Simpson’s football program made significant changes in the offseason, headlined by the hiring of new head coach Reed Hoskins along with an entirely new coaching staff.
Saturday, September 2nd, marked the first time the Storm took the field for the 2023-2024 season. Coach Hoskins said this was a long-anticipated date for the team.
“We’ve been working for weeks at this with this team, and for about 9 months for the guys that are returners. There’s been a big investment there, and those guys are excited to cash in on it,” Hoskins said.
The preparation for the coaching staff has been a workload as well.
“Just making sure we’re prepared the best we can be. Being a first-year head coach and a brand new staff, we’re really embarking on a lot of things for the first time,” Hoskins said. “Everything from the way we practice, our guys are just kind of learning the routine to organizing our pregame warm up.”
Linebacker Zach Wemhoff says there weren’t any nerves heading into Saturday night.
“As a team we’re confident and ready to go. Honestly, just excited to get the new era started and get things going again,” Wemhoff said.
The players were excited to break in the new season and put that confidence to the test.
“This whole week at practice, guys have been flying around. We’re ready to play somebody else, hit somebody else,” Wemhoff said. “We’re ready to see the work we’ve put in the last nine months pay off on Saturday.”
The team went 1-9 overall last season before the dismissal of the previous coaching staff, but that hasn’t dampened their spirit. Hoskins said the group has taken great strides over the offseason.
“They’ve done a great job of really amping up the energy,” Hoskins said. “These guys really learned to have confidence in one another and that has been one of the biggest changes.”
And it’s time for something new.
“I think the thing our guys are most excited about is forming their own identity. This is the team that we want,” Hoskins said. “It’s not what myself or any of our coaches see as our vision, it’s about our team collectively and what we want to represent.”
The Storm took on an experienced Augustana team. The Vikings went 5-5 last season and returned 24 total starters, including 10 fifth-year players. Coach Hoskins’ previous school, Illinois Wesleyan, was rivals with Augustana, so to him the Vikings were a familiar foe.
“It’ll be a big challenge. That’s a team that’s played in a lot of games and a lot of guys have had a lot of snaps. We’re gonna need to come out and start well to make sure we keep the game in hand and competitive, and be in a position where we can win it down the stretch,” Hoskins said.
Wemhoff viewed the challenge of Augustana as an opportunity.
“We feel we’re in a position to compete in any game we’re in,” Wemhoff said. “I honestly think it’s a great challenge for us.”
Simpson College lost to Augustana 49-27.
