Another Cedar Rapids Xavier football team sets the bar high and earns preseason No. 1 ranking

CEDAR RAPIDS — Consistency and discipline.

Those traits form the foundation of Cedar Rapids Xavier’s football program. The players have grown to expect, accept and promote the tenets by Duane Schulte, the Saints’ only head coach who has 208 career victories, seven state finals appearances and four championships, including the Class 4A crown last season, in the 26-year history of the school.

“Every day in practice the coaches help us out and instill that in us,” Xavier senior offensive lineman Jace Borcherding said. “Last year’s seniors helped me realize what it was like to be on varsity and get to become a starter, learn the plays and be ready for that season. They helped get us where we are today.”

Xavier will attempt to reload and continue its success, returning just six starters but 24 other letterwinners from last year’s title team. The Saints earned the No. 1 spot in The Gazette’s preseason 4A poll and open the season Friday at No. 8 Waverly-Shell Rock.

“We want to set the bar high like we do every year,” Saints senior Luke Frost said. “I always think we have potential. The team is looking pretty good.

“We don’t look at how we’re ranked but it’s there. Coming off a winning season, we want to be just like that.”

The Saints numbers are gaudy. They have reached the state semifinals at the UNI-Dome nine of the last 11 years and 11 total times since their first trip that resulted in the 2006 championship. Xavier has reached the finals six times, including each of the last two seasons, and added titles in 2017 and 2018.

“I haven’t really thought about it because we do what we do,” said Schulte, who praised the leadership of this year’s senior class. “The kids have bought in over the years. Almost as important, their parents buy in, too.

“We set the bar high, and they try to meet the bar. Everybody in this community understands you’re going to get coached hard but we’re going to pat you on the back when deserve that and we’re going to get after you when you deserve that. The bottom line is I hope they know we care about them and love them.”

The 2022 page has already been turned after briefly discussing it during an offseason meeting. The previous finish isn’t good for a 2023 victory or for any points in an upcoming game. Time for the current players to make their own impact.

“We brought it up then and said it was a great job,” Schulte said. “It’s over with and now you have to prepare for the future. We haven’t talked about it since.”

So, do the lofty standards and winning tradition provide more pressure or excitement?

“A little bit of both,” Borcherding said. “There is a lot of pressure coming from the fact that we won last year, but also we’re excited to get going this season and show we can get there again with our preparation, great coaches and scout team helping us.”

The Saints lost 2,761 total offensive yards with the graduation of wide out Aidan McDermott and running back Michael Cunningham. Xavier quarterback Ronan Thomas returns after passing for 1,598 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also rushed for 188 yards and nine scores.

Coleton Beasler-Weber is the top rusher back, running for 433 yards and five TDs, while fullback Grant Helmle had 302 and four. Beasler-Weber and Helmle are the only Saints who had more than 100 receiving yards a year ago.

“We have talented athletes,” Frost said. “We don’t have huge numbers. The coaching and leadership pass on from previous years.”

The offensive line is an experienced group led by Borcherding, Jason Stevenson and Mac Woltman. They will need to pave the way for the skill guys for schemes to match last season’s production.

“It’s all about the returning guys teaching the newer guys how to get through everything,” Borcherding said. “I think the unit will jell pretty well throughout the season as we get more experience together.”

Woltman joins Eddie Becu and Bryce Kramer on the defensive side that graduated three key linebackers. Becu and Kramer are the top returning tacklers from last season. The 6-foot, 250-pound Becu had 31 1/2 tackles, including 14 solo, three sacks and four tackles for loss. Kramer had the most sacks with seven. He also had 30 tackles and 21 solo.

“If you block and tackle better than your opponent then good things happen,” Schulte said. “That’s what football boils down to, so we’ll see if they can do that.”

Xavier will start another title trek Friday, but the focus won’t be on the UNI-Dome and another team trophy. Full attention is on the tough test presented by WSR, which went 10-1 last season and reached the state quarterfinals.

“We focus it on a game-to-game basis,” Borcherding said. “Right now, our goal is to go beat Waverly. Next week, our goal will be to beat (Williamsburg). We just take it week to week.”

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com