Hardrockers begin spring practice, want to improve from 1-9 record

By Jim Holland, Journal staff | Friday, April 13, 2007

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

RAPID CITY - The chill in the air and the patchy snow on the ground belies the title of Spring drills, but South Dakota School of Mines football coach Dan Kratzer said his Hardrockers are glad to be donning helmets and pads again this month.

"Obviously, we're very excited to be back out on the field and working with a young football team," Kratzer said.

That young team, with 28 freshman on the roster, including 17 starters, was only 1-9 last year.

"The more work you can get with a team like we had this past year the better," he said.

Kratzer, starting his third year at the helm for the 'Rockers, foresees improvement as the younger players mature into the college level of the game.

Mines will still be lacking much in the way of upperclassmen when the 2007 season begins against Trinity Bible College of Ellendale, N.D. on Sept. 1.

"We were primarily a freshman football team, and we'll be primarily a sophomore team this upcoming year," he said. "We're just trying to get better in every aspect of the game.'

And there are few aspects in which the Hardrockers don't need some improvement, he said.

The 'Rockers' only 2006 win was a 21-19 squeaker over Haskell Indian Nations University of Haskell, Kans., in the second game of the season at O'Harra Stadium on Sept. 9.

For the year, Mines was outscored 367-55, outrushed 1,896-367, and outpassed 1,663-1083, with an offense that averaged only 2.7 yards per snap.

"When you're 1-9, there's not an area that you can't improve on. The offense couldn't score, and the defense didn't stop anybody," Kratzer said.

The Hardrockers are keying on kickoff coverage, punt protection, punt return and punt blocking during spring practices, Kratzer said.

"We're putting a little extra emphasis on our special teams work this spring, and doing the best job we can in getting these young men prepared for the fall season," Kratzer said.

A bright spot for the Hardrockers figuring to bear fruit in coming years was one of the school best-ever recruiting years.

Freshman quarterback Jason Beilstein of Lodi, Calif., passed for 1,041 yards and seven touchdowns, but he was also intercepted 12 times.

A fledgling receiver corps was led by junior Lukas Munsell of Mills, Wyo., (39 catches for 375 yards, two touchdowns), sophomore Kyle Krajewski of Oshkosh, Neb. (17-167, 0 TD) and freshmen John Henderson of Long Beach, Calif., (22-158, two TD), and Nick Kirkham of Scotts Valley, Calif., (12-191, one TD).

Henderson also led the Rockers in rushing with 369 net yards in 123 carries. Krajewski scored Mines lone rushing touchdown, tallying 225 net yards on 79 trips.

Defensively, the 'Rockers will need to replace senior Jake Hahn of Chadron, Neb., who led the team with 94 tackles last year.

Mines will rely on senior-to-be Kyle Kurth of Pierre, and sophomore Chad Westendorf of Geddes to key the defensive line.

"We'll again be a very young football team, but we'll be stepping it up a level," Kratzer said.

The coach believes the 'Rockers had another solid recruiting year with 15 incoming freshman signing letters of intent.

"That will certainly change the complexion of the team when we start up again in the fall," Kratzer said. "This group is just as good as last year, and that's going to the be a real plus for us."

Among the Hardrockers' signees are Rapid City Central kicker Justin Whalen, who was 35-of-37 in point-after attempts for the Cobblers his senior year.

Kratzer said Whalen should shore up a nearly nonexistent Mines kicking game that had only two field-goal attempts last year, both missed.

"There's a good bloodline of kickers coming from Rapid City Central," Kratzer said of Whalen. "If he can fill the shoes of Adam Vinatieri, we'll make them quit talking about him and have them talking about Justin."

"We're excited about all of them," Kratzer said of his 2007 recruiting class. "It's a big difference between high school and college," he cautioned. "You may get a star high school player in here and it may take a year or two to make a college-level player out of them."

The spring workouts are only another step in the long road to returning the Mines football program to competitive respectability. The Hardrockers have won only two games in the past two seasons.

"We have to get ourselves into a position physically to be competitive, then to compete for a DAC championship and get into the national playoffs," he said.

"The more practice you get at anything, the better you get," he said.

He said spirits are high in the Miner's camp.

"Our attitude is outstanding. When you've gone through a couple of poor seasons, you've got to keep your attitude up. That's the important thing," he said.

The Hardrockers' 2007 Spring Drills will culminate in the annual Alumni-Varsity game Saturday, April 28, at O'Harra Stadium's Dunham Field.