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Panthers get set for football season

By Sue Sitter - | Aug 12, 2023

Sue Sitter/PCT The Rugby Panthers hold its first practice of the 2023 football season.

The Rugby Panthers football players endured the 80-degree morning heat Thursday, Aug. 3 for its first practice of the 2023 season at Rugby High School.

Players hydrated frequently in between strategy talks and conditioning drills on the field.

“There are going to be a lot of new faces and a lot of kids are going to need to step up,” said Panthers Coach Travis Risovi. “It’s exciting, too, to see what this new group of kids is going to do. That last group had been here for a long time and played a lot of football, and these guys have some shoes to fill.”

Gone from this year’s squad is quarterback Brody Schneibel, who committed to play at Minot State University in both football and baseball. Defensive end and offensive tackle Dylan Bartsch is committed to Minnesota State – Moorhead to play football. Free safety Erik Foster is committed to playing basketball at the University of Jamestown.

Running backs Logan Harner and Macen Heisler and wide receiver Jacob Ripplinger have graduated.

“We graduated 14 seniors last year, so it’s a lot of new learning for a lot of kids,” said Risovi. “It’s one of those things.”

The Panthers will again play in Region 2.

Rugby finished the 2022 season with a 4-5 record, nearly missing the playoffs.

Rugby’s 2023 schedule includes many of the same teams from last year: Bottineau, Thompson and Langdon/Edmore/Munich. Gone is last year’s Region 2 champion Hillsboro-Central Valley, which moved to Region 1.

The Panthers have five returning seniors: Austin Schneibel, Micah Musser, Cy Walker, Hudson Hjelden and Dane Heidbreder. On the team’s first day of practice, junior Tukker Volk was taking snaps at quarterback.

“Today, we’re practicing everything,” Risovi said. “It’s fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals just learning the basics and conditioning.”

Rugby begins its regular season Friday, Aug. 18 against the Harvey-Wells County Hornets in Harvey at 7 p.m. When the two faced off one year ago, Harvey defeated the Panthers 26-14.