Le Mars’ Kasel making memories

The senior has already made some recollections so far this season as he and the Class 4A No. 11 Bulldogs are off to a 5-1 begin and are 2-0 in District 1.

“I feel our expectations proper now are the identical as once we began the season,” Kasel mentioned.

Though for Kasel, game-day recollections might take a again seat to a number of the extra mundane duties.

“I simply love being out right here with my teammates,” he mentioned. “We get to be out right here collectively from 3:30 from 5:30 daily. I really like the power the staff brings daily. Popping out right here to follow with these guys daily is simply one of the best.”

Kasel, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound dual-threat is in his second full season as Le Mars’ beginning quarterback, and should you ask his coach, Ken Vigdal, this week’s Siouxland Athlete of the Week is seemingly getting higher by the play.

“I feel as a brand new quarterback final season, the sport moved actually quick for him,” mentioned Le Mars head coach Ken Vigdal. “This 12 months, it is actually slowed down for him, he is analyzing the protection and is aware of the place everybody on our goes to be.

“He is actually taken a step up and one other step ahead as a quarterback and staff chief.”

It has been a one-step-at-a-time course of for Kasel, who performed a couple of downs as a sophomore to get his ft moist on the varsity stage as he accomplished 3 of 5 passes for 27 yards plus tallied three carries for eight yards and a landing.

He took a serious step as a passer from his sophomore to junior marketing campaign in 2022, a season by which he accomplished 100 of 180 passes for almost 1,400 yards with 154 dashing yards on 72 carries. Nevertheless, he scored three whole touchdowns to 4 interceptions thrown.

“Our offensive line permits all of it to occur,” Kasel mentioned. “They create alternatives for me to throw it round or run and make lanes for our working backs. They’ve actually allowed us to open up our sport plans.

“It is robust for a protection to have the ability to defend in opposition to the run and go, and I feel getting each going has actually allowed our staff to take the subsequent step.”

This season has been a banner 12 months for Kasel, who does not intend on in search of alternatives to play past highschool.

“I completely love enjoying highschool soccer, however have by no means actually considered enjoying past right here,” he mentioned.

Via six video games, he is turn out to be considered one of Class 3A’s high dual-threat QBs.

His 845 whole offensive yards (413 passing, 432 dashing) ranks twenty second amongst all gamers in 4A.

And — not that he is complaining about it — however these numbers took a little bit of a success since Kasel hasn’t been referred to as on to do a lot after Le Mars has constructed massive leads in a number of contests this season.

“There’s 5 issues we stay by,” mentioned Vigdal. “We wish to be robust bodily and mentally. The second is BCD: which implies do not blame, complain or defend. After which we additionally inform the children that is it is higher effectively completed than effectively mentioned, sacrifice for the staff and end the sport or follow empty.

“It doesn’t matter what we have do, these are the core values we stay by. And now the youthful guys are seeing that and wish to stay as much as that.”

In Week 6, the Bulldogs took care of Sioux Metropolis West, 56-7.

Kasel has no downside with letting different Bulldogs shine, as a result of he is aware of these are the video games that can be utilized to construct depth from the underside up.

“It is tremendous necessary to get some youthful gamers an opportunity in these video games to provide them an opportunity to really feel the environment,” Kasel mentioned. 

In opposition to SC West, whereas Kasel solely threw 5 passes (two completions for 46 yards and a rating) and simply three rushes for 47 yards and two extra TDs, the victory over the Wolverines gave junior working again Jovany Kabongo a time to shine.

Kabongo tallied eight carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

“It is everybody on the market,” Kabongo mentioned. “I do know if I do my job, they will do theirs. We got here out this final week with an power that (SC West) could not match.

“Our high objective this season was to win a district title and get again to the playoffs.”

Like Kasel and Kabongo, the entire Bulldog staff has taken their video games up a stage this season.

After an eight-year postseason drought ended final season, Le Mars is on a mission to again and additional than the first-round exit handed down by Lewis Central.

Regardless, the postseason look represented a turning of the tide for the Le Mars program, which produced two profitable data over the eight season with out a playoff berth.

“It began three years in the past after I received right here,” mentioned Vigdal. “I simply suppose the plan we had to enhance this system helped. We wished it to be not nearly soccer, however about character, college, neighborhood, all the pieces. I feel our assistant coaches have completed an amazing job of taking their roles to a different stage, and children actually purchased in and mentioned ‘That is the best way we would like our program to be run.’

“These guys who have been sophomore then are seniors now and so due to that, all the fellows behind them fell in line and have all purchased in to what we’re doing right here. Now we have requirements and everybody has to stay as much as these.”

And irrespective of how the remainder of the soccer season performs out, Kasel can have lots extra alternatives to make some senior 12 months recollections as he is a year-round athlete for the college.

He hit for a median of over .360 for the baseball staff this previous summer time, stands to have a serious position on the basketball staff this winter and was a state-qualifier in observe and subject as he ran the third leg of Le Mars’ Twentieth-place 4×400-meter relay staff final spring.

“It is superior to see how far we have come the previous three or 4 years,” Kasel mentioned. “And I am actually excited to see what occurs the remainder of the 12 months, but additionally years to return right here at Le Mars. We’re the place we wish to be. Coach Vigdal has actually allowed this soccer program to get again to success.”