High school football previews: Augusta Orioles

AUGUSTA, Kan. (KSNW) — We begin our high school football previews out east of Wichita in Augusta. It’s been a rough last couple of years for the Orioles with the team being a combined 4-14 the last two seasons.

But it’s now a new era for the O’s with new head coach Dawson Elliott. Everyone from the players to the team managers says they can feel a difference this season as the team looks to shock the AVCTL.

“I mean, yeah, we brought in a ton of different coaches. We took out a couple of different coaches, ” explained senior Willy Jon Morales. “It’s just the culture really, how we treat each other, how we look at one another as equals and how we push each other as equals in the practice room and on the field and everywhere in the classroom, even.”

“Everybody’s more excited to be here,” senior Gavin Ralston added. “Everybody has been working out together. More and more people show up to thanks and all around the energy, so all of us have won much in the past. We all want to win now. We’re all going to leave and leave a good culture behind and for the other younger kids to win. So it’s not just a one-year deal.”

You can tell the excitement from the players, but Coach Elliott says it’s all about taking it one day at a time, and setting a solid foundation for years to come. In order to do that, this new look team will be focusing on the intangibles, like discipline and toughness to push them through this upcoming season.

“Between those white lines, I can’t put a team out there if I don’t think we’re the toughest team between the white lines,” Elliott said. “When we come out and we, you know, our pedal to the metal of the whole game and never let off, that’s when I start feeling comfortable with that cramping issues. We’ve had people getting tired during the first game, and that’s just simply not going to happen. I mean, we will be disciplined, we will be tough, and just trying to establish a base culture and tradition a little bit. You know, I think the kids are really behind in understanding what we’re trying to do here.”

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