FOOTBALL: Lewis Cass Kings 2026 season prevew
· Yahoo Sports
The Lewis Cass football team lost just three seniors to graduation but they were all three good players.
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
Gavin Smith broke the school record for rushing yards in a season with 1,937 yards and scored 28 touchdowns. He’s now playing at Hanover College. Fellow departed seniors Julian Davidson and Brody Hillis were all-area players as well.
But the Kings return a lot of players who were a part of a team that played their best football down the stretch of the season. They went 8-4 and following a one-score loss to a top 10 Class 3A team in Maconaquah, the Kings rattled off four straight victories to reach a Class 2A sectional championship game, where they lost in a shootout to an 11-1 Southmont team, 44-39.
Clay Mannering, who enters his seventh season at the helm, said the Kings will likely be more traditional this year in spreading the ball around in their wing-T offense.
“We’re a lot more balanced,” Mannering said. “We have really five or six kids who are competing at the running back spot right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if all six of them get carries in Week 1.”
Junior Brinxston Jones (5-11, 175) is in the mix for the starting fullback spot, as is senior Connyr Mack (5-7, 160).
“It’s kind of a thunder/lightning type setup we’ve got,” Mannering said. “Connyr is small and quick. Brinxston is big and strong. We’re hoping that 1-2 punch will be good there.”
The Grist brothers, Tyler (6-0, 175) and Eli (5-5, 140), will assume big roles at wingback. Tyler is the leading returning rusher at 377 yards (9.2 per carry) and eight touchdowns.
Senior Zion Grogg (5-10, 155) and junior Ty Lobenthal (5-5, 141) will also be counted upon.
The Kings have the potential to air it out more. Third-year starter Cole Rush (6-2, 180) passed for 793 yards and 10 TDs last year as a junior.
Hillis is the only player the Kings lost to graduation up front. Junior Michael Larimore (6-2, 250) returns at guard. Junior Brecken Smith (5-11, 220) won the Kings’ fitness test this year and returns at guard. Senior Oscar Villamar-Anaya (5-7, 165) and sophomore King Underwood (5-10, 180) are battling for the other guard spot. The tackles are seniors Braydon Woolever (5-11, 250) and Elijah Auten (5-8, 265). Senior Julian Fisher (6-0, 215) is set to return in Week 4 to give the Kings a boost. Senior James Strong (5-11, 176) is currently in basic training for the Army and is set to be back by the end of August.
“There’ll be some changes even early in the season,” Mannering said. “We’re trying to solidify who’s gonna start Week 1.”
The Kings’ best blocker might be their tight end, senior Hunter Sellers (6-1, 230), who is a three-year starter on both sides of the ball.
Senior Nate Packard (5-10, 155) replaces Davidson as the starting split end.
The Kings return a lot of their defense.
“The strength of the defense will be we’ve got about five times as much installed right now as we did at this point last year,” Mannering said. “We think to win the big games we’re gonna have to become a very good defense.”
Eli Grist and Tyler Foley Grist will start at safety and corner. The other two spots are still up in the air, with Lobenthal, Grogg, Packard, Rush and sophomore Brylan Berry (6-0, 162) in the mix.
Senior Kyland Majors (5-10, 180) is the Kings’ leading returning tackler at middle linebacker. He’s battling a preseason injury and Brecken Smith and Underwood can fill in. Jones and Mack are the outside linebackers.
Sellers will lead the Kings on the defensive line. Woolever, Auten, Larimore and sophomore Dakota Morton (6-1, 240) are also in the mix with some reinforcements also set to return in the next few weeks.
The Kings’ play when they caught fire over the second half of the season is something they’ll look to build on.
“Last year honestly I think we overachieved from what we had. And that’s not an accident. That’s a testament to the players,” Mannering said. “They did a really nice job, but we’ve been this way several years in a row. We’ve finished the season so much better than where we start. Obviously though, our Week 1 rivalry is such a huge one that we can’t afford to wait until Week 4 or 5 to get it going. So that’s been a focus all summer is not just how do we improve every day, but hey, can we be ready to go August 21st when we play the Panthers? So we certainly think this is a team that has championship potential and there’s gonna be some tough teams in the conference and in our sectional. But I think if we do things right, we can be as tough as any of them.”