Coming off a nail-biter loss to the Seward Bluejays in a high-stakes win or go-home game at the end of last season, the Griffins are starting the 2024 season with a lineup that now consists of all four grades. Going 3-6 in their inaugural season, fans’ hopes are high with every player returning to the lineup and the addition of the new freshman class. Friday’s annual Gatorade Scrimmage gave the community its first glimpse at what the future will look like for the team. The Griffins showed lots of potential for a breakout season throughout the scrimmage with their run game, strong linebacking core and improved secondary leaving a resounding feeling.
A popular Class-B football playstyle of pounding the run continues to be Head Coach Justin Haberman’s playing card. With quarterback, sophomore Chase Grow back at the helm of the offense, the read option will be a staple. Grow’s ability to read the pre-play defense is second to none; once the ball is in his hand, he knows where to attack. Following a season where he was thrust into the starting spot midway through the season, a year of learning looks to pay off.
Tandem to Grow in the backfield, leading rusher senior running back Mason Gunn was more explosive than ever. Gunn put up three rushing touchdowns in the scrimmage and is coming off a season with 735 yards and eight touchdowns. The run game looks to improve again this season with a duo in the backfield that boasts the ability to use the read-option game at a high level.
Although they can run the ball, the passing game last season was quite the opposite. Grow was the team-leading passer last season with 633 yards through the air. He got a few looks during the scrimmage, and, going forward, if he can get time in the pocket he has the talent to sling it deep. While Grow can put some air under the ball, extending the range of the receivers, his ability to throw the ball at high speeds is still limited.
Hauling in these deep passes, a new captain for the Griffins, receiver senior Carter Lightwine, made big strides during the offseason and looks to slot in next to receiver, junior Seth Kragel, who led the team in receiving yards with 470 in 2023. Lightwine racked in a few catches and a touchdown during the scrimmage, and Kragel made multiple receptions without a touchdown. If Grow can improve his decision-making when he has time in the pocket, the offense has the potential to be sneaky with the support of Lightwine, Kragel and the rest of the, now, more experienced receivers on the team.
On the opposite side of the ball, the defense is looking to step up after letting up 30 or more points in five of their nine games a season ago.
Holding down the middle, captain and senior linebacker Luke Johnson, stepped up and made some hard hits on Friday, taking down running back, junior Connor Sams with a hit that sent him to the bench. Behind him in the secondary was captain, senior Grayson Fischer. He’s coming off a big offseason, gaining offers from numerous schools around the Midwest including Morningside University, Midland University and Northwestern College (Iowa). Fischer will aim to hold offenses from taking deep shots while also using his speed to hit the gaps and stop big run plays before they happen. Another player who stood out on the defensive side was cornerback, senior Peyton Gardner, who is returning following a season-ending injury in his junior year. He facilitated the outside and dropped into coverage with good speed and coordination.
In the trenches, the defensive line is where support got choppy. There were several times a massive gap opened up right down the middle which allowed for the running backs to force the linebackers to fill in. This Friday, as the boys take on the experienced Seward rushing attack in game one of the season, they need to prevent the run plays from developing if they want to stop them. The rest of the defensive line needs to take cues from senior Kaehle Toledo, who stood out amongst the rest and was able to apply pressure multiple times.
On the flip side, credit is due to the offensive line who kept the defensive line in check most of the scrimmage and allowed for the rushing game to be shown off. One lineman of note was junior Liam Norton, who according to his teammates, grew his skill set exponentially over the offseason and now has his eyes set on locking down one of the guard spots. The offensive line as a whole has a long way to go, but with players like Norton, they can evolve as a collective group.
Overall, the scrimmage showed the team to be more defined and less sloppy. The team chemistry seems to be growing and the the bumps that were there last year. The team’s growth is something to note and should leave the Griffin community hopeful as they prepare to fill Gretna Stadium on Friday for a rematch against the Bluejays.
