By Joanna Chadwick
Andale’s 51-game winning streak isn’t being ignored by anyone.
The media, the fans, the players and even coach Dylan Schmidt embrace it.
“I bring it up,” said Schmidt, whose team has won at least . “I tell them, ‘hey, guys. I get it. I’m sure you’re feeling pressure. It’s a good thing that you’re in this position — you’ve done a good job. Be proud of what you’ve done. You’ve earned it.'”
Schmidt has even mentioned what to do if Andale does suffer a loss.
“This is an awesome deal to be a part of, and I tell them that if you get beat, let’s go win the next one,” he said. “We put everything into it. If we win them all, great.
“I’d be disappointed if we weren’t doing things the right way. But there’s been a model for success, so let’s buy into it. Let’s do what you’ve been asked to do.
“Of course, as a coach, we’re always pushing for a little more. But at the same time, they need to know how proud we are of them.”
Andale has beaten opponents by an average of 51.8-6 over the past 51 games.
Andale graduated three three-year starters on offense, which isn’t easy to replace. However, this program is built to have continued success, so there’s plenty of players who are ready to step in.
Owen Eck will start at quarterback.
“He’s a three-time state champion in wrestling and will be going for four…. We could play him anywhere, and we might,” Schmidt said. “We could play him at running back. He’s an undersized kid at 5-9, 165 pounds and he’ll do an amazing job wherever we put him.”
Gage Prosser, who set the school record in the 400 as a sophomore, is the only skill player returning.
But he’s coming off a lisfranc fracture suffered in the win over Collegiate last year. It’s a nine-month recovery process, so he missed basketball and track as a junior.
“My hope is he just gets better and better and better physically,” Schmidt said. “It takes time and he continues to look better. The hardest thing is the mental aspect, but he’s super talented.”
Cooper Marx will play full back — “you’ll hear big things from him,” Schmidt said.
Other players to watch for in the backfield will be Landon Harp and Rylan White, a sprinter in track.
Up front, Andale returns seniors Ian Aouad, Cody Engelbrecht and Henry Eck.
Karson Butts, who has Division II offers, will play tight end and inside linebacker, where he led Andale in tackles.
The defense gave up 68 points in 13 games in 2022.
“The one question mark is we’re not as big as we were up front,” Schmidt said. “But we’ll be tough and we’ll be quick.”
