Football Preview: Hutchinson Salt Hawks
July 10, 2009 @ 3:20 p.m. by teldridgeby TAYLOR ELDRIDGE
HUTCHINSON SALT HAWKS
Class: 5A
League: Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League, Division I
Head Coach: Randy Dreiling, 13th year
2008 Recap: After a controversial season-opening loss to Rockhurst (Mo.) and an eye-opening league loss to Derby, Hutchinson found its fire. After the 2-2 start, the Salt Hawks rolled off nine straight wins by an average of 41 points for the school’s fifth consecutive state championship. Hutchinson finished 11-2 on the season, 4-1 in league and 3-0 in district play.
2009 Schedule: 9/4 Rockhurst (Mo.); 9/11 at Salina South; 9/18 Maize; 9/25 at Derby; 10/2 Salina Central; 10/9 at Goddard; 10/16 at McPherson; 10/23 Hays; 10/30 at Great Bend.
Returning Starters: 11
5 Impact Players: DE Geneo Grissom (6-4, 220, Sr.); HB Deveon Dinwiddie (5-9, 165, Sr.); FB Josh Smith (5-9, 200, Sr.); QB/CB Cooper Bell (5-9, 140, Sr.); DL Justin Goetz (6-1, 200, Sr.).
- 2009 Outlook
It’s hard to pick against the Salt Hawks to make it six in a row. Simply put, until someone knocks them off they will still be the favorite. There will be plenty to replace, mainly on the defensive side. But Deveon Dinwiddie and Josh Smith provide a menacing 1-2 punch as the team’s top rushing threats. In past year’s the Salt Hawks’ option attack has been almost unstoppable and now, for the fourth time in four years, a senior will take over the reigns at quarterback. This time it will be Cooper Bell’s chance to lead the attack. Bell is only 5-foot-9 and weighs 140 pounds, but his knowledge of the offense should offset those. The defense will be led by the defensive line tandem of Geneo Grissom, a KU signee, and Justin Goetz. A win to start the season off over Rockhurst in Hutchinson would make an early statement that this year’s squad is going to be just as difficult to beat as year’s past.
10 BURNING QUESTIONS WITH HEAD COACH RANDY DREILING
- 5 state championships in a row, what’s that ride been like?
“You know, honestly, I really don’t look at it as a ride. We just look at it as when it’s over, it’s a new group. Those guys that are gone celebrate and the ones that are left go to work on making sure their not the ones that stop the streak, if you know what I mean. When you’re in the middle of it, you don’t sit back and go, ‘Man, this is sumthin’ special.’ You just go back to work and try to get there again.”
- Is it even possible to pick a best team from that streak?
“No. No, there’s no way to do that. There’s no way I’d want to do that. My favorite team was when both of my sons were starting. That was my favorite experience, largely because of those two. Each team in of itself had a lot of merit to them.”
- How much motivation does that streak of state championships provide for each year’s senior class?
“I think what they do is look back and see what the other kids before them have done. They know what it takes to get there. They’ve seen it. They’ve witnessed it. And many of them have been a part of it. So there’s a blueprint for success there and they know if they follow it and try to work as hard as the kids before them, they have a chance to get where they want to go at the end of the season.”
- How much are you looking for the re-match against Rockhurst?
“Obviously last year’s game was the game that left a bad taste in our mouth. But that’s sports. That’s life. Things don’t always go the way you plan them to. I think the fact that it’s the next game and it is a big game and that alone makes it a special deal, if you know what I mean.”
- How much of a reality check was that loss to Derby last year?
“Well that was a situation where they played an outstanding game. We did not take care of business. We fumbled a bunch of snaps and fumbled the ball. They really outplayed us. That was a situation that told us, ‘Hey, you’ve got to come to work.’ I think after we lost to Rockhurst, felt like we should have beat them, we probably thought that nobody could beat us. And fortunately, that wasn’t the case. I think from that point on, we really took off.”
- When was the junior football program set into place and how much does that help the players?
“That was started before I got here. That was only sixth and seventh grade. Now it’s down to third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade. And most of the coaches do run our base stuff. There’s a few of them out there that still think they’re smarter than I am. They’re a Nebraska fan. Or a whatever fan. We can tell those kids that come into our seventh grade camp, the ones that have run our stuff. They’re just light years ahead of everybody else.”
- What made you choose the option attack?
