C.R. Kennedy's Holzer prepares for a mission

CEDAR RAPIDS - In today's world, even athletes at the prep level have become all about "me."Some athletes, anyway. Not Austin Holzer.The Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior will be a college football player ... someday. About 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, the two-time all-state tackle has good quickness for his size and a mean streak that belies his off-field gentle demeanor."He has a motor, a second gear," said Kennedy Coach Tim Lewis. "You will never find a nicer kid. But there's just something that clicks for him on Friday nights when the game starts."Holzer has gotten looks from Division II and III schools. He's considered a little small physically for D-I programs.That no one knows exactly when he'll be available to play and how much rust he'll have to eventually shake off his game is problematic for his recruiting. Holzer is a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and plans to take a two-year Mormon mission after he graduates next summer."It's difficult when coaches call and the conversation comes up about the mission," Holzer said. "You can tell the shakiness in their voice pops up. College coaches want players now, right away to have an impact on their programs. But it's something I have to deal with. Figure out what situation is best for me and my life."Holzer's 19-year-old brother, Jordan, is serving a mission in Mesa, Ariz. The Holzer family moved to Cedar Rapids from Utah.If Austin is determined by the church to have enough maturity to begin his mission after graduating from Kennedy, he'll be assigned somewhere domestically or internationally. He has no idea where.Holzer said foreign missionaries go through intensive training for six weeks in order to make sure they have a good enough grasp on the language of the country they will live in for two years. He has taken German at Kennedy, though that doesn't necessarily mean he would be assigned to a country in which that language is spoken.He said he has friends who were recently assigned to go on a mission to Brazil, for instance."A mission, to us, means spreading our faith to other people," Holzer said. "In our faith, we believe we have the correct authority from God, and we want to give everyone the opportunity to know that (in order) to lead happier lives."Holzer and classmate Drew Heitland both started on the offensive line as sophomores and will be important two-way factors for a Kennedy team that wants to reverse a recent pattern of starting slowly, then having to play lights out the final three or four weeks of the regular season just to make the playoffs.Lewis said it's an unusually small squad with numbers in the 40s. These Cougars have their collective calendar marked for the season opener next week against Cedar Rapids Washington, which upset them last season in Week 1.Holzer has his calendar marked for more important things, too."I would like to, at one point or another, play college football somewhere," he said. "The thought has crossed my mind that (his mission) might hinder that a little bit. But if that happens, it happens. That's just something I'll have to deal with."Here is video of Kennedy's linemen going through drills at practice last week:

AT LOOK AT CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY

Coach: Tim Lewis (14th season at Kennedy, 69-61)

Last year: 5-6 (lost in second round of Class 4A playoffs)

Key losses: RB Alex Hillyer, P Brock Skow, DL Grant Miller, DL Jacob Frazier-Flores, DL Nick Dunne, QB Riley Fergus, DB Donovan Kosman, LB David Hynek.

Key returners: OL-DL Drew Heitland, OL-DL Austin Holzer, RB Miles Moa, QB Derek Jacobus, LB Triston Christopher, WR-DB Jacob Shannon.

Key to making playoffs: Avoid slow start to season, as has been the recent pattern. Be more productive in passing game offensively.

Game to watch: The opener against Washington. Upset loss last season set the tone for an 0-5 start.

2013 Schedule

August 30 - Cedar Rapids Washington

September 6 - at Cedar Rapids Prairie

September 13 - at Iowa City West

September 19 - Dubuque Senior

September 27 - Cedar Rapids Xavier

October 4 - at Cedar Rapids Jefferson

October 10 - Waterloo East

October 18 - at Dubuque Hempstead

October 25 - Iowa City High

2013 Roster

Copy of Varsity Football Roster 2013 by

Jeff Johnson