No red flags, glaring needs, gaping holes or any of the other caveats coaches routinely offer up in the preseason. The Central College football team may not have all-conference players at every position, but there’s an unusual absence of question marks.
“There’s no place on the field where we don’t have people who can compete and compete really well,” said coach Jeff McMartin.
However, that doesn’t mean McMartin is guaranteeing a championship in an increasingly competitive Iowa Conference. The Dutch return 42 letterwinners, including six offensive starters and five defensive starters from a 2017 club that surged to an 8-2 finish. But seven first-team all-league players have graduated, so there’s work to do. Still, there’s at least some experience and potential at every spot.
While there’s plenty of young talent, it’s a veteran group, with 32 seniors.
“The upperclassmen are doing a great job of being leaders,” McMartin said. “They’re showing great commitment and loyalty to the program. The culture here is really strong.”
Quarterback
Junior Nate Boland (6-1, 210) has starting experience, including two starts as a freshman before taking a lot of snaps last season. He completed 61 of 95 passes (64.2 percent) in 2016 for 592 yards with two interceptions and three touchdowns. He also rushed 38 times for 119 yards. Boland has thrown for 1,270 yards and six scores in two seasons.
“Nate has already played a lot of football for us,” McMartin said. “He’s led some very good drives and made some big plays. He spent the off-season getting stronger and will continue to improve.”
The intangibles a quarterback needs must progress as well.
“You need to show leadership and have the ability to have the team rally around you,” McMartin said.
Sophomore Ross Norem (6-2, 225) is next in line after a year with the junior varsity.
“Ross has shown a lot of improvement,” McMartin said.
“Both of them throw the ball well. Nate is a little more of a runner while Ross is more of a dropback quarterback.
“Our quarterbacks obviously need to make plays. We need to get the ball to the right players in the right situations. Some of that is their obligation and some of it is the coaches.”
Senior Kohle Helle (5-10, 185) will still take a few snaps. Now focusing on his position at wide receiver, Helle played quarterback in some key spots, delivering the game-winning 2-point conversion in Central’s memorable 50-49 season-opening triumph at Whitworth (Wash.). Last season, he rushed 30 times for 154 yards and a score while completing 4-of-5 for 71 yards.
Looking to disrupt the depth chart is a talented group of freshman quarterbacks. At least one rookie could see action, McMartin said.
Running back
A formerly injury-riddled position now boasts some experienced depth.
Junior Nathan Fitzgerald (5-9, 190) emerged as the leading rusher last year, averaging 73.8 yards per game. He gained 738 yards on 138 attempts (5.3 per carry) with four touchdowns. Junior Donny Groezinger (5-9, 185) was the early season starter before getting hurt four games in. He rushed for 406 yards on 99 carries with four scores and senior Cory Archer (5-9, 210) added 124 yards on 32 attempts. Meanwhile, junior Pat Gray, who looked like a breakaway threat as a freshman, endured a pair of serious injuries that kept him sidelined for more than a year but has returned as well and could be a difference-maker.
“They’ve all performed nicely,” McMartin said. “They’re different, yet the all run the ball well and catch the ball well.”
McMartin notes that Archer could potentially see time at S-back, Central’s hybrid fullback-wingback position. “He’s a hard runner and hard worker with good size,” he said.
Junior Austin Engstrom (5-7, 210) provides additional depth, along with elusive sophomore Jordon Woods (5-4, 150). Woods, a track and field competitor as well, is a return option on special teams.
S-back
Senior Kyle Gritsch (6-1, 205) remains a vital, but unsung, component of the Dutch attack. He only ran the ball three times but had 32 pass receptions for 392 yards and eight touchdowns, and is an effective blocker. He received the Lankelma-Menning Award as the team’s outstanding underclass player in 2015 and was named to the D3football.com team of the week once last fall.
“Kyle is very important to the team,” McMartin said. “He’s a very good receiver who runs great routes and he also carries the ball well.”
Junior Daniel Coovert (5-10, 220), sophomore John Polk (5-7, 175) and senior Ben Mitchell (5-9, 190) provide support, with Mitchell moving over from linebacker. Coovert and Mitchell have contributed on special teams and will continue to do so, McMartin said.
Offensive line
Three senior starters return up front in center Josh Brunk (6-1, 265), left tackle Steven Peterman (6-3, 245) and right tackle Cal Smith (6-4, 290).
“Josh Brunk and Cal Smith are potential four-year starters,” McMartin said. “Josh is very solid, physical and tough. He’s battled a lot of injuries but he provides great leadership and sets the tone up front.
“Cal is very steady. He’s a great technician who has improved each year.”
Peterman excels in a key position. “Steven has gotten bigger and stronger,” McMartin said. “He’s a smart player.”
