Team: Emerson-Hubbard
Mascot: Pirates
Colors: Purple and Gold
Class: D-2
Head Coach: Ken Swanson (7th season) (24-28 record)
2015 record: 5-4 (lost to Falls City Sacred Heart in first round of playoffs)
Returning Starters: 3 offense 4 defense
Overview:
The Emerson-Hubbard Pirates hope to be good again in 2016 after making the playoffs last year.
Emerson-Hubbard returns three starters on offense and four on defense.
Returning on offense for the Pirates are seniors Taylor Donner and Nathan Parker-Diaz, as well as junior Josh Sebade. Junior Blake Eriksen returns on defense.
Donner will be the team's signal caller once again while Parker-Diaz and Sebade will help patrol things up front.
Caleb Gubbels is expected to see some extensive time at RB.
Parker-Diaz returns on the defensive line, and Eriksen and Sebade return at linebacker.
Donner returns in the secondary.
Sebade racked up 60 tackles a season ago for Emerson-Hubbard while Eriksen totaled 43.
Those two will definitely need to come up big again for the Pirates to have success this season.
Emerson-Hubbard doesn't have a lot of experience returning as they will be young, but talented.
Noah Trenhaile, Austin Carper, Keaton Wriedt, Jacob Kneifl, Nolan Ostrand, and Spencer Burcham are all likely to see playing time for the Pirates this year as well.
There could definitely be a lot of raw talent on this team, but I look for that talent to mature, blossom, and develop over the course of the season.
I fully expect Emerson-Hubbard to be fine and be in the thick of the playoff chase at the end of the regular season just like last year.
Season Outlook:
Emerson-Hubbard hopes 2016 treats them as well as 2015 did.
The Pirates will need to work together as a team in practice and in games to improve every week, but if they can do that they will be just fine.
Emerson-Hubbard was good last year, and I look for this year to be no exception. I fully expect the Pirates to be in the playoffs again.
Time will tell how good this team really is, but I think you will see them grow and improve as the season progresses.
Player development and growth during the course of the season will most likely go a long ways in determining what kind of year the Pirates have.
It might take a half or an entire game or two for everyone to get things figured out, but once everyone settles into their new roles, look for Emerson-Hubbard to be ready to make another run at the postseason.
I look for the Pirates to play their best football at the end of the season, and make a push for the playoffs.
Emerson-Hubbard has two very winnable games to start the season as they take on Hartington-Newcastle and Scribner-Snyder before a really tough game against defending state champion Humphrey St. Francis.
The Pirates should be able to knock off Wausa and Winside following the game against the Flyers, but will have another challenge with Wynot following the Winside game.
Emerson-Hubbard then has a very winnable road game at Allen before ending the regular season at home against Randolph.
The Pirates have a fairly tough district, and to win it, Emerson-Hubbard will have to play at a very high level throughout district play and the season as a whole. The good news is the Pirates get both Randolph and Wynot at home.
I think another 5-3 season is very possible for Emerson-Hubbard.
2016 Emerson-Hubbard Pirates Football Schedule:
09/02/16 @ Hartington-Newcastle
09/09/16 Scribner-Snyder
09/16/16 @ Humphrey St. Francis
09/23/16 @ Wausa
09/30/16 Winside
10/07/16 Wynot
10/14/16 @ Allen
10/21/16 Randolph
No comments:
Post a Comment