Scouting the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference

NORTH DIVISION

DAKOTA

2019 record: 4-5, 3-3 NUIC North

Coach: Joe Free

Worth noting: Seven of Dakota’s nine games in 2019 were decided by one or two scores, including losses to playoff teams Orangeville and Stockton the last two weeks of the season, which kept the Indians out of the postseason. .... After years of running a traditional Wing-T look, Free is introducing a spread-pistol look to the Dakota offense this year. .... The Indians expect to be somewhat young, with eight sophomores and juniors starting. .... Dakota adds some speed in the form of Cam Foesch, a transfer from Monroe, Wisconsin who runs a 4.5 40 and will line up at running back and outside linebacker. They also have speed from Kaleb Morris, a junior wide receiver/corner back who, as a freshman in the spring of 2019, was part of a 4x100 relay which placed at state track. .... Dakota returns a pair of first-team all-NUIC picks with safety Caden Moyer and punter Quinton Heilemeier. The Indians also bring back a two-year starter on the offensive line with Dalton Riggle and two-year letter winners Jacob Kleckner at tight end and Adrian Delgadillo on the defensive line.

DURAND-PECATONICA

2019 record: 7-4, 3-3 NUIC North

Coach: Tyler Hoffman

Worth noting: The Rivermen started 2019 4-1, with the lone loss a 28-20 setback at Dakota. Du-Pec then went 3-3 the rest of the way with wins over East Dubuque, West Carroll and Chicago Harlan, and losses to Stockton, Lena-Winslow and Byron. Le-Win and Byron both reached the state championship game in their respective classes, and Stockton was a playoff team. .... Du-Pec returns a pair of first-team all-conference picks from 2019 in quarterback Hunter Hoffman and wide receiver/defensive back Gabe Howard. The Rivermen also have a pair of returning starters on the offensive line in Carson Leman and Baily Leif, and a returning second-team all-NUIC pick in wide receiver Tre Stifter. ..... Senior kicker Tyler Kormoczy has been connecting from 40 yards out in practice this spring. He was a first-team all-conference pick in 2019. .... Hoffman sees five players who saw limited roles in 2019 having a chance to thrive this spring in expanded roles: lineman Jake Anderson, running backs Trenton Taylor and Drake Fortson, and wide receivers Trent Hetland and Bo Seaton.

EAST DUBUQUE

2019 record: 2-7, 0-6 NUIC North

Coach: Joe Edler

Worth noting: The Warriors can pack their offensive line with seniors. Charlie Tucker, Jestin Sertle and Ben Tressel started on the offensive line last year, with Sertle and Tressel also starting on the defensive line. Fellow seniors Ayden Miller and Trevor Mulgrew will join them on the offensive line. .... Sam Huntington, Will Kieffer and Dawson Feyen, all juniors, will pace the Warriors’ rushing attack. .... Sam Bowman will take on the job of quarterbacking the Warriors. The junior will also play defensive back. ..... Joe Edler takes over for his first head coaching job. He was previously an assistant coach at Orangeville and before that was the quarterback for Lena-Winslow’s 2010 Class 1A state championship team. ..... A rarity for the spring season, especially in the NUIC where many teams are seeking out alternative sites, all of East Dubuque’s games with kick off at 7 p.m. on a Friday.

GALENA

2019 record: 2-7, 1-5 NUIC North

Coach: Ed Freed

Worth noting: Though winning just two games in 2019, the Pirates lost by a single possession in several others. West Carroll beat them 22-20 Week 1, Durand-Pecatonica beat them 27-20 Week 5 and Dakota beat them 20-12 Week 7. Galena also lost 9-0 Week 3 to Orangeville. Orangeville, Du-Pec and West Carroll were all playoff teams a year ago. .... Senior Peyton Bauer was second team all-conference at both running back and linebacker in 2019. He returns to pace the rushing attack, hoping to follow up on a strong 2019 in which he gained 835 yards and six touchdowns. .... Galena brings back a lot of experience in the linebacking corps in Bauer, Calvin Quick, Jarrett Basten and Duilio Moctezuma.

