Ganske preparing for all-star football game

NEW ULM -- While the majority of attention of local sports fans is centered on either baseball or softball, Charles Ganske, a 2002 graduate of New Ulm High School, is preparing for football -- namely the All-Star Football game that will be held Saturday, June 29 at 2 p.m. at Macalester College in St. Paul.

Ganske, who will attend Dartmouth where he will major in engineering and play for the Green Wave, is prepping for his appearance at Macalester College.

"We start practice this Sunday night and will practice twice a day," Ganske said. "We will practice all week and get ready for the game.

He will be easily recognizable to fans of New Ulm football as he will wear his high school number - 22 - in the contest.

And he has been preparing hard for his appearance in the All-Star Football game and his entrance into college football.

"I have been lifting weights pretty much every day along with running sprints," said the son of Joe and Judy Ganske. "It is basically the same stuff that I have been doing (in high school) but I also have been on the Dartmouth lifting and running programs for the last three months."

The future middle linebacker at Dartmouth said that the program "is pretty similar to the things that I have been doing - there are some minor changes and some minor variations on things but it is basically the same kind of stuff."

Ganske said that he has been in contact with the football staff at Dartmouth since high school football ended "and they said that I should be in good shape when I come in. I also need to learn all of my defensive stuff -- I have got my defensive playbook and I need to learn all of the new terminology -- all of the sets that we will line up against."

He said that the college playbook "differs a lot from (my) high school playbook.What they have given me so far is everything besides blitzes. It is about 50 pages long and there is a lot more to learn."

"Most of (the defensive playbook) is recognizing offensive formations and assignments on each play based on those formations. It will take some time to learn all of the different terminology. It all comes down to making the play once you are on the field- basically it is just a background of getting lined up in the right spot and knowing your assignments. it should not be to hard to learn."

Ganske said that he will leave for football practice at Dartmouth the second week of August with school starting late in September..

"The linebacker spots are wide open -- it (starting playing time) will depend on how I learn the whole defense. The middle linebackers make all the defensive calls so they need to know what is going on on the entire field."

Tickets for the All-Star Football game are available by calling either Ganske at 354-6456 or New Ulm High School football coach Rick VanRoekel at 359-9147. Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children.

Other New Ulm High School football players who are playing college football this year are Shane Lindmeyer, Nate Braun, Derick Neidecker and Micah Neidecker at Minnesota West in Worthington (Braun and Lindmeyer played there last year), Dan Kitzberger is a preferred walk-on at the University of Minnesota-Duluth with Steve Henle playing both football and track at St. John's University with New Ulm Cathedral graduate Billy Schreiber playing football at St. Thomas.

HOFFMANN BEING SOUGHT: While the University of Minnesota baseball program is going to talk to New Ulm shortstop Jamie Hoffmann about playing baseball there next year, Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois is "very heavily after" Hoffmann.

He may make a decision after the Lions All-Star Baseball Series this weekend. Hoffmann has been in the hockey training camp of Des Moines from Tuesday until late Wednesday. He was drafted by Des Moines of the United States Hockey League this spring.

HALL OF FAME BANQUET: Don't forget the New Ulm Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet this Saturday at the Kaiserhoff beginning at 5:30 p.m.

For tickets, contact Bob Skillings at either 233-4100 or 354-7953.