BLUE SPRINGS - With only 27 players on their roster, Southern is one of the smallest teams in Class C1. They will have several kids playing on both sides of the ball.
Year one of their co-op with Lewiston High School featured a 1-8 record and a plethora of injuries, especially at the quarterback position. There was no issue of meshing together, though.
"Our kids have gotten along very well. It's been seamless, teamwork amongst all of the kids. We're very accepting of Lewiston coming over to be apart of our team and our program, so we very much appreciate the co-op," said Head Coach Kane Hookstra.
One thing that Southern has at their advantage for 2017 is a lot of returning experience.
"We have 16 returning lettermen and a number, seven or eight, of returning starters, so we've got some experience. We'd love to build on that. Our quarterback is back. He was injured last year. He's a great competitor, so we look for him to be one our leaders and be a threat on offense going forward," stated Hookstra.
That quarterback is Drake Adams. He suffered a broken wrist to begin their season, and later a hip injury that kept him sidelined for a majority of his Sophomore season.
"I expect that we just come out and try hard, practice as hard as we can. Do our best in games. I mean, win or lose, just do your best," declared Adams.
The Raiders open their season at Falls City.
Stay tuned to News Channel Nebraska for coverage all year long.
As One of the Smallest Teams in C1, Southern Looking to Experience for Improvement
