Team: West Point-Beemer
Mascot: Cadets
Colors: Red and White
Class: C-1
Head Coach: Troy Schlueter (2nd season)
2016 record: 4-5
Returning Starters: 9 offense 7 defense
Overview:
The West Point-Beemer Football team brings back 9 starters on offense and 7 on defense. 2nd year Head Coach Troy Schlueter says two of the starters lost are significant losses though. "A couple guys that you won't see that you saw last year are Riley Berg and Dylan James. They were some of the key contributors that we'll pry miss a little bit. And there were 7 seniors last year, miss all them a bunch, but those two were pry the main contributors."
Schlueter says this year's backs are more straight ahead physical runners while Berg was more of a gamebreaker speed guy.
The Cadets return starting quarterback Cole Hughes (6'0, 160 JR) as well as junior receivers Ben VanderGriend (5'10, 155), and Kade Hughes ((6'1, 160).
At running back, Hunter Pilakowski (5'9, 160 SR) and Gage Vance (5'9, 160 JR) return for West Point-Beemer.
Ronny Petersen (5'10, 170 SR), Chase Streeter (6'1, 200 SR), Austin Streeter (6'2, 195 SR), Devon Priestly (6'1, 260 SR), and Gustavo Villasenor (5'9, 1270 SR) all return on the offensive line for the Cadets.
Blake Anderson (6'2, 190 JR), Chase Streeter, and Austin Streeter will help make up the defensive line for the Cadets while Petersen, Vance, and Pilakowski will patrol things at linebacker for West Point-Beemer.
Kade Hughes and VanderGriend along with Cole Hughes will help make up the Cadets' secondary.
The time is now for West Point-Beemer, in my opinion. The Cadets have a lot of senior experience and leadership up front, and a lot of juniors at the skill positions.
How well these kids come together from now until the start of the Arlington game could dictate how the season goes for West Point-Beemer.
I think the Cadets have an opportunity to have a very respectable season. I think it all comes down to how hard West Point-Beemer wants to work, and how physical of a team they are.
The Cadets can't be afraid to hit and light people up.
West Point-Beemer's season opener against Arlington should provide for a very stingy test for the Cadets, and help prepare them for what they are going to see down the line in district play.
I look for West Point-Beemer to be a team that plays hard nosed football until the whistle, and doesn't ever give up.
Season Outlook:
West Point-Beemer opens up the season next Friday at Arlington in a game that will be carried on 107.9 the Bull. Schlueter says the Cadets respect the Eagles a lot and like how they play. "Arlington we respect a lot. I really have enjoyed talking with their Head Coach...Gubbels. He's a track coach too so I talk to him during track season quite a bit. And a little bit this summer too actually at 7 on 7, stuff like that. But I love how they play to be honest with you. They're physical and they want to hit. That's football to me. And I think it's a great opening game for us because last year it showed us hey we are not close to being physical. And then we got more physical."
Arlington beat the Cadets 41-0 in last year's season opener in West Point. West Point-Beemer finished last season with a 4-5 record, but lost their last three games.
I think how last season ended has to leave a sour taste in the Cadets' mouths, especially given what transpired at the end of the Wayne game.
The good news is West Point-Beemer has had an entire year to digest what went wrong at the end of last season, and should be ready to fix the problems this year.
It's not how you start it's how you finish, and the Cadets just need to work on finishing stronger this year, in my opinion.
West Point-Beemer got off to a respectable start last year....now it's just a matter of sealing the deal in games at the end of the season this time around.
Bob Jensen of the Huskerland Prep Report expects West Point-Beemer to have a winning season. "Yeah I tell you what I was in West Point. One of the very first trips I made during the spring was I went to West Point. I was kind of fascinated by the number of players they have coming back. Something like 9 back on offense and maybe 7 on defense. Got a senior class that's played a lot of football. Got a proven Quarterback in Cole Hughes. I don't know I think it's a team they need to have a little success early. I really got the impression that they believe that this could be a good football season for them. And you know as good as I do that's a huge first step."
Jensen says he also likes Blake Anderson a lot, and thinks he could be in the all-state conversation by year's end.
I look for the Cadets to go 5-4 or 6-3 perhaps, possibly upsetting Norfolk Catholic or Pierce.
West Point-Beemer is in a very strong district C1-5 with O'Neill, Norfolk Catholic, Pierce, Wayne, and Madison.
The schedule certainly presents a lot of challenges for the Cadets, but to be the best you have to beat the best, and that's what West Point-Beemer will try and accomplish this season.
You want to always take steps forward and progress as a program, and for the Cadets to do that this season I think they need to finish with a winning record.
4-5 is respectable, but I think West Point-Beemer would feel like no progress was made if they go 4-5 or worse this year.
It's important for the Cadets to keep making strides and improving as a program, and if West Point-Beemer could finish with a winning record, I think it would be a big deal for this program and the two communities.
It's been a long time since the Cadets have had a winning season, but I think West Point-Beemer has a chance to do that this season, and turn some heads.
I definitely think this program is headed in the right direction.
2017 West Point-Beemer Cadets Football Schedule:
08/25/17 @ Arlington
09/01/17 North Bend Central
09/08/17 Wisner-Pilger
09/15/17 @ Fort Calhoun
09/22/17 O'Neill
09/29/17 @ Madison
10/06/17 @ Wayne
10/13/17 Pierce
10/20/17 Norfolk Catholic
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