Find out what some of the top players in the state are saying about sports now!
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Q&A with Valley kicker Rico Alvarenga
What have you and your team been doing as of late to get ready for the fall?
“Our team has been doing everything you would expect almost any good high school football team would do to prepare. That includes the early morning lifts, conditioning, speed development, individual drills, etc.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“I have improved on my strength and explosiveness the most since the season ended, allowing me to perform better as a specialist.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“It’s always hard to predict what your team is capable of during the summer workout phase. However, we are still looking as sharp as we did last year.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Toughest competition always involves Dowling or Southeast Polk. However, again early predictions are too vague.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“N/A.”
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Q&A with North Union defensive lineman Colin Rasch
What have you and your team been doing as of late to get ready for the fall?
“My team and I have been doing a lot of weightlifting and speed training this offseason, as well as 7v7 against ourselves and other schools.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“I have gotten a lot stronger and more powerful since the last football season as well as getting faster.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“I feel like my team will do a lot of good things this year, we will compete in all of our games. I have a good feeling about this year.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“The toughest team that we will play this year will be West Hancock. They are great every year, and this year they will be upset how last year ended for them.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The toughest player our team will face, is either one of the Smith brothers from West Hancock. Both of them are really good at their positions. Mitchell is a great linebacker and ball carrier and David is a great lineman on both sides of the ball.”
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Q&A with Western Dubuque inside linebacker Derek Hoerner
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“Lately in the off-season I’ve been grinding away in the weight room, and I think that will play a major role in this upcoming season. I’ve also opened myself up to learn more offensive positions so I can do as much as I can for the team whether it’s on the line or in the backfield.”
What do you feel you have improved on most this off-season?
“I think in this offseason the thing I’ve most greatly improved on is fast twitch movements along with becoming stronger physically.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“I think that the team this year is going to be the best team since our championship team in 2019, and we hope to accomplish what they were able to do.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I’m thinking that the toughest team on our schedule this year will be Xavier, they’re the reigning state champs but I think that they’re going to be sadly mistaken if they think we’re the same team that we were last year.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I think that Kyler Gerardy from North Scott is going to be a major threat for us this year, his acceleration and shiftiness make him extremely difficult to contain. His ability to also throw the ball makes him dangerous in the passing game also.”
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Q&A with Monticello wide receiver Peyton Schilling
What have you and your team been doing as of late to get ready for the fall?
“We have been grinding in the weight room Tuesday - Thursdays, after lifting we have speed and agility. Wednesday nights we have football workouts. We scrimmaged Western Dubuque in a 7v7 which went very successful.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“I feel I’ve improved most on my strength this off season. I got on a routine that I like to do, so I’ve been in the weight room at least once or twice a day.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“I feel like we have a very good season ahead of us. If we play the way we’ve always played as a collective group I see us playing in the dome.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Week one @ Mt. Vernon will be our toughest matchup I feel. If we take care of them and a tough Cascade team at home I feel we will get the job done in the regular season and go undefeated.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The toughest individual player we will see this year in my opinion is Joey Rhomberg. He led his team to the Dome last year and I expect a dog fight out of him and Preston at the QB position week one.”
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Q&A with Bondurant-Farrar wide receiver Reed Pfaltzgraff
What have you and your team been doing as of late to get ready for the fall?
“We have been keeping very busy with lifting and workouts throughout the whole summer and have attended multiple team camps.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“I have definitely been trying to get stronger, as well as working on my footwork and speed.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“I think we will have a very successful season and have a very high ceiling, we definitely have goals to get to the Dome.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think that every game on our schedule will be a tough one, but we definitely have the Waverly and Lewis Central games circled.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Not sure.”
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Q&A with Valley kicker Rico Alvarenga
What have you and your team been doing as of late to get ready for the fall?
“Our team has been doing everything you would expect almost any good high school football team would do to prepare. That includes the early morning lifts, conditioning, speed development, individual drills, etc.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“I have improved on my strength and explosiveness the most since the season ended, allowing me to perform better as a specialist.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“It’s always hard to predict what your team is capable of during the summer workout phase. However, we are still looking as sharp as we did last year.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Toughest competition always involves Dowling or Southeast Polk. However, again early predictions are too vague.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“N/A.”
..............................................
Q&A with North Union defensive lineman Colin Rasch
What have you and your team been doing as of late to get ready for the fall?
“My team and I have been doing a lot of weightlifting and speed training this offseason, as well as 7v7 against ourselves and other schools.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“I have gotten a lot stronger and more powerful since the last football season as well as getting faster.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“I feel like my team will do a lot of good things this year, we will compete in all of our games. I have a good feeling about this year.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“The toughest team that we will play this year will be West Hancock. They are great every year, and this year they will be upset how last year ended for them.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The toughest player our team will face, is either one of the Smith brothers from West Hancock. Both of them are really good at their positions. Mitchell is a great linebacker and ball carrier and David is a great lineman on both sides of the ball.”
..............................................
Q&A with Western Dubuque inside linebacker Derek Hoerner
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“Lately in the off-season I’ve been grinding away in the weight room, and I think that will play a major role in this upcoming season. I’ve also opened myself up to learn more offensive positions so I can do as much as I can for the team whether it’s on the line or in the backfield.”
What do you feel you have improved on most this off-season?
“I think in this offseason the thing I’ve most greatly improved on is fast twitch movements along with becoming stronger physically.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“I think that the team this year is going to be the best team since our championship team in 2019, and we hope to accomplish what they were able to do.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I’m thinking that the toughest team on our schedule this year will be Xavier, they’re the reigning state champs but I think that they’re going to be sadly mistaken if they think we’re the same team that we were last year.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I think that Kyler Gerardy from North Scott is going to be a major threat for us this year, his acceleration and shiftiness make him extremely difficult to contain. His ability to also throw the ball makes him dangerous in the passing game also.”
..............................................
Q&A with Monticello wide receiver Peyton Schilling
What have you and your team been doing as of late to get ready for the fall?
“We have been grinding in the weight room Tuesday - Thursdays, after lifting we have speed and agility. Wednesday nights we have football workouts. We scrimmaged Western Dubuque in a 7v7 which went very successful.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“I feel I’ve improved most on my strength this off season. I got on a routine that I like to do, so I’ve been in the weight room at least once or twice a day.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“I feel like we have a very good season ahead of us. If we play the way we’ve always played as a collective group I see us playing in the dome.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Week one @ Mt. Vernon will be our toughest matchup I feel. If we take care of them and a tough Cascade team at home I feel we will get the job done in the regular season and go undefeated.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The toughest individual player we will see this year in my opinion is Joey Rhomberg. He led his team to the Dome last year and I expect a dog fight out of him and Preston at the QB position week one.”
..............................................
Q&A with Bondurant-Farrar wide receiver Reed Pfaltzgraff
What have you and your team been doing as of late to get ready for the fall?
“We have been keeping very busy with lifting and workouts throughout the whole summer and have attended multiple team camps.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“I have definitely been trying to get stronger, as well as working on my footwork and speed.”
How do you feel your team will do this football season?
“I think we will have a very successful season and have a very high ceiling, we definitely have goals to get to the Dome.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think that every game on our schedule will be a tough one, but we definitely have the Waverly and Lewis Central games circled.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Not sure.”
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