BC/NG Football Hoping To Make Another Playoff Run In 2016

The Boone Central/Newman Grove Cardinals have shown steady growth in recent years under the direction of Susan Roberts and they hope 2016 continues that trend.

Coming off a 15-15 season in 2015, the Cardinals return five letter winners with extensive experience. Leading the way are seniors Tessa Hedlund and Mya Donelon, who Roberts says are part of the strongest passing group she has had in years. Fellow senior Jenna Kramer is also one Roberts expects a lot of, calling her a leader at the net.

The Cardinals start the 2016 season off September 1 with a tough test against O'Neill.

Team Profile:
BOONE CENTRAL/NEWMAN GROVE CARDINALS
Class: C1
Coach: Susan Roberts
2015 record: 15-15
2015 playoffs: N/A

Returning starters: Five

Returning letter winners: Tessa Hedlund, Sr., Jenna Kramer, Sr., Mya Donelon, Sr., Karely Zoucha, Sr., Nicole Woebbecke, Jr.

2016 outlook: "We are looking to continue the upward trend that we’ve been slowly building over the past 5 years. We will need to gain some experience in some key positions, especially with a rookie setter, but we have the athleticism and good base skills to get that done." - coach Susan Roberts. The Cardinals have a good core of returning players and Roberts has seen her teams get better consistently over the years. Expect that trend to continue, maybe even pushing 20 wins in 2016.


In 2015, the Boone Central/Newman Grove Cardinals football team had someone other than Arnie Johnson at the helm for the first time in more than two decades. It's safe to say Mark Hudson did just fine.

In his first year for the Cardinals, Hudson led them to a 7-3 record. He hopes to improve on that still in 2016.

While his team only returns two starters from last season, they are two very good players in senior Dalton Wagner and junior Dylan Gentrup. Wagner is expected to be a leader on the defensive side from his linebacker position, while Gentrup is likely to take over the quarterback position for Boone Central/Newman Grove.

The Cardinals begin their quest for another playoff season August 26 when they take on Pierce.

Team Profile:
BOONE CENTRAL/NEWMAN GROVE CARDINALS
Class: C1
Coach: Mark Hudson
2016 record: 7-3
2016 playoffs: First round loss to Wilber-Clatonia

Returning starters: two on offense, two on defense

Returning letter winners: Dalton Wagner, Sr., Derek Stuhr, Sr., Tanner Schafer, Sr., Jacob Potmesil, Sr., Ty Groth, Sr., Ryan Thiem, Sr., Dylan Gentrup, Jr., Zach Nissen, Jr., Todd Berger, Jr., Levi Krueger, Jr., Trey Schafer, Jr., Matt Schmitz, Jr., Caden Ranslem, Jr., Isaac Sullivan, Jr., Mike Murcek, Jr., Cody Nelson, Jr.

2016 Outlook: "We graduated a lot. Our numbers will be down some. We have some talented seniors, but our success will depend on the development of sophomores and juniors. If we stay healthy, we should be competitive in our district, even though we'll be very young." - coach Mark Hudson. The Cardinals may struggle early, especially with teams like Pierce and Norfolk Catholic in the first half of their season. However, it's hard to imagine a season where Boone Central/Newman Grove doesn't have success. There's far too much talent in that program. Expect them to make another playoff run in 2016.

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