Remsen St. Mary’s football just finished winning their second state title in three years when they ran the table in 2022. The Hawks lose a class of eight seniors off the roster who went 47-2 with four trips to the UNI Dome. Remsen St. Mary’s head coach Tim Osterman says the Hawks have to now continue to succeed off the backs of those who have set the new standard for the program.
The cupboard is not bare by any means for the Hawks this season. Remsen St. Mary’s returns the bulk of their talent on both the offensive and defensive lines. Two of the three seniors this year are on the line, and Coach Osterman needs them to not try and mimic last year’s seniors. Rather, he wants them to lead the team in their own way.
Those returners on the line also include the likes of Lennan Steichen and Collin Homan. Coach Osterman feels really fortunate to be able to be in this spot to bring back a lot of size on the line.
One of the many positions that needs a replacement this year for the Hawks is the quarterback position. Cael Ortmann graduates after being responsible for a whopping 111 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Landon Waldschmitt is now tasked with filling that void for the Hawks. Coach Osterman says Waldschmitt has been very proactive with taking control of the offense.
The Remsen St. Mary’s defense was, at times, second fiddle to the impressive things being done on offense, but it did not deserve to be that. The Hawks pitched five shutouts and allowed a team to 20 points once coming in the state semifinals against Lenox. One of the anchors of the defense is back in defensive back Keaton Harpenau who recorded 40 tackles and picked off three passes last year.
The Hawks meet up with a very familiar foe in Harris-Lake Park in week one. It is a matchup that has produced some great games over their many matchups. Coach Osterman says the Hawks have to clean things up to be ready for a tough season-opening contest.
Kickoff between the Hawks and Wolves is at 7:00 PM on Friday night in Remsen.
Click here to listen to our full interview with Remsen St. Mary’s head football coach Tim Osterman:
2023 REMSEN ST. MARY’S FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:
August 25 – HARRIS-LAKE PARK
September 1 – at Siouxland Christian *
September 8 – at West Bend-Mallard
September 15 – BOYER VALLEY *
September 22 – at Newell-Fonda *
September 29 – AR-WE-VA *
October 6 – at Woodbine *
October 13 – WEST HARRISON *
* – denotes Class Eight-Player District 1 game
