BY CONOR NICHOLL
Sunflower Sports Solutions
HOISINGTON – Hoisington head coach Zach Baird took over in 2014 after he served three seasons as the defensive coordinator for his alma mater. The Cardinals had posted a 14-14 mark in Baird’s coordinator tenure. Hoisington averaged 27, 28 and 22 points per game.
Baird looked around at what programs had highly successful offenses. Hutchinson was the apex for Kansas high school football with then-coach Randy Dreiling’s flexbone.
Dreiling had won seven titles in 17 years with the Salthawks. In 2014, Dreiling accepted the St. Thomas Aquinas job and won two more crowns, including the 4A title last year.
Baird used several connections, including Dustin Demel, a Hoisington graduate and former Fort Hays quarterback, to schedule a meeting with Dreiling.
“It wasn’t like I grew up loving the flexbone, it wasn’t anything like that,” Baird said. “I wanted to be successful.”
In 2014, Hoisington averaged 274 rushing yards, a staple of the Dreiling flexbone. Hoisington increased by 64 rushing yards a contest, had a five-win improvement to 9-2 and averaged 32.3 points a contest. Sophomore Hunter Hanzlick posted 1,381 rushing yards and 21 scores.
Baird’s first win came in 20-12 double-overtime victory versus Larned.
The flexbone yielded a decade-long run of excellence.
Baird has continued to communicate with coach Dreiling during the years. Entering 2024, there are 50 active coaches from all classes who have complied at least 95 career victories, per research from S3, and databases from Kansas Pregame, KPreps and S3. Baird gave great credit to his players, “excellent” assistant coaches and culture.
Baird ranks first among those 50 coaches in career winning percentage (83.9) and first in wins per season (9.9). He stands at 99-19. Dreiling is first among active coaches in wins at 276, one ahead of Buhler’s Steve Warner.
“He will help anybody out, and he doesn’t ask for anything in return,” Baird said. “He loves the game. He loves to talk football. He likes to help young coaches out, so I have the utmost respect for Coach Dreiling.”
In Baird’s head coaching tenure, Hoisington had enjoyed eight players with at least 992 rushing yards in a season, and three with 1,900-plus. The Cardinals have significantly thrown the ball better in the last couple of years. Hoisington has rushed for 268 to 360 yards a game under Baird. Each summer, Baird attends Dreiling’s flexbone clinic.
“Anything we have ever had a question about, he has always been willing to help. He let us come and talk to him and pick his brain and so we kind of took his system.”
“Now, we have kind of adjusted some things to fit our personnel, and we have put a couple new wrinkles in over the years that we felt would help us,” he added. “It’s basically Coach Dreiling’s system, terminology is pretty much his for the most part, and then we just tweak it to make it our own a little bit.”
The Cardinals, the 2A West favorite last year, finished 12-1 and lost to Nemaha Central in the state title game. It marks the second Cardinal football second place showing under Baird, the only two in program annals.
Hoisington returns more than 60 percent of its tackles and rushing yards. Seniors Teron Kraft (1,228 rushing, 13 scores), Jason Robinson (nine INTs) and Brady Reif (51 tackles), junior Taylen Morales (60 kickoffs, 42 tackles, 98-yard scoop-and-score) pace the Cardinals.
Baird said he would take “100 Brady Reifs,” and believes Morales is “going to have an outstanding year.”
“He has got the right football mentality,” Baird said of Kraft. “Having Teron is big. He is kind of our identity. He sets the tone for us mentality-wise as far as he is going to be physical and plays the game the right way, so having him is important.”
As of Aug. 1, the quarterback position was open-ended. The highly athletic Robinson could play quarterback or slot.
Hoisington expects to continue to win at a high level. With Baird, Hoisington has won at least 12 games three times (a school record), 11 twice and nine twice.
“Fit in basically, all you have to do is come in, work your tail off and be coachable,” Baird said.
“I spent like the first four or five years just basically scared to death,” Baird said. “Every year you are starting from scratch, and I am like, ‘Man, we are terrible, I am doing a really poor job, and so you are just constantly basically coaching and working in fear. And then, you get to a certain point.”
Baird has a chance for career win No. 100 when Hoisington opens at Central Kansas League rival Pratt.
Hoisington non-district schedule features Pratt, Hesston, Scott City and defending 3A champion Cheney. Hoisington beat SE of Saline and Norton last fall – teams that should be 2A West leaders.
Paced by Fort Hays State signee Moore, Hoisington threw for 776 and 1,509 yards the last two falls. In the past five years, the Cardinals own a 63/12 touchdown to interception ratio.
“Do I want to keep our identity of we are going to be a physical football team and we are going to run the ball?,” Baird said. “Absolutely. Every year, that is what we want to do. We aren’t against throwing it.”
In 2018, Hoisington fell by 30 to Phillipsburg in district but played Phillipsburg closer in the semifinals.
“That was one of those matchups, where they were better than we were,” Baird said. “If we could’ve played them 10 times, I don’t think we would have beat them. The effort to get back to that semifinal game was huge for us.”
In 2019, Hoisington lost in a snow-packed10-8 semifinal contest to Norton. In 2020, the Cardinals routed Beloit 26-0. Last year, the Cardinals won at Norton.
“Had we not done (Beloit), I don’t think winning at Norton last year was possible,” Baird said. “It shows kids that this possible. The things you have done have been done by previous groups and they were able to get over that hurdle.”
Baird believes Hoisington will be deeper at the B Back – a flexbone staple.
In addition to Morales, Robinson, Kraft, several players could step up. Senior Rhen Galla has played quarterback from a young age and saw spot time last fall. Junior Mason Martin delivered 16 catches for 350 yards and six scores. Robinson was just behind at 12 grabs for 288 yards and three TDs.
“One of the biggest things is his football IQ,” Baird said of Robinson. “He is super smart. He is competitive, and a hard worker. We have got to find ways to get him the ball offensively. Robinson’s defense I was pleased with. He’s physical, good in space.”
Junior Layton Hoffman is expected to play a big role after a season-ending injury last year. Junior Colin Mater and senior Exavier Chambers will be other key Cardinals up front. Mater played tackle last year.
“Hoffman is going to step on the scene and be an impact player for us,” Baird said.
Mason had a huge TD catch against Southeast of Saline and is part of a junior class that Baird labeled “really, really talented.”
Junior C.J. Bryant is a running back/linebacker. The Great Bend transfer wasn’t eligible until Week 5. He finished with 21 tackles playing defensive end because of his athleticism.
TE/MLB Brody Corbett, RB/MLB Preston Merlau and QB/FS Kolter Hahn are sophomores who could step up for Hoisington.
“If you are a sophomore, you have got to be ready to help us on a Friday in some capacity,” Baird said.
