It was about five years ago that Brandon Kruger was leaving his mark as a standout wrestler and football player for Fremont High School.
Memories of Kruger have been rekindled for Fremont coach Kevin Meyer as he watches junior Trevor Strong quarterback the Tigers.
“He reminds me a lot of Brandon,” Meyer said following a FHS practice. “Brandon was here when we ran a power attack and option game. Those two guys are similar in a lot of ways, especially how competitive they are.”
Strong, who is expected to make his first varsity quarterback start when the Tigers open the season Friday at Lincoln Southwest, is flattered by the comparison. He is also very familiar with Kruger since the two are cousins.
“He was definitely a great athlete at Fremont High and I’m proud that Coach Meyer compared me to him,” Kruger said.
Strong will operate a FHS offense that is different from the versions of 2006 and 2007 when the Tigers relied on the passing of Evan Harpster to move the ball.
FHS has shifted to a more ground-control attack that will feature Strong and a host of running backs, including Michael Picker, Ryan Ruf, Sam Pimper, Ethan Kindler and Curtis Leick.
“There will be a lot more option,” Strong said. “We’ll run inside and try and run it down the throat of other teams. If they creep up for the run, then we’ll go to play-action (passing).”
Although Harpster got the majority of snaps during the Tigers’ 2007 season, Strong is not a newcomer at quarterback. He was the starter at that position for the undefeated FHS freshmen squad of 2006.
Many other players off of that team, including Leick, Pimper, Kindler, J.C. Moore and Evan Royuk, are expected to play prominent roles for the Tigers this fall.
“We all know what needs to be done and we know what we need to focus on,” said Strong, who lettered last year as a defensive back and special teams contributor. “We know how to win and we have proved that. We hope to get it done at the varsity level this year.”
After winning its opener against Omaha Northwest last year, the Tigers lost their final eight games in a row. That kind of experience was humbling to the then-sophomores.
“It was a learning experience,” Strong said. “We had kind of big heads and thought we’d be great, but once you hit that varsity Class A level, it is a different game. We did, though, start a lot of sophomores and we gained a lot of experience. We got our feet wet last year so I think we’ll be ready.”
Sophomore Braxton Voss, who saw varsity action at receiver last year, has also been practicing at quarterback. Meyer has praised the performance of both players during the preseason.
“If you don’t have competition, you won’t get anywhere,” Strong said. “I have to prove that I’m better than him every play and that makes you just that much better. Braxton and I play basketball and football together and everyone might think this would be rough, but we’re good friends.”
That kind of competitive attitude will serve Strong well this fall, Meyer said.
‘He runs the offense well and the kids respect him,” he said. “That is very important. ... I’m very pleased with where he is at right now.”
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