OKOBOJI, Iowa (KCAU) - Last season was one to rembember for Okoboji football as the Pioneers secured the team's most wins in a single season since 2008, but the team is far from satisfied.
Okoboji rolled into mid-October with a 7-0 record, but tumbled in the team's final two games - including a double-digit loss at home to Unity Christian in the first round of the IHSAA 2A Playoffs.
Leading rusher and top returning receiver Asa Jacobsen is back to pace the Pioneers while quarterback Trey Vander Pol is back after throwing for over 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. Okoboji returns all but six carries from a year ago.
The Pioneers have turned the page on last season, but are motivated to go even further.
"We felt like we were on top of the world all season. In those those last two games of the season, they suck. But they definitely helped to prepare us for this year. They got us in that mental state that we talk about trying to push past that and get the kids going next year," Jacobsen said. We've got a lot of key pieces back and a lot of guys that are bought in. You can sense the buzz around the town coming into the football season and we're excited to go win some more games this year."
"We're really excited. We're just looking to compete and kind of build off what we had last year. But also we've got some new guys coming up and are really excited about that," Okoboji wide receiver and defensive back Miles Wasson added. "It's kind of just bringing us already a group of guys who have been through it and kind of some different leaders. But we're also looking for guys who can step up into that role."
Okoboji begins the campaign at home against Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on August 28th.
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