Donovans have quickly made La Crescent-Hokah a dangerous football team

Aug. 29—(Editor's note: This article is part of the 2023 Pigskin Preview, which will appear in the Saturday, Sept. 2, Post Bulletin print edition. A full list of articles that will appear on PostBulletin.com this week is at the bottom of this article.)

LA CRESCENT — The first indication that AJ Donovan was dead serious about football came early.

The Donovan family of Terry Donovan and wife Tina has five children, three of them current or former football players. Riley and Matt both played at and graduated from Kasson-Mantorville. Riley eventually

signed with the University of South Dakota

where he was a standout receiver. Matt is now a

second-year receiver at Bemidji State University.

As a high school senior, Riley was being recruited by USD football coach Joe Glenn. Glenn spent a chunk of one day at the Donovan house, giving his spiel. Youngest Donovan boy AJ hung around to listen to most of it. He was 7 at the time.

An impression was made. As soon as Glenn left the Donovan house, AJ made a beeline to Terry, then a K-M football coaching assistant.

The 7-year-old had this to say: "I know what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to be a football coach."

AJ has never slipped in his allegiance to the game. The high school senior is a three-sport athlete — football, hockey, baseball — but football is an easy No. 1.

"I'd be surprised if he didn't (become a football coach)," said Terry, in his second year as the La Crescent-Hokah head football coach, AJ his second-year standout quarterback. "He's great working with our youth kids and great with whatever level he is at."

Right now, his dealings are mostly with the La Crescent-Hokah varsity. Practices started on Monday, Aug. 14 for him and his teammates. As much as the youngest Donovan loved calling Kasson home, he's acclimated to the La Crescent-Hokah community in a hurry.

Football has certainly helped that along. His Lancers teammates thought enough of him right out of the chute to name him a captain last year.

Terry said it was AJ's approach to the game that grabbed them. It's a serious one, and having grown up in a family where football is like a second language, it's brimming with knowledge. That includes marathon football film watching with his father.

"Last year, AJ got voted as captain by his peers and he'd just gotten there," Terry said. "He showed them what football is supposed to look like, how to attack it."

La Crescent-Hokah football had been a moribund program before the Donovans arrived. The Lancers went 0-9 in 2018. They followed that by not even fielding football teams in 2019 and 2020, then again went 0-9 in 2021.

Then Terry Donovan took over, with junior son AJ part of that football package. Just like that, the Lancers won five games and just missed winning three others.

They rode the accurate right arm of the 6-1, 190-pound AJ, as well as a surge of La Crescent-Hokah athletes suddenly wanting to play football again, in making their 5-5 record happen.

Donovan threw for a prolific 1,973 yards and 25 touchdowns, completing 58% of his throws.

It was as if La Crescent-Hokah had discovered an old toy — football. The good feelings permeated the town. AJ couldn't miss it.

"One thing that helped a lot in going from K-M to La Crescent was it being such a welcoming community," AJ said. "We developed that team aspect right away. Starting with our very first game, the stands were packed. There has just been so much support behind us."

AJ has been an easy guy to support, with all of his skill, leadership and drive. His football focus was built early. Terry can't recall a time when AJ didn't have a football in his hands and when he, Riley and Matt weren't tearing up the family backyard playing catch and competing with each other.

AJ is a different player than his older brothers. Riley and Matt both had excellent speed and maneuverability, and both used that as high school quarterbacks. AJ is not a burner. But what he lacks in speed he more than makes up with his abilities as a pro-style, drop-back passer. His arm is strong and deadly accurate. And with the fleet of high-end receivers that the Lancers have had the last two years, AJ's skills are a perfect match.

AJ is primed for what's ahead the next few months. For the last year, he's dedicated himself to the weight room, tacking on 15 pounds of muscle from a year ago.

He's ready to take that 5-5 record and come up with something even better. It won't be easy, as La Crescent-Hokah has a brutally difficult schedule.

But the youngest Donovan is built and reared for this. He can't wait to attack his senior season.

SUNDAY, AUG. 27

—Plainview-Elgin-Millville's "hit man" is southeastern Minnesota's top tackler

—Column: The Pigskin Preview turns 50

—Why the chase for the Section 1, 9-Player championship could be wide open this fall

MONDAY, AUG. 28

—How and why the Winona State University coaching staff is prioritizing southeastern Minnesota as a recruiting hotbed

—Defending champ Fillmore Central is among the favorites in a loaded Section 1, Class 1A

—Who will challenge Chatfield in Section 1, Class 2A this season?

—Stewartville star will be a problem for opposing linemen

TUESDAY, AUG. 29

—Donovan family has led La Crescent-Hokah's quick turnaround

—Chicago native Martell Williams returned to RCTC this fall for one reason

—One powerhouse has moved out, another has moved into Section 1, Class 3A

—Is Section 1, Class 4A a three-horse race again?

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 30

—Section 1, Class 5A could be up for grabs

—The Post Bulletin names its "Dangerous Dozen" for the 2023 season

—College coaches have eyes on John Marshall's Ladu brothers

THURSDAY, AUG. 31

—John Marshall graduate Deontae Veney is making a "big" impact at Minnesota State University, Mankato

—Mayo's Holcomb a rare five-year varsity player — and a rare athlete

—Rochester Mayo to tackle the state's biggest class, moving up to Section 3, Class 6A

FRIDAY, SEPT. 1

—Why are teams schedules so different this fall? We find out why local teams will face unfamiliar foes

—Kingsland's dynamic backfield duo has Knights dreaming big in '23

—As the Pigskin turns 50, we look back at every southeastern Minnesota team that has won a state title since its inception in 1974