Søllerød Gold Diggers spillede en fantastisk sæson sidste år, hvor de langt om længe fik skovlen under de evige rivaler, Copenhagen Towers. Gold Diggers slog Towers i begge kampe i grundspillet, begge efter overtime. Det var også sidste år, at de endelig fik spillet sig i Mermaid Bowl igen, og her ventede netop Towers og var klar på revanche. Desværre for Gold Diggers, fik Towers den revanche, som de søgte og Gold Diggers måtte rejse skuffede hjem fra Vejle med sølvmedaljer.
Gold Diggers skiftede deres amerikanske QB ud midt i sæsonen, hvilket kom som en overraskelse for mange, da de netop havde slået Towers i det første opgør og unge, danske Andreas Sølling vendte hjem til Danmark og afsluttede sæsonen i Søllerød. RB Christian Vahl spillede en enorm rolle på offense. På den defensive side, var det særligt LB’s Sam Taylor og Dawid Tawake, samt DB Ajdin Djurdjevic, der spillede på et ekstraordinært niveau. Andreas Sølling er skiftet ud, da han er rejst til USA for at spille sin sidste sæson på JUCO og amerikanske Louis Colosimo er kommet til. Vahl forventes at få endnu en stor rolle i Søllerød, men hvor mange fra den offensive linje er vendt tilbage i denne sæson, oven på den skuffende afslutning af sidste sæson, samtidig med de ikke blive yngre? WR Simon Føns skulle være tilbage på fuld tid og viste, at han var i stand til at lave ballade, hver gang han havde bolden i hænderne, om end det var på offense eller special teams.
På den defensive front er Sam Taylor rejst. Tawake har i et par off-seasons stået med en fod i USA og spørgsmålet er hvor længe han er at finde i Danmark. Djurdjevic måtte forlade sidste års kamp i Gentofte med endnu en korsbåndsskade, men hvilken forfatning han kommer tilbage i, hvis han kommer tilbage? Der er uden tvivl også kommet en række yderligere ændringer, men det er ikke alt, der bliver lukket ud til os. Til spørgsmålet omkring Gold Diggers’ imports, svarer Logan Dykstra: Louis Colosimo is the only import that we have right now. We would like to prioritize our homegrown talents first and foremost, and if a couple of guys join us along the way then they are more than welcome to the party. Han tilføjer yderligere: I believe that RB/LB Magnus Nørgaard, who moved up from the u19 this year, will be a player to keep an eye on moving forward. In addition to him, we have youbg guys like Mathias Nielsen (OL), Simon Føns (WR) and Jon Nielsen (WR) who are all phenomenal young talents in Denmark. There will be some familiar faces suited up on the sideline, and there will also be some familiar faces ind the crowd cheering us on from afar this season. They are definitely players who we wish were still playing with us this year, but they have earned their retirement and time with their families, or they have returned back to their home countries to continue playing. Just like any football team, a new year results in a team that is different than the previous.
Ligesom der har været udskiftning på banen, er der også kommet det på sidelinjen, hvor Troels Vestergaard er stoppet som head coach og amerikanske Logan Dykstra er trådt ud ad banen, så han kan styre tropperne fra sidelinjen. Logan har været to sæsoner i Søllerød, hvor han spillede på den defensive linje, ligesom han har været omkring ungdomsholdene som coach. Derfor er det heller ikke et fremmed ansigt, der leder Gold Diggers på banen, når sæsonen starter på lørdag, i en kamp, som har dobbelt betydning. Gold Diggers spiller foruden i National Ligaen, også i Scandinavian Cup, hvor de bl.a. er kommet i gruppe med Aalborg 89ers. Kampen på lørdag er således en kamp, der teknisk set gælder for to kampe, da vinderne af kampen vil være 1-0 i både National Ligaen og i Scandinavian Cup.
Logan har taget sig tid til, at introducere sig selv og fortælle hvad vi kan forvente af den forestående sæson, fra Søllerød Gold Diggers’ side.
You are not a new face to the league, but you are new on the sideline. Outside of football, who is Logan Dykstra?
I am just a guy who enjoys the simpler things in life. I truly enjoy spending time with friends and family with a good meal, a cold beverage, all while sharing a few jokes back and forth.
Can you tell us a little about your football background?
Growing up in a small town in Iowa that only had 2,000 people, I grew up playing football in a community where the entire town would show up for Friday night football games in support. That kind of support, complimented with the mentorship of head coach Cory Brandt and his staff, fueled my love for the game of football. After high school I walked on at the University of Sioux Falls, which is a small division 2 school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I was fortunate enough to learn from a number of really great coaches who came through the program, which helped me earn a scholarship and a leadership role on the team. Upon completion of my senior year, I said goodbye to my family at USF and I found my way to SGD in 2020. I have been heavily invested in the program ever since, playing defensive end on the senior team and holding coaching roles on all of the youth teams.
What brought your attention to Denmark and the Gold Diggers from the beginning?
I have to thank my friend John Tidwell, who was a standout defensive back for the Frankfurt Universe, for putting European Football on the map for me. He was the one who motivated me to reach out to teams, and eventually I stumbled upon SGD through the website Europlayers. After talking with Casper Reinhardt the current General Manager, and Troels Vestergaard the current Athletic Director, I felt that SGD was the right fit for me.
What changes can we expect to see, since you are the head coach now?
Well we will still be playing football, so from the outside looking in it won’t look much different. However, inside the program we will continue to build on the emphasis of youth development and the further cultivation of family within SGD. As a staff and organization, we will strive to foster the love of football by nurturing the close relationships built through the common interest of developing and utilizing our abilities to the absolute fullest.
The Gold Diggers has been doing great progress the last couple of years. What does it take for you to take the next step?
We’ve been accustomed to success around here at SGD for a long time, but we haven’t put the cherry on top of the sundae in some time now. In order for us to take the next step, we have to be willing to do more than what we have grown accustomed to doing in the past.
What are your expectations for the upcoming season for the League and the Scandinavian Cup?
As a staff we are excited as we expect to see yet another competitive season within the league. We believe that the team who did the best job of retaining their older players, and the team that developed their young players moving up from u19, will come out on top this year. Regarding the Scandinavian Cup, the opportunity to play other Scandinavian teams is extremely exciting and something that a lot of people look forward to. It has been some time since there has been an opportunity to play international games.
What can we expect from the Søllerød Gold Diggers this season?
You can expect to see a group of guys who truly love the sport, love each other, and will play their butts off for the guy next to them to win a Mermaid Bowl!
