Fall Season - Lambkins Football Fall 2025 Recap. Part One - Defense

Please understand prior to reading, this article is meant to make readers laugh. The quotes from players and coaches are fiction. If you are easily offended or lack a sense of humor, do not read any further.

The Fall 2025 football season was one for the memories and for the record books. The Lambkins were a force on both sides of the ball. Starting on Defense.

The defensive unit was coordinated by Jeff Brennan. It had some seasoned veterans to go along with some very promising underclassmen. We tried to get Coach Brennan's thoughts on the season but he typically ran the other way when he saw me. It should be noted, that dude is fast and in great physical shape. I am not.

Defensive Line:

No defense can begin to be successful without a strong line. The Lambkins were led on the line by Porter Park, listed at 6'0 and 260 lbs. Big, physical, mean, and a likes to eat. He feasted in the backfield of the opposition with 11.5 tackles for losses. When asked about his pregame meal routine, Porter said protein helps fuel him for the game. "I like to eat a variety of protein. Steaks, peanut butter, the occasional rabbit that wanders into my yard, the basics." I highly encouraged him to stick with what works. One of the best plays of the year was Porter blocking a Fossil player to help Kaden Souders return an interception for a touchdown. The Fossil player was launched 22 feet and has no memory of being blocked.

Another standout on the line was Justin Schlicting. He was a constant presence in the opponents backfield. Justin was able use his height and strength to leverage offensive linemen. When asked about his favorite move to get free he said "aren't you the guy who mispronounced my last name for two years?" While not entirely sure, I do not remember ever saying Justin Schlitzburger's last name incorrectly.

Truitt Boothe also played a key role. At 6'2 and 225 lbs. he instilled fear into his opponent by uncovering his upper arm tattoo. "I would show it off after getting the better of the offensive lineman, which was every play." After watching replays of the games, it's hard to argue the point. Strong, athletic, agile are superlatives describing Truitt's play. He will absolutely be on Dancing with the Stars someday.

After some high quality starts, unfortunately Luke Little was sidelined for much of the season. This left a gap in the line until others gained experience. The good news is Luke has been able to secure countless scholarships at the next level. Luke said, "I believe my play as a sophomore and junior certainly helped, but when coaches saw my mustache, the offers flowed in."

There were many other contributors including Damien Barrientos, Dane Larsen, and Holden Devereux. Overall the line was a strength for the team made the linebackers look good.

Linebackers:

The linebacking crew was a huge asset this year. Many youngsters had tremendous contributions including Wesley Davis, Holden Irby, Donovan Dumas, Teagan Davis, and Ben Stenger. All of the aforementioned players are expected to shine next year, as are several JV players. Here is a piece of free advice for anyone hoping to get playing time next year as a linebacker; you better put in the work now and consistently work during the offseason. The talent of this group, program-wide is impressive and you don't want to be on the bench next season because you failed to work in the offseason.

This leads us to the strength, the core, the heartbeat of the Lambkin defense for the past three years, Mr. Kaden Souders. If you watched any LSN broadcast, I do not hide my praise and admiration for Kaden. He is one of the best defenders you will ever see wearing purple and gold. He is in on most tackles. He has an uncanny feel for the game and seems to always be in the right place. With an amazing six interceptions this season, he had the second most INT's in all of Class 5A, as a middle linebacker, unbelievable! We look forward to watching him play at the next level.

Secondary:

Coming into the season, the secondary was expected to shine this season as four experienced player were returning. Circumstance and injury changed the personnel but the unit played well. Greyson West was in line for a breakout season, but was lost to injury early in the season. Additionally, Jack McKeon is one of the better defensive backs in the state. However, he is also an okay running back so he focused on offense.

The other two experienced returning players were Finn O'Mara and Fernando Lopez. Both showed their abilities this past season. Finn is what we in the biz call a "shut down" cornerback. This means he pretty much controls his side of the field with excellent coverage and the ability to stop the run. He also delivers a pretty heavy hit. Pound for pound he is as good as they get. When asked what type of play he likes best he said, "any time I can hit somebody, it's a good play. Next question." He's a feisty Irishman and needed to know Maguire is Irish too. Soon after, we got on the same page and I very much look forward to spending time with my new mate, after he turns 21, in Irish pubs scrapping with anyone who needs an attitude adjustment.

Fernando Lopez does not shy away from contact either. He covers the entire field well and can be expected to knock an opponent to Silly Street. Evan Kadrich also patroled the secondary like a school yard bully. He flexed on receivers often. He did well in coverage and stout against the run. Jadyn Smith played a big role in his sophomore season. He is a solid cover corner with great quickness and instincts. Other key contributors in the secondary include Diego Romero, Rigoberto Galvez, Cam Smith, and Vincente Romero. We look forward to watching these athletes crush it next year.

Special Teams:

Fernando and Evan were also valuable on Special Teams. Fernando excels as the primary punter and kicker. When asked about his mindset when kicking a field goal versus playing in the secondary Lopez remarked, "when I play defense, I am fully focused on destroying anyone with the ball." When solely kicking he added, "when I only need to kick or punt, it's very important to keep my hair looking tight, it is much easier to look good on the sidelines."

Evan Kadrich was one of the primary kick returners. He handled duties with Preston Mozer. His leadership was very important throughout the season. He said "keeping Preston focused was not always easy. But he still believes in Santa Claus, so to lock him in, I told him the big man was a huge football fan and he'd get better presents if he focused on catching the ball. It seemed to work well." Future plans for Evan include lifting weights to maintain his physique and starting a health club. He will be missed.

Thank you for reading part one. We will have part two, focusing on the offense very soon.