Young Pioneer Team Will Rely on Juniors

It’s been six years since the football team has had a winning season. In 2005, the Pioneers were 10-3 and a perfect 6-0 in the Gateway Athletic Conference North Division. Since then, the Pioneers have won a combined 12 games, including a 2-9 mark last year.

Getting back on the winning track is the goal, and Charlie Elmendorf, who is entering his 17th season as Duchesne’s head coach, believes this could be the year.

“I think we can be a .500 or a little better,” Elmendorf said. “I think this group is a very competitive group and has the potential to get over the hump.”

The Pioneers struggled last year and remain a young team with only two returning senior starters. But they’re also a more experienced team, and Elmendorf believes that can result in a winning season.

“We’ll be young, but we do have some experience,” Elmendorf said. “It’s not like we’re young with no experience.”

Lindebacker Jake Trigges and offensive lineman Alex Ritter will lead a Duchesne team comprising mostly sophomores and juniors.

“Our junior and sophomore classes are pretty talented, so we’re going to rely on them a lot,” Elmendorf said. “The sophomores that are coming up are going to have to learn by fire. There are a couple of big kids and some good athletes. Some of the seniors are going to have to step it up to play ahead of those kids.”

Offense:

Junior Doug Swann and sophomore Ricky Leach are vying for the starting quarterback job. Also in the backfield will be junior running back Mike Deluvia and Chad Samms. Both are expected to play both ways, with Deluvia leading the linebackers and Samms roaming the secondary as the free safety.

Elmendorf doesn’t want to use many players both ways, but said without a lot of depth, he has to make sure the best athletes stay on the field.

“We try to rest our offensive and defensive linemen as much as we can and rotate kids in,” he said. “We don’t have a whole lot of room for injuries.”

Where the Pioneers could be loaded is at receiver, where juniors Nate Friedel and Joe Lloyd return and will be joined by 6-foot-6-inch sophomore Andrew Moore, who played varsity basketball as a freshman. Fellow sophomore Clay Stulce will also see significant time at wideout. Friedel and Lloyd will also likely be starters in the defensive backfield. Stulce is expected to “play a lot of defense, too, as a corner,” Elmendorf said.

Defense:

Friedel could also play inside at linebacker in the 4-3 system that includes Trevor Korba and Henry Raup. Junior end Brendan Freeman will lead the defensive line with sophomore tackles Brad Pryor and Blake Westhughes expected to play inside.

Junior Jake Vonderhaar joins Ritter on the offensive line as a returning starter. Otto Thiele and Nick Schedigg will also play up front with Joe Noel stepping in at center.

Coach:

Elmendorf has a career record of 115-85, including a 105-75 while at Duchesne.

“We’ve got some talent, it’s just going to depend on how we respond to things early in the year,” Elmendorf said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, but we’re hoping for a good show. This is our last year in the GAC, so it’ll be nice to be in the hunt.

“It will be tough, but that’s one of our goals.”

Schedule:

The Pioneers open up at Fort Zumwalt South on Aug. 26 and have their home opener a week later against Warrenton. Elmendorf said all of the GAC North teams are “pretty solid,” and the nonconference schedule includes 2010 playoff teams Ladue, Bowling Green and Centralia, IL.