New Indees coach offers no surprises

While he is new to the Independence/Gilmanton football program and the Dairyland Conference, coach Todd Fischer said there will be no surprises with how he runs his program.

Fischer began his coaching career when he was 18 years old at Colfax High School in the 1980s while he was attending college. He moved on to become the offensive coordinator at Oconto High School before coaching youth football, most recently as the middle school coach in the Osseo-Fairchild district. Wherever he has been, it’s no secret what kind of offense Fischer likes to run and he thinks it will fit well with the talent he has. 

“We’re gonna run the Flex Bone,” Fischer said. “I’ve always believed in the triple option. We’ll have some phases that come out of that so it’ll be three different sets and some play action passes. With the linemen we have and the speed we have and the running backs, I like the Flex Bone option.”

One minor change to the Indees’ attack will be Ben Pyka going to quarterback. Pyka is a three-year starter for the Indees, leading the team in receiving as a freshman and in rushing last year. Fischer said he wants to get the ball in Pyka’s hands, noting he’s the “fastest kid on the team.”

The new coach likes his other options too, Tyler Kingsbury and Mason Gierok will also lineup in the backfield. Kingsbury ran for 200 yards last year and Gierok finished with 154, only Pyka (357) had more than them.

Fischer also singled out several linemen including Drew Bragger, Gavin Bragger, Jacobo Medina and Blaine Severson. “I’m pretty excited about a couple of the linemen.” 

Last year’s starting quarterback, Hunter Guenther, will be a specialist for the team, trying to stay healthy for other sports. Fischer said his leadership has been an asset to the program, which had 28 players out this year.

So far, Fischer said practice is going well as the team implements a new offense and a new 4-4 defensive scheme. He has yet to see the full operation, however, as some players have been out with injuries and he is still working on finalizing his coaching staff. 

Fischer replaced Barry Schmitt who coached the last two seasons after being away from the program for a decade. Schmitt took over for Bruce Bowerman, who only coached for one season. The new coach has also been hired as a physical education teacher in the school so he could offer some continuity. 

While it’s his first varsity head coaching gig, Fischer has a lot of experience running an offensive system that he thinks will fit the talent on his team. 

The Indees are coming off of a winless season, but return several key players. With a new coach and new systems on both sides of they ball, they could see a significant improvement.