sailor . mnsun . com Fall Football Preview • Thursday , August 29 , 2024 Page 3
BLOOMINGTON JEFFERSON JAGUARS
FOOTBALL PREVIEW 202�
Tradition moves forward with new coach
By JASON OLSON jason . olson @ apgecm . com
( SUN PHOTO BY JASON OLSON )
Jefferson captains pictured from left are : Maxwell Erb , Gabe Sturz , Evan Feller , Jayden Schold and Abraham Hughley .
Last season was a bright spot for Jefferson football in since-retired coach Tim Carlson ’ s final season .
The Jaguars not only won the Northstar Gold East sub-district but also reached the Section 3AAAAA final at St . Thomas Academy , compiling an 8-2 record .
New Head Coach Marc Bachman steps in after serving on Carlson ’ s staff with most , if not all , of the assistant coaches remaining to give this season ’ s team a sense of normalcy .
The program is bucking the current downward trend in participation numbers , with 86 students registered .
“ We ’ re delighted to have 30 freshmen come out and about 55 10th-12th graders ,” Bachman said .
When it comes to off-season and summer football , Bachman knows it is different from the style of football played once the temperatures begin to change and leaves begin to turn .
“ Summer football is not fall football , bottom line ,” he said while they have done a lot as a program , most of which began under Carlson and continues . “ Jefferson is a tremendous school academically , athletically and socially . I feel incredibly honored and fortunate to lead the program and inherit the tremendous coaching staff Tim Carlson has grown in the past 13 years . All four grades of student-athletes at Jefferson are athletic and full of positive leaders . These players are fortunate to be a part of a football program supplied with energy and support by the school administration , custodial staff , Jaguar Quarterback Club leadership , school staff and alumni .”
Bachman enters his 38th season coaching , 30 years spent coaching football , basketball , girls hockey and track at St . Peter High School . He also coached at Gustavus Adolphus and Mankato Loyola after graduating from Fairmont
See Jefferson , Page 24
( SUN PHOTO BY JASON OLSON )
Jefferson senior Draven Wannigman , middle , tracks down junior Roy Kim during a first-week drill . Longtime coach Jon Leverenz watches the play unfold .
QUICK HITS
Head Coach
Marc Bachman First season
Last Year ’ s Record : 8-2
Key Returning Players
Senior Evan Feller led the Jaguars with 62 tackles last season including seven for loss as a starting linebacker . He will continue to see time at running back this season after graduating Jonathan Weber who ran for 743 yards and 12 touchdowns . Weber ran for 69 yards on 16 carries across five games . Receiver / defensive backs Jayden Schold and Draven Wannigman and tight end / linebacker Gabe Sturz will have expanded roles this season . Schold had 18 tackles in six games , Sturz had 11 tackles in four games and Wannigman had eight tackles in three games .
Schedule
All start times 7 p . m . unless otherwise noted . Aug . 29 vs . New Prague Sept . 6 at St . Cloud Tech Sept . 13 vs . Tartan Sept . 20 at Hastings Sept . 27 vs . St . Louis Park Oct . 4 at Robbinsdale Cooper 7:30 p . m . Oct . 11 at Apple Valley Oct . 16 vs . Rochester John Marshall