Page 5 2013 Fall SPortS, tueSday, auguSt 23, 2013
E-Hawk Football - The Tradition Matters by Dan Voigt EMMETSBURG - When people gather to talk about prep football in Iowa, some programs immediately come to mind for years of exceptional accomplishment. It goes without saying that the E-Hawks of Emmetsburg are one of those programs. Consider nine State Championships, in three separate classes since 1974, and you have a tradition of success that many teams wish for. If you had to identify what makes Emmetsburg football the living, breathing entity that it is, the answer is simple - Tradition. For years, its been tradition at Emmetsburg that the E-Hawks take Duane Twait Field by running down the hill from their locker room. A year ago, an archway was erected at the top of the hill overlooking the field. For the 2013 season, the arch contains a simple message for each E-Hawk player as they pass under the archway - “Tradition Matters” Emmetsburg Head Coach Mike Dunlap is a firm believer in tradition - a tradition that includes hard work both on and off the field - in the weight room, in the classroom, and in the community. For Dunlap, who is in his 21st year of coaching at Emmetsburg, the philosophy for the upcoming season is simple. “We’re going into this season with the attitude that we have to play our best game every Friday night, and yet, we have to always build on what we’ve done and continually improve.” The improvement is obvious, with Dunlap’s teams amassing a record of 67-12 during his tenure of leadership along with Assistant Coach Joe Carter. Also assisting the E-Hawks are Coaches Dave Fog, Bruce Nelson, Tyler Beving, Brett Hanson, Jeremy Zeigler, Jarrod Joynt, Jarred Pickett, Travis Birkey, Marc Riley and Rick Jones. There’s another part of the E-Hawk story - E-Hawk Pride. There is an almost mystical property to E-Hawk Pride. From the elementary school students who write letters of support to the players each week, signs in business windows, and the fan support of the team all season long. All of the elements combine to help fuel the players to achieve and succeed. As the defending District Champions for 2012 in Class 1A District One, the E-Hawks suffered one regular season setback in a non-district loss and ended their season in the 1A Semifinal playoffs. But like so many teams, graduation took its toll on the E-Hawks in May of this year. Perhaps the most notable loss was of Class 1A Player of the Year and Iowa Newspaper Association Ed Thomas Mr. Football Award winner, Andrew Wellik. Other outstanding players lost to graduation included Austin McCartan, Jake Jackson, Nick Schany and Cody Henderson. Also graduating were Brady Garrelts, Taylor Wegner, Mitch Peterson, Trevor Ring, Jon Hesse, Brady Bailey, Nick Merwald, Tyler Leuer, Jerry Besch and Ryan Borchardt
E-Hawk Varsity Football Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 oct. 4 Oct. 11 oct. 18 Oct. 25
vs Spencer @ Boyden-Hull/rock Valley vs North Union @ okoboji vs Manson Northwest Webster - Homecoming @ Western Christian vs Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn @ South o’Brien vs LeMars Gehlen - Parents’ Night All Games Kickoff @ 7:00 p.m.
Even with those losses, don’t count the E-Hawks out in any way, shape or form. A rock-solid group of returning letterwinners step up to take their turns as the leaders of the E-Hawk machine for the coming campaign. Leading the way are tri-captains Brandon Elbert, Aaron Bird and Shay Mortenson. Elbert will take over the reins of the offense as quarterback, with Bird in the backfield and Mortenson on the line. Also stepping up will be Allen Jensen and Brady Christensen in the backfield as well. Austin Krause will return as a tight end, along with Brian Merril and Erik Drost will line up as a split end. The line will be ready, with Tanner Dahm, Patrick Brennan, Tyler Henson, Joel Hoyman, Steven Huang, Joe Jackson, Austin Lietz, Doug Vesey and Scottie Yates rounding out the lineup. Several juniors will also move up into the thick of the mix for the E-Hawks, starting with Zach Anderson as a quarterback, along with Jacob Kibbie and Greg Wesley as running backs and Jacob Miller, Joey Lowman and Niels Witt as split ends. Junior linemen will include Michael Woodruff, Luke Jackson, Wesley Brennan, Nick Chapman, Austin Frerichs, Nicholas Jackson, Joseph Schmidt and Lane Ver Mulm. Sophomores this season include Keagan Barrett, Alex Bell, Spencer Bird, Luke Dahm, Alex DeFord, Clayton Freeman, Cameron Heddinger, Kyle Louwagie, Robert Nelson, Eli Reichert, Chance Saathoff, Nathan Schiek, Wes Schultes, Colin Smith and Chris VanHeuvelen. Freshmen joining the program this season are Mason Carrigan, Dalton Connelly, Grant Deitering, Max Dunlap, Michael Frerichs, Kyler Hofer, Jason Huang, Aaron Hutchison, Gage Jamison, Matt Kibbie, Andrew KRieg, Tanner Lundgren, Phillip Manz, Austin Noll, Angel PErez, Nickolaus Plantz, William Schany, Jade Schleisman, Thomas Schultes and Brent Wesley. The E-Hawks will enter their second year of play in Class 1A District One, with North Union, Okoboji, Manson-Northwest Webster, Western Christian, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, South O’Brien and LeMars Gehlen Catholic returning as the league foes. Every game will once again be a challenge for the E-Hawks. “These are all quality football programs who will play us hard because of who we are,” Dunlap noted. “But, our coaching staff is very confident in this group of young men. They all know the game of football, they understand the tradition and pride that is E-Hawk Football and they all know what they need to do every night out on the field.”
EMMETSBURG E-HAWK FOOTBALL 2012 Season E-Hawks Spencer
46 21
E-Hawks BH/rV
14 34
E-Hawks North union
59 6
E-Hawks okoboji
72 13
E-Hawks Manson NW W
43 21
E-Hawks Western Christian
40 7
E-Hawks HMS
42 0
E-Hawks South o’Brien
51 0
E-Hawks leMars gehlen
47 14
2012 Post-Season Playoff Series E-Hawks ridge View
41 0
E-Hawks St. edmonds
28 0
E-Hawks IKM-Manning
55 7
E-Hawks CB St. albert
7 18
Class 1A District One Champions 11-2 Overall Record