(Anita) The Cedar Rapids Gazette has CAM and Audubon ranked 1-2 in their preseason rankings for 8-player football.
CAM coach Barry Bower is downplaying his team’s top spot in the poll ahead of their season opener against Fremont-Mills. “Preseason rankings don’t mean diddly. Our program has never gone farther than the quarterfinals so for somebody to rank us preseason #1 I don’t understand what the history is to be honest with you. You have to go earn it.” Bower says, “We’ve got our hands full on Friday. If anything, Fremont-Mills should be ranked #1 because of the tradition they have and they are the state runner-up.”
The Fremont-Mills contest is a rematch of a last year’s quarterfinals where Fremont-Mills turned away CAM’s hopes of advancing to the dome, 30-28. “Anytime you start off against a quality opponent like Fremont-Mills you’re going to be excited. Especially with the success these guys have had not only in football, but baseball and track. The familiarity with success is hopefully going to spur that confidence and go get ’em type of attitude.”
The Knights graduate Nebraska signee Seth Malcom among other standouts, but Bower still views them as a very quality opponent. He points out guys like Jake Malcom, Paxten Van Houten, Braxton Blackburn, and Taylor Reed all return. “Their offensive line does a nice job. They are big, they are physical, and they know what they are doing.” Bower adds, “Seth Malcom and Cooper Langfeldt couldn’t have gotten there by themselves. They had to have some horses around them and those guys are all back.”
Lane Spieker, Colby Rich, Joe Kauffman, and Colby Rich are some of the household names so to speak for the Cougars, but a quality group of linemen help those guys excel. “That’s the biggest thing is you can’t go anywhere without the guys up front to do the dirty work.” Bower says, “You have to give credit to Reese Oglesbee who has been there and really put in the time and the effort the weight room and his feet and just his overall cognitive ability. Nolan Hensley has done a very, very nice job the last couple of years. Gavyn Jessen and Corbin Peach who is vying for a spot right now on both sides of the football, those guys have really done a nice job of taking the bull by the horns and saying ‘Don’t forget about us, because we’ll pave the way.'”
Bower admits this team is farther ahead than they were a year ago and learned some things through a scrimmage against Lenox last week.
CAM coach Barry Bower:
