Longhorn Football graduates five seniors

The 2016 Kimball High Football Team look their lumps for certain with only 1 win and 8 losses, but with only five seniors on this year’s roster, and a lot of young players returning with experience, things may improve next season.

The five seniors will certainly be missed as all five played key roles. Logan Stahla, a two way performer as a running back and line backer was an all conference selection. Jaden Withrow and Kyle Spicer were both key offensive and defensive starters who played various positions as running back/quarterbacks on offense and defense backs where needed and both were honorable mention all conference. Sam Tussing and Eric Escajeda were both two-way starting linemen with Escajeda listed as the Horns largest player at 275 pounds.

Having only 5 seniors hurt coach Nick Kuxhausen in both on-field experience and leadership. A very tough and demanding schedule also played a role in the win department. Teams like North Platte St. Pats, Hershey, Valentine and Class C-1 Chase County were all state ranked at one time or another. Mitchell, Bridgport, and Gordon-Rushville were other highly respected opponents. You can thank the state officials for this schedule as Kimball school administration has no say in setting the football schedule.

Looking at what the Longhorns will lose by graduation, and what they have coming back, Withrow was the leading rusher with 940 yards on 163 carries for a 5.2 yard average per carry and 93.3 yards per game scoring 5 touchdowns rushing. Stahla had 497 yards on 109 carries for a 4.6 yard per carry average and 56.2 yards per game with 6 rushing TDs. Spicer had 62 yards rushing on 47 carries. All of these numbers graduate! Withrow and Spicer both did some quarterbacking, but sophomore Izaac Reuter, and freshman Brendan Walker both return and both show lots of promise at this position. Next year’s running backs will have to come from a group of young players, but there are some who show promise including Jake Jenkins, Braydan Tyan, James Merryfield, and Izaak Glanz. Expect to see some other position changes as well to bolster up the backfield.

There is some size returning including all conference junior Cody Kirby at 240 pounds who led the team in tackles with 18 listed solo stops and 58 assists. While the five seniors were also listed high in the defensive stats as well, there are a number of returners who also showed well in the defensive stats, and experienced. The cupboard is not bare!

As you might expect from a win-loss season of 1-8, the opponents dominated in the team stats out scoring Kimball 362 to 146. Kimball’s lone win came over Bayard 42-28. The balance of the schedule shows losses to Centura 14-6, Gordon-Rushville 52-26, Mitchell 46-30, Chase County 49-8, Hershey 25-0, Bridgeport 45-20, St. Pats 63-14, Valentine 40-0.