Central’s Schmidt named U.S. team captain in Mexico
Central College
PUEBLA, MEXICO — Central College senior strong safety Ryan Schmidt (Keswick, Tri-County HS) was Friday named a co-captain for Team Stars and Stripes, the NCAA Division III all-star football squad that will compete in the third annual Tazon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) Saturday.
Game time is 1:30 p.m. at the 5,000-seat El Tempo del Dolor in Puebla. The U.S. squad will take on the CONADEIP All-Stars from Mexico’s national conference of private schools.
Schmidt (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) was joined as a co-captain by quarterbacks David Lee of Augustana (Ill.) and Dan Stiefel of Wartburg, along with defensive end Trgve Henrikson of Ohio Northern.
The team staged its seventh practice of the week Friday morning, before getting more sightseeing time, including an up-close look a the nearby Popocatepetl “Popo” volcano.
Schmidt is part of a nine-man contingent from Central College in Mexico.
Also competing are Brady Hill (senior, Carroll, Kuemper Catholic HS), a 6-2, 250-pound defensive lineman, Jake Petersen (senior, Gladbrook Gladbrook-Reinbeck HS), a 5-9, 165-pound defensive back, Jeremy Snead (senior, Altoona, Southeast Polk HS), a 6-3, 230-pound defensive back, Preston West (senior, Swisher, Cedar Rapids Prairie HS), a 5-7, 230-pound running back and Casey Tanner (senior, Greenfield, Orient-Macksburg HS), a 6-2, 270-pound offensive lineman. Other Central representatives are co-defensive coordinator Don De Waard, athletic training education program director John Roslien and head athletic trainer Frank Neu.
The U.S. squad won last year’s game 48-7 but fell 24-12 in 2009 and is anticipating a challenge Saturday, according to De Waard, who is serving as the team’s defensive coordinator.
“We plan to run a 3-4 and we feel that our personnel fit that scheme nicely,” De Waard said. “We are quick up front and in the linebacker positions and are physical in the secondary. We expect the Mexican team to run two different offenses, a two-back power offense and a spread offense, so we have game planned for both options.”
