Whitko High School head football coach Brad Sprunger is looking to grow student participation, grow enthusiasm and grow fundamentals.
He says if those things do grow, a growth in long-elusive wins within the program “will take care of itself.”
So far, so good for the Wildcats on perhaps the fundamentals, and definitely on the participation and enthusiasm.
Through late last week, Whitko had 34 players out as it continued to prepare for this Friday’s opener at home against Prairie Heights, and Sprunger was expecting some late arrivals.
A year ago, the Cats opened the season with 26 players, including late arrivals.
As for enthusiasm, “there’s some real excitement from the kids,” Sprunger said.
“We had a really good summer,” the coach said of where the enthusiasm’s rooted at least in part. “We averaged about 24 kids (per workout). We had a really awesome year in the weight room. Those 24 improved their totals by about 2,000 pounds.”
Of course, the door remains off-the-hinges open for an improvement in wins.
Whitko, in Sprunger’s first full season last fall, went 1-9. Over the last seven years, the program’s gone 7-63 and had five head coaches.
If experience matters at all, the Cats do have oodles of that compared to some of their recent teams.
Eight starters return on defense and seven on offense.
The returnees include both of the team’s All-Three Rivers Conference picks from last season in Riley Harman and Isaac Irwin and both honorable mention selectees in Trevor Freel and Guy Howard. Each is a senior now.
Even the sophomore at quarterback, Crew Ebbinghouse, brings some experience given that he was thrust by injury into a starting role during the final four games last fall.
“He’s really worked hard, put a lot of time in,” Sprunger said of Ebbinghouse, who was 12-of-30 throwing for 177 yards with one touchdown and two picks in 2023. “With starting some last year, I think the game will slow down for him this year in terms of vision. He is a sophomore, so there’s still work, but our receivers and backs will help out tremendously.”
One of those receivers is Harman, whose 472 receiving yards accounted for 78% of Whitko’s team total — seriously. They came on 19 catches, 58% of the team’s total, and included three TD receptions, all of the team’s total.
“Riley Harman can catch about everything,” Sprunger said. “He’s always bound and determined to get any ball within 5 yards of him, and we’ve got other good receivers, too.”
In Freel at tailback and senior Landon Smith at fullback, the Cats return their top two ball carriers from a year ago. Freel gained 443 yards on 121 carries for a 3.7 average, while Smith averaged 4.1 yards on 78 carries to go with two TDs.
“Freel’s been a monster in the weight room and the way he runs the ball has been exciting,” Sprunger said. “Crew Ebbinghouse was like, ‘How can he be that much faster and stronger?’”
Irwin at left guard, Howard at left tackle and junior Ryan Campbell, converting from tackle to right guard, are returning starters along the offensive line. Senior Lucas Wagner is slotted at center, with multiple players in contention at right tackle.
Dillon Cassidy, a senior who last played as a freshman, is slated for wingback, while first-year junior Ethan Yates has the edge at tight end.
On the defensive side, seniors Grady Branning and Breyden Kirkdorffer in the middle and Freel on the outside give Whitko three returning starters at linebacker, with Cassidy likely to join them.
Up front, Irwin, Smith and Campbell are each back with junior Lincoln Koser poised to help form a four-man rotation for three spots.
Both starting safeties return in Harman and sophomore Haddyn Reed, while juniors Kavonte Hurd and Ryan Rose get first crack at corner.
In Harman (44), Irwin (38), Kirkdorffer (26), Branning (19) and Freel (18), the Cats return their top five in total tackles, while Kirkdorffer (7.5), Irwin (7) and Freel (5.5) comprised the top three in tackles for loss.
Harman will handle all kick duties, including punting, where he averaged 37.6 yards a year ago.
Because Whitko’s been able to field at least 34 players so far — the freshman class leads the way at 13 — the Cats, if they can keep injuries down, are expected to play “a full slate of JV” games for the first time in recent memory, according to Sprunger.
“That’s something especially the younger kids are happy about,” Sprunger said as another example of enthusiasm. “I told them they can possibly play six quarters (a week under IHSAA varsity/JV rules), and it’s one less day they have to practice. They liked that.”