McCook Bison Football 2025 Forecast
The McCook Bison football team returns 17 lettermen from 2024. 8 starters return on the defensive side of the ball, and 9 starters return on the offensive side of the ball. McCook posted a record of 7-4 in 2024 while qualifying for the Class B state quarterfinals. Coach Joe Vetrovsky (25-16) will begin his 5th season at the helm for the Bison. The Bison had a nice bounce back season in 2024 and definitely have some nice returning pieces for the 2025 campaign. The Bison will once again have a challenging schedule with a lot of quality opponents. McCook opens at home with Beatrice High School for Week 1. McCook will then be on the road against cross state rival Aurora in Week 2. McCook will then be back home against Waverly for Week 3 and on the road against Crete in Week 4. The Bison will host Gering in Week 5 and then be back home on the road for two weeks when they face Hastings in Week 6 and Ogallala in Week 7. McCook then ends the year with a home game against Scottsbluff in Week 8 and away against Lexington in Week 9. Four of the nine opponents participated in the 2024 Playoffs.
A Look at the Defense
With 8 defensive players returning with starting experience, the Bison will look to once again establish a solid defense for the 2025 season by building upon the returning starters and incorporating new faces as well. Assistant coaches Ben Vetrovsky and Kolton Stone will coordinate the defense.
The defense will be led by returning Honorable Mention All-State players in free safety senior Tristan Campbell (5’11” 170), inside linebacker senior Gabe Roberts (6' 2" 215), and outside linebacker senior Oliver Corbett (6'7" 210) .
Senior Tristan Campbell will be returning at free safety after starting the past two seasons for the Bison defense. Tristan recorded 61 Tackles (34 Solos)/1 Fumble Caused/1 Interception in 2024. Tristan has the unique skill set of being able to come downhill and be an exceptional tackler in the run game as well having solid coverage skills when defending the pass. He is our unquestioned leader in the "back half" of our defense, was captain this past season as a junior for our football team, and is an exceptional leader with a work ethic to go along with his unique talent and skill set as a football player.
Senior Gabe Roberts, at the inside linebacker position, will be a returning starter after starting the past two seasons and is definitely another Bison on the defensive side of the ball to take note of. He recorded 83 Tackles (43 solos)/1 Fumble Forced/4 INT/7 TFL’s. McCook has been known for its linebackers over the years, and Gabe definitely fits that mold. Literally, a “hammer” in the middle of our defense, he was the leading tackler on our team this past year as a junior and the previous year as a sophomore. He is aggressive, physical, athletic and undoubtedly our leader on the defensive side of the football. Something to take note of is that Gabe had 4 interceptions on the season with 3 of those returned for touchdowns. Gabe is a leader vocally and by example and is the hardest worker on the team, period.
Another exceptional defensive player who will be a returning starter after starting the past two seasons is senior Oliver Corbett at outside linebacker. He recorded 64 Tackles (31 Solos)/5 TFL’s/1 Fumble Forced/3 Fumble Recovered/2 Deflections/1 DEF TD for the 2024 season. When you talk about looking the “part,” that is Oliver–strong, fast, physical, long, athletic, etc. With a lot of potential, he definitely holds a presence at the outside linebacker position, has the ability to cover a lot of space in a short amount of time, and is improving on his run fitting and pass dropping abilities on defense each and every day. It is almost impossible to block him on the perimeter with his length and speed. There has been a ton of college interest so far for Oliver. Additional contributors that will look to help solidify the Bison defense include returning starter defensive end senior Trey Tiller (6'2" 220). Trey has proven to be an anchor for us on the defensive line, and we are looking for him to take it up another notch this year as a senior. Another returning starter for us on the defensive line is a "big time" nose guard senior Spencer Steinbeck (6'4" 315). Without a doubt, Spencer can just simply be unblockable when going against the opposing offense. We are projecting a big year for Spencer in 2025. Additional defensive linemen that will be returning with significant playing time will be senior Simon Garcia (6' 210), senior Eidos Klein (6'3" 295), and junior Kooper Rakes (6' 210), all with a ton of playing experience from 2024. The inside linebacking core will be solidified with returning starter senior Kalen McCorkle (6' 175). He was a fast and aggressive linebacker who was our second leading tackler on our team from a year ago by recording 75 tackles/4 TFL's/1 FF/2 Fumble Rec. Additional inside linebackers who will look to contribute and return with quality minutes from a year ago are senior Tate Schafer (5'8" 190) and junior Brody Anthony (5'11" 190). Junior Tripp Raile (6'2" 175), an outside linebacker who returns with starting experience from a year ago, will be a force opposite of Oliver Corbett. Tripp recorded 22 tackles a year ago as a sophomore. An additional outside linebacker that will look to provide some support will be junior Lee Davidson (6'1" 200). In the secondary, the Bison return 3 starters from 2024. Senior Miles Pollmann (6'3" 175) will return at safety and be alongside Tristan Campbell. Miles has exceptional ball skills in the coverage department while also being a solid tackler. Junior Ty Junker (6'1" 170) returns at corner and did a great job last year as a sophomore by recording 3 interceptions on the year. There will be competition for the other cornerback position with the leading candidate being senior Trenton Raile (6'2" 165).
