The Washington Demons held their sports drink game last night to get ready for their football season.
This year, Washington brings back a lot of key players at key positions, starting with the offense.
The Offensive line brings experience, and possibly one of the best linemen in the district in Tommy Peterson, who last year consistently had a hole open for whichever running back was coming through his side, but Demon head coach Randy Schrader said they are having a tough time filling every spot.
Daryn Seibelius will be the man under center for his junior season. In his first year Seibelius threw from 990 yards, had eight touch downs, a completion percentage of 64 percent, and threw just one interception on a hail mary pass against Williamsburg. He will be backed up by a solid ground game of Alex Coker who led the team with 950 yards and 10 touchdowns, Carl Sivels with 390 yards and six touchdowns and Tanner Knupp with 374 yards and one touchdown.
The one spot on the offense where graduation hit the Demons the hardest was at the receiver position, where leading receiver Knupp is still around with his 30 catches and four touchdowns last year, but the Demons lose Justin Hoffman and Alan Sanchez who combined for 41 catches, 394 yards and three touchdowns.
Defense for the Demons has more question marks, with the graduation of Spencer Woods, Mitchell Hora, Wyatt Shelangoski, Kyle Roder, Hoffman and Sanchez, it leaves the secondary, and linebacking core with the most holes on the defense, but the return of leading tackler Garrett Covington with 120 tackles and Knupp and Coker with a combined six interceptions in the secondary it does leave some leaders.
Special teams will be Mason Quigley as the primary kicker, making 41-46 PAT’s, and going 4-7 for field goals with his longest from 29. Punting will be another question mark with the graduation of Roder, who helped the Demons with the field position games multiple times. The job will more than likely go to Covington or Quigley, and by the first game there still may not be a full answer to the punter question. Finally Coker returns as the kick off and punt returner with a partner by his side, last year he averaged 24 yards a return on punts and 25 yards off kickoffs.
Washington kicks things off against Mid-Prairie on Friday, at Mid-Prairie, and you can hear the call right here on AM and FM KCII and KCIIradio.com under radio plus, the one to count on for today’s local sports coverage is AM and FM KCII and KCIIradio.com.
Washington will host Pella on September 6, and Fairfield on September 13, They have long trips to Marion and Keokuk back to back on September 20 and September 27, before coming home against Williamsburg for Homecoming on October 4. The Mt. Pleasant rivalry will be in Mt. Pleasant this year on October 11, Ft. Madison come to Case field on October 18, and Washington finishes up the regular season on October 25 when they go to Centerville. Playoffs start on October 30.