Dyersville Beckman running on all cylinders headed into playoffs

 DYERSVILLE - Coming off back-to-back Class 2A state semifinal trips and returning several key components to those runs, Dyersville Beckman had high expectations for this season.But going into Week 4, the Blazers stared at a 1-2 record and bevy of injuries and illnesses.“We had a lot of boys injured, and then we had a little sickness going around the school,” said Beckman Coach Gregg Hammann. “We had a couple boys out, I think five one night, because of strep throat. We had a couple games that were real close that we lost up front there, without 10 or 11 guys on the field.”Those two losses - at home against West Delaware, 39-26, and on the road against Mount Vernon, 29-20 - taught Hammann and his staff something about their roster.With players thrust into roles they hadn't expected, the Beckman coaches were pleased with the performances despite the game results.That knowledge put the Blazers in a position, once healthy, to regroup and make a run at another district championship. And Beckman did just that on Friday night, winning its sixth straight in a demolition of then-Class 2A No. 9 Cascade for the district crown.“I think the thing we learned from that was the guys that did come in did a great job and stepped in for them,” Hammann said. “We started subbing those guys a lot more, so we were able to rotate guys a lot throughout the season. It's just made us that much stronger.“We've got 24 or 25 football players, and all of them play.”The players knew coming into this season the success of recent years would put a target on their backs. That coupled with the flu and injury bugs put the Blazers in a bit of an unfamiliar position.To ask quarterback Grant Hammann, though, he and his teammates couldn't have responded better.“We've played with a chip on our shoulder, and we've known people were going to come at us,” the younger Hammann said. “Our team, the guys work harder every week than they did the week before. They get better than they were the week before.“That's been the biggest part (of the turnaround), I think, is how hard everyone works here.”More than the physical evidence that players have worked hard and stepped in when others were out, there was a huge mental side to the six-game streak.Trust.Gregg said he's been able to put faith in his players' feedback and apply their suggestions to the field more than maybe any other time he's been the head coach.A football coach being able to rely on teenagers can be invaluable, especially when that's not something a lot of coaches are willing - let alone able - to do.“It's critical, and I can tell you we wouldn't have been able to win some of the games we've won if it wasn't for the kids out there doing the things they do,” Gregg said. “They understand our offense, they know the schemes, and they know how to execute. So when they see opportunities, they talk to us about it.”With the turnaround complete, and Beckman firing on all cylinders, the expectations in-house are still sky-high.Gregg said playing like they are, “we're a pretty tough ballclub to beat” and that their “goal has always been to win a state championship.”The coach stopped short of any sort of guarantee, but stood resolute when pressed about exactly what he thought would happen, saying “if we keep playing this way and stay healthy, we're going to be hard to beat.”His son and leader of his team, Grant, agreed and said he's looking forward to catching some people off guard.“We're really capable of anything,” Grant said. “We surprise everybody every week. Our line comes out and they're faster and they're stronger, and our backs are quicker and stronger every week. Every week, everything seems to get better.“I definitely think we're capable of doing it.”Beckman takes on Hampton-Dumont at home on Wednesday at 7 p.m.