For a few hours last fall, it seemed as though Elk Point was a ghost town.
After all, most residents were over at the DakotaDome, where the EP-J Huskies had just won their first state championship.
“It was pretty thrilling. It was something the kids had hard worked for for so long,” said Head Coach Jake Terry.
“It was awesome just to be a part of it with the entire community supporting.”
Now the lights are back on in town and for the first time in school history, the Huskies will begin a title defense.
And though the Huskies lose 7 All-State seniors from last year’s team, they also return some elite competitors that have winning experience.
“With this year, the kids we have now have that experience. These younger kids know have seen what it takes and know what it takes. It’s fun to see the work they put in all the other sports and the cool culture that the grade above these guys had established.”
Quarterback Keaton Gale looks to lead the way this season and Coach Terry has been impressed with the development of his play caller.
“He’s had a great fall camp. Keaton is going to be an awesome player. He’s a dual threat guy. We run a lot of the same schemes but they will look a lot different with Keaton at QB. He’s a running back playing QB that can make smart decisions.”
Joining him in the backfield with be Gunner Ewing and Jake Gale, a combo that Terry believes will be dangerous this season.
“Gunnar is stepping up and he’s going to be an unbelievable football player for us. Jake is going to be the other RB for us and he’s quick, athletic and smart. Last year we only had 5 different run plays. This year, we have a lot of different guys with a lot of different games.”
But it won’t just be the running game that will be explosive for the Huskies. Ashton Fairbanks and Garrett Merkley look to get in on the mix offensively due to their playmaking ability.
“Ashton can jump out of the gym and Garrett is that guy we have to get the ball to because of his explosiveness, and his ability to break any play for a touchdown.
“You have plays but you also have players. We have a block called ‘Merkley touches’ on the playbook to get him the ball in space cause he is that special athlete.”
It is also no secret that the Huskies had one of most dominant lines in the state on both sides of the ball last season. This year, EP-J brings in a new group of guys that have already shown they can make an impact at a high level.
“Our OL has been fun to watch and we still have some competition for spots.
“Hudson Kemp will start at left tackle. He set the school record for bench as a sophomore. Evan Fornia will start at the other tackle. And at center Aiden Zach. He played some line for us, more of an athletic, quick guy.
“Our linemen are going to be athletic, quick guys.”
Those playmakers on the offensive end will also look to transition their skill set to the defense, a unit in which Coach Terry believes is going to be a hallmark of the program.
“Our defense is going to be pretty darn good again. Coach [Jake] Otkin does such a great job. He’s been doing it for 4 years and he gets kids to be able to do things they didn’t think they were capable of.”
Now, the Huskies look to host Parker in their opening round matchup, and will continue to work their way back towards Vermillion through the challenges of a new season.
“We have a saying ‘Find A Way.’
“When things get hard, you have to find a way to be successful. You have to find a way to win. We have a lot of guys who played great roles and will now have to step in more of ‘The Man’ roles. It’s will be fun to watch these kids step up.”
You can check out the Huskies complete schedule below.
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