The Denison-Schleswig Monarchs will be look to rebound in their home opener Friday as they host the Atlantic Trojans. The Monarchs dropped their season opener to Storm Lake last week 39-13. However, head coach Willie Baughman said it wasn’t due to a lack of effort.

Much like Atlantic, Denison-Schleswig is a run first team that is propelled by strong running backs. After leading the Monarchs in rushing a season ago, Cole Kastner had a strong opening week. Kastner averaged 6.1 yards per carry on 14 attempts and added a touchdown. Baughman describes him as one of the tough ones.

Although the Trojans and Monarchs are familiar opponents in every other sport, the two have not played each other since 2017. Despite the teams not seeing each other in eight years, the coaches are very familiar with each other and bring similar styles to the table.

Needless to say, a sizeable portion of the game will be dedicated to the run game. The Monarchs put up 186 rushing yards in the season opener and Baughman says staying on schedule and controlling the turnover margin will be key.

Kickoff is schedule for 7 pm and you can catch all the action on KJANTV with pregame coverage starting at 6:30 pm.