Nowhere to go but up for inspired John Marshall football team

Aug. 29—ROCHESTER — The numbers tell just how difficult John Marshall's football season was last year. The Rockets finished 0-9, were outscored by an average of 42-4 and were shut out in five of their nine games.

The notion that a flock of JM players might abandon ship after such a season didn't seem far-fetched.

But nope, that's sure not what happened. Led by such standouts as senior Nolan Radtke, JM's ship is full and brimming with guys champing at the bit for Friday's season-opening home-field kickoff against Apple Valley.

"The mood of the team is great," said Radtke, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound star middle linebacker who will also play offensive guard this season. "The energy of the guys has been crazy high. We think we can take things up a big notch."

Considering where JM was last year, its first season under coach Kyle Riggott, the Rockets seem to have nowhere to go but up. Riggott was faced with a major challenge in 2022, inheriting a program that had been down for years and contained just a handful of seniors.

Instead of seniors, the Rockets mostly had to rely on a promising, yet physically immature bunch of sophomores. Winning football games in Class 5A with sophomore-heavy rosters almost never works. It was no different for JM.

The good news for the Rockets is that those sophomores are now juniors and with it bigger, faster, stronger and wiser. Mix in a few talented and highly motivated seniors such as Radtke, receiver/defensive back Zach Ladu, slot receiver/defensive back Darius Jordan and two-way lineman Ivinn Mom, and things look even better.

Then tack on that Riggott and his energetic staff are in year two of guiding this program and things look better yet.

So, while the Rockets are offering no promises in terms of win totals, they are secure in stating that they couldn't be more revved up for what's in front of them. Heck, Radtke was revved up about a week after JM lost to Northfield in the first round of the playoffs last year. He hasn't let up since and he's taken a bunch of players with him, guys showing up in droves to the weight room throughout last school year and this summer to team workouts.

"Last year was all about setting the base for this program," Radtke said. "You can't build from a weak foundation, so we set the base. Now we are building off of that. We've got a lot of players who have bought in."

There is some unquestioned talent here, and just like last year, their calling card is speed. JM is loaded with fast guys, with Jordan, brothers Zach and receiver/defensive back Eli Ladu, receiver/defensive back Colin Ness and receiver/defensive back LeeAndre Harvey all running 4.6 seconds or better in the 40-yard dash. The Rockets also have a few more in that neighborhood, including returning starting running back/linebacker Ty'Shawn Beane (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) and linebacker Lama Kamara.

"We've got a lot of track guys," said Beane, one of the team's most productive players last year.

What JM's season will likely come down to is how it can perform up front and at quarterback, with line play No. 1.

It was JM's inability to block and get off of blocks that most shredded its season a year ago. Offensively, its quarterbacks took a beating as they had so little time to throw. The run game wasn't much better, with few holes to run through.

The Rockets are expected to be better there this year. But just how much better remains to be seen. Improvement at the line of scrimmage will be crucial in order for the Rockets' fleet of talented playmakers to get the ball. Quarterbacks need time to deliver it to them.

JM junior center Kalon Senevisai (6-0, 215), who'll likely be joined up front by Radtke, Mom (5-11, 225), senior Wyette Stanton ((5-9, 210) and senior Nolan Laack (6-0, 250), believes things will be much better this time.

"Last year, we had a lot of sophomores playing," Senevisai said. "This year, we feel like we've all put in hard work in the off-season. The key is having that teamwork and knowing what to do and how to do it."

Who starts at quarterback remains to be seen. Whoever Riggott picks, and it's come down to junior Rylan McCreary-Kujawa (6-0, 160) and sophomore Savy Vath (6-2, 165), will be a newcomer to the varsity. Riggott says both have made big strides from a year ago.

Note: Two standout football players have transferred from Century to John Marshall this year, juniors Harold Nikwelle Mesumbe and Chris Garcia-Lara. Mesumbe is not expected to be eligible to play with the varsity this season and Garcia's status is still up in the air.

(All games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted)

Sept. 1 — Apple Valley. Sept. 9 — at North St. Paul. Sept. 16 — Northfield, 5 p.m. Sept. 29 — New Prague.

Oct. 6 — at Century. Oct. 13 — at Owatonna. Oct. 18 — Bloomington Jefferson.