PREP FOOTBALL: Drew Buckholdt takes Exira-EHK football helm

Buckholdt, who was part of coach Tom Petersen’s Spartans as a player from 2013-2016, and then again as an assistant coach since 2021, was hired as the school’s new football coach.

He takes over for Petersen, who stepped down at the end of last season. Petersen had led the Spartans to a 75-36 record since the program moved to eight-player in 2012, including a state runner-up finish in 2013.

That was Buckholdt’s freshman year, and the Spartans made the playoffs every year he was on the team in triple eight-win seasons from 2014-2016.

A graduate of Waldorf University of Forest City, where he played two seasons at middle linebacker and later served a stint as student coach, Buckholdt is now a para-educator at his alma mater.

“I’m very excited ... and very passionate about being a head coach. The opportunity came about, and I knew it was right opportunity and the right place,” said Buckholdt, who had been on Petersen’s staff as running backs and linebackers coach since 2021. “I’ve learned a lot from (Petersen), and he’s provided me very valuable experience about how winning is done and the right way to do things.

“He’s not going anywhere, and if I have any questions he’ll be a great one to lean on,” he continued.

The new coach also learned a lot from his coaches at Waldorf.

“The main thing was I got to build connections with players,” he said. “You have to show them you care about them, and that’s bigger than the X’s and O’s. You can have the best schemes in the world, but if the players don’t like you it’s not going to work.”

Buckholdt’s staff will retain assistant coaches Travis Nelson, Ben Hansen and Randy Kelly, with Buckholtz’s position the one to be filled.

The Spartans have plenty of letterwinners returning from a 4-4 team a year ago, one that just missed the playoffs. Cash Emgarten looks to be the top running back with 633 yards, while Aiden Flaters had 206 yards receiving and Cannon Hansen 185.

Buckholdt hopes to use a run-heavy offense, and he’s got a big incoming junior and senior class to work around.

“We’re going to be aggressive and physical,” he said. “We’ll make some play action and a lot of motion, but the most important thing is we want to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”