The Wartburg football team has been picked to finish third in the Iowa Conference race. First year coach Eric Koehler takes over for Rick Willis who is now the school’s athletic director. Koehler says Willis left the program in great shape. Koehler says he think’s he’s well prepare to take the job and had a good person to learn from.
Senior running back Dan Hammes rushed for more than a thousand yards in 2004 but was limited to six games a year ago due to a leg injury. He is healthy and ready for his final season and says he running game is well ahead of where it was last year. Junior wide receiver Kyle Duchman had a team high 61 catches a year ago and says he has worked hard to be even better this year.
The biggest chore on offense will be replacing three year starter at quarterback Reed Hoskins. Koehler says five players are battling for the job, three are sophomores and there are freshman. Wartburg opens at home September second against Monmouth of Illinois.