By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
After finishing the 2023 season 3-6 in 8-Man Division I, the Bennington Bulldogs got a bit of a surprise, when they learned that they would be transitioning back to 11-man football in Class 1A.
With an enrollment one student over the cap of 100, the Bulldogs now have a big challenge ahead, as their roster of 24 prepares to contend with a very deep 1A field.
Despite the surprise, the Bulldogs are ready to face this challenge head-on and will be raring to go when they take on Moundridge to open their season this Friday.
“This really does cut down our depth and numbers and it makes some things tough but football is football,” Bennington head coach Bryan Shamburg said. “We have enough kids; as long as we stay healthy, we’ll be all right.”
While the Bulldogs do return several key pieces from last year’s squad, not all of them will slot into the positions they played last year, most notably Payge Rodenbeek, who will transition from his rushing and pass-catching role to quarterback.
“Payge is an athlete and a competitor,” Shamburg said. “It doesn’t matter what he’s doing, he competes. He’s good on his feet, he knows our offense well, and he really had a great summer. We’re excited to see what he can do.”
Rodenbeek will be joined on the offense by last year’s quarterback Kian Wilson, who will become a crucial part of the Bulldog’s skill group this season.
The biggest question marks for Bennington come on the O-Line, where the Bulldogs graduated two of their three linemen from last year, and will need to add two tackles in addition to replacing those guards.
Those spots will be anchored by newcomers Garrett Campbell and Noah Holen, who will join senior Tyshawn Johns in the trenches.
On the other side of the ball, Bennington gets a number of leaders back, including defensive end Logan Gillett, linebackers Brock Murk and Aiden Levendofsky, and secondary stalwarts like Rodenbeek, Wilson and Isaiah Garrett.
“I like the defense that our staff has put in, and I think the physicality that we show on that side of the ball is a big strength,” Shamburg said. “We also have some guys with great speed that we’re excited to get out in space.”
While a challenging schedule could prove difficult for Bennington in their first year playing 11-man since 2015, the Bulldogs remain committed to steady progress, and will have their baseline when the season gets started on Friday night.
“I’ve been harping on the guys to improve each and every day and each and every game. We need to keep our heads up, this could be a little bit of a learning curve but our guys just need to do the best they can each play and keep the attitude that we’ll improve throughout the year.”
Bennington opens its season at home with Moundridge this Friday at 7pm.
2024 Bennington Football Schedule
9/6: vs. Moundridge
9/13: at Whitewater-Remington
9/20: at Marion
9/27: at Republic County
10/4: vs. Valley Heights
10/11: at Sacred Heart
10/18: vs. Inman
10/25: vs. Herington