Minnesota West football preview: short on numbers and total team focus

Sep. 1—WORTHINGTON — The Minnesota West football team is lower in numbers this year. But that has built a tight knit team.

The Bluejays are primarily a freshman team and that is not the only new face as interim head coach Connor Kunkel will also replace longtime coach Jeff Lindner. Kunkel is a former Bluejay himself and has spent the last few seasons as the team's offensive coordinator. Kunkel said the impact Lindner has made on him has lasted a long time.

"Jeff has had a big impact on me, and I've spent a lot of my football life around him and the Minnesota West program," said Kunkel. "There's some things that are (going to stay) the same, and, there'll be some things that change a little bit ... more of a modern approach. ... But similar traditions and a familar family atmosphere."

The five returning Bluejays players are Ryan Woodbury, Darrick Baartman, Teyel Lowe, Aidan Bradshaw and ReJiwon Dupree.

Woodbury is from Pipestone Area High School. He plays cornerback for the Bluejays team. Woodbury described himself as a cover corner — he plays his man or zone well and tries to force the quarterback into committing an errant throw into blanket coverage.

His close friend in the secondary is Russel-Tyler-Ruthton graduate Darrick Baartman. Baartman is a versatile player. He can play in the box as if being an added linebacker, he can cover a guy man-to-man, he even can play as an emergency quarterback. But, his favorite spot — and best — is as the Bluejays' deep laying safety and big play stopper.

Also joining the Bluejays' defense is Worthington High School standout linebacker Nasim Zeidi. The Bluejays defense is coached by Ben DeVries.

"He's been a great mentor for me — he was actually a coach here when I played," said Kunkel on his defensive coordinator. "Just a guy that's been around football for a long time and offers great suggestions — a guy you can talk to all the time."

On offense, the Bluejays plan to stick with what has worked and spread out. Kunkel said that Minnesota West became a spread offense in 2018 when star wide receiver Reginald Colson III donned the blue and white.

But Kunkel also is open to the idea of returning to a run-first offense if that is what proves effective and he has a great running back to do so.

ReJiwon Dupree is from Little Rock, Arkansas. Growing up, his older brother played tailback and it took a while, he said, to fill those shoes. But now Dupree is a star in the making for the Bluejays. He is excited for the opportunity to play in all phases of the game. He likes to rush, is a fluid pass catcher and is dutiful in standing as a blocker.

"I like the offense a lot. He (Kunkel) tries to keep the balance," Dupree said. "He knows what to do in the new age. We gotta go spread and give the defense different looks to keep them guessing."

Dupree said he has grown fond of rushing from shotgun formation — in part to being able to see the whole field and developing blocks.

Bluejays practices are ran not with a whistle but with an air horn. Kunkel said that the idea came from him.

"We use the air horn to transition periods. I like to use the air horn because it's different from a whistle," Kunkel said. "A lot of times the whistle can get (confusing) if you're just out there blowing the whistle, then what does the whistle mean? Are we changing? Or is it a coach on a whistle for a drill?"

As for the buy-in to the Bluejays program? Kunkel said that they have seen excitement and commitment from all the players to the team, and that it all began in the first team meeting.

"I told them in the first meeting (as) they're looking around wondering how's this gonna work. The numbers are small, but, really at the end of the day, if you're willing to lay it on the line for the guy next to you — it's gonna go a long way. And you're gonna win some games because of it — not all teams are built like that, and willing to take that type of path," Kunkel said. It's important that they're tight knit and close. It goes a long way in being competitive and winning football games. So I'm really happy that they're a close group of guys. I was talking to some guys the other day, and they said,' When we go back to the Villas, we don't even sit in our own rooms. We just all kind of gather in one room and hang out after practice and do stuff together and some of that stuff is super important to me and obviously to the success of the team."

The Bluejays open their season this Saturday at Trojan Field against the North Dakota State College of Science at 1:30 p.m.