A season full of adversity and unexpected events has come to an end. The ADM Tiger Football team came into this season with very high expectations after making it to State Semi-finals a season ago and finishing the season 10-2. They were expected to compete for a state championship with the star-studded roster they had led by Aiden Flora and Brevin Doll. The Tigers were also making the jump to 4A for the first time and many people were curious to see how this season would turn out. They started out the 2023 season 2-o and then the Tigers had their first big test against Lewis Central, which was a top-rated matchup as the Tigers were ranked number 1. ADM lost this game in a slugfest at 38-31 and early on in the 2nd quarter, star running back Brevin Doll broke his arm and the Tigers would later learn that he was out for the year. I sat down with Head Coach Randy Schrader and 2 of the top players, Aiden Flora and Brevin Doll, to discuss the season.
Q: Was this season a success?
Brevin Doll: “I think that this season was a success for many different reasons. For starters, we got a new head coach at the start of the summer and we dealt with a lot of injuries throughout the year. I think we did well with the hand we were dealt.”
Aiden Flora: “We were successful because all of our guys came together as one family and each of us wanted to fight for each other on the field.”
Coach Schrader: “I think it’s a success in terms of what we had to overcome. Starting in May, with the coaching change, we started off the season really well and fought well with the adversity that we faced. We are disappointed going 7-4 and getting beat in the Quarterfinals, but all said and done, it was a successful season.”
Q: What was the biggest challenge of the year?
Coach Schrader: “For me, hiring new staff and getting the coaching staff on the same page.”
Brevin Doll: “Personally, my biggest challenge this year was changing my role and how I helped the team. It was tough being on the sideline, but I think that it only grew my love for the game and brought me closer to God.”
Aiden Flora: “A big challenge we had was injuries. We had a lot of people out, which was a bummer for the team, but each of those guys became leaders even though they didn’t get to play on the field. This helped our team become better as a whole.”
The ADM Tigers went on to finish the regular season 6-3 and had 2 road games to try and make it back to the UNI-Dome. The Tigers won in the first round easily 42-0 against Denison-Schleswig. The Tigers advanced to the Quarterfinal against Lewis Central. ADM had the lead most of the game as they led at half 21-10, but couldn’t score in the 2nd half. Lewis Central scored 22 unanswered points to come back and win 32-21. ADM Finished the Season 7-4. The Tigers will now begin their search for the program’s new Head Coach who will lead the Tiger Football team for years to come.
