Hutchinson coach keeps football fun, rules simple for players

Nearly everything Hutchinson football coach Andy Rostberg knows about football he learned from his father, Grady, who won 277 games in 34 years as the team's coach.

He learned how to play quarterback and run an offense. He learned schemes and plays and how to pinpoint strengths and break down weaknesses.

But the most important thing Rostberg learned can't be found in playbooks or on game film.

"We want kids to enjoy playing football," Rostberg said. "We want our kids to have fun."

With the success the Tigers have had over the past few seasons, it's safe to say these guys are having a blast.

Heading into Friday's game at Orono, Hutchinson is undefeated (3-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 4A and has outscored opponents 154-15. The Tigers have won back-to-back state championships. A victory over Orono, also 3-0, would be their 30th in a row, the second-longest current streak in Minnesota and the seventh-longest recorded streak in state history.

Behind Hutchinson's winning ways is a team of players who could be the poster children for everything football players, coaches and fans hold dear.

The way Rostberg sees it, football is demanding enough. Don't give kids reasons to quit. Give them reasons to stick around.

"It starts in seventh and eighth grades," Rostberg said. "We only have real practices on Wednesdays. The rest of the week, we're playing games. There are plenty of teachable moments in those games. And we don't do any conditioning at that age. They're 13, 14 years old. They can go all day without it."

The payoff is obvious. Playgrounds around town are often filled with football games, the players dreaming about the day they don the black and gold.

"I remember once when some of the football captains came to our [elementary] school with their jerseys on to throw a football around," said Marcus Hahn, now a senior quarterback. "We thought they were the coolest guys. So now we do that, too.''

Rostberg fosters an attitude that doesn't tolerate selfishness. Egos are not allowed.

Those basics also apply to the team pecking order. As in, it doesn't exist.

"We tell our upperclassmen that it's not their job to tell the younger kids what to do, it's their job to show them what to do," Rostberg said. "The seniors are here to make life easier for the freshmen, not the other way around."

The older players, having experienced the open-arms policy at a young age, are fully invested into giving back.

"We treat the [freshmen] good so they enjoy the experience of winning," senior guard Sawyer Witt said. "Then when they get to be seniors, they'll do what we did."

As a result, Hutchinson rarely loses players to other interests. A football player in ninth grade is usually still a football player as a senior.

Of course, it's not all about smiles and backslaps. Hutchinson has had some remarkably talented players on the roster during its recent run.

"We have been blessed with some great players," Rostberg said. "But we've also been able to develop a lot of players to go with them."

On the field, the Tigers don't mess around with flashy gimmicks or trends. They run the ball, they play defense and they win.

Simple. And a whole lot of fun.

"I'm having more fun playing football than I ever have," said running back Robbie Grimsley, a North Dakota State recruit.