FALL SPORTS
C4
THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020
Irish look to capitalize on last six games of 2019
St. Pat’s finished season strong with winning streak
they open their sea- son Friday on the road against Doniphan- Trumbull. Dodson said they have some guys coming back with good varsity expe- rience, but they also lost a talented senior class that left some holes to be filled on both sides of the ball. That leaves a need for the next class of players to step up and contribute early on. “We’re working on the mental part of the game,” Dodson said. “We’ve got to be confident in our assignments and the technique we’re using. As the season goes on, you hope they gain that varsity experience.” That experience has to start somewhere, and Dodson said the team re- lies heavily on its senior leadership. Alex Davies, a fullback and outside linebacker, and Trayton White, an offensive lineman and a defense end, are two se- niors who have already made an impact as start- ers. There are others on the bench who haven’t seen as much playing time, and Dodson said he’s hopeful they’ll make the transition during their final seasons. “We want to see those seniors contribute and have a great senior year,” Dodson said. “Some of those guys have played quite a bit. We have a number of other se-
By JAKE DREILINGER jake.dreilinger@ nptelegraph.com
If last year was any in- dicator, the amount of players on a team doesn’t limit what those athletes can do. St. Pat’s has a football roster size that screams eight-man or six-man football. Except it doesn’t play at that level. Every day after school, 29 kids head to the prac- tice field, decked in pads and ready to put in the work. They do drills and line up just like an 11-man squad. That’s because they are a team designed to play 11-man football. As long as they can suit up each week, the Irish will be out on that foot- ball field ready to go and compete with the rest of them. “We have eight-man numbers, but we opt up and play 11-man,” coach Kevin Dodson said. “That’s kind of where we’ve been the last five years and we’ve con- tinued to play 11-man football.” St. Pat’s won its fi- nal six games of the regular season after dropping three consec- utive contests. Most of those games were in con- vincing fashion, with a 7-0 win over Southern Valley as its only sin- gle-digit game. The Irish look to con- tinue that success when
Telegraph file photo St. Pat’s will look to its seniors for leadership, including returning fullback and linebacker Alex Davies (12).
If one of those players gets hurt, it forces the team to find a replace- ment, sometimes at multiple positions. Dodson said that easi- ly can happen, which is why they scale condition- ing and certain drills during the season to lim- it the wear-and-tear and stay healthy. “At the end of the day, both teams get to put 11 players out on the field,” Dodson said. “Depth with the lower numbers
niors that we’re excited to see what they can do when they get into the ball game. They’ve been working hard for four years and impatiently waiting their turn.” Those seniors will help with St. Pat’s depth on both sides of the ball. A drawback of playing 11- man football with just 29 players on the roster is a lack of depth. It requires most of the starters to play both sides of the ball.
St. Pat’s Class C2
Aug. 28. ................................. at Doniphan-Trumbull Sept. 4. ..................................................... St. Cecilia Sept. 11.................................................... at Centura Sept. 18. ...........................................................GICC Sept. 25...............................................at Bridgeport Oct. 2.................................................Chase County Oct. 9............................................Gordon-Rushville Oct. 16.....................................................at Hershey Oct. 23....................................................... Valentine
certainly is a concern for you early on in the sea- son with conditioning
and as you move through the season with inju- ries.”
Hershey returns starting backfield; hopes for playoff run
By TIM JOHNSON tim.johnson@ nptelegraph.com HERSHEY The Panthers last qualified for the postseason in Eli McConnell’s freshman season. — The senior hopes to help the Panthers end that drought in his final prep football season. “The goal is definite- ly to make a run there,” McConnell said. “It’s been awhile since we have been (to the play- offs) so we are really itchin’ to get back in and compete.” He is part of a veteran group that could make that goal a reality this fall. The Panthers gradu- ated four players from last year’s team that fin- ished with a 4-5 record. Hershey returns nine starters on defense and eight on offense. “We are incredibly op- timistic,” Panthers coach Greg Welch said. “We had a good summer in the weight room and we’re getting better every day. I like the attitude and we have good chemistry.” The Panthers open
Hershey Class C1
Aug. 28. ....................................................at Centura Sept. 4. .................................................Sandy Creek Sept. 11..........................................................Gibbon Sept. 18. ....................................................at Minden Sept. 25.................................... at Gordon-Rushville Oct. 2..........................................................Valentine Oct. 9............................................. at Chase County Oct. 16.......................................................... St. Pats Oct. 23................................................. at Bridgeport
ers,” Hoelscher said. “Up front, compared to last year, I feel much more confident being behind them with the work they have done this year.” One key offensive newcomer is freshman Cooper Hill, slated as the quarterback. While he might lack varsity ex- perience, he has shown enough in team workouts and practices to earn the confidence of the Hershey coaching staff. “I think he is the real deal,” Welch said. Hoelscher and McConnelll are both re- turning linebackers in the Panthers’ 4-4 defense. “I think we are going to have a good defense,” Welch said. “We’re young but everyday we’re get- ting better.”
including the tough loss- es. He said the Panthers came away from the film session with a few key thoughts. “There were just a cou- ple of plays that cost us (wins),” McConnell said. “We just should have been more focused.” The focus of the Panthers offense should be its running game. Hoelscher teams with fel- low senior Nate Andresen for the Panthers’ experi- enced backfield that also includes McConnell at fullback. Hoelscher led the team in rushing with 703 yards and Andresen added 516 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Panthers. “We have a lot of skilled kids (on offense). We have a lot of playmak-
Telegraph file photo Austin Holscher (12) joins Nate Andresen in the Hershey backfield. Hoelscher led the team in rushing a year ago, while Andresen ran for 516 yards.
