(Council Bluffs) The Class 4A defending state football champions are looking like the team to beat once again this year. Top rated Lewis Central prepares for their playoff opener on Friday night against 6-3 LeMars.
Titan coach Justin Kammrad was asked what has impressed him the most about his team’s 9-0 mark. “I just think the consistency on a daily basis and getting better. Willingness to want to try to be as good as we possibly can. They’ve just been focused on the task at hand. I’ve been really impressed with that. There could have been times when they could have started looking forward, but they’ve been really business like in their approach each week.”
UNI commit Braylon Kammrad has had a banner year with 1,734 yards passing. He’s completed 68.8% of his throws with 19 TD’s and only one interception. Jonathan Humpal averages 7.2 yards per carry and has 14 rushing scores. Curtis Witte heads a deep and talented receiving core with 36 grabs for 614 yards and six TD’s. The team lead in tackles belongs to Payton Ludington with 44.
A 13-7 loss to Denison-Schleswig in Week 7 left LeMars at 4-3, but they responded with back to-back wins to make the playoff field. The Bulldogs are making their 19th playoff appearance and are snapping a nine year postseason drought. “They are a really fast, physical football team. They give you a lot of different looks both offensively and defensively. They fly around to the football. They do a fabulous job. You can tell they are really well coached. They do some really good things. Just really impressed with them all around as a team as a whole.”
There’s no doubt the level of competition will tick up a notch in the playoffs, especially considering four of the team’s last five opponents have been under .500, but the Titans were tested early against the likes of Harlan and Carlisle. District runner-up Glenwood was the only squad that’s hung anywhere near them in the second half of the season. “We were certainly tested early on against Glenwood which was really good. We needed that. Our guys were able to respond in that game and get things going. I think that was sort of an eye opener for our guys that you can’t take things lightly and everyone has an opportunity to make plays and we understand it’s a one and done season at this point now. You have to come out ready to play from the very first whistle and be ready for a four quarter ball game.”
Coach Kammrad stresses the 2021 football season is over, so winning the tallest trophy in Class 4A last year has no bearing on what this group’s mission. “We want to continue to be the one that is still hunting people. We don’t want that over confidence from our kids. We talked about that early in the season that that’s not Lewis Central football. Our mindset is we still have to go out and attack and win football games and it’s not going to come easy. Last year is last year and we are focused on the task at hand and trying to get our guys prepared each and every week.”
On the opposite side of the pod are 6-3 Glenwood and 7-2 Spencer.
Lewis Central coach Justin Kammrad:
