Lambkins Football 2025 recap Part 2 - Offense

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.

When trying to describe the 2025 Lambkins Offense, a few words come to mind. Explosive, consistent, juggernaut (I'll save some of you geniuses from going to dictionary.com, it means big and powerful). Lambkins fans have been looking forward to this season for a few years. This was the year where the offense had talent at all positions. It's not like the Lambkins could not move the ball in previous years, it was more individualized. In 2022 when this year's senior class were lowly 9th graders, the lack of talent and size was obvious. The offensive line starters all weighed around 210 lbs. Mason Bandhauer played varsity snaps and gained experience toward the end of the season, was one of the bigger players, even though he looked like a chipmunk. Don't believe me? Find a yearbook from 2022-23. But Mason put in the work to become better and worked to put on weight. He then taught the next round of linemen how to properly eat and gain weight. It has been rumored Mason's parents secretly own a moving truck and send it to the grocery store for a weekly reload. The moving company 2 Men and a Truck is fake. Those are two dude's the Bandhauer's hired privately to grocery shop for Mason and his brother.

Sorry, started getting off track a bit. The offensive coordinator is Jake Bennett. At first glance, you might underestimate him. He is a sizeable man, played offensive line for Colorado State, and looks like the kind of person who doesn't eat anything he hasn't killed. Seriously, one might think when Bennett says he's going out for fast food, it means he is going deer hunting. However, when you meet him, you are surprised at his understanding of the game. When asked about the offensive line, he says "the esoteric demands of each lineman function as governing variable in the system, shaping the probability space in which a play can succeed". Then added, "when calling plays, you have to assess our units strengths versus the opposition using imperfect data factors and measurements. If I can find a way to formulate a players level of conditioning versus their burn rate at any given moment, the success of calling the correct play increases exponentially". After digesting those nuggets of information, I thanked him and slowly backed away until I was at a safe distance. I am still not sure what happened.

The Receiving Corp. - Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

The receivers were a formidable crew and heavy with seniors. The leading receiver was Griffin Campain, pronounced Cam-pion. Griffin led the team in receptions (62), yards (713), and TD's (5, tied with Preston Mozer). He also led the team in fights on the opponents bench and trash talking, he usually politely disagreed with the entire other team. In other words, he is one of my all-time favorite Lambkins. When asked what caused such discernment with opponents he said, "first of all, chicks dig me." The question was re-phrased and he responded, "I don't have a clear answer. It could be my excellent hair or how I naturally smell like a gentle ocean breeze, but I just go with it." Well said.

Josef Ratazzi was a big contributor from the Tight End position. He was favorite target on 3rd downs and displayed sure handedness when targeted. He was also a good blocker and did a lot to help the run game be successful this year. Josef summed up his year by saying, "I take pride in my blocking, much like a professional chef takes pride in serving up his first batch of grits each morning at Stuckey's." When asked about his favorite memory as a Lambkin he said, "watching Tarver signal in plays from the sideline. A few times I thought he was having a medical emergency, he's that good." Ratazzi looks forward to being the next discovered magician on America's Got Talent.

When the Lambkins needed a big play, they turned to Kyrei Kincaid because he just catches touchdown passes. He had a total of 18 receptions this season, four of them were touchdowns. It has been a tough couple years for Kyrei as a serious knee injury hampered his tremendous abilities. We wish him well as he moves on to play in college. Ryley Forbes also showed solid production by hauling in two touchdowns. However, his biggest contribution was as a blocker for the long runs by Captain America. When looking at replays, you can see Ryley sealing off his assigned opponent.

The future of the receiving corp were flashed regularly, especially as he gained more experience, in the form of Preston Mozer. Just a sophomore, he was extremely productive with 31 receptions, 553 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Over the past 25 seasons, as the Lambkins switched from a run dominant team to a more balanced attack, there have been some great receivers wearing purple and gold. In 2022, Nicky Maguire was the first recorded Lambkin to eclipse the 1000 yard mark in a season. He did it with the flow of his majestic locks of hair gently waving from back of his helmet. It's been said he has the kind of hair the heavenly angels dream about regularly. Two seasons later, Levi Hermsen re-wrote the record books as he surpassed 1300 yards. Both were fast and strong but what separated them from others was their competitiveness. Both were high level, multi-sport athletes who improved each year. I firmly believe Preston has the talent, speed, and a QB who has a bazooka disguised as an arm, to be the next on the list. However, it will take a lot of dedication and desire to get to that level. Additionally, there are several other very talented receivers in the program. But from a straight talent perspective, he has a very high ceiling.

Quarterbacks

The quarterback of any offense is the most important position on the field. It is also the most difficult one to play. Fort Collins has been very fortunate to have a great QB named Justin Cranford lead the offense for the past three seasons. His leadership, understanding of the offense, and raw skills gave the coaches the ability to push the ball down the field at ludicrous speend. When asked about running a high powered offense, Justin said, "I stayed within the concepts of the offense, but knew if it all broke down, I could turn on the jets and scramble for yardage." It has been confirmed Justin has Forrest Gump type tendencies where you wouldn't know it by looking at him, but he runs like the wind blows. He consistently passed for 2100 yards in each of his three seasons. He will be missed.

The backup duties were handled by sophomore Jace Garcia. He is ultra-talented and the ball explodes out of his hand. His JV stats from this season are outstanding. Jace had 2869 passing yards, 31 TD's, and 5 interceptions. He is one of the very best QB'S in Colorado. We very much look forward to next season to watch this guy.

