Waukon football team returns 17 letterwinners seeking to continue current string of district championships and play-off qualification
2024 Waukon varsity football team ... Left to right - Front row: Tristyn Crawford, Brandon Teslow, Mason McKee, Owen Grimstad, Dylan Stegen, Jaxon Brinkman, Jared Snitker, Jacob Jones, Trent Schullo, Kenton Hilgerson; Middle row: Jackson Moore, McKyan Egan, Issiah Moudy, Brayden Engrav, Kaden Sullivan, Graine Curtin, Garrison Byrnes, Preston Dietrich, Damon Berger, Draemon Berger, Judah Johnson, Jaxon Regan; Back row: Gabe McCormick, Ethan Baker, Zach Perkins, Carson Hager, Keagan Palmer, McKinley Rostvold, Connor Stilwell, Micheal Duncklee, Cody Dunham, John Marti, Joey Courtney, Reid Schulte, Vaughn Stegen, Tade McCormick. Not pictured: Tryston Johnson, Daijan Mitchell.
The 2024 Waukon football team will look to continue a trend of success that has come to be somewhat expected within the program ranks in recent years, as the grid Tribe comes off a sixth consecutive Class 2A district championship campaign and a 10th season of Class 2A State Play-Off qualification in the past 12 seasons. Helping fuel that pursuit of continued success this fall will be a collection of 17 returning varsity letterwinners who will pave the way for this season’s program of 59 players in total, with those 17 returning veterans making up nearly half of this season’s squad from the ranks of sophomores on up through seniors.
The entire collection of this season’s 12 seniors on the grid Tribe’s varsity roster will headline that returning group of veterans, including Ethan Baker, Damon Berger, Jaxon Brinkman, Garrison Byrnes, Graine Curtin, Preston Dietrich, Carson Hager, Judah Johnson, Kaden Sullivan, McKinley Rostvold, Reid Schulte and Brandon Teslow. Juniors Owen Grimstad, Zach Perkins, Jared Snitker and Dylan Stegen, and sophomore McKyan Egan add further returning varsity experience earned from last season’s squad that played to a 5-4 overall record but a 4-1 mark in Class 2A District 3 play that earned the program a sixth consecutive district crown.
“Graine and Carson have been starting for three years now, so they’ll need to step up as leaders,” Waukon football coach Chad Beermann said of his veteran returnees. “I believe Jaxon was second in the district in both rushing and passing touchdowns, so he’ll be asked to do a lot, but we should also have more support for him as Owen helps with backfield duties. Three linemen are returning starters, and it would have been four if Zach had not been injured this summer. Many of the kids we expect the biggest contributions from have been active in track and throughout summer weights and running, so we’ve had a chance to watch them grow athletically since last year.”
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