Josh Miller and Jesse Thompson had a hand in 20 of the Arlington football team's 21 offensive touchdowns last season.
The 2020 graduates accounted for 170 total tackles, too.
But, now, those Eagles are gone. Coach Colter Mattson said Tuesday he still values their contributions, but also that he's not concerned about what he believes is next for AHS football. He named six seniors — Logan Kaup, Isaac Foust, Dustin Kirk, Collin Burdess and Josiah Meyer — as the reasons why before stopping himself mid-sentence.
“I could name them all and I really should, truly, name all of the seniors,” Mattson said. “They are just a class that has really taken the initiative in the offseason.”
Collectively, the 12th-graders are leading his Eagles squad into the new season.
“I can't really pinpoint one,” the coach said.
The Arlington elder statesmen see things the same way. When asked if his class is truly ready for the fall months ahead, Foust didn't bat an eye.
“Yes, sir,” the linebacker said.
Kaup, the Eagle determined to take over quarterbacking duties from Miller, knows it.
“We have had a lot of guys step up,” he said. “We have a lot of leaders behind the scenes.”
AHS' senior class has played sports together for several years. That experience, Foust said, has put them into position to lead.
“We've gotten a lot of guys in the weight room that haven't been there in the last few years,” Kaup noted. “We've got more guys out this year.”
The seniors' responsibility has been earned, too.
“We're put in charge a lot,” Foust said. “It helps us build as a team.”
Whether in the weight room or on the field, the Eagles' coach and senior representation is confident in the structure of the team. They believe in the talent, too.
“Really, at the end of the day, we've got some really good kids coming back,” Mattson said.
Going into year No. 2, his coaching staff has faith in the foundation it set after the retirement of longtime coach Steven Gubbels in 2019. Because of it, Arlington didn't start from scratch during Monday's opening practice of the season.
“This first week is just really continuing to fine tune what we do,” Mattson said. “Just worrying about us.”
One intangible the coach isn't worried about, however, is leadership after the departures of Miller, Thompson and their 2020 graduating class. That's in place with a senior class that's taken clear ownership.
“Those guys are ready to rock and roll,” he said. “They've put in a ton of time this summer.”
