Coach Zach Byrd's Fort Calhoun High School football team knows what it wants this season.
“Playoffs,” senior Levi Lasher said. “Nothing short of it.”
Andrew Namuth, another senior, believes leadership and teamwork can take the Pioneers there.
“There's going to be tough times during the season,” he said. “But, I think, if we just stick together through those times, the sky's the limit.”
As FCHS' top returning tacklers, Namuth, Lasher and Alex Christensen feel the defense can lead the way, too. The seniors combined for 234 total tackles during last fall's 3-6 campaign.
“I think our defense is our strong point, for sure,” said Lasher, who was apart of 84 takedowns in 2023. “Our D-line is very aggressive. We lost our safety, but Blake (Welchert) stepped up and he's doing really well.”
The most prolific tackler in the secondary continued.
“Our corners are pretty locked-down on the outside,” he said. “So, I think we'll be pretty good this year on defense.”
Namuth stood by Lasher's assessment of his position group — the defensive line.
“Basically, everybody's returning,” he said, noting Colton Miles, Dylan Keyser and himself specifically.
Namuth, like Lasher and Christensen, knows what it takes to drag opponents down to the turf as he helps lead an experienced defense into the new season.
“It's kind of just a mindset,” he said. “You're going to be in every play and you're going to make that play.”
“You can't be scared,” Lasher added. “You've got to want to inflict the pain.”
That's never been a problem for Christensen, who finished with 70 total tackles in 2023.
“You've got to hit them before they hit you,” he said.
It's not all just desire, though. It takes technique to tackle, too.
“To me, a good tackler has got to get low. Pad level is key in it,” Christensen said. “You also want to track the back hip.”
Why the back hip?
“If you track the back hip, the only way they can beat you is if they're faster,” the senior said, cracking a smile. “Which, no one's really faster than me.”
Starters return to offense, too
When Fort Calhoun's defense isn't stifling offenses this fall, Christensen expects the offense's running game to be a strength.
Welchert returns after running for 543 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore, but so, too, does a stout offensive line.
“We've just gotten bigger and better,” Christensen said. “So, I think we'll have a better push.”
Alex Schuler, Dylan Keyser, Colton Miles, Dane Jensen and Christensen have made up the top unit during preseason practices as center Colby Bentley continues his offseason injury recovery. Christensen said it's a strong group looking forward to blocking for Welchert as well as back Kaiden Rodriguez.
Second-year starting quarterback Adam Elofson returns, too, after throwing for 1,624 yards and 17 scores a year ago. He is, however, without his top two receivers from last fall — Grayson Bouwman and Preston Johnson — due to graduation.
The Pioneers open their 2024 schedule Friday against Arlington before facing a schedule to include preseason Omaha World-Herald No. 1 Wahoo, No. 4 Pierce, No. 7 Omaha Roncalli on Sept. 6 and No. 10 Douglas County West.
IF YOU GO
What: Fort Calhoun vs. Arlington varsity football
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Arlington High School
