Caston football preview: Comets are deeper, but tough schedule awaits

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

In October 2018, a feature story in the Indianapolis Star mulled how small-school football can survive in an era of “dwindling numbers.”

The story used Caston, which had 15 players at the time, as an example of such a small school program.

Those days at Caston are over for now. Seven years later, Caston had 33 players come out for football, and coach Chris Ulerick said that the coaching staff and players have a different, much more pleasant issue.

“It’s as deep as we’ve been as far as the whole team goes from quarterback to whatever line position you want to call it,” Ulerick said. “We’re probably as deep as we have been at most positions. We can go a legitimate two(-deep) all the time, so that helps. We have to learn how to sub because our kids are just used to playing the whole time. So we’ve been working on how to sub.

“It’s a lot of communication on the kids’ parts. It’s a lot of communication on the coaching staff to make sure that the kids understand where they align. … You may be a ‘two’ here, but because somebody gets hurt over there, just because you’re a number two, you may become a number one just because the number two over here was the number one. That’s the hardest thing to get them to know and understand.”

Caston might need all the manpower they can get against their schedule. They are in the same conference with Class 1A, No. 2 North Judson, No. 10 North Miami, No. 11 Pioneer and No. 13 Triton, according to the preseason USA Today media poll.

In addition, Carroll (Flora) is both a sectional rival and Caston’s opponent Friday night in their season opener, and they are ranked No. 6. Frontier, another sectional rival, is ranked No. 12.

Ulerick calls it a “grinder of a schedule.”

“We’re going to have to really work hard in order to be able to put something out there that’s still respectable each week,” Ulerick said. “Each week’s a fight, and there were only a few times last year where we just thought there was no way we could compete. The scoreboard didn’t always show that. But we have to go in with the mindset that we can compete each week.”

Caston, however, does return their top passer in senior Gavin Mollenkopf (452 yards), their top rusher in junior fullback Ashton Bowyer (753 yards) and their top receiver in sophomore Logan Mollenkopf (19 receptions for 390 yards, three touchdowns).

“He’s played significant varsity minutes all four years, not necessarily always at quarterback, but he’s always played varsity football,” Ulerick said of Gavin Mollenkopf.

Ulerick said Landen Rigney, a junior coming off an injury-plagued 2024, and junior Gage Minniear are the primary wingbacks. Ashtyn Peters and Reed Sommers, a junior but a newcomer to football, are wingbacks whom Ulerick called “new additions.” London Herd and Brayden Unger have also been worked in at running back for “more beef,” Ulerick said.

Peters can also play receiver, and sophomore Braxton Enyart is also in the receiver mix. Brody Brewer and Under have gotten reps at tight end.

On the offensive line, Parker Zimpleman will man one tackle spot with Luke Hipsher leading at the other but Jayden Cox “right on his heels.” Senior Landen Eghlinger and junior Cameron McFatridge will be the guards with sophomore Tucker Woolever adding depth. Senior Tommy Loving is the center, but sophomore Drew Williams has also gotten practice reps, according to Ulerick.

Sophomore twins Jake and Blake Farrer are offensive linemen whom Ulerick called “works in progress.”

“We’re all about footwork and getting a good blocking angle,” Ulerick said. “We don’t ever want to take on a guy. Most of the time, we are not bigger than the guy that’s across from us, so we want to try and get us as good a blocking angle as we can get, and that all starts with footwork.”

The team went to a team camp at Trine University in order to hone the offense.

“The basics of our offense go in then, and it’s just skill building, drills and reinforcing of what we’ve been teaching and coaching,” Ulerick said. “It’s wing-T camp, so that helps.”

On the defensive line, Brewer and Zimpleman are the defensive ends. Cox and McFatridge will be the defensive tackles.

“Jayden’s had a really good summer as far as getting in and getting after it,” Ulerick said. “That’s been good to see. I think the Farrers again are going to be in there, and Luke Hipsher is going to be rotated in as well.”

Woolever and Herd are the inside linebackers with Ehlinger backing up. Gavin Mollenkopf and Peters are the outside linebackers with Rigney and Sommers backing up.

Mollenkopf and Minniear will play cornerback with Peters and Rigney playing safety.

Sommers and Drew McGrew will compete for kicking duties. 

Caston lost to Pioneer 20-7 in the sectional quarterfinals last season, but they held Pioneer, a team that averaged 32 points per game, scoreless in the second half. Caston lost their regular season meeting 63-6 to Pioneer last year.

“The second time we played Pioneer was hopefully the gateway to the change," Ulerick said. “We always kind of played to the level of our opponent, and if we thought that if we were just outmatched, a lot of times we just wouldn’t show up physically. Last year I thought in the Pioneer game, we played a physical football game. They can say that they didn’t play a great game, but at the end of the day, it was a good game. We were just as physical as what they were. But until we prove it this year, we have really no background. That’s all we have to fall back on right now.”

Ulerick, who is in his 23rd season as coach – it’s the fourth season of his second stint – was asked if this was one of his more experienced junior classes.

Coming off a two-win season and seeking their first winning season since 2012, he speaks of taking “the next step” as a program. It starts with an experienced junior group.

“They’ve had to play,” Ulerick said. “They were thrown to the wolves as freshmen, and they’ve played pretty well their whole time at the varsity level. Hopefully, things pay off for them and all their past experience and trials and tribulations are going to come to the forefront for them this season.

“In order for us to be in the top half of our conference, we’ve got to be physical. Our conference is not going to be any easier than what it has been.”

Alex Hettinger is the newest assistant to the coaching staff. He will work with wide receivers and cornerbacks, and he will work with Ulerick on coordinating the passing game.

Schedule

Aug. 22 – vs. Carroll (Flora), 7 p.m.

Aug. 29 – at North White, 7 p.m.

Sept. 5 – vs. North Miami, 7 p.m.

Sept. 12 – at Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Sept. 19 – at South Central (Union Mills), 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 26 – vs. Culver, 7 p.m.

Oct. 3 – at Triton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 10 – vs. North Judson, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 17 – at Winamac, 7 p.m.

Oct. 24 – Class 1A, Sectional 42 quarterfinal

Class 1A, Sectional 42

Caston, Carroll (Flora), Frontier, North White, Pioneer, Taylor, Tri-County Winamac