C.R. Xavier faces great expectations

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Duane Schulte knows they're out there.Lofty rankings. High hopes. Gigantic expectations."It's something we'll deal with," said Schulte, football coach at Cedar Rapids Xavier. "I'd rather have high expectations than low."It's not something we've talked about. Right now, we're just trying to get better each day."The Saints went 13-1 last year and advanced all the way to the Class 4A state championship game before dropping a heartbreaker to Ankeny. They lost some skill players, but return the majority of a defense that allowed a 4A-best 8.6 points per game.As a result, they're ranked No. 1 in The Gazette's preseason football poll in Class 4A."I'm excited for the kids," Schulte said. "I'm interested to see if they remember what it felt like last year, and to see if they have the fortitude to get back there."If an early-season practice is any indication, there's no question of that. The Saints ran through a high-tempo, high-decibel workout last week with obvious hunger."That's the way it is every day," said Matt Nelson, a senior tight end/defensive end who committed in June to play for the University of Iowa. "Everybody's working hard. Everybody keeps pushing each other, and that gets us all pumped."Nelson, who stands 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, is a nightmare matchup on both sides of the ball. He caught 14 passes, eight for touchdowns, and collected 47 tackles.He's one of two returning all-staters. He earned first-team accolades on defense while Ryan Persick (68-70 PATs, 10-13 field goals) was a second-team placekicker.Defense and special teams are pretty much set. The Saints return seven of their top 10 tacklers from last season, including Logan Clarahan (77 tackles), Daniel Vega (52), Nelson (47) and Sean Ickes (45).Schulte projects Persick to add punting duties to his accurate placekicking.Quinton Scholer picked off three passes last year, but will move to the other side of the ball. He's the heir apparent at quarterback, replacing all-stater Reggie Schulte.Scholer threw just two passes last year."He's getting better each day," Coach Schulte said. "He's a big, strong, fast kid. He can run the ball. He's getting more accurate every day.""Quinton's looking good," said wideout Bryce Grimm, who caught 36 passes for 485 yards and seven touchdowns last year. "He'll be fine."The Saints might not have the big-play capability they possessed last year, but they do have a sturdy ground attack led by tailbacks Brendan Miller (1,068 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Wes Gardner (333 yards, 4 TDs).For a so-called "small 4A school," Xavier is stacked with numbers. The varsity roster consists of 86 players. Add the sophomore and freshman teams, and more than 160 boys at Xavier are playing football this fall.Everybody loves being part of a winner, and the Saints have the capability to be a big winner. Maybe a champion."There's a lot of potential there, but we still have to play the games," Schulte said. "Last year, we relied on our seniors a lot. This year, it's a new group with a new dynamic. The leadership is still being formed."Nelson said, "We're working hard. We'll get what we earn."Expectations are sky-high. Surely, the Saints hit the pillow and dream of a November night in the UNI-Dome."If we work hard and do our jobs, the sky is the limit," Grimm said. "But we have to push hard, every day harder than the last. Right now, we're getting ready for Dubuque Hempstead (Aug. 30), and that's it." 

CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER SAINTS

Coach -- Duane Schulte (20th year, 124-71; 16 year at Xavier, 100-57)

Last year -- 13-1 overall, 6-0 MVC Valley Division, Class 4A state runner-up

Key losses -- QB Reggie Schulte, WR Corbin Woods, LB Craig Murtha, OL Seth Fahnle

Key returners -- RB Brendan Miller, WR Bryce Grimm, TE/DE Matt Nelson, RB/LB Logan Clarahan, PK Ryan Persick

Keys to making playoffs -- Who are we kidding here? If the Saints avoid injuries and complacency and play remotely close to their potential, they're a postseason lock.

Game to watch -- Cedar Rapids Prairie (Sept. 13) and Cedar Falls (Oct. 18) are the primary challengers to the Saints in the Valley Division, and the top threats to keep them from an undefeated regular season.

