BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
ELINWOOD – The good news?
Ellinwood’s football team (4-5) swept four non-district games, beating Stanton County 24-6, McLouth 42-22, Douglass 40-6 and Syracuse 42-0.
The bad news?
The Eagles were 0-5 against the state’s toughest 1A District, losing to Inman (20-12), Sterling (27-22), Hutchinson Trinity (35-8); state champion Conway Springs (54-20) and Medicine Lodge (49-0).
The Eagles own a 17-55 record the past eight years since their last winning record (6-3) in 2015.
Ellinwood football coach Brett Stindt earned all-league honors at Belleville-Republic County. He earned All-KCAC league honors for a pair of KCAC football champions at Kansas Wesleyan University.
In recent years, the Eagles have lost to state champion Olpe in 2020 and 2021 and state runner-up Inman in 2022.
G/T Cooper Gunn, LT Nathan Hammeke and TE Braden Lewis and TE Cason Merritt returns and Trace Tudor (250), Ethan Schlochtermeier (255) and Miller (250), Ellinwood will run a run-heavy offense.
“Our goal is to run the football effectively. It’s an offensive line that would rather run the football,” Stindt said. “We’ll run misdirection with wingbacks with a quarterback option game. Teams will have to respect our quarterback.”
The Eagles will miss 2-way starter Campbell Coleman, who will be sidelined with a shoulder injury.
“Landon helps his teammates every day at practice, showing them technique,” Stindt said. “It’s something he wanted to do.”
The athletic gifted Landon Simpson will inherit the quarterback position after playing back-up and junior varsity.
“Landon’s one of the most athletic players we’ve got,” Stindt said. “He’s got a good arm, but our younger skill positions lack experience.”
Stindt said CB Luke Heinz and MLB Tavian McCaffrey will start defensively.
“With nine players playing both sides of the football, we’ll play a 4-2-5 defense that gives us more options,” Stindt said. “We’ll be smaller and quicker on defense than offense.”
Stindt expects state champion Conway Springs, Sterling and Medicine Lodge will field competitive teams.
“The guys realize how close they were last year to a winning season,” Stindt said. “We want to set goals for each game and meet them. Earning small victories will pay off for us. Our senior class has shown strong leadership. They work to build up their teammates every day. They’re invested in what they’re doing.”
1A DISTRICT 7—Conway Springs 11-2 (5-0), South Sumner 8-2 (4-1), Medicine Lodge 9-3 (4-1), Sterling 6-4 (3-2), Ellinwood 4-5 (0-5), Hutchinson Trinity 4-6 (2-3)
RETURNING STARTERS—TE/DE Braden Lewis; QB/FS Landon Simpson; 2ND G/T Cooper Gunn; LT Nathan Hammeke; TE/LB Cason Merritt
2—Braden Lewis, 160, TE/DE, 12
3—Jesse Lewis, FB/WR/TE, 12
6—Tavian McCaffery, 5-7, 170, RB/MLB, 12
9—Landon Simpson, 6-0, 155, QB/CB, 12
13—Dawson Sunderland, 6-0, 150, WR/CB/SS, 11
21—Austin Brack, 130, QB/RB/ DB, 11
24—Luke Heinz, QB/CB, 10
28—Greg Ringwald, C/WR, 10
31—Drake Hosman, 160, RB/DB, 11
40—Layton Wirtz, 6-0, 175, FB/ OLB, 11
52—Zachary Siefers, 5-8, 157, OL/DL, 12
53—Adam Hayes, 130, OL/DL, 11
56—Keaton Lewis, T/DT, 10
57—Austin Shinliver, 185, OL/DL, 12
59—Mason Scripsick, 6-0, 161, OL/DL, 12
59—Walter Smith, 155, OL/DL, 12
60—Tristan Keith, 190, OL/DL, 11
66—Nathan Hammeke, 6-0, 180, OL/DL, 12
68—Trace Tudor, 250, C/DT, 10
70—Cooper Gunn, 5-7, 151, G/T/OLB, 12
72—Clayton Davis, 190, OL/DL, 11
74—Ethan Schlochtermeier, 255, OL/DL, 11
80—Dominic Martinez, WR/DB/SS, 11
80—Cason Merritt, 5-9, 155, WR/ DB, 12
84—Ty Hammeke, 6-0, 135, WR/ DB, 11
FOOTBALL *1A, DISTRICT 7
8-30—at Whitewater Jamboree (Marion/Eureka)
9-6—Syracuse
9-13—Herington
9-20—at Stanton County
9-27—*at Sterling
10-4—*South Sumner
10-11—*at Hutchinson Trinity
10-18—*at Conway Springs
10-25—*Medicine Lodge
11-1—1A playoffs
