Team: North Bend Central
Mascot: Tigers
Colors: Orange and Black
Class: C-1
Head Coach: Ryan Stieren (2nd season)
2016 record: 4-4
Returning Starters: 6 offense 6 defense
Overview:
North Bend Central returns 6 starters on both sides of the ball from last year's 4-4 squad. Head Coach Ryan Stieren says a couple of those returners are Joel Hines and Brock Ray. "Returning at Quarterback Joel Hines (5'9, 175 SR) this year, and he's a senior Quarterback, and he was our starter all year last year. So that's definitely nice to have. Got another year. And what we do offensively. And so I think his numbers should improve on last year, and he's a great leader for us. Other than that we got Brock Ray (5'10, 200) SR). Brock Ray's another solid player for us, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, he's going to move to center this year. We're a little bit light numbers wise on the offensive line so he's sacrificing for the team, which is awesome, and so he's done really really well there."
Stieren says Colton Mitties (5'10, 195 SR) is moving from tight end to fullback, and James Seymour (6'6, 245 SR) will start at tight end.
Other offensive linemen include seniors Jared Spiker (6'3, 255), Brendan Pojar (6'3, 210), Joe Bautista (5'11, 225), and Tyler Obershaw (5'9, 220), as well as juniors Jeremy Doernemann (5'10, 225), Zander Ziettlow (6'0, 250), and Trevor Nelson (5'10, 225), in addition to sophomore Cole Johnson (5'11, 190).
Wide receivers include John Emanuel (6'0, 170 JR), Peter Emanuel (6'1, 170 SR), and Brandon Wardman (5'10, 150 JR).
On defense, Ray, Mitties, Seymour, and Peter Emanuel will patrol things at linebacker.
Wardman and John Emanuel will see some time at defensive back, according to Stieren.
Hines and Jacob Ray are vying for the starting free safety spot.
The Tigers should have a lot of power and speed this season. North Bend Central has some big boys up front and some really nice players at the skill positions. I really think this Tigers' team could have a really nice year.
I think North Bend Central will fare at least the same as last year.
I don't see the Tigers going any worse than 4-4 this season. If anything, I see North Bend Central finishing 5-3.
The West Point-Beemer game will be big for the Tigers, in my opinion. That's the game that could decide if North Bend Central goes 4-4 or 5-3.
Season Outlook:
North Bend Central kicks off their season Friday night at home against Louisville. Stieren says his team has been working hard for and anticipating the start of this season. "Yeah I mean it's been a long haul. Since May we've been in the weightroom, and we've done the team camp in the summer time, and went off to a full contact camp. And we've done 7 on 7's. So it feels like we've been practicing for about 4 months."
The Tigers, who are in District C1-4 with David City Aquinas, Bishop Neumann, Wahoo, and David City, defeated Louisville 19-7 on the road in last year's season opener.
I don't know if North Bend Central will beat the Wahoo Schools and David City Aquinas this year, but I think the Tigers can definitely be more competitive against all three this season.
North Bend Central has to have a fire lit under them and play tenacious, nasty, physical, hard nosed, and aggressive football.
The Tigers have to be ready to hit hard and light people up.
Teams like Aquinas and Bishop Neumann and Wahoo know how to wrap up and hit people.
So North Bend Central has to be tough minded and try and emulate the types of things those teams do.
There's no reason the Tigers can't become one of those top teams that's feared in the area and throughout the state.
There was already so much improvement from 2015 to 2016 for North Bend Central, and I look for the Tigers to put an even better product on the field in 2017.
North Bend Central may not make the playoffs, but I think the Tigers can get pretty darn close to making it in if they don't earn a spot.
It's strange that North Bend Central doesn't play 9 games like the schedule is set up for Classes A through C-2, but perhaps the Tigers will earn a trip to the playoffs and at least play a 9th game.
It may seem like a long shot, but all the work these kids have put in this summer is going to pay off one way or another, in my opinion.
North Bend Central just has to stick with it, and continue to improve and play hard week in and week out, and let the winning and results take care of themselves.
2017 North Bend Central Tigers Football Schedule:
08/25/17 Louisville
09/01/17 @ West Point-Beemer
09/08/17 Tekamah-Herman
09/15/17 @ Madison
09/29/17 Wahoo
10/06/17 @ Aquinas Catholic
10/13/17 Bishop Neumann
10/20/17 @ David City
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