Schedule

Aug. 30 -- at Dubuque Hempstead

Sept. 6 -- Cedar Rapids Jefferson

Sept. 13 -- Cedar Rapids Prairie

Sept. 20 -- at Dubuque Wahlert

Sept. 27 -- at Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Oct. 4 -- at Cedar Rapids Washington

Oct. 11 -- at Waterloo West

Oct. 18 -- Cedar Falls

Oct. 25 -- at Linn-Mar

Roster --1 Nick Drahozal Sr. WR/DB2 Levi Miller Sr. WR/DB3 Chris Ball Sr. RB/DE4 Hunter Baldus Sr. WR/DE5 Camden Stovie Jr. WR/DB6 Adam Steffensmeier Jr. RB/DB7 Matt Downey Jr. WR/DB8 Nolan Even Sr. WR/DB9 Quinton Scholer Sr. QB/DB10 Ryan Persick Sr. DB/K/P11 Nic Ekland Jr. RB/LB12 Colin O'Connell Sr. WR/DB13 Camden Chiccelly Jr. WR/DB14 Sam Tursi Jr. QB/DB15 Bryce Grimm Sr. WR/DB16 Sam Hiserote Jr. RB/DB17 Colin Scott Jr. WR/DB18 Matt Sander Sr. WR/DE20 Adam Millsap Sr. WR/DB22 Jay Kortemeyer Jr. RB/LB23 Sam Bohnenkamp Sr. K24 Nick Robinson Sr. WR/DB25 Brendan Miller Sr. RB/DB27 Wes Gardner Sr. RB/DB28 Dylan Eller Jr. RB/DB29 John Hovda Jr. QB/DB30 Taylor Malloy Jr. WR/DB31 Keane Kennedy Jr. K32 Daniel Vega Sr. RB/LB33 Nick Durin Sr. RB/DB34 Thomas Ickes Sr. RB/LB36 Ben Valentine Sr. WR/DB40 Sean Ickes Sr. RB/LB41 Shamus O'Connell Jr. WR/DB42 Landon Dochtermann Sr. RB/LB43 David Sander Jr. WR/DB44 Nate Lux Jr. WR/DB45 Ed Krause Jr. RB/DB46 Logan Clarahan Sr. RB/LB47 Thomas Ball Jr. WR/DB49 Ryan Williams Jr. RB/DL50 Jake Robinson Sr. OL/DL50 Nick Lang Jr. OL/DL51 Sanders Ferring Jr. OL/DL52 John Meskimen Jr. OL/DL53 Austin Gloede Sr. OL/DL54 Sam Blake Sr. OL/DL55 Jeff Frieden Jr. OL/DL56 Ben Fahnle Jr. OL/DL57 Louis Hasley Jr. OL/DE58 Tim Otting Jr. OL/DL59 Logan Santel Sr. OL/DL60 Matt Bouska Jr. OL/DL61 Bryton Hayes Sr. OL/DE61 Matt Kirpes Jr. OL/DL62 Harry Daubitz Sr. OL/DL63 Mason Burken Jr. OL/DL64 Hunter Hayes Sr. OL/LB64 Reilly Berns Jr. OL/DL65 Nick Kellen Jr. OL/DL66 Gabe Whitters Jr. OL/DE67 Ben Charipar Sr. OL/DL68 Nick Brady Sr. OL/DL69 Joe Worden Sr. OL/DL70 Zane Henderson Sr. OL/DL70 Steven Wilson Jr. OL/DL71 Andrew Khairallah Sr. OL/DL72 Blake Evans Jr. OL/DL73 Ryan Flaherty Sr. OL/DL74 Connor Foley Jr. OL/DL75 Mike Maher Jr. OL/DL76 Cole Turner Sr. OL/DL77 Gino Berutti Sr. OL/DL78 Logan Brown Jr. OL/DL79 Matt Janney Jr. OL/DL80 John Loecher Sr. WR/DE81 Joe Welch Jr. WR/DB82 Frank Hill Sr. WR/DB83 Noah Clasen Jr. WR/DE84 Matt Nelson Sr. TE/DE85 Andrew Steffensmeier Jr. WR/DB86 Miles Sullivan Sr. WR/DB88 Brian Iverson Jr. WR/DB91 Logan Jasper Jr. WR/DB92 Tommy Harris Jr. WR/DB98 Joe Fabiano Sr. OL/DL