The Elmore County football program is player-led.
That means everyone on the team is responsible for each other and they hold each other accountable, according to coach Kyle Caldwell. With 17 starters returning to the program this year, leadership from upperclassmen will be crucial not only for this season, but for the future of the program.
“It starts with our younger guys,” Caldwell explained. “Right now, (we’re) trying to show these freshmen, ‘Hey, this is how we do things.’ So when it’s time to pick those senior leaders, they have built that relationship and that trust factor. They can come to us (coaches) with problems and if we see something, we can go to them and they can address the team.”
On offense, the Panthers will look to senior quarterback Gage Davis, senior running back Eli Thames, junior running back Tyler Payton, senior wide receiver Tate McNeely and senior tight end Justin Brooks rounding out the skill positions. Every position aside from center has players returning from last season including senior Colby Blackwell, sophomore Braylon Jackson, senior Evan Gordy and junior Tristan Spence.
Caldwell and the Elmore County coaching staff are looking to fill in a majority of the positions on defense, especially at tackle and linebacker.
“Connor Pike coming back, he’s going to be the leader over there,” Caldwell said. “And then Hunter Denham has stepped up to take over Jackson Mann’s place in the middle. And then Joseph Roberts is the senior leader up front on the defensive line.”
One major change to the program is the move away from spring football. With so many of his athletes playing two or three other sports during the year and the unfortunate occurrence of an injury, Caldwell decided to leave it behind.
“We don’t do spring football anymore; I got a guy injured my first year,” Caldwell said. “I just didn’t feel right about it. In the spring, I have 20 guys playing baseball, varsity and JV, and I had 10 playing soccer, six to seven running track and five on the golf team. But when we start summer workouts, they’re fresher; their love for football is there again.”
Instead, Elmore County begins summer workouts one week earlier, giving athletes time to recover from spring athletics, the team an extra week of preparation and reducing the risk of injury before the season. With fewer injuries and better fitness from the summer, the Panthers will have a higher capacity to improve on performance last season, as a team and within the region.
“Our (Class) 5A region is very physical at the line of scrimmage, and that’s what we’re preparing our guys for,” Caldwell said. “All our guys have been through the battle, but (as far as this season) definitely being more physical and not making mental mistakes. If we do that, then everything will take care of itself in our region.”
