{"id":18259,"date":"2024-08-11T15:23:43","date_gmt":"2024-08-11T19:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/?p=18259"},"modified":"2024-08-11T15:23:44","modified_gmt":"2024-08-11T19:23:44","slug":"patriots-enter-2024-with-new-coach-qb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/11\/patriots-enter-2024-with-new-coach-qb\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots enter 2024 with new coach, QB"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DANE FUELLING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WZBD.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Heritage Patriots hadn’t won nine games in a season in any of the past 11 seasons when they started last August with senior quarterback Kobe Meyer at the helm. Head coach Casey Kolkman defied the odds and went 9-3 in 2023, bringing life back to the Patriots’ program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to this August and Meyer has graduated and Kolkman has left the program to head to ACAC rival Bluffton. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But all hope is not lost. While nine wins may be a bold goal for this 2024 squad, a new head coach and a new quarterback leave the Patriots as an intriguing team in the race for the ACAC and the local 3A sectional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Coach Hullinger<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Offensive coordinator and all-around-Heritage guy Jeremy Hullinger was given the full confidence of the job by AD Tim Burton this summer and he has wasted no time in keeping the machine running as the new coach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coach Hullinger discusses the strengths of some of his assistant coaches and coordinators. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“I’m a Heritage guy through and through,” Hullinger told WZBD at the local media day in July. “I would have walked barefoot across broken glass to take this job on the other side.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coach Hullinger discusses replacing coach Kolkman and what his staff will look like this year. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The key for Hullinger and his staff will be filling the holes left in the offense from graduation. Meyer only averaged 100 yards passing per game last year, but he still tallied 19 passing touchdowns. On the ground, he was one of the elite running quarterbacks in northern Indiana, racking up 1000 yards and scampering for 13 touchdowns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New quarterback Eli Tigulis may not put up those types of numbers, but coach Hullinger is still confident that he has the tools to lead the Patriots to a winning season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WZBD’s Rex Brewer talks with coach Hullinger about what players he has in new roles and what this summer looked like in scrimmages against Fort Wayne powerhouses. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tigulis’s transition from the team’s leading receiver to signal caller will likely dictate what kind of success the team can have. One of five senior captains, Tigulis admits that there is momentum still lingering from last year’s regular season run, but also from the way many of the athletes on the team finished up their spring sports season. Eli was a key contributor for the volleyball team, along with Zeke Litchfield and Braden Walter, in the spring, while guys like Charlie Riddle had a great track season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eli Tigulis discusses his role on the team and the success of other guys in other sports and how it affects football. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Eli Tigulis<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tigulis had 18 catches last year, with six going for scores from Meyer, but he will now look to lead the offense. He referenced the feeling of brotherhood when looking ahead to this season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Nearly the whole volleyball team is playing football,” he notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeke Litchfield, perhaps Tigulis’s biggest target downfield, agrees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n