Colome opens at home

The Colome Cowboys football team will open the season Friday, Aug. 19 against Avon in a Great Plains Conference game. This will be a home game.

New head coach this year is Chase Hrabanek who was the assistant coach for four years.

Hrabanek is a 2015 graduate of Colome High School where he played football for four years.

He received a degree in animal science from Mitchell Tech.

There are 20 players on the football team including seven seniors.

The returning lettermen are: Taitin Ringing Shield, Jordyn Harter, Kaden Pechota, Sully Shippy, Kash Heath, Jordan Musser, Eli Vobr, Trey Thieman, Aiden Muller, Jack Anderson, Allie Spellman, Jonah Musser, Klayton Heath, Billy Looking Cloud, Shae Munroe and Lane Leighton.

Also on the team are Alec Thieman, Seth Heath and Sam Brandsgaard.

The Cowboys have the entire team back as there were no seniors last year.

Starting at quarterback this year will be Eli Vobr. As a freshman last year Vobr took on the quarterback role. “He did well last year for being a freshman,” said Hrabanek. “That experience will carry over this year. This is the sixth day of practice and I have already seen he is much further along from last year.”

Trey Thieman will also be taking some snaps for Colome.

Running backs will be Kash Heath, Kaden Pechota, Trey Thieman, Jonah Musser and Lane Leighton. Seth Heath as a freshman will also carry the ball.

Last year, Kash Heath was the leading rusher.

The three big guys on the offensive line will be Shippy, Muller and Anderson.

Hrabanek said assistant coach Logan Jager is working with the defense.

“We have a lot of players who can play different spots and that is nice,” said Hrabanek.

“It is nice having everyone back and everyone has starting experience,” added the coach.

Hrabanek has lofty goals. He would like to see his team make it to the DakotaDome. It has been a few years since the Cowboys were in the state championship. The last time was in 2018.

“We have had a few tough years where the kids have not won a lot of games. Our goal each year is to make it as far as we can go.

While it is cooler in the mornings the team has been practicing from 6:30 to 9 a.m.

Hrabanek says the team has been working on a lot of conditioning.

The coach says the team is excited for this season. “There is just a look in the team’s eyes that they are tired of losing and want to change it.

Hrabanek talked about being named the head coach.
“Since a little kid I have dreamed of this. When I was little I was always on the field. I was water boy for many years and then played through my high school career. Football on Friday nights in a small town is nice,” he said.

In addition to Jager being the assistant coach, Duane Wetzel will help and is the junior high coach.

The Colome football schedule includes:

Aug. 19—Avon, home

Aug. 26—Gayville-Volin, home

Sept. 2—open

Sept. 9—at Burke

Sept. 16—Sully Buttes (Homecoming)

Sept. 23—at Freeman/Freeman Academy/Marion (afternoon game)

Sept. 30—Sunshine Bible, home

Oct. 7—at Centerville

Oct. 14—Hanson at Alexandria

Oct. 20—First round of playoff

Oct. 27—Quarter final

Nov. 4—semifinal

Nov 10-12 –state championship in Vermillion