Caston football preview: ‘Catalyst’ Mollenkopf replaces brother at QB for Comets

Val T.
2 hours ago
6 min read

Ulerick on line: ‘probably one of the most experienced’ that we’ve had

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

The Caston football team will open its season with a road game against Whitko at 7 p.m. Friday. The home opener is against North White at 7 p.m. Aug. 28. Caston went 3-7 last year. They are seeking their first winning season since 2012.

One Mollenkopf has replaced another at quarterback for the Caston football team.

Gavin Mollenkopf graduated in June and is now playing baseball at Bethel University. His younger brother Logan, a junior, who played wide receiver and led Caston in receptions and receiving yards each of the last two seasons, has moved under center.

While Gavin Mollenkopf accounted for 13 touchdowns last season – six passing, seven rushing – it should be noted that Caston returns 79% of its rushing offense from last year as well as several key offensive linemen.

Caston went 3-7 last season and has now had 13 consecutive losing seasons. Having said that, six of their losses came to teams with winning records. Caston also extended its scoring average from 12.9 to 19.1 and cut its defensive scoring average from 35.5 to 23.7.

They beat North White 55-0 and South Central 46-0, and that marked the first time the defense has posted multiple shutouts in a season since 2016.

Caston went to the wing-T camp at Trine University to focus on fundamentals and build team bonding and camaraderie.

“We have several kids that should be playing on Friday night or in a typical Caston year, they would be starting,” Caston coach Chris Ulerick said in advance of the fifth year of his second stint and his 24th year overall as coach. “But right now, those are second-stringers trying to push the first-stringers. For most positions, there’s at least a competitive battle there that if they don’t do something correctly long enough, they know that they are going to get replaced, so I think that does help. It may not be a 1A-and-1B-type of thing, but it is a 1A-and-1C, and a lot of teams, the C’s would have been starting most years, but now we’ve got about 30 kids out. So there is a little bit of fighting for a place at the table, so that’s always a good thing.”

Offense

Ulerick said that he chose the 6-4 Gavin Mollenkopf to play quarterback because he “possesses more athletic skill.”

Bronson Howard, a freshman and a move-in from Pioneer, will be the backup, and Ulerick said Howard also has a bright future.

“The wing-T is more of a system than an answer for one particular player,” Ulerick said. “Logan just needs to fit in with the cog and know where he needs to fit and how he needs to fit in the machine. We’ve got some backs that are very capable around him, so that should be an added bonus. Hopefully, we get some pieces back in the backfield that have been hurt or missing. We should be OK.

“But Logan is the catalyst to make things go, but he just needs to stay within the system, which he has done so far.”

Juniors Tucker Woolever and London Herd will be the fullbacks. Woolever transitioned from the line to fullback.

“We’re lining him and London up at fullback,” Ulerick said. “When one gets tired, it’s the 1A and 1B choice there because both of them are athletic. They were in the husky section when they were buying kids’ clothes. … It’s a different feel to be able to run that ball that many times. I don’t think either of them have the stamina to take the whole game, but I think between the two of them, we’re probably going to get one good offensive player the entire time.

Ashton Bowyer, a senior who already has over 1,600 career yards rushing, will be one of the wingbacks. Braxton Enyart and Landen Rigney will play the other wingback. Carson Hamman and Caymen Brown will be pushing for playing time there as well.

“As a whole, they’re all very experienced positions because they’ve played since they were freshmen and sophomores,” Ulerick said. “Ashton’s played since he was a freshman. Landen has played since he was a freshman. Braxton started playing more last year after Landen got hurt, so he’s got a half-year of varsity experience underneath of him. But as far as experience goes, they’re fairly experienced.”

Gage Minniear is the most experienced receiver with freshmen Howard and Abel Lovelady also as potential options in order to keep Minniear fresh for defense.

Brayden Unger will play tight end.

Senior Luke Hipsher and junior Drew Williams are competing for center. Parker Zimpleman and Cameron McFatridge are the guards.

“They’re pull-trap and pull-lead,” Ulerick said of the role of the guards in the offense. “They have to do a lot of things for us. They are more of a traditional I-fullback is the better way to think (of them). They’re a fullback that is never going to get the ball. … Very athletic.”

Brody Brewer and Jayden Cox are the tackles with Braxton Mills-Taylor also in the mix.

“It’s probably one of the most experienced lines that we’ve ever had here in my time,” Ulerick said.

Defense

Cox, McFatridge and Zimpleman will start on the defensive line with Brewer, Williams and Mills-Taylor also in the mix for playing time.

Woolever and Herd will start at inside linebacker with Leeland Hayden and Ethan Reasor backing up. At outside linebacker, Unger and Bowyer will be on the edge.

Enyart and Minniear will start at cornerback, and Mollenkopf and Rigney will start at safety with Howard a potential backup.

“We certainly hope we’re better – the kids getting better and buying in and the kids playing as a group,” Ulerick said. “The more we can play as a group, the better the defense is going to be. It’s a team defense; it’s not a ‘me’ defense. … The more white helmets and Caston jerseys that we get to that final screen that you see on Hudl, it’s a sign of hustle and intensity and doing the right thing. The more that happens, obviously, the better it goes.

“We don’t allow as many big plays, explosive plays. Limiting explosive plays is always key. But last year, we made them drive it. Most high school teams, us included, are not very good about grinding a big drive out. Usually, there’s a big play in there that just breaks the other team’s back, so limiting those opportunities always helps.”

Special teams

Zimpleman and Howard have been kicking in practice, and Blake Farrer has been punting, but Ulerick those spots are “still to be determined.”

Rigney returned a punt for a score last year and will be a threat in the return game.

While powerhouses North Miami, Pioneer and North Judson remain on the schedule, Caston replaced Carroll (Flora) with Whitko for its Week 1 opponent. That means Caston will play five teams that had losing records last year.

Now Ulerick wonders who will be the team leaders who will help them get through the adversity that a difficult Hoosier North schedule will offer.

“We haven’t seen a kid just kind of take the reins and pull the troops along if something’s going down,” Ulerick said. “Gage Minniear has worked really hard in camp. He’s competed every day. We see some work out of some kids, but I don’t know that we have an established dominant (leader) yet. That is to be determined. We haven’t voted on captains just yet.”

Asked for team goals, Ulerick said they want to win the conference and the sectional. The conference includes 2024 state runner-up North Judson, 2025 state runner-up Pioneer, two-time defending sectional champ North Miami and Triton, a team they have not beaten since 2016. Pioneer, North Miami and Sheridan are among their sectional rivals.

“Win every Friday,” Ulerick said. “That’s number one.”

Schedule

Aug. 21 – at Whitko, 7 p.m.

Aug. 28 – vs. North White, 7 p.m.

Sept. 4 – at North Miami, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11 – vs. Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18 – vs. South Central (Union Mills), 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25 – at Culver, 7 p.m.

Oct. 2 – vs. Triton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9 – at North Judson, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16 – vs. Winamac, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23 – Class 1A, Sectional 43 quarterfinal