Logan Ziegenbusch, the junior quarterback of the Anna Rockets, is steering the team toward its first state championship since the historic 2019 season, after three consecutive semifinal defeats. The Rockets have turned a 5‑5 regular season into a momentum‑building run that culminated in a regional final appearance, and now they hope to translate that energy into a title game.
Core Values Drive the Campaign
Coach Nick Marino has built his program around five guiding principles — hard work, humility, discipline, ownership of success, and doing what is right. Those tenets have shaped the team's identity and are repeatedly emphasized in daily practices.
The 2019 Rockets, under Marino, captured a Division VI state championship and followed it with Midwest Athletic Conference titles in both 2018 and 2019. Their recent run to the regional final in 2023, despite finishing the regular season at 5‑5, showed that the program can rebound quickly when the right pieces click.
Defensively, the Rockets will miss key contributors such as Nolan Wilt and Landon Hewitt, but seniors Grant Beckman and Julian Stearns are expected to shoulder the load. Beckman’s personal motivation stems from a broken foot that sidelined him earlier in the year, fueling a desire to prove that Anna football can rise beyond its recent regional final loss to Coldwater.
The team’s connection to the small town of Anna is palpable; players speak of playing for the community that has supported them for generations. Their mantra of daily improvement, teamwork, and staying focused on the process reflects a collective belief that the championship is within reach.