Frogs Fate Could Be W's;

There is Depth and There is Experience

by Dennis Gonzales & The Pratt Tribune

June 06, 2008

Depth and experience are the descriptors for the 2008 Pratt High School varsity football team. Loaded may be more appropriate. The Greenbacks just completed football camp this week at Fort Hays State.

Last week, PHS head coach Jeff Fuss and his assistants conducted practice at their Southwest Elementary School practice facility. A seasoned and aged senior class should deliver wins in 2008.

The Greenbacks were on the verge of the 2007 KSHSAA 4A football playoffs. The carrot – a win over Clearwater in their regular-season final. A big, physical Clearwater team overpowered Pratt 24-0 and advanced. The loss dropped PHS to 4-5. It wasn’t for lack of offense. They out-scored opponents 257-187 or 28.5 ppg. to 20.7 ppg. Their season high was 68 points against Larned. The Fuss Wing-T produced, out-rushing opponents by 605 yards - 2,257-1,652 - and racking up 250 yards per game.

In 2007 - PHS, Kingman, Clearwater and Andale made up District 15. In 2008, PHS will form District 14 with Hugoton, Kingman, and Ulysses. Hugoton and Newton are two additions to the 2008 PHS schedule. Nickerson was dropped from the non-district schedule and Clearwater added.

Four 2008 All-Mid State Activities Association All-Stars return: kicker/wide receiver Chris Nicholson, tailback/cornerback Caleb Gillig, center/defensive end Zach Pixler, and offensive guard Darnell Bortz.

Chase Galle and Skylar Angood split 2007 quarterbacking duties. Galle went down with a knee injury mid-way through the season and was replaced by Angood. Who will start? Fuss does not have to fret. Galle and Angood are athletic enough to play any skill position on the field. Due to Galle’s and Angood’s arm strength, the ball should find itself in the air more then the 120 times it was above ground in 2007.

Nicholson led the Greenbacks with 16 receptions for 256 yards. Chase McCormick and Gary Reed were targets at the ends. Gillig, Jake Garrett, Chase Kreutzer, Rhett Hostetler, Luke Southard, and Bryce Krehbiel comprise a diversified backfield.

Fuss can go to a power or speed game, or blend the two depending on his combinations. Gillig had a team-leading 570 yards (8.8 yards per carry). Garrett was third with 419 (6.1 yards per carry).

Kreutzer smelled the goal line, scoring 86 points and 14 touchdowns. Cody Hullman, who Fuss called the heart of the line, will return with all-state selection Bryan Pixler, Ryan Will, Grant Gordon, Chase McCormick, Brock Pierce, Wes Seidel, Eric Gimpel, Justin Schneider, Byron Landis, T.J. Gould, and Bortz. Missing is the line’s leader – Cody Meireis, a 2007 graduate.

Injuries badgered the Greenbacks last season. Nicholson, Hullman and Gould suffered leg injuries ending their 2007 seasons. The void on Pratt defense was dug by the graduation of linebackers: John Rowland, Jeff Lynch, Wes Goyen, and Trey Langford. They combined for 63 tackles, but more importantly, their leadership and intensity creates an empty vacuum. Gillig (32) and Krehbiel (30) paced PHS in tackles from the secondary. Galle, Angood, and Nicholson strengthen the unit.

There is depth. There is experience. If someone takes charge, ignites, motivates, leads the Greenbacks, the 2009 senior class will have fulfilled their potential.