Depth abounds here as well, bolstered by two sets of twins. Junior Tyler Newhouse (6-0, 260) is a front-runner at guard, joined by classmates Dylan Tuttle (6-0, 295) and Cody Tuttle (6-0, 270). Another set of twins, sophomores Cody Smith (6-3, 250) and Carter Smith (6-4, 245)—younger brothers of Cal—line up at tackle.
Senior Tyler Christensen (5-9, 290) could emerge at guard and can also play center, as does sophomore Edmond Henning (5-11, 245). “Tyler has great balance,” McMartin said. “He was a successful high school wrestler and uses that to his advantage.”
Sophomores Sam Kruger (6-0, 265), Jake Suggett (5-11, 295) and Nick Yarkosky (6-0, 300) are additional likely options at guard. Senior Max Hytone (6-5, 285) has climbed the depth chart at tackle. “Max has continued to work hard and has improved a great deal,” McMartin said.
“We’re excited about the offensive line. They all have the ability to compete at the varsity level. There’s a lot of talent and size. They’re good fits for the type of offense we run.”
Tight end
There’s less experience at tight end, where graduated academic all-America honoree Mitchell Boerm was a dominant fixture. Seniors P.J. Norem (6-4, 225) and Jordan Fox (6-1, 215) get early looks with Norem a strong contender for a starting spot. “They’ve both helped on special teams,” McMartin said. “Now it’s their time to compete.”
Juniors Aaron Fogt (6-0, 190) and Spencer Barber (6-0, 190) will also contend. “They all had good springs,” McMartin said.
An intriguing threat has also emerged in sophomore transfer Zach Samson, who arrived on campus in January and, while untested, flashed promise in spring drills. “He does a nice job,” McMartin said. “Tight end seems to be a good fit for him.”
Wide receiver
The Dutch have legitimate star power at wide receiver in senior Sam Markham (6-2, 170). A basketball player as a freshman, Markham elected to return in his fifth year for a final season of football. He’s already made a mess of the school record book after leading the NCAA Division III in receptions per game (10.5). He hauled in 105 balls for 1,215 yards—both school marks—with 12 touchdowns. Markham also has records for career receiving yards (2,845) as well as for receptions in a game (15) and career (226).
McMartin’s analysis was simple. “We’re glad he’s back,” he said. Now it’s up to the Dutch to get him the ball.
“He’s a weapon,” McMartin said. “He’s made many big plays and we expect him to have his best year yet. He’s very hungry. He’s a playmaker and he provides good leadership as well.”
Helle is more than just a second option, with 45 catches for 435 yards and three touchdowns, while also proving elusive with the ball lining up at other positions.
“Kohle is a tremendous athlete,” McMartin said. “He can catch the ball, he can also play quarterback, he can run a sweep. You can line him up a lot of different places and teams have to account for him.”
They’re backed by seniors Drew Doehrmann (6-0, 205), P.J. Carey (6-0, 160) and Mathew Mills (5-8, 170) along with junior Tyler Bryant (5-10, 170) and sophomores Brady Johnson (6-3, 210) and Hunter Robinson (6-0, 170). Carey had four catches for 75 yards.
Defensive line
McMartin likes the team’s potential in the defensive line, yet he’s not yet certain how the Dutch will line up September 2.
They got a big boost with the return of senior nose guard Wesley Wheat (5-11, 265) for a fifth season. A second-team all-league honoree and three-time letterwinner, Wheat had 25 tackles last year, including 14 solos and 5.5 for loss with 5.0 sacks.
Wheat is backed by sophomores Martin Olson (6-3, 240) and Andres Cesin (5-10, 220). Frontrunners for the other two line spots are seniors Jared Keenan (6-1, 230) and Justin Dilks (6-2, 255). Dilks made 21 tackles, including 7.5 for loss with 2.0 sacks last year while Keenan made four stops. “They both played a lot last year and matured into very good football players,” McMartin said.
An intriguing wild card is senior Matt Seabold (6-0, 230). A standout high school player at Burlington, Seabold focused on wrestling in college, earning all-America honors as a two-time NCAA Division III tourney qualifier at 197 pounds. He’s finishing up his degree requirements and returning to the field. McMartin got an early look during spring workouts and was impressed. “We’re excited about what he can do,” he said. “He flies around and his wrestling background helps him. He’s able to use his hands well and has good balance.”
Other defensive line options include juniors Jake Hasley (6-0, 220), Corey Hauptman (6-0, 220), Tanner Gilliland (6-4, 230) and Austin Kosusnik (5-10, 215) and sophomores Carter Terpstra (6-0, 225) and Jeffrey Banks-Morgan (5-10, 210). Gilliland returned after moving to the offense line while Hasley is a converted tight end. “We need them to get ready,” McMartin said. “Their development and ability to make plays will have a big impact on the team.
