Alburnett prepares to face rival in opener

ALBURNETT – The Alburnett Pirates open their 2013 campaign with a familiar foe.

Lurking 15 miles to their north, the North Linn (Troy Mills) Lynx await, seeking revenge for the one-point loss the Pirates handed them to open the 2012 season. In that non-district contest, the Pirates (5-4, 4-2) took the lead with just five minutes remaining on a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

Head coach Chris Evers and crew wouldn't want to start the season any other way.

'Just because it's a rivalry, they still have great focus anyway,' said Evers. 'They have a great wrestling coach (Kane Thompson) that prepares them too. He helps with intensity and attitude. The attitude that we came here to get things done.'

Despite the rivalry, the game is just another opponent for senior quarterback Alec Phillipp.

'We prepare just like any other game,' said Phillipp. 'Whether it's the best team or the worst team, we prepare the same way.'

Phillipp will add a little senior leadership to a young team this year. Last season, he threw for 1,380 yards and 19 touchdowns. He scored seven touchdowns on the ground and gained 573 yards.

'We just need to work as a team,' said Phillipp, who also snagged three interceptions last year. 'We practice as a team because you want to practice like you play.'

Evers said getting back to the basics of blocking and tackling will be a big key for the Pirates. One of the early season goals will be solid execution.

'We have to take advantage of other teams' mistakes and keep ours to a minimum,' Evers said. 'Just trying to do things as close to perfection as possible. That's our goal.'

Senior running back Dylan Windfield hopes to take on a heavier workload this season. Last year he carried the ball 89 times for 489 yards (5.4 average) and three scores.

'Prepare like everyone expects you to lose and you want to prove them wrong,' said Windfield. 'So you try your hardest in every game.

That approach is what Evers is looking for from his team this season.

'They know what to expect,' said Evers. 'We played a lot of seniors last year, and we've replaced them. But that growth time has helped a lot.

'We are so much farther along this year than we were last year at this time.'

One of those seniors the Pirates need to replace is Colton Martin-Enos. He led the team in receptions (47), receiving yards (809) and tackles (107). Evers insists though, it's all about a team approach.

'I don't think there is going to be one superstar, just a lot of good kids,' Evers said.  'When you have a bunch of kids that can contribute, they feel like part of a program.'

Alburnett Pirates

Coach: Chris Evers (fifth season, 21-20)

Last year: 5-5 (4-2 in 1A-5)

Key returners: QB/DB Alec Philipp, WR-DB Dylon Miller, RB-LB Dylan Winfield, TE Delass Liebe, OL Brandon Huff, WR Kelton Rose, TE-LB Austin Hoyle, OL-ND Connor Schulista

Key losses: WR Colton Martin-Enos, LB Zach Hoyle

Key to making playoffs: Need breaks early to get confidence.

Games to watch: 'First district game against North Cedar (Sept. 13) will tell us a lot about our team,' Evers said.

Schedule

Aug. 30 — at North-Linn

Sept. 6 — Lisbon

Sept. 13 — at North Cedar

Sept. 20 — Clayton Ridge

Sept. 27 — at Maq. Valley

Oct. 4 — I.C. Regina

Oct. 11 — at Durant

Oct. 18 — Bellevue

Oct .25 — at Tipton

Roster

2 Joey Philipp, so., SE

3 Dillon Caves, so., DB

5 Colton Wessels, jr. QB

12 Bryce Paul, so., DB

18 Alec Philipp, sr., QB

22 Dylan Miller, sr., RB

25 Kolton Rose, jr., TE

26 K. Kristiansin, so., RB/G

31 Connor Shulista, so., HB

32 Dylan Windfield, sr., RB

33 Dalton Hogan, so., SE

50 Hunter Washburn, jr., LB

52 Colton Wood, jr., G

53 Jacob Flitsch, so., G

54 Deloss Liebe, jr., G

57 Drake Halblom, so., G

58 Sam MacDonald, sr., DT

59 Trey Gallagher, so., T

60 Andrew Barnett, jr., DB

60 Daniel Schon, jr., DT

61 Austin Heff, so., G

62 Andrew Graham, jr., G

64 Austin Hoylem jr., G

71 Jaxon Flitsch, so., T

72 Brandon Huff, jr., T

75 Robbie Carrothers, jr., T

76 Jake Langhoff, so., T

77 DJ Kohl, jr., DT

80 Adam Anderson, jr., DT

81 Jordan Stewart, so., TE

82 Ryan Moyle, so., WB

85 Mason Grant, so., TE