Both coaches felt “defensive game” was an apt description.
The Fort Calhoun High School football team beat Arlington in the season-opener Aug. 30, 13-0.
“Real physical,” said the Pioneers' Zach Byrd. The coach's team moved to 1-0 on the road, scoring two touchdowns to the Eagles' none.
“Those are the type of games I like,” first-year AHS head coach Troy Schlueter noted. “I'm more of a defensive enthusiast, I guess.”
Both Washington County teams put it on the line in his eyes.
“They were more physical than they were last year and I think we were more physical than we were last year,” Schlueter said. “I think you saw that. There was some good pursuit to the ball from both teams.”
FCHS senior Alex Schuler was in the trenches during the low-scoring, smashmouth game, revealing a first-hand account.
“They played really tough, but we were the more physical team,” he explained. “We wanted it more.”
The desire to score points, meanwhile, finally paid off during the second quarter when Kaiden Rodriguez finished off a 14-yard run in the end zone for the Pioneers. He'd carried the ball through a facemask penalty earlier during the drive before grinding the ball down into the red zone and, later, crossing the goal line.
Rodriguez's extra-point kick was good, too, though it did hit off of a player at the line of scrimmage before making its between the field goal posts.
The 7-0 Calhoun lead held through the end of the first half and continued into the third quarter before Blake Welchert scored the Pioneers' second rushing touchdown of the season. AHS' Trent Koger blocked the extra-point kick this time, but FCHS still led by what amounted to the final margin when all was said and done.
The Pioneers, ultimately, managed to run out the clock with both Welchert and Rodriguez splitting totes.
“I thought they did a great job,” Coach Byrd said. “(Arlington) gave us some different looks and got some guys through the line, and (Kaiden and Blake) made some guys miss at the point of attack to pick up some tough yards.”
The Fort Calhoun runners were even better in open space, he continued.
“When they got into the open field, they made some things happen and moved the sticks a little bit for us,” Byrd said.
The Pioneers' defense, though, is what stood out during the opening game of the 2024 campaign. Not knowing exactly what they'd get from AHS and its new coach, Calhoun resorted to playing its base defense against the Eagles' all-angles rushing attack.
“We just stuck to our basics and it just came down to wanting it more than they did,” Schuler said.
Byrd explained how FCHS' defensive showing came down to how the Pioneers work when the lights aren't on.
“I think a lot of it has to do with the look that we give each other in practice,” he explained. “The standard the seniors are starting to hold. Everybody else, too, and the expectation there.”
“We had great communication, great focus,” Schuler added during his own interview.
It all led to a shutout capped by Eli Tinkham's late interception during the fourth quarter.
Coach Schlueter, however, believes his Eagles were close to breaking short runs into big gains at times Friday. Work here and there during practice will help AHS make sure they do next time, he said.
“I'll take the heat for the guys on that because little nuances are the coach's responsibility,” Schlueter said. “I'm all about taking responsibility for them, and I hope they take responsibility with me and practice hard for us next week.”
Killian McIntosh started at quarterback for the Eagles, but also made multiple plays defensively. Dallin Franzluebbers did, too, making a pair of interceptions including one in the end zone when the game was still square, 0-0.
“He had a really good game back there,” Schlueter said. “You can see he's a playmaker, obviously.”
Arlington's strong defensive outing was a team effort, though, with the coach pointing out the Eagles' pursuit of FCHS ball carriers.
“I don't remember very many where it was one guy tackling one guy,” Schlueter said. “That's a good sign. That means the hustle is there. That means they're using technique to get off of blocks.”
He noted the Eagles' depth and noted how encouraged he was by his team's physicality.
The defensive game was an opener, though, and both coaches noted what they want their teams to work on going into the second week of the season.
“There's mistakes we've got to work on,” Byrd said. “But a lot of that falls on me and just now knowing what we have, what we can work on and what we need to focus on in practice.”
Schlueter, meanwhile, said it's his job to make his QB and the offense more comfortable as Arlington gets ready to play Conestoga.
“When that happens,” he said. “We'll see a big difference.”
FORT CALHOUN 13, ARLINGTON 0
FCHS (1-0) 0 7 6 0 — 13
AHS (0-1) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Scoring Summary
Second Quarter
FC: Kaiden Rodriguez 14-yard run, Rodriguez PAT
Third Quarter
FC: Blake Welchert 4-yard run, PAT failed
