Photo courtesy of Jeff Jacobson
BUFFALO – The Altoona-Midway Jets dined on their first course of six-man high school football last season, and they liked how it tasted. In fact, the Blue and Gold gridders of AMHS are hoping to take an even bigger bite out of their opponents this year. The Jets will get their first opportunity to do just that this Friday, opening the 2023 fall football slate with
a home matchup against the Chetopa Hornets.
The season opener will be an afternoon affair, scheduled to begin at 3 o’clock on Frank Kennedy Field. The early kickoff was necessitated by the availability of officials for the contest.
“The kids have been working really hard and we are very excited to get the season under way,” said AMHS head coach Randy Almond. “We will be rebuilding this year, as we lost four key seniors who graduated from last year’s team. We will be pretty young, but I expect to improve as the season goes on.”
Last year was the debut for six-man football to be sanctioned by the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Altoona-Midway dropped down from eight-man to six-man competition, and fashioned a 3-6 overall record. The Jets fell just short of picking up additional victories in their final two contests, falling 41-40 to Burrton in the regular-season finale, and 49-46 to Pawnee Heights in the opening round of the playoffs.
“It was definitely a tough way to end the season, losing our last two games by a total of four points,” said AMHS head coach Randy Almond, “especially since we were so close to advancing in the postseason. “But all in all, I still feel that it was a successful season for the AMHS football program.” Two of the Jets’ three victories last year came at the expense of Chetopa, the 2023 opening day foe for AMHS. Last year Altoona-Midway swept a pair of games against the Hornets in impressive fashion, winning 46-0 at Chetopa and 49-0 on Frank Kennedy Field.
Despite the losses to graduation, the cupboard is not bare for AMHS. Almond welcomes back six returning lettermen from a Jet squad that, despite the close losses, posted three wins in a season for the first time since 2007, when Altoona-Midway finished 3-6 under head coach Vern Minor. They were also just short of posting the first postseason win for the school since a pair of playoff wins in 1992, when Eric Larson led the Jets to a 9-2 record.
Three seniors will be expected to fill leadership roles on the 2023 AMHS squad – Jacob Meigs, Blaine Collins, and Lane Poeverlein.
“Jacob is solid on both sides of the ball. He is very versatile, and can run, pass or receive,” Almond said. “Blaine has stepped up into a real leadership role and will see important playing time on both sides of the ball. Lane is expected to be a key factor on both the o-line and the d-line.”
Almond also has two tremendous threats in returning junior speedsters William Stackhouse and Kieran Foster.
“William is just an all-around athlete. He is one of the fastest players on the team and will be a big threat as a receiver and yards after the catch,” Almond noted. “Kieran has stepped up and we’re planning on him sharing quarterback duties with Jacob. I am expecting good things from Kieran with his high football IQ.” Also returning is sophomore Kage Beck, who earned playing time with the Jets last year despite being a freshman. “Kage has grown in height and weight and increased his speed,” Almond said. “He has been working hard. Kage has good hands and good speed.”
The new additions for this year’s Jet squad will be juniors Joey Lamendola and Andrew Wright,
sophomore Braxton Whitlake and freshman Taj O’Connor. “These young men don’t have a lot of experience, but I’m really excited about how eager they are to learn,” Almond commented. “Joey will be a good addition to the squad. He is athletic and even though he hasn’t played much football, he is stepping up and learning fast. Andrew is another young man who is working hard and should improve as the season goes on.
“Braxton and Taj will share the duties at center on offense and defensively at nose guard,” the coach noted. “Both of these young men have great potential and will prove to be assets to the team.” Almond is excited to get the season under way, noting that every member of the squad is coachable and eager to learn.
“I am really encouraged by the heart and determination these boys have shown thus far in practice,” Almond said. “Even though we’re young, I can certainly foresee great things when we begin to gel as a team.”