Lena/STAA football preview

Team: Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas Academy co-op

Conference: MONLPC-East Division (8-player)

2020 record: 5-3

Returning starters/varsity players (positions): Seniors: Logan Shallow (RB/DB); Lane Whiting (TE/LB); Blake DeDamos (OL/DL). Juniors: Josh Kristof (RB/LB); Ethan Braley (QB/DB); Sam Marquardt (QB/DB); Jake Belongia (RB/LB); Sidney Sylvester (WR/DE); Nathan Younger (OL/DL); Elijah Gott (OL/DL); Michael Thomas (RB/LB). Sophomores: Anthony Seefeldt (OL/DL); Logan Graef (RB/DB).

Returning all-conference players (positions): Sam Marquardt (QB); Logan Shallow (RB); Josh Kristof (LB); Lane Whiting (LB).

Coach’s comment on upcoming season: “To be successful, we will need several of our younger players to step up and challenge for some starting positions,” said co-coach Dale Lange. “We are very balanced with good numbers at all grade levels and will have nice numbers at our JV level.

“The conference is very well balanced and should be very competitive. This will be the third season that there will be an 8-man state playoff, with a 16-team field throughout the state. We are hoping to be one of them.”