The Gehlen Catholic football team turned some heads last year with a strong 8-2 season that ended by just a couple of points in the second round of the playoffs.
Now, the Jays are back on everyone’s radar ahead of the 2025 season. Head coach Jeremy Schindler says the guys have been putting the work in to make sure they live up to some high standards.
Gehlen Catholic’s success offensively came down to a majority of their production coming from two guys. Quarterback Cole McCarty led the team in rushing yards while also running the passing attack. He has since graduated, and Coach Schindler says there is an active battle for who will be taking snaps under center when the season begins.
Right behind McCarty in the rushing department was Kale Pearson who ran for nearly 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns. Coach Schindler says he has a couple of backs he can turn to that can keep defenses on their toes.
One part of the game that stays consistent for the Jays this year is on the line. Defensively and offensively, the Jays bring back their entire front unit. That group generated pressure like nobody else could on defense. Coach Schindler says they have that same desire to make plays again this year.
With all the excitement surrounding the Jays last year, their success came down to some boring work that had to be put in. Coach Schindler says the guys need to have that same mentality going into this year if they want to replicate that success.
The Jays will get to test that work right away in week one with a matchup against Hinton who made it to the UNI-Dome last year. Coach Schindler says he needs the guys to be focused hard on the task at hand going into a new season.
Gehlen Catholic’s season kicks off at 7:00 PM tomorrow night at Jim Lorenzen Field in Le Mars.