“I’ve always been a fan of the option offense. I ran it in high school. I’ve always been interested in it. When you throw the ball, it becomes a percentage game. It becomes somewhat like basketball. You can do everything right and miss a shot in basketball. It’s a percentage deal. Well, we feel like we don’t have any bad days drive blocking. I mean drive blocking is not a percentage deal. You either get it done or you don’t get it done. High school football, very few teams are going to win championships without running the football. If you are, then you’re probably better than everybody else anyways.”
- Defenses know what it is coming. They have weeks to prepare for it. And they still can’t stop it. What’s that feeling like?
“That’s kind of a loaded question. We don’t really look at it that way. We do take a lot of pride of being able to run the football against anyone. But there are times where we do pass it. We have passed the ball. Sometimes the other team forces you do that a little bit. We don’t look at it that way. That’s something the fans can do and everybody else. But we don’t sit back and say, ‘You can’t stop us.’ That’s a little presumptuous…even for me.”
- A lot of pressure has to be on those kids with all the winning now. Is that a big deal to them?
“Well I think any good competitor feels pressure on themselves to do well and do their best and achieve everything they can. Right now, it’s in place here where we know if we work hard, work smart, play smart and play our best we have a chance to win a state championship. Not every school in Kansas or anywhere has that opportunity. Because they’ve just never been there. Well, our kids do know. Some of them inherited that. It’s not really pressure. It’s just a situation where we know that it’s within our grasp if we just do everything the best we can. Not everybody has that luxury of knowing what it takes to be there.”
- Last question, what’s the update on the college choices of some of the players?
“Geneo Grissom, our d-end, has committed to KU. we got some other guys that I think are D-1 guys, but haven’t got any serious offers yet.”
It's Me says:
July 10th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
If that’s not the toughest schedule in the state, I would like to see the one that is tougher! I don’t think it’s a question of IF Hutch Will win another state title, but by how much. That said, I truly believe their game vs The Rock will be extremely tough to win. If Rock doesn’t put 9 in the box, their coach should have his head examined!
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It's Me says:
July 10th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Great job Taylor! Keep em comin’
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For Pete's Sake says:
July 10th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
All of these profiles are excellent. It is getting me even more excited for football.
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inthedark says:
July 10th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I really like these profiles. It is really great stuff. Grissom is a man-child, reminds me of Kameron Wimbley and hopefully will have the success at the next level that Wimbley had.
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KSU4Life says:
July 10th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
These previews are legit. Keep more coming Taylor!
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no1 says:
July 10th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
ITS ME; Explain it to me Hutch won everything against the Rock but the scoreboard i know the rock well be tough and there coach has been there a long time. The rock lost a lot of people hutch didnt if hutch does not turn the ball over alot i think hutch will win a close game.
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It's Me says:
July 10th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
no1 – I’m not saying Hutch won’t win (I hope they do). I’m saying I think it’s going to be a battle. There are some on this board who appear to think Hutch will win this game handily….I don’t think so. I realize Hutch is bringing more players back than Rock but Rock is known for reloading just like Hutch is. Rock is deep at nearly every position just like Hutch is. Rock is extremely well coached just like Hutch is. While Rock lost a premier QB & WR, Hutch lost an absolute game changer from their interior D-line (among a few other studs).
You bring up a good point about Hutch’s turnovers – It bit them in both games they lost last year (Rock & Derby). They have an undersized, first year varsity QB (like Rock does). Like most games, to’s will more than likely decide this game….Especially being Hutch’s first game of the year (is this Rockhurst’s first game of the year?).
I think TFL brought this up in a different toipic & I think he’s absolutely correct – Hutch is going to have to get great pressure on the edges from their DE’s vs Rockhurst. Unless they grew another beast for their interior D-line over the summer, they probably won’t be able to get the push up the middle like they did last year.
By the way, what is the capacity of Hutch’s stadium? I bet it is packed. Go Hutch!
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LaneTech81 says:
July 10th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
TFL, where will you be sitting for the Rockhurst game?
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TFL says:
July 10th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Taylor Eldridge…this was special.
Outstanding questions. Great responses from Dreiling and Diener. You did a masterful job on this.
Thank you!!!
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TFL says:
July 10th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
It’s Me…
I don’t think Hutch may ever have a Forrest Stucky again…
With that said, they’ve had some pretty great defenses without crazy penetration from their 3 tech. I think Goetz at the weak-side DE is going to be his usual steady self, but I think that Grissom is going to be leaps and bounds better than he was in week 1 last year…he really got better as the year progressed.
