KMS football to open up season Friday, Sept. 2 at home versus YME

The KMS football team is set to get the 2016 season underway at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 2 at home against Yellow Medicine East, followed by a game at Upsala-Swanville Area, Friday, Sept. 9.  
KMS is also set to take part in a four-team scrimmage in Benson at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 27.
The Saints are coming off an 1-8 season from a year ago and also lost nine players from last season.  However, the team does return a good nucleus of talent, giving coach Eric Kauffmann and his team a great chance to move up in the standings this year.
Among the returning players is senior runningback/linebacker Brandin Dahl, who earned the KMS Offensive MVP and Defensive MVP honors, and was also an All-District and All-Area selection.
KMS and Benson will be playing in the Mid-State District again this year with Benson a member of the Mid-State Sub-District 2, and KMS a member of Sub-District 3.
The Mid-State Sub-Districts, used for football only, are intended to help teams schedule games easier, and take the place of conferences which have been used in the past.  In the postseason tournament, Benson will play in Section 5AA and KMS is in Section 4A.
KMS has four home games scheduled this season during the regular-season.  After the Sept. 2 opener, other home games are scheduled for Sept. 23 (vs. West Central Area), Sept. 30 (vs. Parkers Prairie), and Oct. 14 (vs. Royalton)...
 
For more on this story, and to keep up on all the latest in area sports, subscribe to the Swift County Monitor-News print edition or our PDF internet edition. Call 320-843-4111 and you can get all the local news and sports delivered to you!
Pictured: Rylan Hatlestad (27), one of nine players lost to graduation from the 2016 KMS football team, joins teammates in an extra-point block try.  Despite the significant loss, the Saints should have a great chance to surpass last year’s 1-8 record.