Anamosa's Schulte looks for another big year

ANAMOSA - Josh Schulte is not concerned with numbers.But, they tell the tale of the Anamosa wide receiver's monstrous year in 2011, but the focus was on something else."I didn't think about stats," Schulte said. "I always dreamed of playing football and you want to be the best and do the best."For me, I expected great things and it just worked out."Schulte earned second-team all-state honors after leading Class 3A with 1,181 receiving yards last season. Schulte faces a tough task his senior season to match or surpass the offensive production from a year ago.Schulte dedicated himself to weight lifting throughout the summer, building chemistry with a new quarterback and receivers while helping push the Blue Raiders beyond last year's 2-7 mark. He also attended various camps. Is another 1,100-yard season possible?"Yes," Schulte said. "We have a quarterback that throws the ball real well. We have a line that can hold blocks. We can get the ball out there. We can run the bacll. We're just better all-around, so that will open me up, and hopefully, I can do what I did last year."Hands are good. Speed is there. A 6-foot-1 1/4, 170-pound frame makes him a good target. Schulte's biggest asset that helped him reel in 51 catches, including nine touchdowns,might just be his intangibles."He's a competitor," Anamosa Coach Derek Roberts said. "That's something you just can't teach. He's got that. It's fun to watch in practice and on Friday nights."Schulte takes pride in his intensity on the field. Heart and desire helps him corral passes away from defenders. It is a matter of wanting it more than them."You've got to go out and have to want to be better than the person guarding you," Schulte said. "You want to go out and earn your respect. That's what I do when I get on the field."You have to go as hard as you can to get the results you want."The results were phenomenal. Schulte, who prefers vertical routes or corner fades, was second to only Marshalltown's Ty Steffenson (1,289 in 11 games) in total receiving in five 11-man classes last year, but Schulte averaged an astounding 23.2 yards per reception. He posted three straight games of 148 receiving yards or more before closing the season with a season high 203 yards against Western Dubuque.The highlight of the season came in a season-opening 21-18 win over rival Monticello, snapping a losing streak to the Panthers, according to Schulte."I got the results I wanted to get, and as a team we won the cowbell which we hadn't for seven years," said Schulte, noting the cowbell is awarded to the winning team. "That was probably my favorite moment."It was also the performance that lit the fuse for his explosion, which also fueled his basketball and soccer seasons. In that game, Schulte had 90 receiving yards on four catches, including a 29-yard TD, 17 tackles, four for loss and two sacks, and three interceptions."I think he really blossomed last year and it started week 1," Roberts said. "That really sparked his whole athletic school year."

Watch Schulte when he earned KCRG-TV9 Athlete of the Week honors last year

He had a familiar face targeting him. Older brother, Nik Schulte, was the Blue Raiders quarterback last season. The two had a strong bond. Schulte recalled a broken play against DeWitt central when Nik Schulte adlibbed by throwing a deep pass downfield that Josh Schulte anticipated and caught for a 60-yard TD."I enjoyed playing with my brother," said Schulte, whose older brother now plays for Loras. "We have a football field at hour house, so we grew up running routes and playing catch. That's what we like to do."Now, Connyr Lewis steps into that role, getting passes to Schulte. The two have played together since junior high and have good chemistry. Schulte and Roberts are both confident in Lewis' arm."I'm really excited," Lewis said. "I have some big shoes to fill with Nik being gone."Lewis has other weapons, like tight end Demetrik Brown, and the promise of an improved run attack. He knows the No. 1 option. Is there more or less pressure to get the ball to him?"Both," Lewis said. "It's easy because he's fun to throw to. You don't want to make a bad throw to him because he's so good."The one goal Schulte is really fixed on is college football. He has received interest from smaller schools, but he wants to play on the highest level possible. He has always had that aspiration."My dream has always been to play (NCAA) Division I," Schulte said. "If I get a chance to walk on, I'll take it and see if I can run with that."Roberts said he wished that was further in the future, wanting another year to work with Schulte. A college program will get a big asset with his senior wideout."He's a 4.0 (grade-point average kid," Roberts said. "He's respectful and he shows that on the field with his character."