A Look at the Offense
The McCook Bison offense definitely took big strides towards the end of the 2024 season and will look to build upon this in 2025. With 9 returning starters back on offense, this will make for a good foundation heading into the season with a handful of experience back. This unit will be coordinated by Head Coach Joe Vetrovsky.
The Bison will have quarterback senior Trenton Raile (6'2" 165), who will be back after starting the past two seasons. Trenton was 56/125 for 885 Yards passing/11 TD’s/10 INT’s and 74 Carries rushing/258 Yards/5 TD’s. Trenton is an effective dual threat quarterback while running our option offense along with a strong arm in the passing game. Trenton has continued to get better each and every day at the quarterback position, and we look for him to lean on the valuable experience that he has gained over his career. He is definitely a fierce competitor.
Senior Tristan Campbell (5'11" 170) will return at the running back position coming off a "monster" season in 2024. He has been an ultra-dynamic player in so many facets for our team over the past two seasons, but especially this past season as a junior by posting over 1,300 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns scored. During multiple games last year, he was close to or over 250 yards rushing. He is one of the best running backs that McCook has had in recent years in regards to productivity and durability and is a do-it-all type of player when it comes to rushing, catching, and even blocking at the running back position. We would not have had the success we had this past year as a team without Tristan. He was a captain this past season as a junior for our football team because he is an exceptional leader with an excellent work ethic.
The wide receiving core will be a major piece back from a year ago with senior Miles Pollmann (6'3" 175). Miles recorded 18 Receptions/362 Yards/6 TD’s in 2024. Miles is an exceptional athlete with sure hands and solid route running capabilities at the wide receiver position. He also has the ability to “take the top off the defense” at any point during the game. During almost every game, defenses had to double team Miles, and if they didn’t, then they got exposed. He is an extremely hard worker and a fierce competitor.
The Bison will be led “up front” by 4 returning starters. Senior returning center Trey Tiller (6'2" 220) is a solid all-around lineman who can execute any block that he is called upon to do. He has started since his sophomore year so that is saying something about his ability and reliability as a player. He plays through the whistle in regards to finishing blocks. A great kid with a solid work ethic, and is a definite leader for our football team.
Senior returning tackle Simon Garcia (6' 210) has started every game since his sophomore year on the offensive line. He finishes blocks really well on offense while being tenacious and aggressive. He has a “won’t lose” mentality when he plays the game of football and is a vocal leader on our team who leads by example.
Senior returning guard Eidos Klein (6'3" 295) is a big, physical, strong lineman. Eidos is improving his craft each and every week and does a great job finishing blocks. We will definitely look to run behind Eidos a lot as a senior. He is a hard worker and exemplifies “winning in the weight room.”
Senior returning tight end Gabe Roberts (6'2" 215) was our best blocking and receiving tight end on the offensive side of the football from a year ago. Gabe is a physical run blocker and has good hands when catching the football in our passing game. Gabe is a leader vocally and by example and is the hardest worker on the team, period.
Additional contributors for the Bison offense will be returning starting fullback junior Lee Davidson (6'1" 200). Lee is a dynamic player who possesses special speed and size and does a great job being our dive back in the option game while also being a solid lead blocker in our power run game. Lee was a big reason why we were successful down the stretch in 2024. Senior Kalen McCorkle (6' 175) will also be another valuable option at the fullback position as he played a lot a year ago in a variety of personnel packages. Kalen is another physical lead blocker at the fullback position. Depth at the running back position will be key in order to compliment Tristan Campbell. Junior Grady Miller (5'10" 175) and sophomore Krayten Ureste (5'10" 155) will be definite options to go with at the running back position. The wide receiving core will have returning starters junior Ty Junker (6'1" 170) and junior Tripp Raile (6'2" 175) back from 2024 along with some other reliable options who played some minutes in 2024 including senior Oliver Corbett (6'7" 210) and junior Asher Wilson (5'10" 175). Junior Tripp Raile (6'2" 175) will also serve as the back-up QB to his brother Trenton. Junior Kooper Rakes (6' 210) was injured most of the 2024 season but was able to come back for the end of the season. He is a talented player with some definite physical advantages. He will be a strong second option at the tight end position behind Gabe Roberts. It won't be unusual for the Bison to bring two tight ends in the game this year with these two options. The offensive line will have definite holes to fill by losing three starters to graduation. Leading candidates to get in the mix are senior Cole Walter (6' 230), senior Spencer Steinbeck (6'4" 315), senior Isaac Sonneberg (6'5" 240), and junior Brody Anthony (5'11" 190). All are capable players with strong skill sets. There will be some fierce competition within this position group.
A Look at the Special Teams
The Bison will have some key pieces returning in the special teams department. The returning place kicker will be junior Gunner Kaps (6’1” 155). Gunner had a solid season a year ago while recording 3/4 field goal attempts with a long of 36 yards and 36/41 on extra point attempts. The punting duties will be filled by returning starter senior Miles Pollmann (6'3" 175). Miles recorded 14 punts last season with a 37 yard average. Senior Tristan Campbell (5'11" 170) and senior Miles Pollmann (6'3" 175) will return as explosive players in the return game.