Coe rankled by preseason snub, promises to be IIAC contender

CEDAR RAPIDS - Kudos to his coaching counterparts in the Iowa Conference. Steve Staker thanks you.

They picked his Coe Kohawks to finish fifth in their preseason football poll. Dubuque's the obvious favorite to repeat, with Wartburg, Central and up-and-comer Simpson selected after that.

Then it's Coe. The same Coe that's been to the NCAA playoffs four times in the last 10 years, that has finished second in the IIAC the previous three seasons and that returns 34 letterwinners, 12 starters and two preseason all-Americans from a 6-4 team in 2011.

It just doesn't compute.

“That's definitely something that can give us a little motivation,” said defensive end Frank Weymiller during Coe's Media Day Tuesday. “I think the goal at Coe is always to compete and try and win the conference every year. It's definitely no different this year. We expect to be competing for the conference.”

“We don't want to settle for second,” said defensive back Demetreus Johnson. “That's not a good feeling. We've taken second three years in a row, so we need to take that next step.”

They feel they can get there despite the absence of graduated quarterback Brad Boyle. The two-time conference MVP set most of the school's QB records in his three years as a starter and is the main reason Coe is picked so low.

He'll be replaced by senior Jared McNutt. Staker also praised junior Tyler Sylvester (a former Elkader Central prep) for his work in camp thus far, and said you'll likely see some offensive packages that include ballyhooed freshman Mark Atwater, the former Linn-Mar all-stater and 2011 Gazette/KCRG player of the year.

“I really don't think you can replace a Brad Boyle, just because of his (ability) to run the ball and throw the ball,” said McNutt, from Warren, Ill. “The one thing I took away from Brad was his leadership of the team. Leading by example and vocally.”

“I think Jared has done a good job of being a leader and getting that respect from the underclassmen,” Staker said.

His adjustment promises to be easier with the return of most of his line and two-time all-IIAC running back Brendan Leiran.

“We lost the big guy in Brad Boyle,” Leiran said. “But we've got so many returners, I think we can make up for that. We've got a lot of experience.”

Leiran prepped at Waukon, where he was a teammate of Weymiller, the senior defensive end who has been phenomenal after transferring as a freshman from Iowa State. He and Johnson, the former Cedar Rapids Kennedy prep who had eight interceptions last season, are preseason all-Americans and will buoy a defense that ranked middle of the pack in most conference categories last season.

Weymiller has battled back issues throughout his career but said he feels good and was able to go through full offseason workouts for the first time in his career. Because of that, he gained 20 pounds (to 240) of muscle.

Once again, does this sound like a fifth-place team?

“It bothers them more than it bothers me, and that's good,” Staker said. “They were not happy to see that at all, and rightly so. We lose Brad Boyle, but, really, other than that, that's about it, you know? And I think Jared has really performed well in camp.”

“It is what it is,” said McNutt, whose team opens at home Sept. 1 against Monmouth (Ill.). ”But with all our returners on both sides of the ball, it's hard to (believe) they picked us fifth. I think that'll fuel the fire a little bit. Maybe a little bulletin-board material for us. Everyone's goal is to win the conference, and that's our goal, too.”