Football coach launches NHS draft

Sonja Karp
NLJ Sports Reporter
 
The NFL draft and the NCAA selection process no longer have anything on Newcastle High School. This year, Dogie head coach Matt Conzelman launched the NHS Draft to recruit and welcome incoming freshmen into the Dogie sports program.
“This was something that I wanted to try just to generate some excitement for getting to come up to play high school football,” Conzelman explained. “I initially talked to the eighth-graders and told them that I really wanted to do it because growing up in Hulett, we crossed paths with high-schoolers when we were in middle school and it was cool to have them come up to us and say ‘hey I can’t wait for you to play next year,’ but they don’t get that here because middle and high school students are separated. So when I brought in the high school players, I think it was fun for the guys to get to talk to them.”
Though Conzelman wanted to have his whole team present for the interest meeting on April 19, due to scheduling conflicts only a few were able to represent the Dogies to the interested eighth-graders. Slade Roberson, Holden McConkey, Quint Perino, Tate Engle and Braden Jenkins were all able to make the meeting work, so the middle-schoolers were able to rub elbows with at least some varsity players.
“I wanted to get our philosophy and expectations out to the middle school kids so they know what is expected of them,” Conzelman explained. “We wanted to go over the core values of our program so they could start to think about them, and I also sent a letter home so the young men could discuss the option of playing high school ball with their parents.”
The core values of the Dogie program include honor, commitment, courage and loyalty. The Stampede of Excellence was also something that Conzelman wanted to introduce to the incoming freshmen and those goals include respect, responsibility, attitude, effort, selflessness and family. 
The middle school prospects had a week to think over their future before they met again on April 26. Word must have spread at NMS because based on the interest meeting Conzelman was anticipating getting nine freshmen for his team next year. Instead, 14 ended up signing their name on the dotted line to commit to Dogie football in the fall of 2021.
Jonathan Anderson, Carter Boyer, Dustin Boyer, Aidan Butler, Jadyn Corley, Thomas Dixon, Dayne Evenson, Gracie Evick, CJ Hardy, Scott Larson, Triston Martinez, Tyson Pehringer, Chase Smith and Connor Stolhammer were in attendance at the second meeting but prior to having them sign their letter of commitment, Conzelman reiterated the philosophy of his program.
“I really wanted to hit home with that because that’s what we will build on in this upcoming season,” Conzelman said. “I wanted to get the guys excited and I want to get them in the weight room, and if we get an opportunity to go to a football camp, obviously I want them to do that as well.” 
The intent letter that the 14 future Dogies signed not only has them pledging to do the off-season work, but also to adhere to the Dogie core values as well as the Stampede of Excellence, but they also commit to much more.
They commit to striving to make the teammates around them better, to learn and practice skills that are gained through football to become a leader in life, to be a teammate who will do whatever it takes to make the team better and to be accountable to their teammates.
The idea of building champions for life is something Conzelman admits that he “borrowed” from the Spearfish head coach because that program is one that Conzelman looks to as ideal. 
“It’s about learning the process of football and taking from it the lessons that will help you in life,” he added. “That could be learning perseverance or work ethic, team bonding and working together as a team, so I really want to stress that moving forward.”
On signing day, Conzelman also talked to the recruits about what his experience in high school sports did for him and what he learned from it.
“You know, all the pain, the conditioning and the butt chewings — I hardly remember any of that. I remember that the conditioning and butt chewings weren’t fun, but I remember hanging out with my teammates. I remember the bus rides, I remember the significant games,” he reminisced. “When my mom was alive, if it was nice on Thanksgiving we would go over to the field and throw the football around, and I would walk around that field and all the memories would come back of the games and the moments. That is so awesome to be able to do that.” 
“Being able to play at the collegiate level was still fun, don’t get me wrong, but it’s different,” he admitted. “The high school level was where it was at. The excitement and the fun just can’t be beat, so I don’t want kids to miss out on that opportunity.”
The draftees then signed their letters of intent, and there were some parents there to see their children take the next step in their football careers and then Conzelman fed them Subway.
“This is a fun tradition that I think will be great moving forward and I look forward to continuing it,” he said.