By ADAM COULTER
Salina Post Contributor
The Sacred Heart football team will try and establish some stability in 2024 and beyond as the team welcomes its fourth head coach in as many seasons.
Former assistant Ryan Krajicek will take over the reins from Norm Jessings as the new head coach. Additionally, Bryce Woodall will return to a position he previously held as athletic director replacing Mike Shaw.
The Knights are likely to have some growing pains this season being an inexperienced team with only 25 players on the roster. Sacred Heart returns only two offensive starters and three on the defensive side of the ball in addition to losing 13 seniors from the 2023 squad.
"With our limited depth and youth, we'll need to stay healthy and continue to improve in order to compete for district," Krajicek said.
In addition to being short-handed on players and depth, the Sacred Heart schedule is expected to be very challenging as well.
"Our schedule is much more difficult than the past two seasons," Coach Krajicek said. "After Ellsworth, we'll play a very strong Plainville squad before three straight road trips against Pleasanton, Valley Heights, and Sedgwick."
In the first of two straight home games to start the new season, the Knights will entertain Ellsworth, and coach Krajicek expects a hard-fought game from a Bearcat team that also saw considerable roster turnover in 2023.
"Ellsworth is a strong program, Coach Homolka has done a fantastic job running their program," he said. "They graduated a talented class but they will still be as well-coached and hard-nosed as they always have."
2024 Sacred Heart Football Schedule
9/6: vs. Ellsworth
9/13: vs. Plainville
9/20: vs. Pleasanton (@ Council Grove)
9/27: at Valley Heights
10/4: at Sedgwick
10/11: vs. Bennington
10/18: at Herington
10/25: vs. Republic County