The Central College football team opens the 2015 season tonight with a home game against Benedictine of Illinois. The two teams also played the season opener in 2014 in the Chicagoland area, with the Dutch prevailing 31-7. But Central lost several key cogs, particularly on offense, as they’ve worked this offseason to replace quarterback Aaron Eisler and running back Josh Osborn. Riley Gray gets the nod under center, and senior Adam Lindell and freshman Pat Gray are among those who will be filling Osborn’s shoes. Coach Jeff McMartin says that if things are going well, the Central offense should be pretty balanced.
“We want to run the football. We’re going to want to run play-action and move the pocket. It’s also a matter of just getting the ball to your good people – we feel like we have good receivers and big tight ends who catch the ball, and we have good backs. So we need to let those people get the ball in their hands and do what they do. Also, making good decisions for Riley is going to be critical.”
On defense, the Dutch return their two top tacklers, Jessie Peterson and Drew Carlson, and they welcome back two key pieces from 2013 that missed all of last year with injury – Sam Norgaard and Mitch Schroeder. Game time tonight for Central against Benedictine is scheduled for 6:30 at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium in Pella. Trevor Castle, George Wares and Andrew Schneider will have the play-by-play on 92.1 KRLS, www.kniakrls.com and our free KRLS mobile app with the PellaMotors.com Radio Pregame Show starting at 6:05.