Team: Pender
Mascot: Pendragons
Colors: Red and White
Class: D-2
Head Coach: Cody Volk (1st season)
2018 record: 4-5 (lost to Johnson-Brock in first round of playoffs)
Returning Starters: N/A
Overview:
Former Husker offensive lineman Cody Volk has taken the reigns of the Pender Football program. Volk spent a year as an assistant for the Pendragons after coming over from Battle Creek.
"Oh about 8 years ago I started coaching at Battle Creek, wrestling and football there for them. And then this last year I got into teaching, and I was an assistant under Andy Welsh here at Pender. Then Andy stepped down to take another job, and I took on the head coaching role."
Welsh took a job outside of education.
Pender returns quite a bit of talent from last year's playoff team.
"Some of our main guys we have Dylan Vogt coming back at running back. He had close to 800 yards last year running the ball while splitting carries, he's just a junior. We have Jaxon Mrsny, both those guys will be pretty big for us on the defensive side of the ball too. Up front we got Lucas Timm. He'll be starting both sides of the ball, along with Jaxon Maise, and Larry McManigal, all pretty athletic guys. We do bring back Caleb Trimble back at Quarterback as well. Which last year he was kind of thrown into the fire as a freshman, but he's put in a lot of time this summer, and really worked his tail off, and we expect big things out of him in that backfield," Volk said.
Volk says Eric Hathaway returns as well and Colton Sanderson is expected to see playing time also.
The Pendragons said goodbye to Julius Kasiske, Jaydon Jump, Jakob Cady, Sam Mailloux, and Gabriel Perez last year.
I feel Mailloux was the only real big loss from last year's team along with Jump.
Having that 6'6 frame to throw to at tight end is a definite loss, but Pender has a lot to work with given who is all back from last year's team.
I feel this year's Pendragon team will be faster, stronger, bigger, and more mobile than before.
These kids have had the better part of a year to work on their agility and other things, and I look for Pender to be very agile this season.
I feel the Pendragon players will be in great physical shape, and should be in pretty much every game they play in this year.
I think a 5-3 or maybe a 6-2 season is right about where Pender will finish, but only time will tell on that for sure.
One thing I will say though is I feel the Pendragons will be a very dangerous team come playoff time, a darkhorse you could say.
Season Outlook:
Pender opens up the season at Winnebago on Friday. Volk discusses the keys to the game from an offensive and defensive standpoint.
"Well one defensively we have to be assignment sound in everything that we're doing up there. We have to play fast, and we can't be afraid to take chances on getting a turnover. Offensively, we have to take care of the ball. We want to run the ball. And we have to be sound in our technique, we have to be cognizant of the ball, and honestly we just can't turn it over. Last year when we played them, I don't remember the exact number, but we had quite a few fumbles in that game to where watching the film we were playing pretty well with them and then all of a sudden the turnover bug hit us, and we just didn't recover mentally from it."
The Indians won last year's contest in Pender, 50-14.
Bob Jensen of the Huskerland Prep report says the Pendragons should win their fair share of games this season.
"He's in a good place. He's got some good players that are coming back. I don't know that Pender's going to be one of those teams that wins 8 or 9 games, but I think they're going to win probably 5, maybe 6. I could see them being really competitive."
The Pendragons have made the playoffs 4 years in a row.
As I mentioned in the Overview, I look for Pender to win 5 or 6 games and make the playoffs, and perhaps win a couple of games in the playoffs.
I really feel the program is in great shape with Volk as he was a Husker offensive lineman from 1999-2003.
I look for Pender to be a playoff contender this year and for years to come.
I think the Pendragons will give everyone they play this year all they can handle, and perhaps shock some teams this season.
I don't think Pender is a team people are going to want to play come the end of October.
I think Volk will have this team playing their best football at season's end and competing for a District Championship.
It should be a great ride for everyone involved and I'm really excited to see how the Pendragons do and fare this season.
It should be a memorable year for Pender nonetheless.
2019 Pender Pendragons Football Schedule:
08/30/19 @ Winnebago
09/13/19 Homer
09/20/19 Randolph
09/27/19 @ Clarkson/Leigh
10/04/19 Cedar Bluffs
10/11/19 Mead
10/18/19 @ Emerson-Hubbard
10/24/19 @ Omaha Christian Academy
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