Iowa Team Preview | Top Contender: Fremont-Mills
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Take a look as Prep Redzone Iowa previews some of the state’s top contenders who, at least on paper, have what it takes to push for a title. From 5A down there are plenty of programs who have what it…
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Continue ReadingTake a look as Prep Redzone Iowa previews some of the state’s top contenders who, at least on paper, have what it takes to push for a title. From 5A down there are plenty of programs who have what it takes to challenge the reigning champions. Will any of these squads take it all?
Fremont-Mills made it all the way to the state finals in the eight-player bracket. They made an incredible run, but Remsen St. Mary’s proved to be a little too much to handle. The Knights will look to build off of the incredible foundation that the 2020 season proved to be and prepare for another run at the ultimate prize.
Recap
The Knights got a ton of production from last year’s core players, which included a lot of young talent that should have Fremont-Mills in position to contend for at least the next couple years in the eight-player landscape. Led by the dynamic Malcom brothers in the backfield, Seth (Running Back) and Jake (Quarterback), the Knights were able to establish some dominance on offense, especially on the ground. Older brother, Seth, who has graduated and is now a Cornhusker, leaves big shoes to fill. He accounted for nearly 2,000 yards of total offense and accumulated over 90 tackles on the Knights’ way to a state championship appearance. After an early season loss to Central Valley the Knights went on an absolute roll defeating the likes of Woodbine, CAM, Martensdale-St. Mary’s, and Don Bosco. The Knights averaged nearly 40 points per game moving the ball and efficiently owning the clock. In a world where seeing very high point totals is not uncommon, the Knights defense only allowed 27 points per game, which is so much more impressive than it may appear. For reference, the other eight-player semifinal game featured 202 points scored in the contest. While they fell short the Knights only allowed Remsen St. Mary’s, who put up 108 the previous week, to score 48 points. Fremont-Mills’ throwback, hard-nosed style of play, pounding the rock and playing tough defense, was certainly a challenge for even the top eight-player schools to figure out. They are onto something and will look to finish the job in 2021.
Outlook
The Knights have plenty of athletes coming back; they are stacked with some impressive two-way talent that should have them primed to make another run at a title. While it will be very difficult to pick up the production that Seth Malcom Seth Malcom 6'3" | 210 lbs | LB Fremont Mills | 2021 IA vacates, they should feel confident they have the players that can do it. In fact, the whole supporting cast who played big roles on last year’s team will be back. Whether someone grabs the reins or it is achieved by committee the Knights can be just as, if not more, explosive then they were last season. The production could also be spread out. The Knights have a couple of big time weapons at Wide Receiver and a Quarterback who looked very capable on his carries last season. Expect, with the experience the nucleus of this year’s team has acquired and an offseason to complement, the star power and potential the Knights have to really blossom. It isn’t out of the question to think that spreading it out and sharing the wealth could make this year’s offense more electric and harder to defend. The world of eight-player football will find out early if the Knights are for real. Fremont-Mills will have their hands full right off the bat as they host CAM; an excellent opportunity to see where they are at and how they plan on handling responsibilities in the backfield. They will have challenges mixed into the remainder of the regular season in games against Audubon and Lenox. Fremont-Mills should be able to handle their business against the rest of the schedule.
Top Returning Players
Fremont-Mills has a very high concentration of talent and ability on their small eight-player roster. The list of impact players they return from the 2020 squad includes: Jake Malcom Jake Malcom 5'11" | 150 lbs | DB Fremont-Mills | 2022 IA , Braxton Blackburn Braxton Blackburn 5'9" | 155 lbs | LB Fremont-Mills | 2024 IA , Paxten Van Houten Paxten Van Houten 5'9" | 170 lbs | WR Fremont-Mills | 2023 IA , Payten Van Houten Payten Van Houten 5'8" | 165 lbs | RB Fremont-Mills | 2023 IA , Taylor Reed, Kyle Kesterson, Cooper Marvel, Kellen Fichter, and Samuel Daly. This is without a doubt one of the most capable and experienced groups you’ll find leading a program this fall in the eight-player classification.
Strengths
The strength of this year’s Fremont-Mills Knights is their depth, which is a rare commodity. They have legitimate studs all over the field who, regardless of classification, are high-end players that are capable of performing at elite levels. It is no secret that many eight-player programs are forced to start underclassmen out of necessity; they don’t necessarily get to rely on a strong class to roll through and sustain the program. The Knights might be an exception. The quality and quantity of athletes in the classes of 2023 and 2024 that have already proven themselves for Fremont-Mills is uncommon. They look to be strong across the lineup with stout Linemen and fast, electric skill players. Youngsters and two-way players like the Van Houten brothers, Taylor Reed, and Braxton Blackburn Braxton Blackburn 5'9" | 155 lbs | LB Fremont-Mills | 2024 IA who are responsible for so much production on each side of the ball just don’t come around that often, let alone at the same time. It will certainly be exciting to see what this group is capable of as they mature and further develop their skill sets.
Biggest Question
The question isn’t necessarily will they be able to fill the shoes and replace the production of Seth Malcom Seth Malcom 6'3" | 210 lbs | LB Fremont Mills | 2021 IA . The question is, how will they go about managing it? With their abundance of skill there are a lot of possibilities. Both Payten Van Houten Payten Van Houten 5'8" | 165 lbs | RB Fremont-Mills | 2023 IA and Braxton Blackburn Braxton Blackburn 5'9" | 155 lbs | LB Fremont-Mills | 2024 IA had over 30 carries a piece last season and ran the ball with plenty of success. It is likely that they could easily share the role and split carries to replace last year’s backfield production. Is that the best route to go, though? Adjusting course and spreading the ball out a little bit more would put opposing defenses in a bind. Maybe that production will be replaced with new, different, or more creative run designs. It is also possible that, with Jake Malcom Jake Malcom 5'11" | 150 lbs | DB Fremont-Mills | 2022 IA at the helm, that production could be displaced and they will attack in ways that fit the makeup and DNA of their current personnel. Either way, the Knights should feel confident that they will be able to put plenty of points on the board.
Top Matchup
The top regular season contest comes right away for Fremont-Mills in the form of the CAM Cougars. CAM was rolling last year, beating opponents by large margins and in dominant fashion, until they met Fremont-Mills and dropped a very close contest. CAM was an eight-player favorite last year and they should be again with players like Lane Spieker Lane Spieker 5'11" | 175 lbs | RB CAM | 2022 State IA , Joe Kauffman Joe Kauffman 6'0" | 180 lbs | LB CAM | 2022 IA , and Colby Rich Colby Rich 6'2" | 190 lbs | TE CAM | 2022 IA on the roster. Each program will be looking for a hot start and high profile win here in week 1. It’s also likely that CAM will be looking to avenge the loss that kept them from a state finals appearance. This matchup is an eight-player game of the week candidate and a contest that will likely be heavily referenced as the state of Iowa gears up for the playoffs.
Keys to Success
When teams have as much talent, like the Knights do heading into this season, they sometimes get too cute and too creative within their scheme. It doesn’t take anything crazy or complex to get the ball into the hands of your playmakers. There is a time and place for a trick play or newly installed play, for sure, but the complexity that can add could also slow your players down. The Knights can play fast and dynamic on simple calls that allow their players to be exactly who they are: better athletes that can win their one on one matchups. Keep it simple.