Aberdeen Roncalli football team loaded with experience. Here's what to expect this season
Roncalli football coach Billy Young feels good about his experienced squad heading into Friday's season opener against rival Groton.
But, he said, preseason banter is all just talk until you prove it on the field.
He hopes to see some of that proof against the Tigers. Kickoff for the National Guard Bowl is set for 7 p.m. at Dacotah Bank Stadium. The Cavaliers will play all of their home games on the Northern State University campus this season.
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It's hard to know what to expect in the season opener, Young said. Teams can look at opponents' film from last year, but it doesn't predict what will happen this year. Young said Groton coach Shaun Wanner always has his teams ready to play and can adjust his game plan to suit his players.
The Tigers won last fall's Northeast Conference tilt 26-9 in Groton and went on to win the league title, finishing the season at 7-3.
Here are some of the keys for Roncalli heading into a new season.
Talented backfield returns for Roncalli
The Cavaliers return a lot of experienced players, some who have been starting for three or four seasons, Young said.
Roncalli's offensive backfield should be especially strong. Quarterback Jackson Isakson is entering his fourth year as a starter and his fifth season as a the squad's placekicker. He also plays cornerback on defense.
Isakson has improved every season, Young said. Last year, Isakson passed for 752 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions and rushed 71 times for 344 yards.
Maddox May was injured part of last season and returns this fall as one of the best running backs in Class 11B if not the state, Young said.
In eight games last fall, May rushed for 86 times for 445 yards. But Abe Kretchman led Roncalli in rushing last season with 589 yards on 107 carries in 10 games.
All three are seniors. May and Isakson were voted captains by members of the team.
Sophomore Zane Backous should boost the backfield as a fullback, Young said.
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Seeking offensive balance
Last year, Young said, Roncalli ran the ball about 80% of the time. He's looking for more of a 50/50 balance this fall.
Opponents knew the Cavaliers were going to be run heavy last year, especially late in the season when they all had plenty of film to study.
Roncalli's top two wide receivers from last season, Matthew Martinez and Ben Rohl, both graduated. Andrew Brennan returns as a senior receiver after grabbing 13 catches for 198 yards as a junior.
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For the offense to be effective, Young knows the linemen will have to do their job. A team can have the fastest, most athletic running backs there are, but if the offensive line can't make holes, it doesn't matter, he said. This year, the Cavaliers should have a more balanced and quicker line even it it's not as big as a season ago, he said. That should help when linemen have to pull or get outside to block.
Brendan Livermont, a senior team captain, returns at tackle. And Young expects Landon Zikmund and Thomas Griffin, both seniors, to be key components on the line.
Defensive pieces in place, top tackler returns
Young said Roncalli also returns plenty of talent on defense, led by junior Josh Schaunaman, a 5-11, 185-pound linebacker who led the team in tackles last season with 73, including 10 for a loss.
Phillip Zens, another senior captain, returns at free safety. Senior defensive end Kaden Clark, Livermont on defensive line and May at linebacker should also be contributors, as the Cavaliers have plenty of players who pitch in on both sides of the ball.
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Senior Abe Holscher, who hasn't played for a couple of years because of injuries, returns and will play both offense and defense, Young said.
As with the offense, many defensive players already have three years of starting experience, Young said.
With offers from Northern State, South Dakota State, Isakson's kicking a threat
Isakson is one of the top kickers in South Dakota and is ranked as 67th best in the country by Kohl's Professional Camps. He already has college offers from Northern State University and South Dakota State University, Young said.
"Isakson has some incredible talent and would be an excellent choice for any college program," according to the Kohl's 2023 national kicker rankings
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He's a long-range field goal threat, one of the reasons Young is optimistic about special teams.
Isakson is also the punter for the Cavaliers.
Northeast Conference race should be wide open
Young said the Northeast Conference race appears to be wide open. The Cavaliers beat Deuel 20-19 in overtime last year; defeated Redfield twice, including 14-6 in the opening round of the playoffs; lost to Clark/Willow Lake 20-19 and lost to Beresford 7-6 in the second round of the playoffs. So more close games this season could be in the works.
Groton is tough under Wanner, and Mobridge-Pollok was young last season and should improve, Young said.
The conference should be balanced, he said.
Roncalli has also developed a rivalry with St. Thomas More from Rapid City, another Catholic school with the Cavalier moniker. Roncalli picked up the win last year 31-10 in Aberdeen, but More has experience returning and has added some good transfer players, Young said.
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In 2006, Roncalli downed More 27-13 in the 11B state championship game in the DakotaDome in Vermillion. More pulled out all the stops and scored the only 13 points Roncalli gave up all season, but it wasn't enough.
Roncalli beat More 20-14 to claim the 2005 11B title. And the schools' basketball teams have also battled each other in recent years, with Roncalli claiming a girls basketball victory in the 2021 state tournament en route to the Class A state championship.
This year's game will be at 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at Dacotah Bank Stadium.
Roncalli finished last season 7-3 and 5-2 in the Northeast Conference, good for second place.
2022 Roncalli football schedule
Friday: Groton, 7 p.m. (National Guard Bowl)
Aug. 26: at Deuel, 7 p.m.
Sept. 2: at Redfield, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9: at Dakota Hills, 7 p.m.
Sept. 16: Mobridge-Pollock, 7 p.m.
Oct. 1: Rapid City St. Thomas Moore, 4 p.m.
Oct. 7: at Webster Area, 7 p.m.
Oct. Clark/Willow Lake, 7 p.m.
All Roncalli home games will be at Dacotah Bank Stadium.
Other area games this weekend
Friday: Langford Area (1-8) at Leola-Frederick Area (4-5) at Frederick, 7 p.m.; Faulkton Area (8-3) at Ipswich (7-2), 7 p.m.; Northwestern (2-7) at Hitchcock-Tulare (7-4) in Tulare, 7 p.m.; North Central (3-7) at Warner (6-4), 7 p.m.; Viborg-Hurley (2-6) at Sunshine Bible Academy, 5 p.m.; Potter County (10-3) at Newell (0-7), 7:30 p.m.; Wagner (6-2) at Miller/Highmore-Harrold (2-6) in Miller, 7 p.m., Clark-Willow Lake (4-5) at Deuel (5-4), 7 p.m. in Clear Lake, Great Plains Lutheran (3-5) at Britton-Hecla (3-6), 7 p.m. in Britton, Dakota Hills (1-7) at Sisseton (0-9), 7 p.m., Webster Area (1-7) at Mobridge-Pollock (3-5), 7 p.m. in Mobridge.
Saturday: Hot Springs (7-2) at Redfield (5-3), 6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Roncalli opens high school football season with experienced roster
