Galesburg, IL - The Prairie Fire is looking for major contributions from the team’s seniors and improved play on both sides of the football in 2012.
Coach Chad Eisele’s squad has 18 players suiting up for their final season. “We return a lot of kids that have played for us, and we have a lot of senior leadership this year,” Eisele said. He said that hasn’t been the case the past two years because of smaller classes.
Knox returns 16 starters from a year ago -- nine on offense and seven on defense -- including three All-Midwest Conference selections. Sophomore Jordan Willits (Aledo, IL, Mercer County ) was named a second team offensive lineman, junior Derek Mortensen (Crystal Lake, IL, Crystal Lake South ) garnered honorable mention honors at running back, and senior Mike Hendrick (Smithton, IL, Freeburg) was a first team pick at linebacker.
Mortensen led the Knox running game with 795 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He ranked third in the MWC in rushing touchdowns, sixth in total yards, and his 79.5 yards per game average ranked seventh. He ran three times for more than 100 yards and scored a touchdown twice in three consecutive games, including 112 yards and four touchdowns in the season finale at Monmouth College.
“We really feel in this offense that Mortensen is a force to be reckoned with,” Eisele said.
Hendrick returns to lead the defense after a stellar 2011 season. Besides earning first team all-conference honors, he was named an All-American by D3football.com and Beyond Sports Network. In addition, Hendrick was a 2012 preseason All-American selection by D3football.com, BSN, and USA Football News.
“We certainly count on Mike to have a big season,” Eisele said. “He led the nation in tackles last year, and he’s a phenomenal athlete. Teams have to know where he is at all times because he’s a playmaker and a difference maker.”
Hendrick’s 157 total tackles set a new school record. He also established new all-time Knox football marks for solo tackles (75) in a season and most tackles (26) in a game. Hendrick, who also paced the Prairie Fire with eight sacks and 16 tackles for a loss, was awarded an NCAA statistical champion plaque for leading all Division III defensive players with an average of 15.7 tackles per game.
Eisele, in his third season as the Prairie Fire head coach, said the keys for this year are simple.
“We have to be more consistent offensively moving the football up and down the field, and we have to do a better job defensively by causing turnovers. We did not cause nearly enough turnovers last year, and that has to be a point of emphasis for us from day one.”
Eisele feels good about the Prairie Fire offense, which he thinks is poised to be one of the leading offenses in the Midwest Conference.
Willits will be counted on to anchor the offensive line, which paved the way for an average of 154.5 rushing yards per game last season. The coaching staff is also expecting solid contributions on the line from seniors Mike Carr (Niles, IL, Niles Notre Dame ) and Brian Paul (Quincy, IL, Quincy Senior), junior Jeremy Ransom (Crystal Lake, IL, Crystal Lake South ), and sophomores Andrew Paul (Quincy, IL, Quincy Senior) and Austin Finley (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg).
Junior Cort Scheel (Wilmington, IL, University of Dubuque) will give opponents a different look at the running back position. “(Scheel) is smaller and quicker (than Mortensen) but still a very hard runner, and they pack a 1-2 punch that I think a lot of defenses are going to have to pay a lot of attention to,” Eisele said.
The receiving corps includes junior Dustin Armstrong (Cincinnati, OH, Country Day) and seniors Mike Pinter (Naples, FL, Palmetto Ridge ), Gabe Ayers (Hanna City, IL, Farmington ), and Danny Schaefer (Wilmette, IL, New Trier). Armstrong -- who Eisele said has tremendous ability -- was the second leading receiver last season with 20 catches, 296 yards, and two touchdowns. Pinter, a former quarterback who played a lot of slot receiver last season, had 18 receptions for 99 yards. In addition, the team will utilize junior Neal Moon (Kahoka, MO, Clark County R-1) at the tight end position. He caught 18 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown a year ago.
Quarterback Drew Diaz (Niles, IL, Niles Notre Dame ) is also back for the Prairie Fire. The junior -- a threat to pass or run -- threw for 1,540 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 309 yards and six scores.
“Drew is a leader for us. Consistency in his decision making and play making ability will be key for him this season,” Eisele said.
Eisele said the team, which will again employ a 3-4 defensive alignment, is very deep at linebacker.
“We’re counting on the senior leadership of Will Grumke (Kirkwood, MO, Kirkwood). We’ve also got Matt Hendrick (Smithton, IL, Freeburg), who we moved to outside linebacker.” Grumke was third on the team with 45 tackles last season while Hendrick, a junior, was next with 42 stops. Junior Tom Discher (Woodstock, IL, Woodstock) and sophomore Jason Deedrick (Carmago, IL, Villa Grove) will likely see considerable playing time as well.
The secondary includes seniors Cale Dahm (Lincoln, IL, Lincoln) and Nathan Williams (Canton, IL, Canton) and sophomore Chaz Benton (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg). A leader on the defensive line is senior Lloyd Scott (Chicago, IL, Mount Carmel). Scott had 33 tackles, including seven for a loss and two sacks last season to lead the front three. Eisele is hoping senior Alex Pappas (Chicago, IL, Chicago Guerin Prep) will also be a big contributor and leader on the line.
Two key special teams players this season are Mike Schroeder (Glenview, IL, Glenbrook South) and junior Phil Tallman (Park Ridge, IL, Maine South).
“Mike was one of the leading (kick) returners in the league last year ... we’re going to count on him for senior leadership as a special teams player and to be an integral part of what we do with all our special teams,” Eisele said.
Schroeder averaged 20.1 yards per kick return last season, which ranked seventh in the Midwest Conference.
Tallman will handle the kicking duties for the Prairie Fire. “We’re counting on him to be more consistent this year on kickoffs, extra points, and field goals,” Eisele said.
Knox will play, technically, a new conference opponent this season. Cornell College, an original member of the Midwest Conference, is back in the league after departing for the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at the end of the 1996-97 season. The Prairie Fire and the Rams meet on October 13 in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
Eisele said the MWC is now a deeper league than in previous years.
“In the past you knew there were four or five games that, if you played your best, you were probably going to come out on top. That’s not the case for anybody right now.”
Eisele wants his team to focus on being consistent and getting better each week.
“I certainly feel like we have the talent level to compete with anybody in this league, and it’s the mental aspect of being able to put it all together on Saturdays at 1:00 and going out and proving to people that we do have those capabilities.”
Knox rekindles its rivalry with Eureka College, which dates back to 1893, on September 1 at home in the inaugural Abraham Lincoln Bowl. The kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. and the winner receives the traveling Lincoln Trophy.
More information on the Lincoln Bowl is available at http://prairiefire.knox.edu/news/2012/8/23/FB_0823123701.aspx?path=football.
The game will be available to view online by clicking on the following link: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/knox.portal#. Coverage begins at 12:50 p.m.
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