By TYLER HENRY
Little Apple Post contributor
Coming off a 9-2 season with a trip to the 4A state quarterfinals, expectations for Wamego football were high this season, and with five games in the books the Red Raiders have not disappointed.
Wamego is one of only four remaining undefeated teams in Class 4A, checking in at #5 in this week's Kpreps rankings with a season point differential of +175.
Much of that success can be attributed to a defensive unit that has been lights out so far, holding opponents to just seven points per game on average, while surrendering multiple scores just once.
Entering week six Wamego boasts Class 4A’s #1 scoring defense (7 ppg), #1 rushing defense (49 yds/g), and #4 passing defense (59 yds/g), making them one of the most feared units in the state.
“Our strength right now has definitely been in our defense and any time you have a group like this it allows you to do more and take more risks on offense,” Raiders head coach Weston Moody said. “We’ve been able to do some things that we normally wouldn’t do if our defense wasn’t playing this well but that’s really opened up opportunities for us.”
Those opportunities have allowed the Red Raider offense, led by quarterback Colin Donahue, to torch their opposition this season, scoring 42 points per game on average.
Five games into the season, Donahue has racked up 890 yards through the air to pair with 14 touchdowns, nine of which have found the capable hands of Chase Cottam and Hagan Johnson.
Wamego has moved the ball effectively on the ground as well, averaging 166 rushing yards per game to keep defenses guessing.
“I like the way we’ve been able to stay balanced offensively and defensively,” Moody said. “We’ve been able to keep our yardage consistent between the pass and the run so far.”
While the offense wears teams down, the Red Raider defense has become increasingly opportune throughout the year, with a number of veterans peaking in their final years on the varsity field.
Dawson Tajchman and Drew Pettay have been standouts in the secondary, each picking off opposing quarterbacks twice in 2022.
“We have a lot of experience on our defense with a lot of guys that have been around for a long time,” Moody said. “Several of these guys have started since their sophomore year and we’re reaping the benefits of having played those guys in big games.”
While many in the Wamego community have playoffs on their minds already, those in the Raider locker room remain committed to taking things one week at a time in order to build to where the team needs to be to achieve those lofty expectations.
“Our ultimate goal is to be there at the end and to be the last one standing but we know that there’s a lot of football left and we still need to improve,” Moody said. “We haven’t peaked yet and every week we need to maintain an improvement mindset, that’s going to be the difference between being a championship team or being a second or third-round team.”
Wamego will be back in action this week with a home matchup against a 5A foe in 3-2 Shawnee Heights.
For continuing coverage of Red Raider football all season long stay tuned to the Little Apple Post.