“We play a lot of up-tempo teams and it’s important to have a lot of players we can rotate in.”
Linebacker
Two senior starters are back in strongside linebacker Sam Norgaard (6-2, 215) and outside linebacker Chris Neeld (5-10, 200).
Norgaard is another fifth-year player whose return is welcome news. A second-team all-league pick, he topped Central’s tackle charts last year with 91, including 34 solos with two interceptions and two pass breakups. He racked up a season-high 18 stops in a win at Loras last fall and was named the conference defensive player of the week.
“Sam’s a great leader,” McMartin said. “He loves to play football. He’s very physical and he’s gotten faster. He also reads pass routes better now.”
Also listed on the strong side are senior Andy Butts (5-10, 190), juniors Max Barkalow (5-11, 205), Drew Kithcart (5-9, 215), Jake Poster (6-1, 195) and Alex Tamerius (5-9, 230) along with sophomore Cody Fields (5-10, 205). Kithcart made nine tackles a year ago while Butts had six.
“Andy is a physical player,” McMartin said. “He flies around out there. Max is returning from injury and looks good. Drew is one of our strongest players and very smart. Jake has a lot of really good tools and Alex is a hard worker who’s very hungry. They’re all going to compete.”
In the middle, or Mike position, senior Tyler Olson (5-11, 215) is poised to take over as a full-time starter. A special teams staple, he had a pair of nine-tackle games as a starter last year, filling in when injury created an opening. Olson finished with 31 tackles, including 16 solos and a sack with two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
“Tyler has played a lot,” McMartin said. “He runs well and he knows the defense. We’re expecting him to play well.”
Senior Carson Remick (5-10, 205) is pushing as well. He made nine tackles in 2016. “Carson is a very strong and heady player,” McMartin said. “He’s contributed a lot on special teams.”
Other options are juniors Jake Lehmkuhl (5-9, 210) and Austin Carney (5-10, 200).
At the weakside, or Will spot, Neeld returns. He posted 66 tackles including 33 solos with 4.5 sacks and an interception. He had a 14-tackle outing in a win over Buena Vista.
“Chris does a great job,” McMartin said. “He runs well and has a tremendous motor.”
Behind Neeld are juniors Scott Sievert (6-0, 210) and Louis Kriegel (5-11, 190) along with sophomores Connor Lewin (6-1, 185), a converted running back, and Alex Cloyed (5-10, 170).
Seniors Josh Scheible (5-9, 200) and Jake Walters (6-0, 195) are competing at the outside, or Bandit, position. Scheible has the inside track with 42 tackles last year, including 1.5 for loss, and an interception.
“Josh has played a lot of football,” McMartin said. “He’s a smart player who’s very coachable. We need him to make plays.” Walters is coming off injury. “We need to keep Jake on the field,” McMartin said. “He’s got a lot of tools.”
Also competing are sophomore Tate O’Tool (5-10, 180) and juniors Thomas Fox (6-0, 200) and Ryan Berg (6-0, 190).
Defensive back
Experience abounds in a still-young secondary. Junior cornerback Trevor Smith (5-9, 170), sophomore cornerback Danny Anderson (6-0, 175) and junior free safety Collin Erickson (5-9, 175) were starters last year while senior cornerback Tony Oros (5-10, 195) and senior strong safety Tate Jensen (5-11, 200) were starters before being sidelined by injury.
Oros will man the weakside corner. A three-time letterwinner, he had 31 tackles and seven pass breakups in 2015, then made six stops in brief action as an opening-game injury derailed his season. He elected to come back for another shot in a fifth year.
“Tony was really playing great before he got injured,” McMartin said. “We want him to pick up where he left off last year. I hope he stays healthy because he really wants to be out there. He’s a talented player.”
Backing Oros are sophomores Ryan Sprain (5-9, 170), Blake Upchurch (6-0, 160) and Christian Escobar (5-8, 170). McMartin calls them a promising trio. “If they keep getting better they’ll be an extremely good group,” he said.
At strongside corner, Anderson will compete with Smith. Anderson was thrown into action as a rookie and responded by winning the O’Donnell Award as the team’s top freshman. He made 49 tackles including 35 unassisted and made four pass breakups with two interceptions.
“Danny played a lot after Tony (Oros) got hurt,” McMartin said. “He’s a great athlete who always knows where the ball is. We want him to keep getting better.”
Meanwhile, Smith had a 13-tackle outing against Loras last fall that landed him on the D3football.com team of the week and finished with 59 stops overall, including 41 solos with 2.5 tackles for loss, five breakups and an interception. “Trevor does a great job,” McMartin said. “He’s very competitive.”
Other strongside cornerbacks include seniors Nick Greteman (5-11, 190) and Derrick Gray (5-10, 195).
