By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
After capping off their first winning campaign since 2014, the Minneapolis football program will look to take the next step ahead of what should be an exciting 2023 season.
The Lions are coming off a 5-4 year that saw them go toe to toe with some of the best teams in the state, falling exclusively to teams that were ranked in the Kpreps.com top five at one point or another throughout the season.
All-in-all, Minneapolis returns seven starters on each side of the ball, and could be primed for an explosive offensive output, with a unit that comes loaded at running back and wide receiver.
“Our skill guys will be a big strength for us this season, Minneapolis head coach Tom Flax said. “We have five or six guys that could go for 100 yards rushing or receiving in any given week which isn’t something we’ve always had.”
The architect of that offensive unit will also be one of its newest pieces, as sophomore Owen Just takes over at quarterback for Ryan Parks, who will move into more of an H-Back role in 2023.
“Owen has learned a lot from Ryan this offseason,” Flax said. “He has a lot of the intangibles that coaches like. He’s a big, intelligent kid with a strong arm and good elusiveness when he runs the ball.”
Just will be joined in the backfield by All-League rusher Braylon Smith, as well as Mason Smith, and Zach Nelson, with several returning wideouts led by Chase Johnson.
Personnel in the trenches will be the biggest question mark for the Lions to sort out, as positional battles still rage for the last few spots on an O-Line led by Gus Johns, and a D-Line that will see several newcomers step up to make a difference alongside rushers converted from other positions.
“We have six or seven guys that could play a role on our offensive line,” he said. “Defensively we return a bunch of our back seven but up front we’ve moved some guys around and we won’t be huge but we have some good speed.”
Beyond the line, the Minneapolis defense returns a great store of talent, with Braylon Smith and Gus Johns reprising their roles at linebacker, and Zach Nelson, Chase Johnson, and Ethan Bohl patrolling the secondary.
While many teams would simply be happy to get over the .500 hump, Minneapolis will come into 2023 hungry for more, with a veteran-heavy roster eager to take the program to new heights.
“We want to win all of the league games on our schedule,” Flax said. “We don’t just want to qualify for the playoffs, we’d like to secure a home game and make a run. We’ve exited in the first round since I’ve been here and we’ve never been higher than a 3-seed so we’d like to do that this season as well.”
The Lions will open their season on Friday, September 1st when they travel to Belleville to battle Republic County.