Aquinas football coach Ron Mimick describes junior quarterback Kyle Napier and senior lineman Konner Adamy as “happy go lucky.â€
And sometimes that laid-back style can be in direct conflict with the no-nonsense approach Mimick has used to guide the Monarchs to seven state championships and a pair of state runner-up finishes during his highly successful 29 years at the helm.
“Those guys smile a lot, they keep things loose and they like to have fun. They’re likeable guys and that sets them apart as leaders on the team,†Mimick said. “But when it’s time to get to work, they focus and get after it.â€
Both Napier and Adamy said “there are lots of stories†about the times their relaxed attitude ran counter to the mood the coach was at the time.
“We’ve got to be careful sometimes not to smile too much at practice, that makes coach mad,†Napier said grinning.
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The beginning of the 2018 season was not a happy time for Aquinas, a perennial power with 18 straight playoff appearances. It looked like that streak might be in serious jeopardy when a young, inexperienced Monarch team started the season 0-2 and was 2-3 after a loss to eventual Class C-2 state champion Centennial in Week 5.
But Aquinas caught fire and won its final four games of the regular season, then defeated Doniphan-Trumbull in the first round of the playoffs before being eliminated by Sutton in the quarterfinals.
With that late momentum from last season and nine starters back offensively and eight more on defense, the second-ranked Monarchs are looking to win their fifth state title in this decade after C-2 championship seasons in 2011, ’12, ’14 and ’15.
“We watched those teams when we were in grade school and middle school, and you want to make sure you win so you can carry on that tradition when you’re in high school,†Adamy said.
Adamy (6-1, 200) is one of six senior starters returning, joining fullback Zach Pandorf (5-11, 170), end/cornerback Braden Smith (6-2, 180), guard/linebacker Nolan Schultz (5-8, 195), halfback/cornerback Caden Kozisek (5-9, 155) and lineman Owen Schramm (5-11, 260).
Six juniors started as sophomores, a group led by Napier who will be strictly a quarterback after playing multiple skilled positions a year ago which allowed the 5-9, 160-pounder to lead the team in rushing, throw five touchdown passes and catch three for TDs.
Two of the juniors — Josh Uhrmacher (6-2, 195) and Rylan Chromy (6-2, 185) — will join Adamy and Schramm on the line. The junior trio of Keegan Lavicky (5-10, 175), Nolan Eller (5-10, 160) and Brett Kobza (5-9, 160; currently sidelined with an injury) make up the linebacker corps.
“I think we’re going to be a lot better upfront on both sides of the ball,†Adamy said. “The older teams we played against last year were tough because they were quite a bit bigger and stronger than we were. We’ve all matured and that should make a big difference.â€