LONE TREE

It’s time to gas up the bus.

The first act for Lone Tree’s football team this season is a three-hour road trip to Chicagoland.

The Lions have a Week 0 game, meaning they’ll begin their season Friday night, a full week ahead of most other Iowa schools, and they’ll hit the road for it. Lone Tree takes on Parkview Christian, a small private school in Yorkville, Illinois, located about 50 miles southwest of the Windy City.

The 7 p.m. will be played at Joliet Memorial Stadium in Joliet.

Parkview is one of five new teams on the Lions schedule, but most of those are because Lone Tree was moved from District 6 to District 5 in this year’s new eight-man football alignment in Iowa.

That means the Lions won’t have to face WACO, which won District 6 with an unbeaten conference record last year, but they will have to face Easton Valley, the defending District 5 champion, in the last week of the regular season. And they’ll also face Central City, the District 5 runner-up that drilled the Lions 44-21 last year.

Because the Lions had a Week 0 game, they were allowed to begin fall practice August 7, a week before most other teams. And already on that first day, returning senior quarterback Ethan Bockelman was running plays for the Lions in a practice that included 40-yard sprints at the finish.

Bockelman, who passed for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, is one of five returning seniors. Joining him are wide receivers Jader Sanchez and Dominic Graap, and offensive/defensive linemen Cole Abbott and Harry Brenneman.

The first test for the Lions will come Friday, followed by their home opener next week against Iowa Valley, which is remaining in District 6.

Lone Tree’s District 5 opener will be against Midland on September 8, following a bye week.

Head coach Joe Donovan, who is also Lone Tree’s activities and athletics director following the retirement of Tom Squiers, led the Lions to a 3-5 record last year. Lone Tree won three straight games against English Valleys, HLV and Tri-County, but then lost consecutive district games to Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, New London and Iowa Valley.

Bockelman is a passing and running threat for the Lions. In addition to his 10 passing TDs last year, he also led Lone Tree in rushing with 781 yards and 10 TDs. Combined with junior running back Maddox Jondle, the two totaled more than 1,300 rushing yards and 21 rushing TDs.

The Lions also return two of their three leading receivers, including sophomore Emmett Burke (team-leading 18 catches for 232 yards and 4 TDs) and Sanchez (9 catches, 172 yards, 3 TDs).

Seniors Cole Abbott and Harry Brenneman anchor the offensive and defensive lines.

Most of the offensive starters will also be on defense, and that includes linebacker Jack Patterson who’ll play on the line on offense.

Burke is one of seven sophomores on the team and Jacob Bell is an incoming freshman.

SCOUTING THE LIONS

Head Coach: Joe Donovan

2022 record: 3-5

2023 District: Eight-man, District 5

Season opener: 7 p.m. Friday, vs. Parkview Christian at Joliet, Illinois

Top returnees: Ethan Bockelman, QB/DB; Jader Sanchez, WR/DB; Emmett Burke, WR/DB; Dominic Graap, WR/DB; Maddox Jondle, RB/LB; Brody MaGruder, TE/DE; Cole Abbott, OL/DL; Harry Brenneman, OL/DE; Jack Patterson, OL/LB

Top newcomers: Lukas Fuhrmeister, OL/DE; Domonic Garcia, WR/DB; Reece Holbrook, TE/DE; Mayson Hemsted, WR/DB

Assistant coaches: Randy Ball, Kale Render, Harry Miller, Zach Hebl, Drake Hotz