NGM Football Opens Friday, Aug. 19
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And now it’s August - time for Cicadas and high school football in Wisconsin. NGM enters the season with a new head coach, D.J. Schuett, and yet another “new” conference, the Capitol Conference now re-aligned, which no longer features north and south divisions. And what a conference it is (!) with four teams already being ranked in the state’s Top 10 (Columbus, Lake Mills, Lakeside Lutheran, and Edgewood). Five players from across the conference are listed as Division 1 and 2 college commits.
Yes, you read that right. Edgewood, as in Madison Edgewood, is now in the same conference with NGM. Almost every year there is a new alignment, and then a re-alignment making up, or perhaps “shaking up” conferences. It’s enough to send a man to his liquor cabinet shrieking in search of a mind straightener. But, it is what it is, and this just adds to what no doubt will be a challenging season for our boys in the blue helmets.
NGM’s junior quarterback Max Marty returns, having paid his tuition in full in last year’s “school of hard knocks”. Adding 25 pounds of weight room muscle and increased arm strength, I look forward to watching him move this team. He has two senior receivers with athleticism and experience, A.C. Strok and Ethan Friedrich. Running backs senior Emery Johnson and sophomore Lawrence Vasquez bring a nice mix of speed, craftiness, and power to the backfield. Both the offense and defense lines will depend heavily upon the leadership, stability, and experience of Max Parman, Ja’Kodey Strahm, and Zuteus Blades...seniors all, and all expected to play both ways.
On defense we can expect to see a lot of players playing both ways and a lot of new faces, especially sophomores stepping up. Look for senior Jackson Eyler to be a wrecking ball.
The first game is this coming Friday, August 19, a non-conference game against Clinton on their field. NGM would like to avenge their 27-26 loss to this same Clinton squad at home in last year’s season opener. NGM and Clinton would appear to have parallel programs, each with a returning quarterback and each with a new head coach. Look for a close game.
The full schedule is as follows:
Aug. 19: @Clinton; Aug. 26: vs Belleville; Sept. 2: @Beloit Turner; Sept. 9: vs Edgewood; Sept. 16: vs Lakeside Lutheran; Sept. 23: @Lake Mills; Sept. 30: vs Big Foot; Oct. 7: @Lodi; Oct. 14: @Columbus. All games start at 7:00 p.m., unless noted.
Hey, it’s football season in Wisconsin. Is there a better time of year anywhere?!! See you at the games.