It happened in a couple games last year. Looking back at it now, there are some things that I wished I would have done (differ- ently). It was just a lot of little things that cost us games.” McConnell said the team has reviewed some game tape from last year,
game — including a con- troversial personal foul penalty on a fourth- down play that allowed a Centura drive to contin- ue. “It was just some sil- ly things like that,” Hoelscher said, “and (the mistakes) happened in more than that game.
the season at Centura in Cairo, one of the oppo- nents that Hershey lost a late lead to last year, ultimately costing the Panthers a berth in the playoffs. Hershey senior Austin Hoelscher said it was a few undisciplined plays that cost the team that
FOOTBALL SCHEDULES CONTINUED
Hitchcock County Aug. 28. ....................... at Kimball Sept. 4. ............................. Bayard Sept. 11................................ Alma Sept. 18. ..........at Dundy County- Stratton Sept. 25..................... Cambridge Oct. 2.............................at Leyton Oct. 9.......................... at Maxwell Oct. 16.............................. Hi-Line Perkins County Aug. 27. ...................... at Maxwell Sept. 4. .Maywood-Hayes Center Sept. 11.. Dundy County-Stratton Sept. 18. ....................... at Bayard Sept. 25............................Kimball Oct. 2.................... at Hemingford Oct. 9..........................Sutherland Oct. 16............................. at Alma Class D2 Garden County Aug. 28. .................... Hemingford Sept. 4. .......................Sutherland Sept. 11........................... at Brady Sept. 18. ............................Mullen Sept. 25........................ at Bayard Oct. 2.......................... at Hyannis Oct. 8..................................Morrill Oct. 16...........................at Leyton
Hyannis Aug. 28. ..........at Sandhills Valley Sept. 4. ......................South Loup Sept. 10. ... at Sandhills/Thedford Sept. 18. ............................Leyton Sept. 25.........................at Mullen Oct. 2.................. Garden County Oct. 9................................Kimball Oct. 16............................at Morrill Maywood-Hayes Center Aug. 28. .............................Leyton Sept. 4. ........... at Perkins County Sept. 11..........................at Mullen Sept. 17. ............................. Brady Sept. 25........................at Loomis Oct. 2...............................Overton Oct. 9...............................at Axtell Oct. 16................ Medicine Valley Medicine Valley Aug. 28. .....................South Loup Sept. 4. ............................ at Alma Sept. 10. .............Sandhills Valley Sept. 18. ..........................at Axtell Sept. 25...................... at Overton Oct. 2.................................. Brady Oct. 9................................Loomis Oct. 16.......... at Maywood-Hayes Center
Mullen Aug. 28. .... at Sandhills/Thedford Sept. 4. ....................at Twin Loup Sept. 11.Maywood-Hayes Center Sept. 18. ......... at Garden County Sept. 25.......................... Hyannis Oct. 2..............................at Morrill Oct. 8.................................Leyton Oct. 15............................ Maxwell Sandhills Valley Aug. 28. .......................... Hyannis Sept. 4. ....................... at Overton Sept, 10. ......... at Medicine Valley Sept. 17. ....................South Loup Sept. 25................. at Pleasanton Oct. 2........................... Twin Loup Oct. 9........ at Sandhills/Thedford Oct. 16...............Ansley-Litchfield Sandhills/Thedford Aug. 28. .............................Mullen Sept. 4. ...........................at Morrill Sept. 10. ......................... Hyannis Sept. 18. ..................at Twin Loup Sept. 25.................at South Loup Oct. 2.................Ansley-Litchfield Oct. 9..................Sandhills Valley Oct. 16................... at Pleasanton
South Loup Aug. 28. .......... at Medicine Valley Sept. 4. ....................... at Hyannis Sept. 11.............. Anselmo-Merna Sept. 17. .........at Sandhills Valley Sept. 25........ Sandhills/Thedford Oct. 2......................... Pleasanton Oct. 9............ at Ansley-Litchfield Oct. 16......................... Twin Loup Aug. 28. ............................ at SEM Sept. 4. ............... at Cody-Kilgore Sept. 11................ at Hay Springs Sept. 18. ........................... Paxton Sept. 25....................at Potter-Dix Oct. 2...................Banner County Oct. 9................... at Creek Valley Oct. 23......................South Platte Class D6 Arthur County Creek Valley Aug. 28. ....................Hay Springs Sept. 4. ......................... at Paxton Sept. 11...................Sioux County Sept. 18. .................... at Minatare Sept. 25...........at Banner County Oct. 9.....................Arthur County Oct. 16..................at South Platte Oct. 23..........................Potter-Dix
Paxton Aug. 28. .............. at Cody-Kilgore Sept. 4. .................... Creek Valley Sept. 18. ............at Arthur County Sept. 25...........................Wallace Oct. 2..............Wauneta-Palisade Oct. 9...................... at Southwest Oct. 15........................... Minatare Oct. 23.............................. at SEM South Platte Sept. 3. ........................at Wallace Sept. 11...........Wauneta-Palisade Sept. 18. ...................Hay Springs Sept. 25.....................at Crawford Oct. 2............................Potter-Dix Oct. 9...............at Banner County Oct. 16..................... Creek Valley Oct. 23............... at Arthur county Southwest Aug. 28. ...............Wilcox-Hildreth Sept. 11................... at Red Cloud Sept. 18. .....................Silver Lake Sept. 25......at Wauneta-Palisade Oct. 2...........................at Franklin Oct. 9................................ Paxton Oct. 16.................................. SEM Oct. 23.........................at Wallace
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