LENA-WINSLOW

2019 record: 14-0, 6-0 NUIC North

Coach: Ric Arand

Worth noting: Quick starts were the hallmark of Lena-Winslow’s state championship run in 2019. The Panthers outscored opponents 242-26 in the first quarter of games and 230-14 in the second quarter. The result of all those strong starts were 10 running clocks, including in the state championship game. ... In their five playoff wins in 2019, the Panthers averaged more than 50 points per game. That was a continuation of a theme established in the regular season where Lena-Winslow scored 46 or more points in every game except one: a 30-0 win over Stockton. ..... Marey Roby, who had a pair of touchdowns in the Panthers’ Week 7 win over Forreston last season, is a threat running the ball, intercepting passes from opposing quarterbacks and returning kicks. ..... Luke Benson was the quarterback who led the Panthers to the state title in 2019, but he has some competition at quarterback this spring from Evan England, a transfer from Wheaton Warrenville South. ...... Lena-Winslow is the only team in the NUIC who will pay a nonconference game this spring. The Panthers had an open Week 1 and scheduled Princeton.

ORANGEVILLE

2019 record: 7-4, 4-2 NUIC North

Coach: Steve Snider

Worth noting: A playoff team a year ago, the Broncos return nine offensive starters and eight defensive starters. .... Chase Jordan will be back for his senior year. He garnered a second-team all-conference pick last year after a strong finish to the season, including putting up 223 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a Week 8 win over Dakota. .... Senior tight end Zach Baker is back following a first-team all-conference season in 2019 as a junior. He will also play on the defensive line. .... Sophomore Gunar Lobdell saw some playing time in 2019 and is expected to make a bigger impact this year as a running back and safety. He has big shoes to fill on defense, stepping in for graduated all-state safety Carter Kleckler. .... Junior Bryce Burns transferred into Orangeville over the summer and has been a consistent presence in the strength and conditioning program in the offseason. Snider expects him to make an immediate impart on the offensive and defensive line. ....

STOCKTON

2019 record: 7-4, 4-2 NUIC North

Coach: Matt Leitzen

Worth noting: Leitzen takes over at Stockton, his alma mater, after going 24-25 and making three playoff trips in five seasons at West Carroll. In three seasons under former coach Jesse Snyder, the Blackhawks made three playoff trips. ... Stockton brings back four first-team all-conference players from 2019 in running back Jason Hermann, linebacker Case Harmson, defensive back Jaden Rice and utility player Austin Chumbler. The Blackhawks also bring back a pair of all-conference honorable mentions in defensive back Andrew Haas and tight end Gavin Keeffer. ...... Wide receiver and defensive back Simon Rillie is expected to be one of the key newcomers, as is senior offensive lineman and linebacker Casey Rowe. ..... Leitzen sees the key for Stockton being to play fundamentally sound and to win the turnover margin.

SOUTH DIVISION

AMBOY-LaMOILLE

2019 record: 2-7, 2-4 NUIC South

Coach: Scott Payne

Worth noting: The Clippers will continue to play I-formation under first-year coach Scott Payne, but will sprinkle in some spread looks as well. The Clippers have talented wide receivers in Preston Henkel, Trevor Vaessen and Sean Fitzpatrick. Henkel could also play some running back. Fitzpatrick is able to play several positions and has started on varsity since his sophomore year. ..... Lane Boehle, who played quarterback on the freshman/sophomore team in 2017 and 2018 before moving to wide receiver on the varsity squad last year, will move back to quarterback for the varsity team this spring. Payne felt quarterback was a better fit for him and said he is a good athlete who can throw the ball or tuck it under and run. .... The defensive tackles play important roles in Amboy’s scheme, needing to force3 a double-team to keep the offsensive line off Amboy’s linebackers. To fill that role, the Clippers will look to Aiden Smith and JJ Wicaryus, two players Payne has seen plenty of in the weight room in the offseason. ..... This will be Amboy’s last season in 11-man football before switching to 8-man for the fall.

