‘Great Time to Be a Raven’ as Benedictine College Coach Joel Osborn Prepares for Grand View

Courtesy of ravensathletics.com

‘Great Time to Be a Raven’ as Benedictine College Coach Joel Osborn Prepares for Grand View –

(12-11-25) – They’ve gone through the battle of the gridiron together. Now they want to finish what they’ve started.

Benedictine College Head Coach and former Harlan Community Cyclone Joel Osborn feels the experience of his young team has helped bring them back to the NAIA Championship Football Semifinals.

“We just continue to get better and kids are bought in," Osborn told KNOD Sports in an exclusive interview Thursday. "Coaches are doing a great job. We get great support from our college, our administration, our alums and our fan base, the community of Atchison and just, it's a great time to be a Raven.”

Osborn, an IHSAA Football Hall of Famer, has used the knowledge he’s learned from a pair of Harlan Community coaching legends, his father, former Cyclone boys’ basketball Coach Mitch Osborn, and former Cyclone football Coach Curt Bladt, among several other coaches, to help shape his coaching philosophy.

“Just (Bladt’s) mindset, and getting the kids to move on if you make a mistake and even if it's a good play, you got to move on to the next play. I just thought that was something that really stood out with me with Coach Blatt.

“And then you look at my father, I think the biggest thing I always remember with my dad growing up was he was such a great motivator and he was the most optimistic person you probably ever meet and just having that every day you come in, we're going to get better and we're going to really encourage people and we're going to put a great plan together for you.”

Players like Xavier Ugorji, whose rushed for 1310 yds and 16 TD’s, make Osborn’s job easier.

“He's got great vision. His footwork is really good. I mean, you don't have to tell him what kind of cuts to make because he's just naturally has the instincts to do it.”

The Ravens will have a rematch with top-ranked Grand View in Des Moines on Saturday in the NAIA Championship Football Semifinals.

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