Elkhorn Valley Looks To Rebuild Under New Head Coach

Fans will see the Elkhorn Valley Falcons being led by a new face for the first time in nearly 10 years.

However, Brendan Dittmer is hardly a new face to the Falcons, as he spent 15 years as the defensive coordinator before taking over for former coach Rusty Rautenberg this past summer. 

Dittmer inherits a team that lost their starting quarterback, running back and defensive end. He must look to senior leadership to help fill in the gaps left by those crucial losses.

One of those seniors expected to step up is all-district lineman Dylan Wilkins. Wilkins leads a line that must find new faces to protect a new quarterback. That quarterback is likely to be fellow senior Koby Smith. Smith spent last year on the line himself.

Defensively, Wilkins will have an impact as will junior Shawn Klinetobe. Last season, Klinetobe accounted for 51 tackles from his linebacker position, a stat he hopes to improve on in 2016.

The Falcons kick off the season with a Saturday game against Winside on August 27.

Team Profile:
Elkhorn Valley Falcons
Class: D2
Coach: Brendan Dittmer
2015 record: 3-5
2015 playoffs: N/A

Returning starters: three on offense, three on defense

Returning letter winners: Dylan Wilkins, Sr., Koby Smith, Sr., Ezequiel Pena, Sr., Shawn Klinetobe, Jr.

Players to watch: Koby Smith, Dylan Wilkins

2016 outlook: “This will be an interesting year for the Falcons.  Quite a few changes have taken place, but we feel like the biggest change could be going from bubble team on the outside looking into the playoffs, to being involved in the post-season for the first time since 2013.  A few of the players have taken an extra mile this summer in improving for the good of the team and I wish nothing but success for them." - coach Brendan Dittmer. Like many teams going through a coaching change, the Falcons will have some growing pains. Compound that with having to replace a multiple year starter at quarterback and running back, and that could make for a shaky first few games. However, there is plenty of talent on the team. If they can get the mental side down, the Falcons could sneak into the playoffs.