In a grueling District 11-3A Division II lineup, preseason publications have head coach Ryan Blackmon’ s squad rebounding from a tough 2-8 campaign to crash the postseason party— trailing only the Teague Lions, Mildred Eagles and Buffalo Bison, while pushing Blooming Grove and Rice to the bottom of the standings.

But don’ t expect Blackmon to buy into the hype just yet. He is entirely focused on the work that built it.

“ I feel good about our chances,” Blackmon says.“ Our kids have been working hard throughout the offseason, throughout the summer. We had a lot of growth— even though the record wasn’ t what we wanted last year, we did have a lot of growth throughout the season.”

A championship blueprint

Perhaps the biggest offseason splash for the Elks comes on the sidelines. State championship-winning defensive coordinator David Wilbanks has joined the program, bringing an immediate aura of success to the unit.

For Blackmon, the addition is both professional and deeply personal:

— The Resume: Wilbanks brings extensive playoff experience from highly successful Texas programs.

— The Culture: His high-energy approach has already transformed the locker room over the summer.

— The Connection: Blackmon and Wilbanks share a longstanding friendship in the coaching ranks.

“ Our kids have really responded to him over the course of the summer,” Blackmon notes.“ We’ re just excited to see the energy and the experience that he brings to our program.”

Winning in the trenches

While a new defense locks things down, the offense is preparing to move the pile. In a game often won or lost on the line of scrimmage, Elkhart finally has the luxury of numbers.

“ We actually feel like we might have more depth on the offensive line this year than we’ ve had in years past,” Blackmon says.“ We’ re excited about those coming up, and the ones that are returning starters being the leaders this year. If everybody stays healthy, we will have a little more depth on the offensive line than we did in the past.”

Stars to watch

The Breakout Candidate: Senior Dalton Walker

After two seasons plagued by nagging injuries, the senior is primed for a massive campaign. When healthy, Walker is an elite talent who plays at an exceptional level.“ He’ s a special talent... He’ s been doing everything he needs to do as far as working in the offseason and taking care of his body,” Blackmon says.“ We’ re excited to have him.”

The QB Duel: Junior Mikey Shaver vs. Sophomore Aaron Black The quarterback battle is fierce but it’ s a win-win for the coaching staff. Both athletes are dynamic enough to impact the game elsewhere if they don’ t take the snaps.

“ The good thing about both of those kids is they’ re going to help our football program whether they’ re at quarterback or somewhere else,” Blackmon said.“ It’ s good to have football players who can play quarterback because they help your team all around.”

Hungry for November

The pads are cracking, the summer heat is breaking and the Elks are tired of waiting.

November was a long time ago and a hungry roster is ready to prove exactly what Elkhart football is all about.

“ Our kids have been itching to get going. We’ ve had an excellent turnout over the summer,” Blackmon said.“ Going into the season, we’ re going to take it one practice at a time and one game at a time.”