I think that Hutch’s interior line play will be fine…they always coach ‘em up to be pretty good.
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TFL says:
July 11th, 2009 at 12:03 am
LaneTech81-
I don’t know. I sit all over the place. I’ll let you know though.
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TFL says:
July 11th, 2009 at 12:08 am
And to the general audience…
I don’t care how big Cooper Bell is, because he can flat out run with the football. He will be the best threat they’ve had at quarterback running the ball since Kimmel in 06. Kimmel was faster but I think we’ll find that Bell is shiftier.
I’m looking for big things from him.
One other impact player on this team will be Ben Heeney at safety. I think he’s going to be a game-changer. Tyler Fee will also be very good at LB.
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Foul Ball says:
July 11th, 2009 at 12:36 am
B. Heeney can flat out “lay the wood” on somebody. You better have your chinstrap on tight when you come across the middle.
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Lushous Lou says:
July 11th, 2009 at 9:45 am
i dont really see what the big deal about this rockhurst team is anyway…im going to go ahead and say hutch wins by 14.
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TFL says:
July 11th, 2009 at 10:32 am
The big deal is that they’re loaded, year in and year out. They have probably 4-5 D-1 players on their team due to their ability to draw kids from all over the KC Metro.
This will be a hard fought win. I do think that Hutch can handle them physically, but Rock’s skill guys and DB/LB’s are going to be good at making plays in space.
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LaneTech81 says:
July 11th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
TFL, check your profile on the Discussion side
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Sean says:
July 11th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Foul Ball, you’re right on the money on Heeney. He may go down as the hardest hitter at a DB position that Hutch has ever had, and he’s just a junior.
It’s hard to believe that this is already Dreiling’s 13th year! I still remember when he came to Liberty Middle School when I was in 7th grade to talk to us about going out for football. Although young, I knew that this guy was going to change things in Hutch when it came to football.
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Lushous Lou says:
July 11th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
oh i see…well any team is beatable..like we proved last year..i still think you guys can handle em though. you guys are gonna be pretty sick this yr.
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TFL says:
July 11th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
LaneTech81- I did…what do you want me to do? I’m confused…
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RockEmSockEm says:
July 12th, 2009 at 11:14 am
I Like how it said Hutch losing to Rockhurst was controverisal, how can you say that, Rockhurst was the better team and the better team won. Hutch better bring it again this year because aside from an inexperienced QB and WR’s they are back. Prolly around 6-7 future D 1 stars for the Rock
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RikRok says:
July 12th, 2009 at 11:56 am
6 to 7 future Division I “stars” for the Rock.
Hmm.
Obviously they’re not impressing Lushous Lou! :)
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Foul Ball says:
July 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Let’s see RockemSockem, a phantom fumble in the endzone ring your bell? Do you have to run 5 yards into the endzone in Missouri for it to be a touchdown or does just crossing the plane of the goal line count? You got physically beat from goal line to goal line last year with all your D-1 prospects. Our TEAM will be ready for your stars.
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RockEmSockEm says:
July 12th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
oh so i phantom fumble in the endzone makes the whole game controversial then? Maybe you should watch the replay or listen to the announcers when they agreed on the call. Let’s see Dextor McDonald has already co mmitted to Illinois, Sal Belfonte has been rumored to Oklahoma, andTapko could end up being the biggest recruit to come out of KC and there have been some good ones. Thats just to start
Rockhurst-The Athletic Program in the Midwest
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Sean says:
July 12th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Rockemsockem, maybe you should watch the replay again. The umpire in the endzone is tugging on his shirt which indicates a touchdown. Umpires will often do this when there is a pile which may obstruct the view of the line judges. They ignored his repeated tugs even though he had the best view at only a few feet away from the play, and called it a fumble. 5 yards is a bit of an exaggeration, more like 3 feet or so before he fumbled.
Put this along with another 4th quarter touchdown called back and the fact that Rock’s QB accounted for around 99% of their offense (not an exaggeration). And finally the fact that Hutch outgained them offensively, really boasts the arguement that it was a controversial win.
And I really don’t think that people care too much to hear about Rock’s amazing D-1 talent on the Hutch High Football Preview thread. There’s already a thread for the Hutch/Rock game, go brag there please.