ASHTON-FRANKLIN CENTER

2019 record: 0-9, 0-6 NUIC South

Coach: John Kutz

Worth noting: The Raiders are young and dealing with numbers issues for now, but Kutz feels the team is picking up the offense. A lot of positions are still up for grabs. ..... Rodney Ramirez was a second-team all-conference defensive back last year, and as a senior will be tasked with playing safety and running back. On defense, Kutz is seeing a player who likes to come downhill and support the run. “He’s not the biggest kid, but he plays with big heart,” Kutz said. ..... Brody Willstead will be an offensive tackle and linebacker, and is expected to be another senior leader. .... AFC will run a 4-4 defense with a few different wrinkles cooked in. Offensively, the Raiders will run the Wing-T. Kutz reached out to former Dixon coach Ryan Reade to ask about offensive gameplans and decided that, with the compressed schedule, that would be the easiest system to pick up. It’s also a system that could translate to 8-man, which the Raiders will be playing in the fall.

FORRESTON

2019 record: 8-3, 5-1 NUIC South

Coach: Kyle Zick

Worth noting: Positive COVID tests which brought the Cardinals’ boys basketball season to a premature end also delayed its football season, wiping out a scheduled Week 1 game against Dakota. Forreston bumped back its first day of practice by more than a week, but Kyle Zick is expecting business as usual once things get going again. ..... Forreston has a lot of depth on its roster, but that also means a lot of spots and a lot of playing time are still up for grabs, a situation not helped by the Cardinals putting practice on hold. One thing that will help Forreston get everything back on track is that the offensive and defensive playbooks will be very similar to things that have been working in Forreston for years. ..... Travis Wilson has been a starter for three years on the offensive line. He is back this year, part of a big offensive line. ..... Forreston typically rotates in four running backs. Who those four will be this spring is anyone’s guess. Jordan Neuschwander and Coby Shelton are returning starters, both bringing a lot of speed, but plenty of other candidates are in the running.

AQUIN

2019 record: 11-1, 6-0 NUIC South

Coach: Broc Kundert

Worth noting: Will Gustafson can hurt you with his arms or his legs. The quarterback in his third year as Aquin’s starter put up 774 yards and 16 touchdowns running the ball in the regular season in 2019, and threw for 1,306 yards and 17 touchdowns, leading the Bulldogs to the NUIC South crown. In a 55-38 win over Fulton in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, he rushed for three touchdowns and threw for two more, completing 10 of 12 passes for 219 yards and gaining 116 yards rushing. ..... Aquin returns a pair of all-conference special teams players in punter Aiden Gassman and kicker Evan Broge. ....... Aquin had 13 first-team all-conference players in 2019, and only four were seniors. ...... Andrew Bowman was a first-team all-conference selection as a utility player in 2019 and a second-team all-conference pick at end. He is a receiver who is able to run crisp routes.

EASTLAND-PEARL CITY

2019 record: 4-5, 4-2 NUIC South

Coach: Jared McNutt

Worth noting: The Wildcatz have a pair of newcomers in senior twins Wyatt and Kamden Baber who moved in from Stockton. Both are expected to play defensive back with Wyatt lining up on offense at wide receiver and Kamden at running back. .... Cadin Colehour will be a powerful force in the trenches. He has show off a lot of that power in powerlifting competitions. At the state meet in Lombard in November, he squatted 474 pounds, benched 336 and lifted 512.7 in the deadlift. ..... Riley Schauer is slated to start at outside linebacker after a move from cornerback earlier in his career. He is part of a veteran linebacking corps which also features Caden Kuberski and Bishop Grozinger, and potentially will include Jase Sheffey, who will also start at tight end. .... Kellen Henze, a member of Eastland’s golf team in a normal year, will try football for the first time and will play quarterback. ..... Logan Krell is back to pace the rushing attack after he totaled 713 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. He will also start at free safety. .... The Wildcatz will play their first three games at the Pretzel Bowl in Freeport, two “home” games against Galena and Amboy the first two weeks of the season and a road game against West Carroll Week 3. EPC’s next two home games, April 9 and April 23, will be in Lanark.