Jensen is a two-year starter at strong safety. He made 46 tackles in 2015 with a breakup and an interception. In an abbreviated 2016 campaign, he had 18 stops with another breakup and interception.
“He’s excited to be back on the field,” McMartin said. “He’s a smart athlete who’s always around the ball.”
Junior Josiah Soderstrum (5-10, 185) has also seen extensive action and is joined by senior Jeremy Shannon (6-0, 195), a converted wide receiver.
Erickson leads the field at free safety. He made 48 tackles last year with 30 unassisted stops and 2.5 tackles for loss. He shared the team interceptions lead with three and had two pass breakups. Erickson became a starter after Jensen’s injury. “Collin is a physical, hard-working player,” McMartin said. “We expect him to have a great season.” Sophomore Jordan Borman (5-9, 155) shows promise and could play at either safety spot.
Special teams
The kicking game is arguably the team’s biggest area of uncertainty. Junior Cam Kiner is a two-year starter at punter. He averaged 36.0 yards on 41 kicks last year, with 15 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line but McMartin needs to find additional options. Sophomore Jon Alberts and several freshman candidates will battle for placekicking duties.
It’s not certain who will handle punt and kick returns, either, although the Dutch have some experienced options. Oros returned 10 kicks in 2014 while Fitzgerald returned 11 last year and Anderson returned five.
“We’ve got to find the right guys,” McMartin said. “We need to improve both our kicking and punting teams—all phases of it. But we think we can put 11 guys out there who can do the job.
“There are some questions around our kicking game but we will get better.”
The freshmen
McMartin and his tireless staff have reeled in a promising freshman class, he said.
“We feel like we have some exciting players coming in,” he said. “As the game continues to evolve, there are a lot of changing position needs, but I think we have got guys who can come in and really help our football team, not only down the road but yet this year.”
It’s a balanced group as well. “We’ve got a lot of good athletes,” McMartin said. “And we’ve got good linemen on both sides of the ball.”
The schedule
Three teams have claimed the Iowa Conference crown the past three seasons and McMartin envisions another wide-open race.
“Each year it seems it gets tougher and tougher,” he said. “It’s more balanced. There’s going to be a lot of offense out there but there were a lot of teams that were young on defense last year and I think you’ll see several teams grow up.”
The non-conference slate is even more daunting, with highly regarded Whitworth (Wash.) and Augustana (Ill.) on the schedule again. Central surprised nationally ranked Whitworth in Spokane and the Dutch will have to deal with another high-powered offense.
“They’ll probably be very similar to last year,” McMartin said. “They’ve well-coached and very talented. And Augustana is improving by leaps and bounds. They’re a well-coached team.”
The good news is Central will be home for six of its 10 games.
“It’s fun to play in front of our home crowd,” McMartin said. “We’ve been on the road a lot the last couple years and we’ve embraced the road-warrior mentality, but the guys like playing at home. We’ve been getting great crowds and have a great game-day environment.”
Coaching staff
Evidence of the Central football tradition is embodied in the 13-man Dutch coaching staff which, remarkably, includes 12 Central grads. The program’s two strength and conditioning coaches and head athletic trainer are Central alumni as well.
Veteran Jeff Bollard returns after a year away and is coaching the running backs while Aaron Eiseler, who joined the staff last year, is guiding the tight ends, former student assistant Seth Marburger is now the defensive line coach and Spencer Gritsch has moved to wide receivers coach.
“It’s a great staff,” McMartin said. “We’ve very fortunate that they fit the culture of the program. It’s a nice mix of youth and experience.”
That staff benefits the Dutch beyond what happens on the field, as evidenced by the 33 seniors who remain firmly committed to Central football. That’s as much of a measure of the program’s success as its record 30 league championships and 20 NCAA Division III playoff berths.
“Our team is very healthy,” McMartin said. “Part of this is because of the culture created by a lot of people around our players who care about them and build good relationships with them.”
The season
With its record-setting offense, last year’s squad wasn’t far from a league title. The Dutch ranked fourth in Division III in first downs (30.1 per game) and total offense (535.3), including 314.5 yards passing. Central outscored opponents 39.7-25.9.
Yet McMartin points to one glaring deficiency that he’s eager to remedy. “Turnover ratio,” McMartin said, noting the Dutch were minus five in their two losses. “We have to eliminate turnovers and we have to create more takeaways. I like the tempo we played with on both sides of the ball but we have to take care of the football.”
Clearing that championship hurdle also requires intangibles. “If you look at the teams that have won championships in the past, they’ve been close-knit, they trust each other, and at critical times they made plays. They didn’t beat themselves. “This is a very hungry football team.”
Yet McMartin’s mantra is to never let the outcome be the focus. “We’ve got to control what we can control,” he said. “We want to be very process-oriented. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”