With every game riding on the same wave of importance, expectations are running high for the Simpson College Storm Football team this year.

“When you’re only guaranteed to have ten games, unless you make the postseason, every game is about as big as they get,” assistant football coach Joe Beschorner, offensive line coordinator, said. “So you have to treat them that way and value them that way.”

A main strength this season is that the team comes in with 14 returning seniors, putting experience on the field as well as providing strong leaders for the heavily-recruited incoming freshman talent.

“You obviously (look to) your seniors for leadership, not only on the field and off the field, but you look at the first and foremost to step up and do some good things,” Beschorner said.

The seniors are divided into eight offensive positions and six defensive positions. The heavy expectations however don’t seem like a high task for the decorated players to the game.

A senior who is expected to continue to grow and lead throughout the season is senior quarterback Tyson Unkrich. With three years of Simpson football knowledge under his helmet and Iowa Conference Player of the week honors last year, he’s a player to watch during the upcoming season. This year he has already amassed 483 passing yards. On the other side of the spectrum, the Storm is showing many new faces this year with 65 freshman added to this year’s roster.

With so many players in his arsenal this year, coach Jim Glogowski has his hands full. He keeps them motivated and on task constantly with clever antics.

“Coach Glo gave us a theme during camp,” sophomore quarterback Colton Calvert said. “Burn the Boats! It kept a bunch of us motivated.”

The theme basically implies that there is no going back, so you better come out winning. With this, he’s setting the year off with a good strategy and high hopes for his players.

Ranked third in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll, the team Glogowski has built is not being underestimated.

Considering how the season is going so far, with disappointing losses against Wisconsin-Stout College and Loras College, the team is may to have to work hard to keep their heads up. However, for Storm football players this doesn’t seem to pose itself as a challenge.

“Yeah, sure, we’ve lost a couple,” freshman fullback Kevin Hughes said. “But that doesn’t mean a whole lot when you plan on bringing your all the next time and turning the season around.”

Simpson proved they had it in them last Saturday when they pulled off a 30-28 win against Buena Vista University, who remained in the lead for most of the game. The Storm won by seconds on a target field goal made by freshman kicker Kevin Morgan. Wide receiver Taylor Rogers scored three touchdowns with passes by Unkrich.

With this newest win under their belt anything can be expected to happen against rival Central College when the Storm plays them for homecoming on Oct. 10. Luther College is up first on Oct. 3.

The Storm hope to rack up another two wins to get the season’s momentum going at full speed.