(Tabor) -- The announcement of our sixth KMA Sports Hall of Fame class continues throughout the month of August on Upon Further Review between 11:30 and 12:00.
Today, we honor the second of four teams in this year’s KMA Sports Hall of Fame, and it’s one of the greatest football teams in KMAland history — the dominant 2011 state football champions of 8-Player, Fremont-Mills.
The Knights, coming off a state semifinal finish in 2010, went 13-0 and outscored their opponents by 52 points per game.
“That group top to bottom was really talented,” Fremont-Mills head coach Jeremy Christiansen told KMA Sports. “The thing that really stands out is their determination and hard work. Going into that season, they definitely had a goal from the get-go. All summer long, they were leaders through weight room and practice, and we were definitely prepared for most anything that season.”
After opening the season with a 56-8 win over East Union, they made their first real statement of the year with an 80-8 triumph over an eventual nine-win Adair-Casey squad. They rolled along with wins over Nishnabotna (68-12), Essex (69-6), Villisca (78-6), Stanton (65-12) and Sidney (59-14) before their first of two major showdowns with Corner Conference and district rival East Mills.
“They were loaded that year,” Christiansen said. “Those were exciting and fun and back and forth. We also built depth throughout the process, and you go back to that game with East Mills. It was a muddy, football night. Back and forth the whole time, and it was a fun football game to be a part of.”
In an 80-49 win over the Wolverines, KMA Sports Hall of Famer Nate Meier had a monster game with 28 carries for 500 yards and nine touchdowns — all on the ground. That was just one of many incredible performances for Meier, who had 2,494 yards rushing and 57 touchdowns on the season. He was just as dominant on defense with 25.5 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks among 73.5 tackles.
“It was nice that he was on our team,” Christiansen said. “He, along with the other guys, kind of had that mentality of being extremely physical at the point of contact. That leadership and mentality spills over to everyone else, and they just fed off each other.”
The regular season finished with a 62-22 victory over Woodbine, and F-M just kept on rolling in the postseason with a 66-30 win over Stanton and another 58-22 victory over East Mills to clinch their second straight trip to the Dome.
The Knights exorcised their demons in handling Armstrong-Ringsted, 69-26, before an 81-0 domination of Murray in the 8-Player championship to claim the title.
“In 2010, we knew we would be very good, and those guys laid the groundwork for that (championship),” Christiansen said. “When we left that Armstrong-Ringsted (semifinal game) in 2010, that was a taste. That’s when we started thinking we had something cooking, and we would come back better than ever. And they definitely did.”
The rest of the senior class included Michael Bazer, Curtis Beem, Dallas Franks, Josh Larsen, AJ Scarborough, Nick Williams and Logan Wood. Along with Meier, Franks, Scarborough and Woods were All-State selections. The junior class was also heavily involved in the success, including the likes of Clayton Wilson, Seth Phillips and Mark Hall, who were part of a dominant line. Both Wilson and Hall were All-State choices.
“Those guys were fundamentally sound,” Christiansen added. “They had prepared for that. From our centers to our guards to our tight ends, they were very sound in what they did. That group, you might have eight guys standing there, but we were still going to run power right. Those guys up front set the tone for us.”
So, where does this team fit in history? Coach Christiansen has coached multiple state semifinalist and state finalist teams since 2011. He’s run across and competed against some of the best teams in the state. Any better than the group he coached to a title in 2011?
“Every team has their strengths,” he said. “I would like to think that team was probably at the top of the list. You never really get to see those teams that are four or five years apart compete against each other. My opinion is probably a little bit biased, but they were obviously a very, very, very good football team.”
The 2011 F-M football team joins the 1970 squad in the KMA Sports Hall of Fame. Other Fremont-Mills inductees are Diane Dinville (19-20), Mindy Lorimor (16-17) and Meier (16-17). The Ralph Carl Family have also been honored with the Eberly Family Legacy Award.
Listen to the full interview with Christiansen linked below — and stay tuned for more Hall of Fame announcements throughout the rest of the month.
OTHER 2020-21 KMA SPORTS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCEMENTS
