New-look Trojans ramping up for Aug. 26 season opener

Just 10 days remain between now and the Fairfield football team?s season opener at Davis County Aug. 26.

The Trojans are in full pads and running through full-contact drills this week, and even a light rain this morning couldn?t dampen the spirits of head coach Mike Schenck, who has regained the reigns on the program he led from 1989 to 2009.

?The attitude has been great, kids have been hustling through drills and some of that is because of some outstanding senior leadership,? Schenck said.

He went on to say that the 2011 roster is one of the biggest, numbers-wise, he has seen in his 22 years as head coach.

Fairfield once again figures to be strong in the trenches, but the skill positions are where most of the new faces come in. The Trojans have lost three-year starting quarterback Jordan Leazer and two-year starting running back Michael Hammes along with another handful of players on the outside.

Dillon Fry has taken the majority of first-team reps at quarterback, and the junior has impressed so far ? something he hopes to continue doing on Friday nights this fall.

?The summer camps have helped him a lot. He played well up at the UNI team camp and really gained a lot of confidence,? Schenck said of his QB. ?He already has a strong arm, has worked hard on his technique and his drills, so we?ve been really happy with his play and the decisions he?s made.?

Senior Zach Vivier, junior Mason Carnahan and sophomore Kooper Dahlstrom were also mentioned as the three-headed group looking to take over the rushing responsibilities behind the big offensive line that includes returning starters Cody Kool and Jacob Mineart.

A ?surprisingly? deep group of wide receivers have also made its presence felt in preseason practice and should only make the transition that much smoother for the new set of position players.

Davis County, ranked No. 10 in Class 2A according to the Des Moines Register poll released Monday, awaits the Trojans in Week 1 before Fairfield then faces a trip to play Central Clinton Sept. 2. The first home game at Trojan Stadium will be Sept. 9 against Mount Pleasant to open district play.

Fans and community members can get the a closer look at the team at Meet the Trojans night Thursday, which will feature the introduction of all fall athletes followed by football and volleyball scrimmages.

Complete coverage of the upcoming Fairfield football season will be available in the annual Fall Sports Preview set for publication Aug. 25.