MILLEDGEVILLE

2019 record: 1-8, 1-5 NUIC South

Coach: Jason Wroble

Worth noting: The Missiles had just four seniors on the roster in 2019, one of whom was injured for much of the season, so Milledgeville brings a lot of experience back this spring. Wroble said that from what he’s seen in practice so far, those returning players have retained a lot during the long offseason. .... Senior Ryan Kendall will be a key player on both sides of the ball, playing running back and strong safety. He had 65 carries for 239 yards in 2019. He also had 14 catches for 122 yards. He has also put on some muscle, and will act as the play caller on defense. Damon Miller is back as a linebacker. He started as a sophomore in 2018 when the Missiles went unbeaten in the regular season. ..... Nick Smith will once again start at quarterback after a 2019 in which he completed 45 passes for 405 yards. .... Ashton Nobis will pay running back this year after playing tight end in 2019 as a sophomore. ..... In preparing to move to 8-man football for the fall, the Missiles junior varsity will play 8-man this year. In addition, a lot of the terminology will be the same in the 8-man schemes as it is in the 11-man schemes.

WEST CARROLL

2019 record: 5-5, 3-3 NUIC South

Coach: Teo Clark

Worth noting: The Thunder will play games in three different states, facing Galena Week 2 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin and AFC Week 5 in Clinton, Iowa. ...... This is Clark’s first head coaching job. He previously was an assistant coach at DeSoto Central, one of the large-school powers in Mississippi. ..... Alex Mull was an honorable mention all-conference pick on the offensive line in 2019 and should be a mainstay for the Thunder both on the offensive line and defensive line this spring. .... Camren Simpson is back at running back. He gained 121 yards on 27 carries with one touchdown. His role increases this spring following the graduation of Aiden Sullivan. .... Devin Davis will lead the linebacking corps. He is a senior with the ability to get through blockers, find the quarterback and force fumbles.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Will Gustafson, Aquin, Sr., QB: Gustafson (5-7, 150), a Ferris State signee, can hurt opposing teams in a number of ways; as a defensive back with a nose for the ball, as a returner able to out-run coverage, and as a dual-threat quarterback.
• Jordan Neuschwander, Forreston, Sr., RB: Neuschwander is a running back with speed to burn, but can lower the shoulder when he needs to.
• Logan Krell, Eastland-Pearl City, Sr., RB/FS: Krell (5-9, 175) rushed for 713 yards and six touchdowns in 2019, the leading rusher for the Wildcatz.
• Gennings Dunker, Lena-Winslow, Sr., OL/DL: When the Iowa Hawkeyes came to Lena to scout Isaiah Bruce, it turned into a two-for-one deal. Dunker (6-4, 265) will head to Iowa City in the fall where he will once again team up with Bruce, with whom he helped lead the Panthers to their fourth state championship in 2019.
• Jason Hermann, Stockton, Sr., RB/DB: Hermann (5-9, 170) had a breakout performance in Week 9 last year when he gained 182 yards in a win over Dakota.

SCHEDULES

FIVE CAN’T MISS MATCHUPS

Week 3 — East Dubuque vs. Lena-Winslow: New East Dubuque head coach Joe Edler will face the team he led to a state championship in 2010. This reunion comes the year after the Panthers won yet another state championship.

Week 4 — Milledgeville at Eastland-Pearl City: The Missiles make the trip up the road to Lanark one final time before the move to 8-man football in the fall.

Week 4 — Orangeville at Du-Pec: It was a defensive battle the last time these two met, a 10-0 Rivermen win Week 4 in 2019.

Week 5 — Aquin at Forreston: The Cardinals and Bulldogs finished first and second in the South last season. When they met in 2019, the Bulldogs came away with a 36-30 win in Freeport thanks in part to a pair of Will Gustafson touchdown passes in the second half and an interception returned for another score.

Week 6 — Amboy at AFC: When the Raiders and Clippers met Week 9 in 2019, it was the last game for AFC coach Brad Winterland and Amboy coach Gary Jones, who both retired after the season. When they meet again, it will be the last game of 11-man football for both teams, who are moving to 8-man in the fall.

STEVE SOUCIE’S PREDICTED FINISH