DEPTH & EXPERIENCE TO GUIDE VIKING FOOTBALL IN 2024
By Staff
LINDSBORG – Playing with a young and inexperienced team in 2023, the Smoky Valley football program stumbled to a 1-8 record after losing to Scott City in the Class 3A State Playoffs.
Entering his ninth season as the head coach of the program, Tim Lambert is now 45-41 at Smoky Valley and 210-113 overall as a head coach. In 2024, Jason Drouillard, Allen Meier, Ben Elliott, Courtney Strauss, and James Henderson will be standing with him on the sidelines.
The gain from having a young, inexperienced team in 2023 will be the Vikings now have a large number of players with experience that include 10 players returning with experience in running the I offense while 13 return who earned starting time on the defensive side.
“We will have lots of game time experience coming back,” noted coach Lambert. “A lot of young men that have played a whole bunch of minutes during Friday night football will be back in 2024, stronger and bigger than a year ago which means we should be much more competitive.”
Among the top returnees on offense will be the top three in the backfield as seniors Ezekiel Baker (6’0”, 205) and Gavin Stambaugh (6’0”, 190) were top two leaders running the ball and junior Todd Heitschmidt, a big 6’3”, 225, is back at quarterback after taking snaps in over half the games of 2023.
Three juniors will be back to be keys to a passing attack with Toren Miller (6’0, 220) playing tight end, while wide receivers Jack Opat (6’0”, 185) and Kristian Ryan (6’4”, 180) give Heitschmidt speed and length to throw to.
Four of five offensive lineman return with seniors Gabe Baker (6’3”, 265) and Geo Luis (6’0”, 195) manning a tackle and guard spot while juniors Conner Smith-Brolin (5’11”, 210) and Brock Gengler (5’11”, 205) plug in at tackle and center.
The 3-4 defense will have 13 Vikings coming back that have starting experience, including six seniors, five juniors and a pair of sophomores who gained starts as freshman.
Among the seniors leading the defense will be linebacker Ezekiel Baker (6’0”, 205), nose guard Gabe Baker, defensive end Geo Luis, linebacker Cooper Whittaker (6’0”, 205), safety Gavin Stambaugh, and Takoda Hauck (6’1”, 160). The juniors returning are linebacker Toren Miller, free safety Kristian Ryan, defensive end Brock Gengler, strong safety Jack Opat and Andrew Lochard (5’10”, 145). Returning at linebacker are sophomore’s Auley Baughfman (6’1”, 180), and Crew Elliott (5’11”, 155).
Coach Lambert closed out his pre-season look at the Viking team by saying, “Unfortunately, a lot of that experience coming back, came without much success. We will need to find some early success to gain some confidence for the back half of the season.”
Smoky Valley will have their first game of the 2024 season will come on Friday, September 6 when they host Larned. Here is the remaining schedule:
Friday, September 13 – host Belle Plain
Friday, September 20 – at Haven
Friday, September 27 – host Andale
Friday, October 4 – at Hesston
Friday, October 11 – host Wichita Trinity
Friday, October 18 – at Nickerson
Friday, October 25 – at Hillsboro
(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at macks.people.places@gmail.com)
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