- Oostburg, Head Coach: Mike Lauritsen; 2021 season record: 3-6 (2-5)
The Oostburg Dutchmen had an up and down season last year, with two of their three wins as a result of shut-outs, but the team was unable to string together consecutive wins. The Dutchmen last made the playoffs in 2019, and will be under the guidance of a new head coach this season in Mike Lauritsen.
Coach Lauritsen is challenged immediately with replacing the Dutchmen’s top rusher Jay DeBlaey whom graduated this past summer. “He was easily our most impactful (player).” Coach Lauritsen said, “He has been our leading ball carrier for the last 3 years and was a special player that is difficult to replace.”
At quarterback, the team is in a much more stable spot, as despite the graduation of quarterback Gage Hilbelink Oostburg’s more committee-based approach to the quarterback position headed this season by senior Donavan DePagter and sophomore Caeden Steuerwald creates the opportunity for flexibility and to exploit matchups based their opponents.
Oostburg is still a primarily running team though, which gets a boost from “the return of our entire starting offensive line and players like Joey Bruggink and Kevin VanStelle” Coach Lauritsen said, creating some welcome continuity in the trenches.
The Dutchmen’s defense will be greatly under the microscope this season due the absolutely stacked offenses that their top rivals in the Big East Conference are likely to have, as every team that finished above them in the standings last year scored more than 200 points, in comparison to Oostburg’s 193 total points in 2021.
However, the most important goals to fulfil according to Coach Lauritsen is for the Dutchmen “for this program is to take the next step in building a culture of champions on and off the field. Our foundation lies in coming together as a family, developing the attitude and effort it takes to be great football players, and developing a ‘Win the Day’ mentality by controlling what we can control.”
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