Football camps signal start to 2022 seasons
As the calendar inches closer to August, so to does the beginning of the fall sports seasons. For the Abbotsford Falcon and Colby Hornet football teams, this process begins with the summer mini-camps, which were held over the last two weeks. These camps give the teams an opportunity for conditioning and drillwork, as well as a refresher on playbooks and to start the process of finding new starters to replace those who have graduated.
Both teams will be coming off of winning seasons, with the Falcons going 8-5 overall and the Hornets finishing with a 16-1 record.
Conference shakeups in 2020, as well as cancellations due to COVID-19 and schools dropping out of the traditional 11-man leagues in favor of fielding 8-man teams put both programs in somewhat unfamiliar territory last year.
After sustained success in the Cloverwood for close to a decade, Abbotsford started off last season with four straight wins and looked to be setting themselves up for success in the Marawood. However, several canceled games in the middle of the season would make maintaining any sort of momentum on a week to week basis somewhat difficult. Losses to new conference foes Edgar and Auburndale over that stretch would take them out of the running for a conference title, but they’d defeat Crivtiz 26-15 for a first round playoff win. The Falcons drew Colby in the next round, setting up a Marawood conference matchup that had been canceled earlier in the year. Abbotsford would fall in the fledgling rivalry game, 48-8.
The Colby Hornets, meanwhile, would go on to win it all, taking the Division 6 state championship after defeating Saint Mary’s Springs 22-7 in the final game. In their second season in the new Marawood, the Hornets swept their conference foes, outscoring them 133-21. They will be looking to defend both their conference title, as well as their state title, in this upcoming season.
There are almost always holes to be filled on varsity football teams on a year to year basis, and the coaching staffs begin that search during these minicamps.
Both teams will have to replace their top options on offense. Falcon running back Ty Falteisek, who had 1527 yards in 9 games and averaged 8.1 yards per carry last season, has graduated. He was a huge part of an Abbotsford attack that focused largely on the ground game. The Hornets will also be without two 1000 yard rushers themselves, as both Brent Jeske and Mason Voss will not be on the 2022 team. That being said, JV Castillo, who had 917 yards on the ground for the Falcons last year, and Caden Healy, who had 696 yards rushing and 305 yards receiving for the Hornets, are still possible options for the Marawood rivals.
The Hornets will also be down All-Conference players on both sides of the ball, with Tristen Stange, Corey Steen, Brandon Voelker, Derek Jeske, and Andrew Jeske as well as honorable mentions Brody Decker and Brayden Boyer all graduating. In addition to Falteisek, Abbotsford will be missing the services of starters Brandon Hawkey and Devin Thums, who were All-Conference last year, and Garrett Short, who was an honorable mention.
Practice will begin for the teams in August, and both will have scrimmages on Friday, August 12 ahead of their season openers. Abbotsford will be on the road for their first game of the 2022 season, battling Loyal in a rematch of last year’s opener. Meanwhile, Colby will take on an old Cloverbelt foe, Neillsville, for a non-conference matchup at home. Both games will be held on Friday, August 19.
