With three-straight playoff appearances in tow, the Gehlen Catholic football team could walk into a new season with a lot of swagger and too much confidence. They are not doing that this year.
The Jays are coming in with an appropriate level of expectation and not letting outside noise influence their views. Head coach Jeremy Schindler says it does not matter how strong the team is that is coming back, there will always be changes that forces the team to be different.
There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Gehlen Catholic offensive and defensive lines. The size they are returning in Dane Lehmann and Drake Hodgson will make any coach excited. What makes Coach Schindler excited even more is that size plus more size joining the fray.
Gehlen Catholic is not going to surprise anyone when it comes to their returning weapons on offense. Kale Pearson led the district in rushing yards while his quarterback Cole McCarty was right behind him in second. Coach Schindler says both guys continue to be strong runners, but McCarty has improved his throwing capability making him that much more dangerous.
The Gehlen Catholic defense was really good at making things difficult for their opponents forcing long sustained drives. The lack of turnovers hindered Gehlen and kept them from reaching their ultimate potential. Coach Schindler says the guys have bought in to what it takes to force a takeaway on defense.
With week one on top of us, Gehlen Catholic knows fundamentals will be key. Coach Schindler says part of that is making sure they continue to play with a high level of physicality.
The Jays will open the season with a rivalry matchup against Hinton. The Jays and Blackhawks have been uber competitive in this matchup before, and this year seems similar to historical contests. Coach Schindler says tackling and blocking will be the difference in the first game.
The Jays and Blackhawks kick off tonight at 7:00 PM in Hinton. You can listen to the game on KLEM Radio or watch it on the KLEM Radio YouTube Channel. Coverage will start at 6:15 PM with the Radio Iowa Scouting Report.
Click below to listen to our full interview with Gehlen Catholic head coach Jeremy Schindler:
