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SLAYTON -- Coming off their first run to the state semifinals in a quarter-century, the Murray County Central football team will look to build on last season's success with a fresh group of faces in 2026.
"We obviously want to compete for the section, we want to be in that section championship," MCC head coach Patrick Freeman said. "We have a really tough schedule. Guys that are in our district, our section are well-coached football teams, and we respect that. But the ultimate goal is that we want to be playing our best football by the end of the year. If we stay true to the process, focus one week at a time, do a great job preparing and stay healthy, I like our chances."
Last year's MCC squad got off to a slow start, dropping each of its first two games, but caught fire from there. The Rebels went on to win nine straight games, including a 31-20 win over Springfield in the 3A championship game and a 29-26 win over Fillmore Central in the Class A state quarterfinals.
The tournament appearance was the fourth in MCC's history, and marked their first run to US Bank Stadium since 2000.
While the new championship-level experience could help the Rebels go stronger going forward, the Rebels aren't without losses. The team graduated 14 seniors after last season, including two Independent All-Area first team selections, a second-teamer, two third-teamers, and a pair of honorable mentions.
"Any time you lose 14 seniors, you're going to lose experience, and most of those guys played one side of the ball or the other," Freeman said. "But the good thing about last year is we had guys that got a lot of reps. Our JV got reps, our twos [second-stringers] got reps, so even if they weren't starters last year, they got good, quality experience.
"We really talk about the process and staying true to who we are, and feel like it's the next man up. That's how good football teams are kind of built. We just want to build year after year, and kind of the message is to reload and not rebuild."
Ground-and-pound offense has been MCC's calling card and that's no different this year. The Rebels run an option offense, relying almost exclusively on the run game, and very few opponents have had a defensive answer for them.
Still, things will be different for the Rebels on the offensive side of the ball this year. Offensive linemen Colby Kesteloot, Quintin Lewis and Luke Iverson all graduated after being named to the Independent All-Area team last year, with Kesteloot earning a District Lineman of the Year award. They also graduate quarterback Teague Meyer, the District Quarterback of the Year, and running back Jordan Sturges.
Carson Lewis heads the returners and gives the Rebels a good foundation in the backfield. As a junior last season, Lewis was named the District Running Back of the Year after contributing 767 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season. Lewis is expected to be a workhorse for the team this year, Freeman said, adding that Noah Frisk will also get carries as a quarterback after getting thrown into the state semifinals last year due to injuries.
Dugan Kluis, Caleb Rosenbrook andMax Mathiasen will also see action at the skill positions, Freeman said, adding that he feels good about his team's skill position guys due to their athleticism.
The Rebels won't have as much size in the trenches to block this season, Freeman said, but they will have more quickness. Keagan Wiekeraad and Evan Joens both got reps last season and are returning this time around, but they'll also have some faces that are new to the line. Levi Kopperud and Henry Carlson were both pass-catchers for the team last year, Kopperud as a wide receiver and Carlson as a tight end. Yet, they've taken on the challenge of shifting to the line to meet their team's needs.
"We believe that they're [Kopperud and Carlson] physical enough, they know the offense well and we put a lot of trust in those guys," Freeman said. "One word that kind of describes this senior group and this team so far is that they're very coachable. We haven't had a lot of arguments, they understand what's best for the team ... We try to put guys in the right spot, and we feel like based on their size, ability and experience that they would be really good contributors on the offensive line. Sometimes you've got to make those moves to do what's best for the team, so really good group that's willing to do what's best for the team. That's all you can ask for as a coach."
Kluis, Wiekeraad, Frisk and Brayden Gilb were named team captains for the Rebels. Gilb had a strong season for the team last year, earning All-Area honorable mention status despite missing the playoffs due to an illness. He had a non-contact knee injury in the preseason that may result in him being unable to play this year as a senior, but Freeman said the team is hoping that he can return because he's both a good athlete and a good kid.
On the defensive side of the ball, the first word that Freeman used to describe his team is diverse. The Rebels are going to continue to try to catch teams with multiple different looks to keep opposing offenses uncomfortable. The Rebels aren't the biggest team this year, but they're going to try to continue using their athleticism to give themselves an advantage.
"I think the big excitement here is just to see how different guys step up. This is a unique team where you lose a lot of experience from the previous year, but part of being a coach is seeing your team develop," Freeman said. "We have a lot of guys that are stepping into new roles, I'm just excited to see them compete and kind of go show off their identity and make their staple on MCC football."