Sacred Heart football preview
By: Alex Madsen
Irish Football is back, and as usual, expectations are sky high for this powerhouse. Sacred Heart is rich in tradition; how could you not be with 8 championships and a Hall of Fame coach? The Irish had an atypical down year last season with a record of 2-6 gaining wins over HTRS as well as Diller-Odell.
The fighting Irish lost three valuable assets on the gridiron last season: RB/DE Joe Simon, E/DB Jack Stice, and finally E/LB James Froeschl. OL/DL Vaughn Lenard was injured most of the season. All three started on both offense and defense. However, Sacred Heart returns five starters on both sides of the ball.
The inexperience of the line played a factor in last year’s record. Evan Bailey, Caleb Kirkendall, Toby Baxter, and Cooper Knobbe all saw legitimate time on the O-line last year. This year Bailey is the standout senior among two other skilled linemen, Knobbe and Baxter, not far behind.
Quarterback Tate Wilcox has fully recovered from his ACL tear against Lourdes last season. Last year featured plenty of learning for Wilcox, which will hopefully carry over. Junior QB Brenden Lemerond led the JV to a 5-1 record last year, so he is expected to get quality reps in as well.
The receiver core is spread open. Seniors include Clayton Keithley, Connor Nelson, and Quincy Koelliker. The Juniors consist of Cole Taft, Alex Madsen and Kyler Sipple. These ends should provide experience and skill to the passing game.
The backfield is composed of Seniors Rob Froeschl and Henry Rottinghaus along with Junior Elijah Canonico (who was unable to suit up on varsity last year due to transfer guidelines). The backs provide experience and grit which will certainly help the Irish.
Sacred Heart’s defense was one of the biggest concerns this off season. Losing four of the leading contributors will hurt, but hopefully some younger guys will step up. The front line is composed of Keithley, Bailey, Kirkendall, Baxter, Knobbe, Madsen and Stutheit. Discipline and technique will be the focus for this group. Coach Goltz emphasizes “chucking” offensive ends to keep them from blocking the linebackers.
The linebacker room is crucial for the defense to thrive. The Irish return key contributors in Henry Rottinghaus and Elijah Canonico. Sophomore Kayden Groth will also be expected to see time. Reading and flowing will be the key to linebacker success.
Finally, the defensive backs feature Wilcox, Lemerond, Froeschl, and Sipple. All four have seen varsity time and are intelligent ballplayers. Stopping the pass and reading the run will be crucial for the secondary defense.
The Irish have gotten off to a rough start dropping the first two games. The first game against Nebraska City Lourdes was at home. The defense was sloppy and the offense inconsistent. Three interceptions and blocking mistakes led to a score of 8-60 in the Knights favor.
The second game was a huge improvement for the green despite the scoreboard. The Irish squared up against the third ranked BDS Eagles. The defense got off to a great start before giving up multiple scores in the second quarter. Fumbles and multiple three-and-outs led the Irish to another loss with a score of 8-40.
Despite the rough start to the Irish’s season, I still anticipate a good season. Coach Doug Goltz is excellent at getting the very best out of his players, and this group’s potential goes as high as the sky. It’s going to take leadership and effort starting with the seniors that trickles down to the whole team. The Irish will live to fight another day.
