The Winner High School football team will open the season on Aug. 20 when they will play Tripp-Delmont/ Armour/Andes Central/Dakota Christian in Armour. Returning lettermen are in front from left Jude Sargent, Michael Olson, Kaleb Osborn, Kaden Keiser and Charley Pravecek. Middle row from left are Sam Scholz, Jack Kruger, Ethan Bartels, Achilles Willuweit, Finn Bartels, Aiden Barfuss, Jack Peters, Tayden Mathis, Dalton Petersen, Kaden Bennett and Stratton Morehart. In back from left are Kolbie Osborn, Riley Orel, Cole Rank, Owen Monk, Blake Volmer, Joey Cole, Jackson Vesely, Jace Brazelton, Hunter Osborn, Noah Best and Spencer Calhoon. Not pictured are Adam Bohnet, Cody Wheadon, Aaron Monk, Ashton Klein and Layne Moser.
By Dan Bechtold
Editor
Coming off an undefeated season and a Class 11B state championship, the Winner Warriors are looking forward to a new season.
The Warriors defeated Bridgewater/Emery-Ethan 18-14 in the championship game a year ago.
In addition to a state championship, Winner was undefeated with an 11-0 record.
Lost from that championship team were ten seniors including Brady Fritz, Sam Kruger, Preston Norrid, Bosten Morehart, Landon Thieman, Zach Bohnet, Aaron Gilchrist, Owen Duffy, Evan Farner, Jackson Hansen,
There are 16 seniors on the team, the most in several years. The seniors are Kaden Keiser, Achilles Willuweit, Joey Cole, Jackson Vesely, Slade Cournoyer, Kaleb Osborn, Kolbie Osborn, Ashton Klein, Michael Olson, Aaron Monk, Owen Monk, Jace Brazelton, Adam Bohnet, Riley Shippy, Finn Bartels and Charley Pravecek.
In addition to the loss of 10 seniors, Winner lost four all state players in Brady Fritz, Sam Kruger, Bosten Morehart and Preston Norrid.
There are 16 lettermen on the team, the most in five years.
The returning lettermen are: Jude Sargent, Michael Olson, Kaleb Osborn, Kaden Keiser, Charley Pravecek, Sam Scholz, Jack Kruger, Ethan Bartels, Achilles Willuweit, Finn Bartels, Aiden Barfuss, Jack Peters, Tayden Mathis, Dalton Petersen, Kaden Bennett, Stratton Morehart, Kolbie Osborn, Riley Orel, Cole Rank, Owen Monk, Blake Volmer, Joey Cole, Jackson Vesely, Jace Brazelton, Hunter Osborn, Noah Best, Spencer Calhoon, Adam Bohnet, Cody Wheadon, Aaron Monk, Ashton Klein and Layne Moser.
The Warriors open the season on Friday, Aug, 20 when they play Delmont/Armour/Andes Central/Dakota Christian. This game will be at 7 p.m. in Armour.
TDA/ACDC has moved up a class from nine man football to 11 man.
There are a total of 47 athletes on the Winner squad.
The Warriors will have experience on offense and defense.
There will be a new starting quarterback this year. Cole and Volmer are working in this role.
For the past three years, Fritz has been the starting QB. Coach Trent Olson said Fritz has won more games than any other quarterback in Winner history.
Running backs will be Aiden Barfuss, Jack Peters and Kaleb Osborn at full back; wing back Kaden Keiser, Riley Orel, Aaron Monk, Michael Olson and Riley Shippy, a transfer from Colome.
Coach Olson says what Shippy brings to the team is speed. “He is a tough kid and fast.”
Ethan Bartels will return as a punter. Olson says the team is holding tryouts for a kicker
Keiser returned punts last year and will be main return name this year.
On defense, Olson said the team will stay with the 4 3 defense which has proved successful over the years.
The Warriors have to replace the whole linebacking crew. The team lost Thieman, Norrid and Kruger, three excellent senior linebackers.
If there is a question mark about a position on the team it is probably at linebacker.
“We have talented kids who can fill this role but are just inexperienced,” said the coach.
Winner plays in SESD Conference and there are two new teams in the conference—TDAACDC and Jim River. This is a new team made up of the coop between Menno and Scotland.
Coach Olson says he loves the schedule. “I think we play some of the best teams in the state,” he said.
Olson especially likes two of the non conference games in Bridgewater-Emery Ethan and St. Thomas More.
This year Winner will play two games on Saturday. The St. Thomas More game in Rapid City is on a Saturday and the Miller/Highmore-Harrold game is on Saturday, Oct. 9 in Winner in the afternoon.
Assistant coaches are Kevin Keiser, Austin Calhoon and Ben Connot. Last year Connot was the head coach at Rapid City Christian.
Olson says the seniors have high expectations for the team this year. “We want to win the conference and get home field advantage for the playoffs,” said the coach.
The WHS football schedule includes:
Aug. 20—Tripp-Delmont/Armour/Andes Central/Dakota Christian in Armour
Aug. 27—Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan, home
Sept. 3—Mount Vernon/Plankinton, home
Sept. 11—St. Thomas More, 2 p.m. in Rapid City
Sept. 18—Jim River, 2:30 p.m. in Menno
Sept. 24—Wagner (Homecoming)
Oct. 1—Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central in Wessington Springs
Oct. 9—Miller/Highmore-Harrold in Winner at 2 p.m.
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