By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – Many if not most football coaches taking over a new program have some heavy building to do in their first season.

First-year Clear Creek Amana coach Gabe Bakker is an exception to that rule.

Bakker inherits a Clipper team coming off a 7-2 season that featured the first 6-0 start in program history.

After posting the second seven-win season in three years the Clippers believe they are ready to win and win now under Bakker in his first season in Tiffin.

“We have something here, we don’t need a building block we are ready to roll as soon as the season starts,” Clear Creek Amana senior Matt Brimeyer said. “There is no stepping stone up to the next level we are on that level and are ready to roll.”

There are obstacles facing Bakker in his first season after being hired in April to replace co-head coaches Matt and Ronnie Hughes.

The Clippers lost a talented 23-member senior class that accounted for nearly every starter on last year’s team.

Clear Creek Amana is breaking in a new offense under a first-year transfer quarterback, doesn’t have a player on its roster that caught a pass last season and must replace five of its top six tacklers.

None of that uncertainty has phased the Clippers.

“With all the new guys and a new coaching staff, a new transfer quarterback you would think it would be crazy but honestly, I think it’s been way smoother than any of us expected,” senior Dylan Sheely said. “We hit day one running and it gets better every day.”

Bakker knows when a program is set up to succeed and when an overhaul is needed.

He spent seven seasons as an assistant at perennial Class 4A powerhouse West Des Moines Valley before spending five years as the head coach at Pleasantville.

In five seasons at Pleasantville, Bakker took a team that won a combined six games in the three seasons before his arrival and reached the playoffs each of his final three seasons going 17-4 over the last two years.

Bakker says Clear Creek Amana is set up to have long term success.

“Clear Creek can have sustained success as a football program,” Bakker said. “It has all the pieces to it we just have to build the culture on the field and off the field and in the school.”

If the Clippers are to start that success under Bakker this season they will need to find replacements for 19 total starters.

Only three players return with starting experience in Brimeyer, senior fullback Cade Gallagher (5-11, 225) and senior lineman Dillon Wildman (6-2, 220).

According to Bakker the low number of returning starters is more about the large group of graduated seniors and less about the returning talent on the roster.

“Success breeds success and these kids are hungry for it,” Bakker said. “A lot of these seniors didn’t get a lot of playing time last year because there were 23 or 24 seniors and most of them were starters so these seniors are hungry to prove that they can play and I think that they can.”

The returning talent starts in the offensive backfield with Brimeyer (5-9, 172) who returns after rushing for a team-high 731 yards and six touchdowns last season.

West High transfer Ethan Postler (6-5, 210) will take over at quarterback after passing for 333 in primarily a back-up role last season.

Postler will have a variety of options to throw to starting with dynamic Sioux City West transfer Darius Moore (6-1, 175).

Moore passed for 328 yards and rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in four games as the quarterback at Sioux City West last season.

Sheely made the switch from quarterback to receiver and has impressed Bakker and freshman TJ Bollers (6-4, 201) expects to make an immediate impact.

“I think the backfield is going to be a strong point for us but at the same time I think we are going to be much stronger passing the ball as well,” Sheely said. “Last year one game we threw the ball two times. This year with coach Bakker coming in his emphasis has been we are going to go to our strengths but we are going to be balanced with that.”

The lines on both sides of the ball must be rebuilt but Bakker likes the growth of Wildman Tanner Cochran (6-1, 211) and junior Jonah Upah (6-0, 240).

Andrew Rohret (5-8, 165) and David Jensen (5-10, 170) return at linebacker after combining for 39 tackles last season.

“Our question marks are upfront and that’s because we lose our top seven linemen from a year ago and that’s kind of unheard of but that’s where we are at,” Bakker said. “We are going to have to develop those kids and they are working hard and I’m confident that we will.”