Published Jul 27, 2020
Class C-2 No. 8: Yutan
Bob Jensen  •  HuskerlandPreps
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Yutan Players to Watch for 2020
NameHt/Wt/GradePosition@HuskerlandBob Sez

Caden Egr

5-10/190/12

Running Back-LB

Powerful, athletic, one of C-2's best players.

Brady Timm

5-10/180/12

Quarterback-DB

The all-state basketball player made his varsity football debut last year and proved to be an outstanding dual threat.

Isaiah Daniell

5-9/155/11

Wide Reciever-DB

Will help on offense but proved to be outstanding defensive playmaker.

Quran Cook

6-1/215/10

Lineman

Huge potential, had a good freshman season, expect breakthrough in 2020.

Overview

If there was ever a team set up for this season it’s this one. Yutan returns nine starters on offense and all 11 on defense from last year’s 5-5 playoff team.

“By the final four games of last season we were starting all underclassmen including seven sophomores on defense. We are hoping that experience pays off this season,” says head coach Dan Krajicek, who enters his eighth year at Yutan, having led the Chieftains to the 2017 Class C-2 state championship. “We have a nice balance of experienced lettermen and skill players who can make plays. It should be a fun season.”

Offense

Might well be the best running back in Class C-2 is Yutan senior Caden Egr (5-10, 190), which is not too risky of a statement when you consider the kid last season rushed for 1,563 yards and 10 TDs. Junior fullback Ethan Christensen (5-10, 185) is also plenty good when he gets the ball, last season churning out 417 yards and three TDs, and juniors Paul Kirchmann (5-10, 165) and Jesse Keiser (5-10, 170) will also be contributors in the backfield.

A three-year starter, and all-state basketball player, Brady Timm (5-10, 180) made the most of his first season at quarterback by passing for 767 yards and 10 TDs and rushing for another 389 yards and six TDs. Junior Sam Petersen (6-2, 175) is top receiver, last season grabbing 13 receptions for 187 yards and four TDs, with senior Sean Henkel (5-9, 155) and junior Isaiah Daniell (5-9, 155) also veteran receivers and senior Dillon Marht (5-10, 170) the returning starter at tight end. Last season Marht caught five passes for 100 yards and two TDs.

There are six players with starting experience who return to the Yutan offensive front including senior Tyler Pinkelman (5-10, 260), juniors Gavin Kube (6-3, 205), Josh Jessen (6-0, 200) and Beau Heuertz (6-2, 180), rising sophomore Quran Cook (6-1, 215) and senior Caleb Beutler (5-10, 170). That’s got a chance to be a top-five line in Class C-2, just wait and see.

Defense

Egr (84 tackles, 3 INT) and Christensen (82 tackles) also make for a strong set of linebackers with Keiser (28 tackles) another veteran at the position. Pinkelman (33 tackles), Kube (32 tackles) and Jessen (20 tackles, 3 TFL) bolster a defensive line that also returns Heuertz and Cook as starters.

You want your safeties to be playmakers and Yutan’s are, with Daniell (64 tackles, 4 TFL, 5 INT) and Henkel (47 tackles, 3 INT) filling that description, and Timm (26 tackles, 3 TFL), Marht (29 tackles) and Kirchmann all DBs with starting experience. Marht is also an outstanding punter, last season averaging 39 yards per attempt.

@HuskerlandBob Sez

This is going to be a very good team. Eight wins in the regular season and another couple in the playoffs certainly seem within its reach.