Gladbrook-Reinbeck takes the state’s top ranking in class A into Friday night’s season opener at class 2A second rated Union of LaPorte City. Coach John Olson’s team has an experienced nucleus returning from last year’s team that made it all the way to the class A championship before falling to Logan-Magnolia.
The Rebels have eight starters returning on both sides of the ball but Olson feels the key to their season will be the new players in the lineup.
“We’re very respectful and very proud to be ranked based on what we have done in the past because we are happy about what we have done”, said Olson. “At the same time it does not make that much difference for this year. We’ve got a new team and a new group of people and we’ve got to make sure we’re working toward what we need to do this year.”
Olson’s squad will be tested out of the gate with a visit to a Union team that beat them 25-7 in last year’s season opener. It will be the first of two difficult non-district tests for the Rebels who will host 1A fifth ranked Dike-New Hartford next week.
Elwin Huffman from KOEL contributed to this story