Bulldog football team gears up to tackle 2025 season, one game at a time
The Bulldog football team hosts its first scrimmage on Aug. 16.
By Kai Olbrich
Sports Editor
Photo credit: Nora Betts
The Bulldog football team is gearing up to build upon its 2024 success but taking things one step at a time along the way.
The Bulldogs finished 2024 with an 8-2 record and were in contention to make the playoffs. Coach Patrick Daberkow believes that making the playoffs is next in line after improving from a 5-5 record during the 2023 season.
“I think that the next step for our program is the same as it was for last year’s team. And that’s to get into the postseason. But you don’t accomplish that goal unless you focus on just the next thing,” Daberkow said. “So right now, on a Thursday afternoon in August, I’m just focused on having a good practice this afternoon and making sure players are making the progress that we feel like they need to make.”
Senior All-Great Plains Athletic Conference defensive lineman Carson Fehlhafer agrees that the playoffs are a big goal for the team, but doesn’t want that to distract from what’s in front of them.
“Making the postseason is always a goal for us, but that only happens if we play one game at a time,” Fehlhafer said. “Our main priority right now is our first game and being prepared for it.”
Daberkow wants the team to not only progress as players, but as people outside of the game. The theme “river tree” is a reminder that identity needs to be rooted in something firm and immovable.
“We have a theme for our program, and you’ll hear it if you hear us at the end of practice, we break down on river tree,” Daberkow said. “And river tree is based on Jeremiah 17:7-8, and it says, ‘blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He’ll be like a tree planted by the water, his roots grow out to the stream, he doesn’t fear when heat comes, his leaves are always green. He doesn’t worry in a year of drought, and he never fails to bear fruit.’”
“And that’s something that ultimately, at the end of the day, when guys are done playing football, I want them to have an understanding of that and that their identity can be rooted and anchored in something that is immovable, and that’s the grace that we have in Jesus Christ and in our faith walk with him,” Daberkow said.
Daberkow highlighted his entire offensive line as players who have stepped up into leadership roles, and he said that if that line can perform at the level they did in 2024, the Bulldogs will be a tough team to stop.
He also shouted out quarterback Gideon Stark, running back Carlos Collazo and receiver Adam Van Cleave as players to watch.
Opening day for the Bulldog football season is Sept. 6, when Concordia will host the Doane University Tigers at 7 p.m.
