PREVIEW: Talented Panthers aim to move up

     Last year was pretty good. This year could be better.

     The Monticello High School football team returns eight starters on offense and seven on defense for the 2019 season, from a team that went 5-4 last year, including 3-2 in district play.

     “We are deep and experienced at a lot of positions this year,” fourth-year head coach Wes Wilson said. “And good overall numbers will help with the depth.”

     A total of 62 boys are out for the team, including 15 returning letter-winners.

     What jumps off the page about this year’s Panthers is the number of returners involved in the passing game. Senior quarterback Jeff Carlson passed for 2092 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Three of last year’s top four receivers are also back: junior Tyler Luensman (441 yards receiving, two touchdowns), senior Devin Kraus (396 yards, six touchdowns), and junior Justin Recker (361 yards, two touchdowns).

     It will help the passing game, as well, that six players from who played on the offensive line are back: seniors Ben Oswald, Christian Nieto, Luke Weber and Mason Reuter, and juniors Brayden Cleeton and Spencer Avery.

     Tyler Luensman, Carlson and Cleeton were first team all-district last year, while Kraus and Recker made the second team.

     Defensively, the Panthers will be led by a pair of all-district returners: senior defensive back Cade Folken, who made three interceptions and 36 tackles, and lineman Mason Reuter, who made 24 tackles. Defensive back Tyler Luensman was strong on that side of the ball as well, making 37 tackles.

     Also on the list of returning letterwinners are senior receiver/defensive back Colin Jordan, junior receivers/defensive backs Kain Luensman and Juan Perez, and junior tight end/linebacker Reid Barnhart.

     “We want to play fast on both sides of the football,” coach Wilson said. “We want to push the tempo offensively and run as many plays as possible. Defensively, we want to be very active and get 11 hats to the football.”

     The Panthers have less returning experience at the running back and linebacker positions.

     “Those are always question marks, but we like what we see out of our guys that are competing for those spots,” Wilson said.

     Monticello plays in Class 2A, District 4, and the Panthers finished third in the six-team district a year ago. Waukon was the champion at 5-0, followed by Waterloo Columbus at 4-1. Non-district foes include Cascade, Dyersville Beckman and Bellevue.

     “You always look at Waukon as a team that will be very good,” Wilson said. “Then you have teams like Cascade, Beckman and Bellevue that have had great success the past few years.  Anamosa is a team that has a lot of talent returning and will be much improved.”

     This is the second year of the state’s RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) system of determining the postseason qualifiers in each class. District champions automatically qualify, and the remaining qualifiers are determined by a formula that includes your team’s record, records of your opponents, and records of your opponents’ opponents.

     Monticello narrowly missed qualifying through the RPI last year. But coach Wilson isn’t thinking that far ahead.

     “We want to be 1-0 after each week,” he said. “We have to take care of business each week and let all the pieces of the RPI fall into place.”

     Assistant coaches include Jon Kyte (defensive coordinator), Dustin Chapman (special teams), Nathan Freeze and Daniel Pike (varsity assistants), Greg Williams (JV head coach) and Donnie Kremer (JV offensive coordinator).