By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Chapman football fought its fair share of battles in 2025, going toe-to-toe with inexperience, injuries, and one of the toughest leagues in the state of Kansas.
Those battles may have produced a 1-8 finish, but an older, stronger, and healthier Irish squad is eager to get back on the gridiron for what should be an improved 2026 campaign.
“I thought we really left a lot on the table in 2025,” third-year Chapman head coach Jason Grider said. “There were several games where we played well but mental lapses cost us, and I thought we were a much better team than our record showed. That was disappointing, but our kids worked incredibly hard, came back week after week, and had a great offseason.”
Despite the records, the work the Irish have put into improving their football culture is undeniable, and 2026 could very well be the year that labor begins to bear fruit.
“I feel great about our football culture,” Grider said. “We have great kids who show up in the weight room and work their tails off. We’ve got a lot of experience coming back and we’ve added some real size. We may not be huge, but we’re bigger, stronger and faster than we were a year ago.”
While many teams across the state spent the offseason rebuilding, Chapman had an opportunity to reload instead, returning all four members of their backfield and three of their five offensive linemen.
Bo Rothchild solidifies his role as Chapman’s starting quarterback after taking over for the injured AJ Scott midway through the 2025 campaign.
“Bo’s a big body at 6-2, 230 and he can do it all,” Grider said. “He can run it, he can throw it, and he brings great leadership. He knows exactly what we want to do, and with as much option as we run he’s a guy we trust to make the right decisions on every snap. He’s a hard guy to tackle, and I’m excited to see what he can do once he gets going.”
In true Chapman fashion, the hard-running trio of Audiel Becker, Colton Bell and Kaicen DeWeese will be ready to ground-and-pound behind Rothchild this year.
“For us, it all starts with Audiel Becker,” he said. “He’s a three-year starter, and he’s the guy who makes things go. He’s led us in rushing for the last three years and hasn’t gotten the accolades he deserves.”
Becker finished his 2025 campaign with over 800 yards and seven touchdowns, and will get extra blocking help out front from the tight end duo of Dom Krogman and AJ Scott.
On defense, Neziah Brown and Hunter Kidd return alongside Gavin Bender in the trenches, Rothchild, Scott, Deweese, and Gio Becker return their experience to the linebacker corps, and Audiel Becker and Colton Bell join Austin Smiley and Dom Krogman in the secondary.
“Defensively, I think we’ll be very solid at all three levels,” Grider said. “Our interior defensive line is going to be very solid and we’ve got a lot of guys back who know the system and they really get after it.”
For the first time in a long time, that experience will be something the Irish can lean on, with juniors and seniors accounting for all but one starting role at the beginning of the year.
“This group of upperclassmen comes in and does what needs to be done every single day,” he said. “A lot of these guys are three-sport athletes, and they really do commit and put the time in. Record-wise, we’ve had a few down years, but these guys keep showing up, and they haven’t let that affect them at all.”
The Irish will still have to contend with a loaded schedule, facing just three opponents with a sub-.500 record in 2025, but a focus on slow, sustained growth has Chapman on track for a stronger showing when the season kicks off on Friday.
“I know it’s coach speak but we really do have to keep getting better every single day,” Grider said. “We always want to play physical, run the ball well and stop the run, and take things one day at a time. If we can do those things, I think we’ll be a very successful football team.”
Chapman 2026 Football Schedule
- 9/4 - vs. Marysville
- 9/11 - vs. Rock Creek
- 9/18 - at Abilene
- 9/25 - at Wellsville
- 10/2 - vs. Concordia
- 10/9 - at Smoky Valley
- 10/16 - vs. Clay Center
- 10/23 - at Hesston