The Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley football team will be under new leadership for the third year in a row with Dean Norris no longer at the helm for 2024. In his place, the Panthers have hired three co-head coaches to lead the program in Travis Neumann, Taylor Doeschot, and Brandon Borkowski.
Neumann is an alum of Kingsley-Pierson and played football at a high level for the Panthers. He says he is honored to be leading the program he played for in the community he grew up in.
Co-head coaches are not uncommon in football or even in Plymouth County with a hall of fame example just up the road in Hinton. What is unique to K-P/RV is having three men named co-head coaches of the program. Coach Neumann says it is not as strange as it sounds considering all three guys will have their own areas of the team to lead.
The 2024 Panther football team will have to move forward without Beau Goodwin who is now competing in the highest level of college football at Iowa State. Goodwin and his senior class are going to be tough to replace, but Coach Neumann says this year’s team is ready to step up.
What the Panthers do bring back is a ton of strong receiving targets. Three guys return to the roster that recorded over 200 yards catching the football and two guys come back that caught five touchdowns each last season. Coach Neumann says the goal of the offense will be trying to get those athletes the football.
That athleticism will also translate well to the defensive side of the football. With all those athletes roaming the secondary and the linebacking position, there will be no shortage of weapons on that side of the ball. Coach Neumann says he is confident his defensive line can hold things up to open up playmaking opportunities for those guys on the back side.
With this being the third different coaching staff in three years for the Panthers, it has been the same song and dance during the preseason. Preseason practices involve a lot of new concepts and schemes that take time to learn. Coach Neumann says this final week of practice will be continuing to make sure everyone is on the same page with new schemes put in place.
The Panthers open their season on the road with a non-district matchup against Alta-Aurelia in Aurelia. Kickoff will be at 7:00 PM on Friday, August 30.
Listen to our full interview with Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley co-head coach Travis Neumann here:
