Photo by Samantha Davis: The 2025 Lakeview football team includes (front row, left to right) Joshua Potts, Braylon Breyfogle, Wade Hansen, Garrett Schafer, Kaiden Pringle, Landon Teske, Dustin Schlenner, Landyn Listul, Jordan Olsen, Jackson Staab, Cody Helmke, Jayden Montgomery, (second row, left to right), Logan Herrick, Chance Kosel, Tucker Anderson, Blake Peltier, Jake Robinson, Conner Moseng, Jared Bot, Jaxon Hartke, Soren Louwagie, (third row, left to right) Carter Nilges, Ashton Heidebrink, Gage Dimmick, Raiden Coyle, Beau Laleman, Aceson Isaacs, Chase Bryant, Austin Martin, Jamison Olsen and Cooper Caspers. Not pictured is Teagan Neuman, Elijah Huntjens, Brian Sego and Taedan Smith. The Lakers are coached by (back row) head coach Scott Hanson, and assistants Colton Andrea, Thomas Yahnka, Isaac Loe, Erik Lundberg, Russell Murphy, David Loe and Dave Nelson.

COTTONWOOD — With a new starting quarterback and large group of young returners led by 12 seniors, the Lakeview football team is looking to continue its rebuild in the right direction ahead of the 2025 season. 

“Last year, we made a lot of progress. A lot of the players we have this year played last year. We have a lot of returning letter winners that are coming back,” Lakeview head coach Scott Hanson said. “This group of kids has put a lot of time since last October in the weight room and is getting faster and stronger, so we’re really looking forward to that. We had a really good summer preparation.” 

The Lakers finished their 2024 campaign 3-6 overall, picking up their trio of wins sporadically. It was an increase from Lakeview’s 2023 season when it went 1-8, as the program has been rebuilding since its 9-2 run in 2022 and graduated a hefty group of 16 seniors that year. The team was Section 5A runner-up that season as well. 

Lakeview’s season came to an end last year in the section quarterfinals with a 36-6 loss to Canby, who it beat earlier in the year on Sept. 2, 14-8. The Lakers’ other wins came over Yellow Medicine East and Lac qui Parle Valley. 

“Last year, we had three games that we let get away from us that we should have won,” Hanson said. “We’ve had a great start to our fall camp, and all we’re focusing on is just being 1-0 each week [this season].” 

“We have team goals that we’ve set for ourselves, but all we’re looking forward to is each Friday night, taking one game at a time, getting better for that game and not looking too far ahead,” Hanson added as to the team’s approach this season. “We’re not looking back as to last year … I felt we’ve rebuilt ourselves last year, and now this year, we want to just reload and go.” 

Lakeview graduated eight seniors last year, including quarterback Tyden Marczak. 

Marczak finished the season with 48 complete passes on 94 attempts for 301 yards, with four touchdowns and four interceptions. He also had 126 rushing yards with a pair of touchdowns and 31 tackles. 

Junior Logan Herrick will be the Lakers’ new starting quarterback, who Hanson said he saw some varsity time in the position last season including throwing the winning touchdown against Canby in the second game of the season when Marczak had to sub out with an injury. 

Other graduated seniors that Lakeview will look to adjust to the loss of is defensive lineman Colton Schlenner, wide receiver and linebacker Dylan Caron and running back and linebacker Jared Gregoire, who all had 58, 54 and 35 tackles respectively. 

But, the Lakers have several returners who made significant contributions last season that the team will continue to rely on this year. 

“We have really good senior leadership,” Hanson said. “They all played as juniors last year, so we got a lot of experience coming back during the season.”  

Senior linebacker and running back Garrett Schafer led the Lakers in several categories last season, and will look to continue his versatility.

Schafer had a team-high 437 rushing yards on 103 carries with one touchdown, and also 161-receiving yards on 12 catches and one touchdown. 

Other returners include sophomore running back and linebacker Chance Kosel, senior wide receiver and cornerback Braylon Breyfogle, senior linebacker Dustin Schlenner and senior offensive and defensive lineman Jackson Staab. 

Last year, Kosel followed behind Schafer with 145 rushing yards on 40 carries with one touchdown. Breyfogle recorded 122 receiving yards on 20 catches with three touchdowns, along with 13 tackles. 

Schlenner had a team second-best 58 tackles, and Staab had 25. 

“I would say we look for a lot of leadership out of those guys,” Hanson said. “We’re just looking forward to the first game of the season … That’s all we’re focused on, is one week at a time.” 

Hanson also noted he expects sophomore offensive and defensive lineman Jared Bot to play heavy minutes, who got significant time as a freshman and had 14 tackles on the year. 

Along with its large group of 12 seniors, Lakeview will continue to build up its young talent in the coming years, who hold 19 combined freshman and sophomores this season. 

“What I really like the most about this group of players is that grades nine to 12, they’re all together, and they do things together,” Hanson said. “When we take our water breaks at practice, it’s the whole team together. There’s no group standing off to the side. It’s the whole team, standing together.” 

Hanson said all players are healthy to start the season, except for sophomore linebacker Jaxon Hartke who is rehabbing an ACL tear from over the winter. He has been cleared to practice, and Hanson said he should be on pace to play near mid-season. 

Lakeview will open the season on Friday at home when it hosts Madelia at 7 p.m. The Lakers will then hit the road next week to Lac qui Parle Valley, also Friday at 7 p.m.