Numbers are up for the Austin High B-squad football team this year.

Thursday, September 02, 1999

Numbers are up for the Austin High B-squad football team this year. So, barring injuries there won’t be any two-way players, with both the offense and the defensive squads loaded with 11 different starters.

Team expectations are high coming off of last year’s 3-5 mark as freshmen. The team is looking to not lose more than two of its eight games this year.

Austin will get its first test to reach that goal as well as get revenge tonight against Winona at 5:30 in front of Wescott Field. (B-squad home games are regularly played inside Wescott, but the Austin High girls’ varsity soccer team is hosting Winona.)

Last year, these same group of players played a close 19-18 game with Winona coming out on top. Austin had led 18-0 at halftime.

"We need to play all four quarters this time," said right tackle Jason Stouf, who is one of three team captains for Austin.

The other captains are Willie Clennon, who starts at nose guard, and quarterback Matt Larson.

"Once we get pumped, it’s hard to get anything by us," Clennon said. "We play an aggressive defense and aren’t afraid to hit anybody."

Clennon and Larson said the team is coming off good scrimmages against two larger schools, Hastings and Minnentonka, last Saturday.

The backfield has Ben Johnson at fullback and Josh Holck and Joe Faas at the halfback positions.

Adam Kasper and Brian Larson will be flanked out at the wide receiver spots, and the offensive line, which was hit the hardest by the promotion of three sophomores to the varsity team, is made up of Jeff Cochran at left guard, Matt Graff at right tackle, Jason Tabor at left tackle and Riley Brolsma, one of two freshmen on the team, starts at center.

The rest of the defense, which the captains said should be the strength of the team, has Gavin Henningsen at right tackle, Mike Cavanaugh and Mike Leathers at the linebacker spots. Justin Rockwell is at the other end position and Ethan Simonson, the other freshman, is at left tackle.

The secondary has Derek Mullenbach at strong safety, Corey Christopherson and Tony Ball at the corner back spots, and Dan Swank at the free safety position.

Paul Besel is the B-squad head coach and is assisted by Jeff Nolte.