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The Akron Hometowner

712.568.2208

110 Reed St.,

PO Box 797

Akron, IA 51001

Online Edition Archive

This Friday night will be his 36th Homecoming game. “This year has been fun for the simple fact we’re getting these kids to play Westerner football and to come back to what it was,” said Akron-Westfield’s Assistant Football Coach Dan Utesch. “The strides the kids have made from last year to this year is like night and day. They have improved beyond my expectations.” It’s not the first time Utesch has worked with boys of championship potential. Utesch told The Akron Homeowner his best memory was winning the Class 1A State Championship in 2002. “That was just a fun year -- for everybody, including the towns,” he said. “It was something everybody remembers.” “That’s something not every town gets to go through,” said Utesch, adding that seeing the Westerner fans’ “Sea of Red” in the stands at the University of Northern Iowa Unidome was outstanding. “We’re one of the smaller schools, and we brought more people than (bigger schools). It was a great year all around.” Coaching teams to the playoffs has been a highlight throughout his years teaching defensive techniques. This year he’s also working with the offensive line. His first season here was with the Akron Raiders in 1972. “We had 18 kids out for football,” explained Utesch. “We played in the Siouxland Conference.” Both the junior varsity and varsity schedule was played with just those 18 players, he said. There wasn’t a football field on top of Kerr Drive then, added Utesch. It was where the baseball field is now. In fact, the boys practiced on “just a field,” he said, adding that today, that field is the Akron City Park tennis courts. His first team included Running Back Kevin Garvin, Quarterback Jay Miller, Nose Guard Tom Schneider, and the Heeren cousins, Dave and Mark. According to the 1973 Norka Yearbook, Dave Heeren was named to the Siouxland Conference First Team while Kevin Garvin, Denny Feauto, Jerome Haage, Marlin Harris and Mark Heeren received “Honorable Mention” awards. Also, lettering that year were Dave Knecht, Jay Miller and Scott Klemme. “(Utesch) couldn’t count,” laughed Jay Miller, who had been a senior on the football team Utesch’s first year at A-W. The players would be doing situps or pushups and somebody’d do something, explained Miller. Then “Utesch would forget what number he was on so we’d have to start all over.” “He made us work hard but we didn’t mind working for him,” said Miller. “He cared about us.” There was no “weight training” back then, said Utesch. “Most kids were farm kids and were strong anyway. They didn’t have to worry about lifting weights.” That first year was tough but the following year, the team won the Homecoming game -- the first Homecoming the team had won in a long time, said Utesch. “We beat Central Lyon, 6-0.” Head Coach was Denny Van Burkum for Utesch’s first two years of coaching. Then he was partnered with Head Coach Rod Sailors for three years. During Sailors’ last year, the team tied for the district championship. “That was a very special team for me,” said Utesch. “We went one game short of being undefeated,” said the 1977 Fullback Jay Dirks. “We lost to Hinton, 6-0, our last game or we would have gone to state.” “Dan was a good coach,” said Dirks, who now owns Dirks Hardware Hank on Reed Street. “He was a coach who kept you in shape, worked you out.” “Dan was the guy at the end of practice, the last thing he said to you was ‘You all come back now ya hear.’” “We had four of our class that started as freshmen, said Dirks, adding their sophomore year, they had six or seven starters. “We dominated the team -- the entire class was the team our junior and senior years. We didn’t let anyone else play -- at least first string varsity. We had an exceptional class that had some really good athletes.” Other members of the 1977 team included Rickard Hedeby, Steve Kilstrom, (Quarterback) Kirk Miller, Paul Philips, Bruce Small and Steve Utesch. The complete team was not listed in the 1977 school yearbook. There have been many outstanding Raider and Westerner players, said Utesch, naming the late Tim Tindall as “one of the most outstanding players we ever had.” Now, a Tindall Award is given to an outstanding player each year at the annual A-W Athletic Banquet. From 1978 through 2006, Utesch was assistant coach with Head Coach Craig Parkinson. The high note was that 2002 Class 1A state championship. Another highlight for Utesch was being named 2003 Assistant Coach of the Year by the Iowa Football Coaches’ Association. “Football still comes down to basic blocking, tackling,” said Utesch. “That’s what it’s about. Football. Contact. Physical.” “The drills are basically the same (as they were when I started),” said Utesch. “They haven’t changed much over the years.” Techniques in blocking and the keys (certain people you cue) have changed over the years, he said. “We spend more time on individual skills.” “With Coach (Zach) Pfantz, all the techniques are quite a bit different,” said Utesch, explaining Pfantz coached at the college level prior to joining the Westerners this fall. “He’s taught me a lot this year.” “The program’s in good hands,” he added. “He’s done a heck of a good job.” So far, the 2007 season record is 2-3. The Westerners will play the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Hawks this Friday. “It’s fun playing the game and teaching young people the right way to play it,” said Utesch. “That’s what makes it fun.” “Working with all different kids over the years, you figure you’ve touched quite a few lives,” said Utesch. “You just hope they’re better people.” “That’s the big goal,” he said. “That’s the thing that counts.” “I enjoy working with young people,” said Utesch, “and I enjoy the game of football. Period.”