Benson and KMS to meet in football opener, Sept. 1

The Benson football team is on the road for the season opener this year, but the Braves will have to travel only about 14 miles down Highway 12 to Murdock for the 2017 opener against the KMS Saints.
The Braves, coming off a 1-8 season from a year ago, are set to open up the season against the Saints at the Murdock field at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 1, the first of eight regular-season games for the Braves, who lost 13 key players from last year’s team.
Benson has only 23 players on the varsity football team in grades 10-12 (including two ninth-graders that will be playing varsity fulltime and another ninth-grader that will dress only on game nights).
Seniors lost to graduation from last year’s Benson football team are Ty Hedman, Max Peterson, Layton Connelly, Zach Burns, Justin Goossen, Anthony Johnson, Brett Sulier, Austin Whitcup, Zack Sonnabend, Matt Gandsey, Shawn Aarhus, Cole Vergin, and Ross Grussing.
All 13 players were significant contributors to the Braves’ season last year, and their loss will be tough to overcome…..
 
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Pictured: Aaron Zosel leads the Benson football team through an agility drill during the opening day of practice last monday morning at the practice football fields. Members of the team will take part in a four-team scrimmage, Saturday with the opener set for Friday, Sept. 1 at KMS.