Sioux City West enters 2019 with youthful group

If the Wolverines are going to build off the last two seasons, they are going to have to do it with a number of new players. West lost nine starters on offense and eight on defense.

"We lost a ton of guys last year, 20-plus seniors and guys that played a ton. So we only have five to six guys with serious experience," Schmitz said. "We are filling in a little bit every day and see what happens. Our emphasis is on building a normative culture, making sure our expectations every day are met with the actions.

"Show up every day and prepare and we keep working on those things."

Schmitz does have five players he can lean on — seniors Riliegh Belt, Devaunte Coleman, Nick Puente and Estevan Quintana and junior Travis Rivera.

Schmitz said those five have done a good job of leading the team so far in preseason workouts.

"They are great kids and they work hard in the classroom and are great examples, including their work in the weight room," Schmitz said. "We pushed them to take on this role and they are responding and doing a good job."

West has to replace quarterback Adien Belt, who passed for 1,181 yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior Abel Harker, sophomore Devin Fry and junior Kaleb Belt, Kaleb French and Koby Pearson are all competing for the spot. Kaleb Belt threw two passes last season and Fry was the freshman quarterback.

"They all play a little bit different and we are using the next week to sort it out and get ready for game week," Schmitz said in mid-August. "Hopefully they will be ready by then."

[From 2018: Sioux City West enters season with expectations.]

Belt was also the team's top rusher last season with 543 yards and seven touchdowns. Emanuel Tameklo, who graduated, was the second-leading rusher with 487 yards.

Puente is the top returner at running back and rushed for 122 yards on 22 carries last season.

"When I first met him three years ago, he was playing basketball and I saw he knew how to get downhill and get in the lane and has great footwork," Schmitz said. "We like his inside running and his cutability. He worked hard and is thick and stroke and he should be able to take a lot of carries every game."

Rivera started all nine games at left tackle as a sophomore and will be joined on the line by junior Aidan Gutierrez and senior Julio Villa.

Defensively, Belt was one of the top players last season at defensive back and he had 74.5 tackles, including six for a loss. He's joined in the backfield by Quintana, who had 46 tackles. Coleman had 25 tackles on the defensive line.

[More Metro football: Sioux City East has better preseason prep in Webb's second season.]

Schmitz likes how those three have performed and now it's a matter of putting others around them.

"It's going to be a lot of other people contributing. We've had some really good work and players are understanding the scheme," Schmitz said. "Their effort has been great. It doesn't matter how old you are if you play hard and know what you are doing."