High School FB Preview: Rocori Spartans [VIDEO]
A youthful Rocori Spartan football team finished 2018 with a 2-8 record. However, the Spartans did pick up a playoff victory at Fergus Falls on October 23rd before falling 14-0 at rival Detroit Lakes in a tightly contested game.
Among the eight losses in 2018 were a three-point loss at Apollo in week-two, a five point loss at home to Becker in week three and an eight-point setback against Big Lake in week six.
“Last year, we just didn’t finish games,” senior linebacker Brock Humbert said. “We got off to a rough start to the year, and I think this year we gotta finish games and keep going through the fourth quarter.”
Not only did the Spartans have a first-year head coach in James Herberg, they also had a youthful roster that was taking its lumps. Coach Herberg thinks the experience Rocori will bring to the field in 2019 will be a key to their turnaround.
“It was a growing year, we played a lot of young guys,” Herberg said. “With that being said, these guys are now juniors and seniors and from that perspective we are bringing back a lot of experience.”
“We have a lot of guys coming back from last year,” senior wide receiver Andrew Anderson said. “We have a strong bond (with coach Herberg).”
Senior quarterback Jack Steil says the upperclassmen will have to step up as leaders this season.
“I’ve been through the process from 9th through 12th (grade),” Steil said. “This year I gotta show the younger kids what it means to play hard and physical football like Rocori does.”