2025 Team Preview: Caledonia Warriors

Caledonia entered the 2024 season with high expectations after reaching the Class AA quarterfinals in 2023, and with one of the most coveted prospects among the class of 2025, Ethan Stendel leading the way, Caledonia finished the regular season 6-2, ranking 2nd in the Southeast Central-Yellow region. Unfortunately, Caledonia was defeated in the section championship round by Chatfield, who swept Caledonia last season. Though expectations may be lowered in 2025 with Stendel's departure, Caledonia still retains a strong amount of talent that should keep the Warriors' competitive going forward.   We take a look at 5 players from the Warriors' roster that you should watch out for in 2025!    [player_tooltip player_id='1695513' first='Cooper' last='Allen'] has D1-level size already as a freshman, and he's done more than enough to solidify the #1 spot among the LBs heading into his sophomore season. Allen recorded 51 tackles and 4 sacks as a freshman. Allen has plenty of strength to take on blockers 1-on-1, showing some strong reps as a DE/OLB hybrid. Allen's got the speed to win on the outside rush while also being able to drive Tackles back, while utilizing great hand-fighting ability to rip away from blocks to get to the QB. Allen is already primed to be the next stud LB/athlete name from Caledonia's football team to watch out for going forward.     Another freshman standout from Caledonia's roster that immediately saw extensive playing time in his first season was [player_tooltip player_id='1653234' first='Max' last='Schmitz']. Schmitz recorded 39 tackles and 4 sacks in his freshman year. Schmitz is undersized as a defensive-lineman, and while there isn't much film on his performance from his freshman year, his smaller size and speed made it difficult from blockers to contain him on the inside, while also being able to chase down the ball-carriers moving outside the pocket. Schmitz also had several impressive reps on special teams on kickoff coverage where he made some big hits on the blockers. It will be interesting to see how Schmitz's role will develop going forward, but he should continue to see a lot more reps going forward.     Noah Schroeder posted solid production in a fairly crowded backfield last season, and he's slated to move up to being the Warriors' primary bell-cow in 2025. Schroeder finished with 439 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 5 yards per carry. Schroeder shows great vision and agility on the outside runs, doing a good job of finding lanes around the perimeter and following his blockers. Schroeder proved to be reliable in churning out solid gains on his limited workload as a junior, and it will be intriguing to see how he improves with a full workload on the ground next season.     Will Allen has proven to be a nice complementary piece at WR and DB for the Warriors. On the offense, Allen caught 23 passes for 263 yards and 4 touchdowns, while adding 33 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception returned for a touchdown on defense. As a defender, Allen matches a LB/Safety hybrid type of player, often playing close to the line of scrimmage, and having a big role against the run, showing solid tackling form and not getting fazed by double moves. On the offense, Allen plays primarily in the slot, having success on both short and longer routes, and he has decent length to be able to reach up and reel in high passes. It will be interesting to see how Allen's role continues to expand for Caledonia, as he's also listed as a QB for the team, and he could be in contention for the vacant starting QB role for the team in 2025.     Jack Schmitz is another intriguing two-way player that could see a lot of growth during his senior year. Serving as the starting Free Safety last season, Schmitz recorded 36 tackles and an interception. He also ran for 131 yards on the ground on 25 carries. There isn't much film on Schmitz's play right now, but he's done a solid job helping the secondary allow a completion percentage of just 34.6% against their opponents, serving as a strong asset for one of the best pass defenses in Class AA. Schmitz should continue to play a big role on the Warriors' defense going forward, and his role in the backfield could also increase in 2025 as he moves up the depth chart at RB.

Caledonia entered the 2024 season with high expectations after reaching the Class AA quarterfinals in 2023, and with one of the most coveted prospects among the class of 2025, Ethan Stendel leading the way, Caledonia finished the regular season 6-2, ranking 2nd in the Southeast Central-Yellow region. Unfortunately, Caledonia was defeated in the section championship round by Chatfield, who swept Caledonia last season. Though expectations may be lowered in 2025 with Stendel's departure, Caledonia still retains a strong amount of talent that should keep the Warriors' competitive going forward.