Little League football team earns championship
CROFTON - An undefeated season capped off by a championship is a rarity that most athletes never achieve. There are so many factors that can cause one loss throughout a season, but for four fourth graders from Holy Trinity, a perfect football season came this fall.
Aiden Schrempp, Landyn Keiser, Bodie Hochstein and Easton Hochstein traveled to Crofton to play in the USA Football League this year that mainly competed in South Dakota. Schrempp had played tackle football since second grade when he lived in Canton, South Dakota, but for Keiser and both Hochsteins this was their first season in full pads.
Last year, the Schrempp family moved to Hartington, and when football season came around, Aiden’s father Cameron went looking for a league his son could play in. He says he had initially been misinformed that Hartington only had football for grades five and up, but he had already committed his son to the Crofton team in the USA Football League.
“So when we first moved here we didn’t know there was a league here in town, but we knew about USA Football,” said Cameron Schrempp. “Aiden played second grade tackle football for Harrisburg and I fell in love with the league because they are very organized, very structured and there are a lot of teams involved.”
Schrempp was an assistant coach for his son’s team, and the team went 12-0, winning the playoff tournament in Sioux Falls.
“It was amazing because that was the first year I ever played football and to be able to win it the first year was cool,” said Bodie Hochstein.
The Hochstein brothers are twins, and are 10 years-old along with Keiser. The three plus Aiden Schrempp were the only Hartington players to travel to Crofton to play.
“It felt good to be the only four Hartington players that have won a championship with Crofton,” said Easton Hochstein.”
Easton played offensive line, fullback, and linebacker, while Bodie played running back and middle linebacker.
“I feel like I am just an important part to my team,” said Easton with a smile.
Keiser played quarterback, and after watching his older siblings suit up for Cedar Catholic — Tanner Keiser was a quarterback that graduated in 2017, and Jacob just finished his Junior year playing running back for the Trojans — he said it was “cool, really cool” to finally suit up.
As far as winning the championship and going undefeated though, Keiser seemed like he already digested the accomplishment and was already looking ahead to next Fall.
“Next year my goals are the same thing, to go undefeated and win it all,” said Keiser.
As for next year, Cameron Schrempp says he is interested in bringing a USA Football team to town, saying parents have shown interest, but ultimately it is up to the USA Football League.
Schrempp says he would not want to be the head coach and would rather stick to being the assistant, saying he wants to bring in someone with college playing experience to help with the fundamentals of the sport.
The league already featured around 30 teams that gathered for a three week playoff tournament. Crofton played four games, after earning a bye in the first round.