March 28, 2024

We Ready. We Ready. For y’all.

Cardinals are ready for 2016 football opener and 4A play

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“It’s our turn,” senior defensive end Reagan Maple said.

“We’re going to make it a different season this year,” senior running back and linebacker Reese Rosenquist said.

Newton High’s football players are honoring their late teammate Trenton Brady in several ways in the 2016 season. Brady, who was a starting lineman for the Cardinals and would have been a senior, died in a car accident in June.

“For us, honoring Trenton means we have to work harder for him. We’re going to have one last season — his season — to remember,” senior lineman Alex Miller said.

Newton starts that season Friday at home against a former CIML rival, the Ottumwa Bulldogs. The Cardinal seniors were speaking of having a strong season to honor Brady but also being able to step up to the challenge of the state putting Newton back in Class 4A.

Newton kicks off is first 4A season in many years at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home. Ottumwa, a 4A team out of the CIML-Metro, comes to H.A. Lynn Stadium. A freshman game is slated for 4:45 p.m.

The Cardinals had a “TB” with a 52 in the T on one side of their helmets for Brady during practice sessions and their scrimmage. They had planned to keep it on the helmets but, per Iowa High School Activities Association uniform rules, Newton has to remove it.

“We are allowed a 4x4 sticker on the back of our helmets, and we will have those to honor Trenton,” Newton head coach Ed Ergenbright said. “Each game a senior lineman will wear Brady’s No. 52 jersey.”

That honor for the season-opener Friday goes to senior Caden Manning. Manning is a 6-foot-3 inch, 270-pound offensive tackle, who earned 3A all-district honorable mention a year ago.

Joining Manning on the Cardinal starting offensive line Friday will be 6-foot, 215-pound junior Benny Cheng at center and guards Miller, a 5-foot-9 inch, 235-pound senior, and Landon Hansen, 6-foot-1 inch, 245-pound junior. Newton’s other offensive tackle is 6-foot-5 inch, 275-pound senior Lucas Montgomery.

Ergenbright said it has been great this season in the way the three classes — seniors, juniors and sophomores — have meshed together with quality football players. The Cardinals expect to two-platoon for the first time in several years, which means very few Newton players will play on both sides of the football during games.

“Ottumwa lost a lot of skill players to graduation. We don’t know much about Ottumwa going into Friday’s game,” Ergenbright said. “They have a strong tradition of being a big, physical smash-mouth type offensive team. They do have a new quarterback and running back.”

Newton returns starting quarterback Garrett Sturtz, a 6-foot-2 inch junior. In the backfield at wing backs in the Cardinal gun-rocket offense will be Rosenquist, 5-feet-10-inches and 175 pounds, 5-foot-5 inch, 165-pound junior Josh Miravalles and Jordan Norvell, a 5-foot-9 inch, 165-pound senior. Junior Jaron Roush will also see action as a running back.

At split end, 5-foot-9 inch, 150-pound junior Trevor Ergenbright is expected to start. The starting tight end is Jace Lukefahr, a 6-foot, 225-pound junior, with sophomore Jacob Murphy, who is 6-feet tall and 170 pounds, as a backup.

“We are taking it one game at a time. We’ve been preparing for Ottumwa throughout the preseason practices. The kids have done a great job of focusing on Ottumwa and not getting caught up in looking ahead at the schedule,” Ergenbright said.

A year ago the Cardinals were besieged with injuries to several key players. Ergenbright said most of this year’s players have had varsity experience so they know what to expect under the Friday Night Lights.

“We can only control what we do, which is working hard to be the best we can be. I’ve told a lot of people I’m confident in what I’ve seen from this group of players. They will compete well in games and represent their school and community really well this season,” Ergenbright said.

Newton goes into the season with a new style defense installed by defensive coordinator Andy Swedenhjelm. Ergenbright said the entire NHS coaching staff has really been able to specialize coaching to the players because of the two-platooning.

Anchoring the defense are the three down linemen. Caleb Kite, a 6-foot-1 inch, 245-pound senior at nose guard with sophomores Ben Peterson, 6-feet-2 inches and 265 pounds, and Jaise Gulling, 5-feet-10 inches and 205 pounds, at defensive ends.

The inside linebackers are 6-foot, 200-pound senior Brady Smith and 6-foot-1 inch, 175-pound junior Bladen Rhone. Reese returns as an outside linebacker. Also playing at outside linebacker are juniors Joe Busch, 5-feet-9 inches and 170 pounds, and Clayton Baltisberger, 6-feet-1 inch and 165 pounds.

In the defensive backfield are junior Zach Combs and senior Josh Gulling at safeties and Roush and junior Grayson Graham at cornerbacks. Trevor Ergenbright is a backup safety while seniors Keith Steinbach and Logan Ziebert play at cornerback spots.

“Our guys have embraced the challenges of a 4A schedule. The seniors have been great leaders on and off the field throughout the offseasson workouts and this fall,” Ergenbright said. “This group of players have been working hard in the weight room, and we’re looking forward to the season.”

Maple said the players have bonded well as the seniors stepped into the leadership roles and the younger guys have shown they were ready to step up to make contributions to the team this season.

Maple said the football team is selling wristbands with Brady’s name and number on them.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com