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Sean says:
July 12th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I must correct myself. Rock’s QB having such a large percentage of their offense doesn’t make the win controversial, my bad. It just shows that Hutch really was the dominant team, but Rock had one player that was head and shoulders above everyone else.
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Foul Ball says:
July 12th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Like Sean said watch the replay. We did over and over again. Of course your biased announcers are going to say it was a touchdown. They know this because they are close to the play? Like I said you got it taken to you last year and crappy refereeing gave you the game. If you are proud of it good for you. Make sure you have your chin straps on tight and pack a lot of ice for the bus trip home for your D-1 talent. Severino has even admitted in private settings that you lost the game.
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TFL says:
July 12th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Man, for Tapko being such a big time player, he sure did get his butt kicked a bunch last year by guys that were starting their first varsity football game ever.
I’m sure he’s a big time player, but he was getting driven off the ball on almost every snap, and wasn’t running very hard in pursuit…he left much to be desired from me. I’m sure he’ll be much improved this year though.
Belfonte is a nice player. He plays hard every snap.
There were certainly more controversial things that happened in that game besides the fumble, but Rock had more points on the scoreboard at the end of the night and that’s all that matters.
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Lushous Lou says:
July 12th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
FB: im not impressed with them at all :).
this will be the one game that i will cheer for hutch haha
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Foul Ball says:
July 13th, 2009 at 7:40 am
That is true enough TFL. Just like Hutch will have at the end of this year’s game without controversy.
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RikRok says:
July 13th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Severino has admitted being outplayed, not losing the game.
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Foul Ball says:
July 13th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
My cousin works with Severino’s son and Severino told him that the referee’s decisions clearly favored them and they would have lost the game without them. Now that is hearsay, but whatever. It just gives us a little more motivation when Rockhurst comes here.
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KSFOOTBALL says:
July 13th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Lou “rooting ” for Hutch ? Your PantherFan card may be suspended for treasonous action like that.lol
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ftblfn says:
July 14th, 2009 at 10:30 am
I look forward to top rated Tapko going against the Hutch O-line and across from RT Ross Lovett. He handled him last year and look for that to happen again. He is another that should have a great year for Hutch.
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Lushous Lou says:
July 14th, 2009 at 11:02 am
haha dont be worried. i just dont like rockhurst lol
i still bleed green
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LaneTech81 says:
July 14th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
TFL, did you find the message in your Discussion profile?
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Varsity Kansas - The Blog » Blog Archive » Football Preview Central says:
July 31st, 2009 at 4:51 pm
[...] Div. I: Derby, Goddard, Hutchinson, Maize, Salina Central, Salina [...]
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BV says:
August 1st, 2009 at 11:59 am
I watched Hutch at Pitt State Camp this summer and last. In 08′ they looked unbeatable -and lost a couple of games.
09′ version has lots of talent – but the biggest talent Stuckey & Dreiling are gone.
The Rock will leave Hutch with another win. Blue Springs, Mo and Jeff City, Mo which are both on the Rock’s schedule are better than Hutch.
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BV says:
August 1st, 2009 at 12:04 pm
As far as It’s Me talk of the Salthawks tough schedule – Please!
Beating up on Great Bend, Hays, Salina South and Goddard doesn’t scare anybody.
I hear Hays has 50 kids on the whole team.
Come to KC – Every Week is tough!
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W334 says:
August 9th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
A friend of mine went to the pitt camp and went last year hes from kc and he saids hutch is better. It seems to me you being from kc you have this aggorant idea that kc is better not true and i think you are about to find out about sept 4th
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DerbyDad says:
August 13th, 2009 at 5:01 am
Hutch got robbed or “homered” against rockhurst last year. If you saw the game you know what I mean. Yeah they had some turnovers but two bad calls sealed their fate in that game. The AVCTL-Div 1 is once again the premier league in the state. I will say that driving I-235 each day to work I was glad to see Wichita South already utilizing their new field. Congrats Wichita schools for getting it right and leveling at least the playing and practice fields.
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DerbyDad says:
August 13th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Nothing wrong with Lou rooting for Hutch. I root for our league too except for when they play Derby. Just as being an OU fan I root for KU and KSU except for when they play OU.
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TFL says:
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:14 pm
BV-
Salina South would have beaten every single team in both the EKL and the Sunflower League last year, I guarantee you.
Hutch plays the toughest schedule in Kansas.
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