The NKyTribune will be offering focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week at Northern Kentucky High School Football.
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Last season, Ethan Schulte was one of the few underclassmen in the starting lineup for the Dixie Heights football team that made it to the championship game in the Class 6A state playoffs. Even though most of his teammates this season have little or no varsity playing experience, he rejects the notion that this will be a rebuilding year for the Colonels.
Dixie Heights senior Ethan Schulte (Photo by Terry Boehmker)
“We’re going to prove that we aren’t who people think we are right now,” Schulte said. “Everybody thinks we’re going to finish below .500 (with a losing record) and were soft, but we’re going to come out and surprise people this year.”
Schulte, a three-year starter at free safety, is putting a positive spin on a daunting challenge. Dixie Heights lost 10 starting players on offense and seven on defense to graduation. The dearly departed include the team leaders in nearly every statistical category, including scoring, rushing, passing and receiving.
But the players looking to fill all those vacancies in the starting lineup feel like they learned a lot by practicing against last year’s highly talented senior class week after week.
“We have a lot of younger kids, but they’re ready to play,” Schulte said. “Most of them were on the scout teams last year and worked hard in practice (against the starters) to make it a simulation of a real game. So they know what to do, and with everybody fighting for a position that’s made us all better.”
Schulte has been a starting free safety on the Dixie Heights varsity team since he was a freshman. In addition to using his quickness and speed for pass coverage, he made stops on a good share of running plays last season when the Colonels won 13 straight games and made it to the state finals for the first time.
“We had a great defense last year and Ethan was a big part of it,” said Dixie Heights coach Dave Brossart. “He’s very savvy out there. He just knows where the football is at all times and that’s what you want out of your safety.”
Schulte made 57 tackles in 15 games for a 3.8 average last season. He also had two pass interceptions. He wasn’t named to any all-star teams, but Brossart is happy to have the 5-foot-8, 170-pound senior back in the lineup.
“If you look at him, he’s not physically imposing at all,” the coach said. “He’s a kid that few colleges want because he’s too short and too small, but he’s a kid I want on my team all the time because he gets it done on the field.”
Schulte was also Dixie Heights’ place kicker last season, converting five field goals and 48 point-after attempts for 63 points. This year, he’ll be lining up as a wide receiver on offense as well. With his speed, he could be a prime target for first-year quarterback Gunther Faeth.
“Last year, I didn’t play offense at all, but I was paying attention and know all the plays,” Schulte said. “Our receivers were great last year so I learned a lot of technique from watching them.”
The Colonels’ other returning starters on defense are tackle Jack Lohre, end Owen Sammons and linebacker Noah Caple. All three of those seniors will also be getting more playing time on offense this season when Dixie Heights will play in a new Class 5A district that includes Highlands, Covington Catholic and Grant County.
“They’re the new leaders,” Brossart said of the core group of seniors with varsity experience. “Last year, they just had to do their job because they had a lot of great players around them. Now they’re the great players and they’ve got to get the other kids to complement what they’re doing.”
Schulte knows he doesn’t have the size to play football in college so this will be the final season of his career. He’ll be doing all he can on offense, defense and special teams to make it a successful one.
“We’re not going to let down this year,” he said. “We’re going to work hard and make sure everybody’s on task and hopefully come out just as good as last year.”
DIXIE HEIGHTS COLONELS
COACH: Dave Brossart (48-35 in eight seasons at three schools).
LAST YEAR: 13-2 record, lost in Class 6A state championship game.
THIS YEAR: Class 5A, District 5 with Covington Catholic, Grant County, Highlands.
2015 SCHEDULE
Aug. 28 – SCOTT, 7 p.m.
Sept. 4 – at Milford (Ohio), 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 – at Simon Kenton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 – CONNER, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 – BOONE COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 – at Cooper, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 9 – at Highlands, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 – at Grant County, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 – COVINGTON CATHOLIC, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 30 – RYLE, 7 p.m.
See the previous prep football stories here:
Bichop Brossart High School
Ludlow High School
Campbell County High School
Highlands High School
