By: Nate Calvin
Steve Brancheau begins his ninth season guiding a Montpelier football program that went 4-6 overall last season and was 4-3 in the TAAC. Montpelier will need to fill the void left by the graduations of Payton Pease, Austin Goodnight, and Bryer Bentley.
Fourteen seniors, all letterwinners, return for the Locos featuring Clay Turner QB/DB, Rowen Beck WR/DB, Chandler Byers RB/LB, Brayden Custer RB/LB, Mason Foote OL/DL, Tyler Michael WR/DB, Austin Peffley OL/DL, and Alex Vankham OL/DL.
The returning seniors, which includes four starters on the offensive line, is something that Brancheau points to as a strength for this year’s team stating that the experienced linemen has helped them hit the ground running during the first weeks of camp.
On the flip side, a lack of depth after their starters is a concern. “It will be very important for us to stay healthy. We will also have to be very smart about how we practice so as to stay fresh and healthy and to work to develop more depth with some of the younger players”, said Brancheau, who has a record of 25-55 in his first eight seasons as the Montpelier head coach.
Brancheau expects Northwood to be at the top of TAAC this season with Edon and Cardinal Stritch also contending for a league title. He also thinks that if the Locos can remain healthy, they will be able to compete with any team in the league.
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Montpelier will open the season on August 30th at Antwerp before back to back home games against Evergreen and Edgerton. The Locos will be challenged right out of the gate in TAAC play when they host Cardinal Stritch on September 20th and travel to Edon on September 27th to begin league play.
Nate can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com