By Hayden Swope

After a change at the head coach position last season, Connor Herman of Halstead is ready to get back out on the field with a new and improved team. 

“As a team we have made a lot of progress and improvement throughout the offseason,” Herman said. “With having a new coach last year, it was our first season in a new offense and defense, so as a team we are all becoming more comfortable and confident and we are excited for this coming season.”

While working on his skills and plays over the summer, Herman is ready to prove his strengths under the lights.

“One area that I have been focusing on this year is my pass protection,” Herman said. “With our new offense we are implementing more passing so that has been a big focus for me individually. I went to some camps and went up to the field after workouts with teammates and focused on improving pass blocking.”

Last season, Herman was named an all-league and Class 2A honorable mention defensive player, as well as an all-state honorable mention offensive lineman. This year, Herman hopes to continue his successes. 

“Individually I want to grow overall as a player and build on last year’s accomplishments,” Herman said. “As a team the goal is to make it to the playoffs and make a run in the playoffs. I think this is doable because we have a lot of guys returning from last year.

With still two more years to compete, Herman does have aspirations to continue playing outside of high school. 

“I hope to play football at the collegiate level while pursuing a business degree,” Herman said.