Team: Tekamah-Herman
Mascot: Tigers
Colors: Purple and Vegas Gold
Class: C-2
Head Coach: Graig McElmuray (3rd season) (1-17 record)
2016 record: 1-8
Returning Starters: N/A
Overview:
The Tekamah-Herman Football Team figures to be improved over a year ago. Head Coach Graig McElmuray says the Tigers are experienced up front, but will be breaking in some new guys in the offensive backfield. "We have a strong offensive line back. Everybody that's coming back on offensive line has played at some time during the last two years for us. Most of them have started at least one game at a position on offensive line. They aren't four-year starters obviously, but they ended up starting a position. And fullback and tailback this year are new obviously again after last year's graduation we lost Ben Metzler and Cody Hopkins last year to graduation."
McElmuray says his team has 11 seniors and 13 juniors out this year.
I think being an experienced and veteran team will help Tekamah-Herman out this year tremendously. Last year's Sophomores and Juniors are now Juniors and Seniors, and the time to win is now for Tekamah-Herman.
The offensive line has to be physical and must be ready to open up holes for the running game. The defensive line has to have a tough, hard nosed mentality, and must be ready to stop the power run game that many of their opponents possess.
The Tigers also have to be able to pass the ball effectively, and must tackle well defensively. Defending the pass well is also going to be important for Tekamah-Herman, in my opinion.
Some of the toughest football in the state is played in Northeast Nebraska, and the Tigers have to step up their game to be one of the best.
I think Tekamah-Herman made some tremendous strides last year, and I look for the Tigers to be even better in 2017.
Replacing an entire offensive backfield is never easy, but it appears Tekamah-Herman is filling the void left from last year's departing seniors with players with varsity experience.
The cupboard isn't exactly bare at Tekamah-Herman so look for the Tigers to be much more competitive and win their fair share of games this upcoming season.
I think this team can turn a few heads and surprise a few people. Only time will tell how good Tekamah-Herman can be this season though.
Season Outlook:
Tekamah-Herman opens up the 2017 season on Friday, August 25th with a home game against Madison. McElmuray says the Dragons will be no pushover. "Madison is a unique experience for us. They are a C-1 school coming down here for one game after Omaha Brownell-Talbot had to forfeit their season. And we've been watching a little bit of film on them, and got some big young men on the front line, they have some speed. Seen them at conference track, and we seen them at different places. And I think they're going to present a unique instance for us to play our first game."
The Tigers are coming off a 1-8 season last year.
Looking at the schedule, Tekamah-Herman has at least a few winnable games on the schedule. But even if the Tigers only win a few games this year I think they will be much more competitive against the juggernauts on their schedule than they were last year.
The Madison, North Bend Central, and Wisner-Pilger games appear to be very winnable, but none of those games will be easy for Tekamah-Herman, especially since two of the teams are C-1 foes.
Ponca, Doniphan-Trumbull, Logan View, BRLD, Fremont Bergan, and Oakland-Craig figure to be very good this year.
Doniphan-Trumbull has a new coach, but I still expect them to be very tough.
Logan View and BRLD are interesting matchups. Logan View had a new coach last year and BRLD was in their first year of 11-man so it will be interesting to see what those two teams have learned coming into this year.
Tekamah-Herman definitely has their work cut out for them, there's no doubt about it, but there's no reason to think the Tigers won't be tough minded and competitive.
The Tigers are in District C2-3 though, and McElmuray says his team is going to have to stay healthy to be a factor at the end of the season. "Tough District...Oakland-Craig, Fremont Bergan, Logan View, BRLD, Wisner-Pilger. All those teams are very capable of putting together a playoff team. A lot of it's just going to be staying healthy. Keeping our offensive line intact. Not having to put freshman out on the field this year for us in situations where we've had to put freshman in before."
McElmuray feels the District Favorite is Oakland-Craig.
I agree with McElmuray...I think Oakland-Craig is still the cream of the crop in the district. However, there's no reason to think their Burt County rival won't make some noise this season.
The Tigers are experienced and veteran laden so that should help out their cause tremendously this year. All those freshmen that played two years ago when everyone was hurt now reap the benefit of that experience when they take to the field this season.
2017 Tekamah-Herman Tigers Football Schedule:
08/25/17 Madison
09/01/17 Ponca
09/08/17 @ North Bend Central
09/15/17 @ Doniphan-Trumbull
09/22/17 Logan View
09/29/17 @ BRLD
10/06/17 Archbishop Bergan
10/13/17 @ Oakland-Craig
10/20/17 Wisner-Pilger
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