling (T), Logan Stelling (G), Blake Bahr (G/T), Zach Huwaldt (X/Y), Joshua Gansebom (Y/Z), Zach Reikofski (G/T/X), Brenden Gillespie (X/Y), Bradee Gubbels (X/Y), Reese Hanna (C/G/T), Caden Wingert (G/T/X/Y), and Kayson Maertins (G/T) are the individuals who make up the group and who form the bond moving forward.
The Tigers offense extends to its skill position players, where finding guys to step up and take control of certain positions will help the team grow.
Gansebom and Patrick Vinson will be the team’s quarterbacks. Gansebom, Gutz, Bryan Solorzano, and Alex Vinson will combine to move the ball forward for their team.
The key is for the team to continue to progress during games and as a united group. Overall, the team has some experience and physical toughness up front while it has a variety of unique talent to carry the football. It’s going to be really fun to see what this team can accomplish together. This should be a fun group to work with.
While the coaches are charged with helping to develop a solid group on the field, their most important responsibility is to develop each individual on his way to becoming a man.
The Tigers coaching staff remained the same for this season: Todd Schulze, Mike Slagle, Cory Lenton, Eli Neitzel and Scott Morrison.
The first quarter of the season started with practice on Monday, Aug. 12. The Tigers begin play on Friday, August 30, at home versus the Wausa Vikings.
The second quarter of the season includes a bye before they travel to Wynot on Friday, September 13. They will finish non-district play at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge on September 20.
In what the Tigers deem their third quarter of the season, they begin district play at Humphrey-St. Francis (Sept. 27). Next they host Plainview (October 4). They round up the third quarter at Winside (Friday, Oct. 11).
Headed into the last quarter of the season, the Tigers have two guaranteed games: at home versus Elgin Public-Pope John on October 18 and at Riverside Thursday, Oct. 24. Of course, the Tigers can earn a spot in the playoffs depending on the outcome of their win-loss record.
Overall, this will be a fun yet difficult season considering that each team they play got better!