Zimmerman gets official, takes top job as head football coach

By Chris Johnson

Reporter

ROCKTON – There have been a few things, of late, that have impacted the Hononegah football program.

With change, comes new opportunity.

Following a decision by the Hononegah Board of Education, Brian Zimmerman was promoted to full time, head coach, for the boys’ football team.

In a press conference held, Wednesday, April 13, Zimmerman announced he will be looking forward to taking over, as chief signal-caller.

The long-term coach has been active with Hononegah athletics for over two decades, working in a capacity that saw him move up the ranks and into the top spot.

Prior to his accepting any coaching position with Hononegah, Zimmerman played for the hometown Indians.

It is a match that is expected to lead to better things for the Indians, in the 2016 fall sports season.

Barely making it into the post-season with a 6-3 mark in 2015, Zimmerman’s focus has been stated that his team will continue to do what it has always done.

Hononegah runs the ball, often and generally, right through the heart of the defense facing them.

That won’t change, Zimmerman announced.

Not to give away his game plan for the upcoming season, the new head coach said his team will also look to exploit defenses in other ways. The run, Zimmerman expressed, is not something the team will go away from, anytime soon.

Head Coaches stay with Hononegah for years.

Since George Kelsey took the reigns, during the 1945-1946 school year, Only Ben Compagnoni, who stayed from the 1959 season through the end of 1965 and James Knott, who had a three year tenure, during a rough patch, in the middle 60’s, no Head Coach has piloted the Indians for less than ten years.

Robert (Butch) Maloney ran the team from 1968 into the 1980 school season.

Bob Willams, during the 1991-92 school year coached the Indians to a 3-6 mark, prior to Steve Stromquist taking over in 1992.

Stromquist stayed with Hononegah into the 2005 season, when Tim Sughroue took over, into the 2015 campaign.

Zimmerman co-piloted the 2015-2016 Indians, as they worked through the regular season and into the first round of the Illinois State Football Playoffs.

There will be a lot of expectations placed on Zimmerman this season.

Only three times, since 1991, have the Indians not finished the regular season above the .500 mark and as a result, not made it into the post-season.

In 1993, Stromquist’s squad finished with a 4-5 mark and in 2001 and in 2003, the Indians wrapped up game play for the year, with 3-6 marks.