By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
The Minneapolis football program has seen real cultural improvement under second-year head coach Garrett Galanski, and will be eager to put those lessons to the test when the 2026 season gets underway.
After a disappointing 3-6 finish in 2025, the Lions hit the weight room hard, and have bulked up considerably ahead of the new campaign.
“We’ve taken massive strides with our football culture and that starts with our weight room in the summer,” Galanski said. “We need to get our guys building camaraderie with each other as they get stronger physically. In years past we’ve had maybe three or four guys where we want to be, but this year we’ve had most of our roster at or above 80% participation and they’ve really been picking things up quickly. It feels like we’re way ahead of where we were last year.”
While the improvements in size and speed have been promising, it’s the connection off the field that’s caught Galanski’s eye.
“Our team chemistry has been great this offseason and you can really tell these guys are playing for each other,” he said.
The Lions return a great deal of talent on both sides of the ball, with eight returning seniors leading the charge.
“I feel like our skill positions are a big strength,” Galanski said. “We have a few guys that are extremely fast and athletic and a few bruisers that can hit with the best of them. Defensively, we’re flying around and making a lot of good plays, we still need to see how it translates to Fridays, but we’re excited.”
One of the biggest changes for Minneapolis comes with the graduation of Owen Just, who led the Lions at quarterback since his sophomore year.
Ironically, another sophomore quarterback will step into the shoes vacated by Just, as Brecken Weatherman prepares to take the reins of the offense in 2026.
“Brecken has amazing athleticism,” he said. “Owen was a prototypical quarterback and he could drop back and make any pass or take off with his legs. As a sophomore, Brecken isn’t there just yet, but he has a great arm, he asks all the right questions and he understands the game well. He’s also sneaky athletic and he’s showed up in a big way in the weight room.”
Bryson Lonberger will keep Weatherman company in the backfield, with sophomore Reece Abell mixing in as well.
For targets, Weatherman will have plenty of experienced hands to find with Brayden Johnson, Josh White, Charlie Klien, and recently converted offensive lineman Kingston Derronet making up the receiving corps.
Bladen Johnson, Ryan Lott, and Logan Biggs will see time on both sides of the line, while battles rage on between Caleb Amold, Jasper Johns, Josh White, Reece Abell, and Kingston Derronet for time at linebacker.
In the secondary, Weatherman takes over the safety spot vacated by Just with Lonberger and Klien joining him on patrol.
With a mix of returning starters, old faces in new places, and true newcomers, it may take some time for this squad to truly mesh, but if the team can gel early, the Lions have a chance to post their first winning season since 2022.
“We still have a bunch of question marks,” Galanski said. “Not in a bad way, but things like how we’re going to handle adversity, how we’ll perform with a first-time starting quarterback, how our team rallies around our guys when things do go wrong. You never know how those things will play out until you actually get out there.”
Regardless of where the chips may fall, one fact stands out among the rest: this Lion team has come together in a way few in the last decade have, and that alone is cause for excitement in Minneapolis.
“Our ultimate goal could truly be anything,” he said. “When you talk to these guys and you see their dedication and focus it’s really incredible. Whatever they want to accomplish we’ll find a way to get there and there’s no one I’d rather go to war with, I love these kids.”
The Lions open their season on September 4th when they travel to Ellsworth to battle the Bearcats.
2026 Minneapolis Football Schedule
- 9/4 - at Ellsworth
- 9/11 - vs. Republic County
- 9/18 - at Beloit
- 9/25 - vs. Council Grove
- 10/2 - at Riley County
- 10/9 - vs. Norton
- 10/16 - vs. Marysville
- 10/23 - at SE of Saline