Plainsmen football team 22 strong
Perkins County’s Plainsmen will put 22 players on the football field this season under the direction of new head coach Tanner Collins.
Collins feels good about the progress the Plainsmen have shown throughout summer conditioning and preseason preparations.
They’ll get to gauge their progress when the travel to Maxwell Thursday to open the season.
Collins brings back eight starters from last year’s squad including six juniors and just two seniors.
He also picks some young athletes that missed the season last year due to injury.
Returners included seniors Bryder Hickey and Brandon Knoles, juniors Jeb Kohl, Triston Hite, Hayden Foster, Erik Snyder, Austin Meyer, and Ashton Meyer and Huntin Taylor who also saw plenty of varsity action last year.
Collins will rely heavily on these returners. Sophomores Hunter Garner and Casey Hanson, both who missed last season, along with Ethan Sim will see lots of action on both sides of the ball.
Collins said several freshmen have stepped up and will find themselves seeing plenty of varsity action.
Junior quarterback Triston Hite will lead the team in what Collins said will be a balanced running and passing attack.
He will be joined in the backfield with Snyder, with Sim seeing action both in the backfield and at receiver.
Knoles will anchor the line at center with Foster and Hickey at his side.
Receivers include Garner, Hanson and Nolan Foster.
Collins said Hite has worked hard over the summer to improve his throwing and it’s showing.
Defensively, Knoles will play at the nose guard with Snyder and Hayden Foster at the ends, Hickey and Nolan Foster at outside linebacker, Garner at middle linebacker and Hite, Hanson and Sim running at the safety positions.
Hite will handle kicking and punting duties as well.
Covid implications
Collins said he is short two of his regular starters in the line due to Covid quarantine.
That’s something the team will have to work this season, the coach added.
Collins said one of the health directives they been observing is to keep six foot distance when possible and no exposed, close contact between players for 15 minutes or more.
“That’s not a problem with our practices,” Collins said, noting they are always on the move to reduce risk.
Collins is being assisted Ryan Boldt, Shayne Hite and Steve Snyder.
Maxwell
Collins said he’s watched game film of Maxwell from prior seasons but there’s always the wildcard of what the first game will bring.
In the past, they concentrate on the running game and then go to the pass after they lull a defense with run after run.
Game time at Maxwell is set for 7 p.m. MT on Thursday.
Players out for football this season include:
Seniors—Irvin Reyes, Bryder Hickey, Brandon Knoles.
Juniors—Jeb Kohl, Triston Hite, Hayden Foster, Erik Snyder, Austin Meyer, Ashton Meyer, Huntin Taylor.
Sophomores—Tony Lyon, Ethan Sihm, Hunter Garner, Casey Hanson, Eli Busick, Casey Uehling.
Freshman—Nolan Foster, Trevor Cornelius, Will Long, Mason Toner, Henry Taylor, Juan Perez.