Allen Banner |
Another spring football season is in the books for Adams State University. As the semester is slowly coming to an end, the football season is slowly approaching its uproar. Adams State teams are preparing for summer off-season workouts. The ASU football team has high hopes for the upcoming season after finishing the previous season 4-7. The team doesn’t dwell on past seasons however; they focus on expanding for new beginnings. The Grizzlies lose their All-American wide-receiver Chad Hovasse, but look to improve the position with younger players coming up.
“We’re taking it one day at a time. No need to get too up or too down–we have to stay level and grind for each other,” said senior receiver Ziere Banner, when asked about losing the former captain, Hovasse. Coach Blankenship’s first season didn’t go exactly the way he wanted, but the program is moving in the right direction. The team’s majority of losses were very close games, including triple overtime at Colorado Mesa. The team opens up at home this season against Colorado School of Mines. “We want them bad,” said senior receiver Ziere Banner. “We have a chip on our shoulder because we’re the underdogs. What better place than the Rex to open up with a win against one of the best in the RMAC?”
Five months until the kickoff, and the Adams State Grizzlies are pre-season ranked at the bottom of the conference. “Yeah we’ve seen that, which gives us more reason to prove something to everyone who is doubting us,” said sophomore receiver Jordan Simon. The Grizzlies have their heads held high about the season despite being ranked at the bottom of the RMAC. The Grizzlies believe they can make a push for the Championship and clinching a playoff berth.
The Grizzlies also lost quarterback Nick Rooney, however the quarterbacks they brought in will battle until the end to see who will get that starting spot. Adams State’s John Buksa saw action last year against Colorado Mesa, where he played exceptionally well before an ACL injury. He’s looking to bounce back and continue his success. The Grizzlies have spent a majority of recruiting on the defensive side and they are looking forward to the guys coming in the summer and fall for next season. The Grizzlies were ranked last in the RMAC in defense, however they were ranked top 5 in offense. The Grizzlies are looking to even out the team to gain more balance with the defense changing the culture. In the spring showcase, the defense outplayed the offense. They showed that they could get stops and that they weren’t the same defense as last year. Offense is still trying to find that playmaking ability that Chad Hovasse gave the team last year. The Grizzlies have high expectations despite being the underdog. They still hold themselves on a high pedestal, they fear no one, and they believe everyone can be beaten.
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