Wildcats look to continue success

Few programs in the area have had the success the Blair-Taylor football team has maintained over the past decade, and coach Seth Dale said they’re looking forward to continuing their winning ways.

“Our kids are used to winning and are eager to continue the run of success we have had over the past few years,” Dale said.

The Wildcats won the Dairyland Conference in Dale’s first season last year, though an injury to star quarterback Tavian Shramek contributed to an early exit in the playoffs. Playoff appearances are nothing new as B-T has qualified every year since 2018 after going winless in 2017.

The 2018 season was Andy Nehring’s first as head coach. He stepped aside before last season and Dale, who had served as Nehring’s offensive coordinator, replaced him. The team didn’t miss a beat, going 7-3 before falling to Glenwood City in Level One of the playoffs. 

While B-T only graduated five seniors from last year’s squad, they all were impact players, including Shramek who threw for 21 touchdowns and ran for 17 more. The expected starting quarterback this year is senior Kole Trapp, who replaced Shramek in last year’s playoff game. Dale said Trapp played well in that game, especially considering he had never played quarterback at the varsity level. He completed 11 of 18 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. 

“Our offense is only as effective as our quarterback play,” Dale said.

Trapp has played varsity at two other positions and Dale said the team is “going to expect a high level of play out of him at the quarterback position this year.”

Dale said replacing Shramek will be up to more than one player. Trapp has quite a bit of experience returning around him. 

Collin Johnson ran for 518 yards and six touchdowns last year, averaging seven yards per carry. Dale said Johnson showed up to practice “looking bigger and quicker than he was last year.”

“We are going to need him to be effective so teams can’t just game plan to stop our passing game,” Dale said. 

CJ Dummer was the team’s leading receiver, catching 36 passes for 694 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Now a senior, Dummer has played on varsity since he was a freshman and Dale said he expects a big year. 

Dale also expects the offensive line to be solid with seniors Kyle Jahr and Cole Johnson leading the way. 

The team will have to replace two of its top receivers in Ethan Kniseley and Hunter Wagner, but has Dummer, Payton Kelly and Connor Kruse returning. Kelly missed all but one game last season but caught 11 passes for 225 yards as a sophomore. 

The team also graduated two linemen, but Dale is confident sophomore Tyrell Tranberg and junior Adam Halverson can fill in. 

B-T has 32 players on the roster this year and expects to compete at the top of the conference again. Dale said Alma/Pepin and Cochrane-Fountain City, the teams that tied with B-T at the top of the DC standings last year, should both be good again.