North Polk’s football program is built with many talented players, several of these students being seniors. Currently the football team is 10-0, undefeated, and will face North Scott for the state championship playoffs on Thursday, Nov. 11; this year’s team is more than just the numbers on the scoreboard, though.
When asked about his feelings on senior year, Nathan Feldmann, the Comet’s quarterback and one of the captains stated “[i]t hasn’t hit me yet but this is the last year I’ll get to play with the guys I’ve been playing with for over 10 years.”
Feldmann has been playing football since second grade after watching his older play, he then explained he enjoys every moment with these familiar faces. When it comes to what inspires him to keep playing, Nathan credited the support from the Comet Community and his teammates, stating “I just enjoy being with those guys and the memories we make together on the field and off the field.”
Feldmann explained, “[w]hen I first started football I wasn’t very coordinated and couldn’t catch very well or juke very well.” He talks about how since he has been playing, he has grown as a player, and credited his mentors throughout the years, stating “I have also learned a lot from coaches along the way on how to play the game.”
Talking with Coach Evan Groepper, he spoke on who Felthmann is as an athlete and teammate. Groepper explained that he has been coaching him throughout high school and expressed “Feldmann] has always been a hard worker and a servant leader, but watching him grow as a verbal leader.” He continued to describe what Nathan brings to the team, saying his great character, his athleticism and physicality, and his ability to play with great speed. When asked about him coaching Feldmann for his senior year, Groepper said, “[i]t has been a pleasure coaching someone who puts that much of their mental effort into what they do.”
Logan Frelund is the Comets’ tight end and linebacker and another of the team’s captains. When asked about him playing for his senior year, he explained his mixed emotions. Frelund stated, [i]It is both exciting and overwhelming. Exciting because we are winning and it’s fun. Overwhelming because I have to make a lot of decisions before the end of my senior year.”
Frelund has been playing football for 12 years, first starting with the help of his dad and his love for watching the sport. He, like Feldmann, expressed that his bond with the team and a drive for success pushed him to continue bettering himself within the sport.
Groepper described his admiration for Frelund regarding his senior season, commending “the sacrifice [Frelund] put in during the summer when he was in season with baseball, but still would work as hard as he could to work on his body leading up to the football season.”
In regards to his leadership, he furthermore stated Frelund “brings great energy to the team. Logan never has bad days and his teammates feed off of that.” Groepper ended with “[i]t’s been an amazing journey watching Logan turn into the player & young man that he has become.”
Jakob Phillips, the Comets receiver and linebacker expressed that “being a senior automatically puts you in a leadership position. As a senior you set the bar for the underclassmen, and have the responsibility to keep all teammates in check.”
Like Frelund, his feelings on senior year are a little mixed, but overall feels like he plays with a bit more passion because he knows that this is the last season he gets to play for the amazing coaches, and teammates that he loves.
Playing since third grade, he reminisced on the impact football played throughout his life and explained how he “still remember[s] the [Friday night lights] flag football games back in elementary school.” He credits his dad and his past and present teams for his love of the sport, stating “[y]ou truly have to love and care for every guy on the team to manifest a successful season.”
Groepper praised Phillips for the player Phillips has become, and explained “[Phillips] is a physical player that has great body control and one of our best tacklers.” He moreover commended Phillips on his leadership skills, ending with “[i]t has been a joy watching Jakob have the success that he has had.”
There are a total of 21 seniors on the team. All of which are talented and hard working players. The seniors on the team are: BJ Tate, Luke Engebretson, Brady Reinhart, Jake Hout, Nathan Pitlock, Logan Frelund, Carter Van Brocklin, Nathan Feldmann, Gabe Visalden, Jakob Phillips, Aidan Bracelin, Coen Spurgeon, Sullivan Woosley, Evan Kelsick, Griffen Muth, Caleb Hoffman, Jacson Richards, Nicholas Owen, Drew Figgins, Umberto Gagliardi, and Henry Christensen.
One can look at the players strengths through their statistics on Bound.
While these are only a few of our seniors’ perspectives, it goes to show how amazing and talented they all are. Not only are they great players on the field, they are amazing seniors and leaders off of the field. Nathan Feldmann stated, “[y]ou wait your whole high school career to be a senior and it’s finally here.”
