(Guthrie Center) ACGC hit a new high water mark in program history with their 9-2 football season last year. Now the Chargers must replace many of the players that led their rise.
Even if the names and faces change, the expectations don’t. Coach Cody Matthewson says, “We’re taking the mentality that we are going to reload. We are not going to re-build. A lot of key pieces coming back. A lot of good guys to build stuff around. Yeah, we lost some guys, but we’ve had a chance over the last five years to take this program to the next level. For us that’s the expectation for our program and our kids. They are very highly motivated this year.” Matthewson points out their only losses last year were to eventual state champ Van Meter.
Matthewson points out they do have some key personnel returning in important places along with some exciting potential that’s been waiting in the wings. “Brock Littler at quarterback will be a three year starter. He’s done a fantastic job for us especially with our triple option offense. In the running back portion we have three new guys that are going to fill spots there. Seth Reno is going to be the fullback in game one. He played and was an all-district defensive end and had a heck of a junior year. Austin Kunkle will play at running back. It’s kind of hard to say you’re going to be much if any of a drop off when you have a running back who runs a 4.4 40 and was 4th in the 100 and 200 at state track. He was a lock down corner for us last year and all-district player. Ben Marsh will play our other halfback position and stick his nose in there. A very unselfish player and an all-district linebacker for us that’s going to play on the offensive side.
Michael Fuller, Peyton Jacobe, and Jake Thomas are among the key names back on the offensive line and the defense has some returning talent as well. “You really go across the board and you look and we really return a lot of players that were all-district players, but didn’t play both sides of the ball. We have athletes there and we’re really excited about what they can do. It created a lot of good competition in fall camp.”
ACGC will get together with Kuemper Catholic for a scrimmage this week. Next Saturday’s season opener will be played in Ogden against Greene County.
ACGC coach Cody Matthewson:
