Scenes of things to come . . . Team-mates helping each other. Above, a pre-season scrimmage provides players a bit of game-like experience. Above Toby Kotinek runs against Connor Janda in the practice Friday on the Raiders home field in Lawrence.
Coach Brown and Nash Schroer watch the Lawrence-Nelson Raiders Football team during the scrimmage Friday evening in Lawrence. Nash seemed excited to be on the sidelines.
Looks can be deceiving . . .
Many football fans like to compare one season to another. But, if you do that to the 2021 Raider football team, a person could be deceived.
It is true that the eight seniors on the 2020 team will be missed. However, the 2021 roster has more people on it.
It is true that the 2020 record was certainly not similar to the history of Raider football. However, the 2021 team seems to be committed to correcting last year's record . . . in spite of a schedule that includes last year's state champion in BDS and Osceola and Kenesaw, both of whom won nine games last season.
However, it is also true that the team has returned a number of players that did gain a lot of experience a year ago and are certainly looking forward to having more fun this season that hopefully will not be affected by the covid pandemic as the 2020 season was.
It a whole new season . . . something that many folks overlook year to year.
An interesting item on the roster for 2021 is the size. Not just in numbers, but individual size. There have been years in Raider history when it didn't seem possible to even have a scrimmage because of few numbers. This year 29 players are on the roster and 14 of them are listed as more than 180 pounds and nine of those 14 are more than 200 pounds.
And, while size is important in football, speed is also an important component of the game. It is possible 2021 will see a little more speed from the Raider squad.
However, how coach Blevins and assistants sort out all the pieces and put together the eight players that will succeed, will be interesting.
On offense, the top rusher returns from last year in Krayton Kucera and the top receiver returns in the person of Tyson Kotinek. On defense three of the top five defenders return in Krayton Kucera, Erik Wheeland and Connor Cannaday.
Stay tuned and come out to watch a game or two or eight or twelve this season.
Assisting head coach Brian Blevins are Preston Hild, Jerad Niederklein, Decker Brown, Ramsey Hunt and Kevin Wheeland. Student Managers are: Will Dougherty, Jack Williams, Jace Hoelting, Cody Funk and A. J. Koehler.
The schedule:
Aug. 27 – High Plains, home
Sept. 3 – at Arapahoe
Sept. 10 – at Diller-Odell
Sept. 17 – Blue Hill, home
Sept. 24 – at Kenesaw
Oct. 1 – Giltner, home
Oct. 8 – Osceola, home
Oct. 15 – at BDS
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