Ready to go

When the Columbia Crimson Tide football team takes the field tomorrow night against cross river rival Eastern, they might have a chip on their shoulders.
That’s because despite going 8-3 and qualifying for the District Three playoffs and losing 18 seniors, many think this will be a rebuilding year for the Tide.
Everyone but the players that is.
“We want to do our best in every game and not take any team lightly,” said junior captain Brandon Felus, who was one of Columbia’s representatives at the L-L League Media Day, two weeks ago.
Added speedy running back Jason Combs, “we want to try to do better than last year’s team and make it to the next round of districts.”
So, despite losing players such as quarterback Mike Seibert, running back Ben Guiles, wide receiver Colby Tuell and all-state performer Brian Groff and others, who were instrumental performers in last year’s team, the players are expecting big things in 2008.
“This team can be very good,” Felus said.
“It all depends on how hard work everyone puts into it,” Combs said.
The Crimson Tide lost a dozen starters from last year’s team. Returning starters are Felus, Rafael Mendez and Kevin McCarty in the trenches; Combs, Dakota Lightfoot, Yahya McIntyre and Derrick Smith in the skill areas.
Newcomers expected to play key roles are quarterback Matt Kreiser, fullback Joey Charles and lineman Bobby Schoelkopf and Brandon Aukamp.