Galesburg, IL – The Prairie Fire football team’s 2012 recruiting class includes two players from area schools with longtime winning traditions.
Coach Chad Eisele said Geoffrey Hahn of United and Ben Couri of Peoria Richwoods have committed to attend Knox College and play football. Hahn, a running back, also plans to suit up for the Fire baseball team next spring.
Couri and Hahn were both all-conference football selections. Hahn was named to the All-Lincoln Trail Conference second team and Couri to the All-Mid State Six second team.
Hahn led the United running game with nearly 800 yards and seven touchdowns. The Red Storm lost to Class 1A state champion Dakota in the 2011 playoffs and finished with a 7-3 record. Hahn played for Coach Tim Engebretson, who announced his retirement last February.
Engebretson’s teams at Warren High School and United made the playoffs in 18 of the 19 years he was the head coach, 11 at Warren and eight at United. His 2004 Red Storm team won the 2004 Class 1A state championship.
Couri played both linebacker and offensive line for Richwoods Coach Roland Brown. The Knights lost their first three games of the 2011 season before winning 10 straight to advance to the Class 6A state championship game. The Knights lost to Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge to end the season with a 10-4 record.
Eisele said Couri, who he plans to use as a defensive lineman, has ties to the College through his grandparents, Bob and Louise Wolf. Bob Wolfe was a member of Knox’s 1956 conference championship team.
Couri is also the first recruited Peoria Richwoods football player to come to Knox since Eisele, who graduated from Richwoods in 1986. Another graduate of the school is Hahn’s father, Dan Hahn.
The Knights have made the playoffs nine straight years going into the 2012 season. A dominant program, Peoria Richwoods has missed out on postseason play only four years since 1983 while winning state titles in 1984 and 1988. The school's football program has a pair of second place finishes – in 1987 and 2011.
“They’re both solid kids, played for great coaches, and they come from great systems,” Eisele said of Couri and Hahn. “We’re hoping they’ll bring that experience and high level of success to our program.”
Another area player planning to attend Knox and compete for playing time for the Prairie Fire football team is Sam Reading of West Prairie High School. A defensive back, Reading was a two-year starter for the Cyclones.
Eisele called the recruiting class solid and it filled some depth issues at wide receiver and linebacker. “We feel like we’ve brought in some people that will compete for playing time right away.”
The Fire recently concluded spring practices. Eisele said the team, which will have 18 seniors in 2012, has a great attitude. “Our kids are fully committed and dedicated to turning our program around. We’re excited for August 13 to start camp and get going on a new season.”
Knox opens the 2012 campaign at the Knosher Bowl on September 1 at 1:00 p.m. against Eureka College.
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