Demons Football Preview | Video

Lee Timmerman | 8/23/2012

It`s been an interesting off-season for the Bismarck football program. The head coach is on a temporary leave of absence and two starting lineman are not with the team after breaking training rules. But you should not let those things overshadow the fact the Demons will be solid once again.

The Bismarck Demons won the Triple-A state championship last year and they return enough of that talent there`s no reason to thing BHS can`t do it again. On offense, Ben Jollife returns at quarterback.

"You can say we`re going to run this pass route and you go out and the kid doesn`t run the right route and Ben`s the first one over there to explain it even before you get a word out of your mouth. He`s the first one in there," said Defensive Coordinator Dale Colby.

First-Team All-State running back Layne Johs should get the bulk of the carries.

"Now he`s a senior and you get to see him mature as a person and his leadership role and just being a running back for the Demons is something that`s very important to him," Colby said.

Bismarck is a run first team and the guards are the ones that usually make it go.

"We have an experience guard in Jamie Thorson he played last year and did a great job and we`re expecting great things oput of him and then a tackle from last year, Jaden Friedt moved to guard this year and he`s a big strong kid so we`re expecting big things too," Jollife said.

Most of Jollife`s passing targets also make up one of the strengths of the Coach Colby`s defense, the secondary.

"He loves us when we all get to the ball. He just wants a lot of gang tackles and I think that`s what Demons football is always about is the gang tackles and everybody getting to the ball," said senior DB-WR Nick Goulet.

"Both linebackers are back Riley Plant and Brennan Fetch. Our secondary we have back a couple of part time starters but Nick Goulet our free safety and Lee Braunagel our strong safety will both be back," Colby said.

Tradition is a word often used to describe BHS football, for good reason.

"My whole family has been a part of it and my brother played a few years ago and won back to back and it feels like I want to experience what he did also," Jollife said.

The Demons will need to get back to the Dakota Bowl to have that chance.

The Demons will start their quest for consecutive state championships tomorrow night, when they travel to play the West Fargo Packers.

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