For a lot of you out there that know me personally. I have a soft spot in my heart for “county” football. The teams in the surrounding counties to Allen always have my heart. When I think about the small town lit up green for the heartbreaking Eastside vs Andrean game in the IHSAA playoffs last season. I think of Laban Davis. When I think of the strong impact of a certain quarterback in the Columbia City community, I think of Greg Bolt. I think of driving down state road 205 on my way to the Magic Wand for a burger. And passing the house that Sade built at Busco. I think of Nick Nondorf and Hunter Bianski. This class of players last year was very special to us county folks. And then fate happens, and all of these boys end up at our hometown favorite – The University of St. Francis. I had to catch up with the fellas and see how they are transitioning into college life for the Cougs.
The path of each of these players is very different. This year QB Greg Bolt was finally able to get a back surgery that ailed him for some time in high school. We will see if he ends up red-shirted. But being in recovery/rehab Greg couldn’t join us. QB Laban Davis committed to St. Francis and has had a great offseason lifting and learning a new offense. DB/WR Nick Nondorf was recruited as a safety and has had a great offseason of work gearing up for the position and concentrating on the defensive side of the ball.
DT Hunter Bianski is not big on social media and speaking to area coaches everyone was shocked to hear he may not play college ball. But after some more reflection and speaking to some coaches at Adams Central, he took the leap and is now a Cougar. Also, to note Laban and Hunter were North team captains for the North vs South All-Star game recently and both had a great game.
The big change these guys have noticed is the weight room and the schedule. Getting up even earlier than before is commonplace. The weight training is more specialized and more intense. They also mentioned that the conditioning was much more volume as well. Laban commented that the playbook that he has seen is much more technical than what he ran in high school. But he is confident that he will pick up on it quickly. They are also waiting to see what college nutrition plans look like. They all share the same commonality that they are living off campus to save money. They are all leaning towards business for the most part for studies. Aside from Hunter. I have been told by my dear friend Coach Lee Blake of Busco that Hunter is an extreme fisherman. He did not disappoint. Hunter recommends an extra heavy 7’6” rod with a 50-pound braid and a frog on the end for local summer fishing. And on his recommendation, I will be taking my son to Bear Lake to try this out! I am happy to hear that these guys are still being kids when they aren’t working hard at team activities. A little Call Of Duty (New game coming out in October per Hunter) or Minecraft here and there is still the ticket in the land of video games for these guys. I always love to hear that players still unwind and have those bonds when relaxation is needed.
It was nice catching up with this memorable group. And as a JFL/Middle school coach, I think it is so important for our youth to see these guys go from Friday night lights to having the opportunity to see them play college football here in Fort Wayne. We can’t wait to take our kids over to watch them. That will be coming soon as the Cougars’ first game is September 10th away, followed by September 17th at home vs Judson. Good luck this season guys – we are pulling for you out in the county!