Running Back(s)

Now it's time to attempt to put into words, the best season by a running back most of use have ever witnessed. Mr. Jack McKeon went to work this year. First lets reflect back on 2024. By simply looking at the numbers, Jack's junior year was on par with some of the most productive any Fort Collins running back had produced. He ran for 1333 yards and had 23 TD's. Heading into this past season, the coaches were hoping for similar production but felt he might have better numbers. We asked about his expectations heading into his senior year Jack said, "I felt really good coming in and knew we had a great offensive line. I thought this was going to be a solid season." It was more than that, it was total and complete domination. He had 300 carries, 2197 yards, and 27 TD's. He turned in the best season in school history and one of the best ever in Class 5A history. And get this, the opponents knew he was going to carry the ball, they tried to stop him and couldn't come close. At 5'10 and 205 lbs of solid granite and steel, he could not be stopped.

Some running backs are quick and rely on speed to gain yards. Others are strong, bruising backs who use power to run over would be tacklers. Jack is the rare back who is a combination of both attributes. The dude can fly. Need some tough yards when the defense knows you are running the ball, he will get the yards by running over would be tacklers. Need to neutralize a good pass rush with a screen pass? He checks this box with 14 receptions, 140 yards, and 2 TD's. Simply put, he is the best running back in Fort Collins football history. Finally, this best stat is carrying a 4.2 grade point average. Speechless.

Back up duties were handled by Diego Romero, Holden Irby, Vicente Romero, and Emmett Kelly. Each player displayed flashes of big time potential.

Offensive Line

While quarterback is the most important position on the field, the five positions on the offensive line are a close second. Not very many offensive units can be successful without some big, fat guys throwing their weight around. Fortunately, the Lambkins have some big guys. Fat? Not really. This years linemen are senior dominant group who seem like they enjoyed hanging out together. But

before you start feeling all warm and fuzzy, when the lights turn on, these guys are mean as hell.

We wrote about Porter Park and Truitt Boothe as defensive linemen in part one. Not much changed as they transition to offense. Truitt said, "I have to use more athletic ability on offense because I'm in protection mode. I definitely do a lot more cheap shots." Porter echoed, "the refs usually look for holding, but after Jack flies by, I may or may get an extra shot it." I will save you all from trying to get any of the linemen to tell what type of cheap shots they might employ. It's easier to get a magician to tell you how they do their tricks. Additionally, since I am a bastion of knowledge and like to keep you informed, throwing cheap shots along the line is a common practice and almost a rite of passage. When asked each lineman who has the best cheap shots, Truitt and Ryland Price were mentioned the most. However, you probably shouldn't turn your back on any of these guys.

The center of the offensive line is extremely important since they typically call out protection calls or changes in blocking assignment. Luckily, Barrett Dworak was a three year starter. He's not the typical lineman in terms of height (Barrett is 5'9), but his lower center of gravity and overall strength was a huge asset. When asked he said, "I'm not that short." Knowing we touched a nerve we changed the subject to how the other lineman say he looks 35 instead of 18, he said, "I don't know how this became a thing. When we were freshmen and I could get everyone into an R rated movie because I looked 30, no one said anything. But now we are all over 17 it's a joke? Please, I don't look a day over 33." In all seriousness, Barrett is a fantastic football player, worked extremely hard, and is a very good person. It will be difficult to replace his consistency and his ability to score a touchdown every time he carried the ball this season.

Ryland Price was another stalwart on the line. He excelled in both aspects of blocking by being equally impressive in both running and passing situations. When asked about his preference between the two types of blocks he said, "I have not idea what you are talking about, half the time I don't even know the play." An incredible and shocking admission. He added, "I just hit the guy in front of me and made fun of him all game. You can look at the film and judge whether or not I blocked the play successfully but I promise you I won the psychological battle every game." Can't argue with that. After spending a little time with Ryland, I am strangely convinced he is the best offensive lineman in school history, I need a wardrobe update, and need to call my Mom and apologize for being such a disappointment. As for Ryland, it's impossible to replace him but we look forward to watching him become the next big television show psychologist.

The final lineman we need to discuss is Mason Bandhauer. He's the franchise, the cornerstone, and the unquestioned team leader. He is everything you want in a player. First, he's huge (6'6, 300 lbs), he moves really well in space, and made big improvements every single year. If you see him at school, he is friendly to everyone and one of the nicer kids you would ever meet. When it's gametime?He is as friendly as a cornered rattlesnake. He dominates the opponent. Sometimes he blocks an opponent to the ground, then jumps on him and taking all the opponents will right out of him. When asked about it he said, "when you knock an opponent to the ground, it's called a pancake block. I just want to make sure the pancake is flat."

For his season long excellence, Mason was named 1st team All State. A well earned and deserved honor. Additionally, he recently graduated from high school and is starting college next week as a new member of the Penn State University student body and football team. Incredible!

On a personal note, over the past few years I have gotten to know Mason well and can tell you, he is an outstanding young man. He comes from a great family and parents who have raised him well. He has a very bright future. He will do well in football and in life. I'll miss him and look forward to getting updates on life on the East Coast.

There you have it, the 2025 recap is complete. What a team, what a season! It was the kind of season a fan hopes would never end. Thank you to the players, team managers, coaches, and all of the great Lambkins fans!

Thanks for reading as this is my first attempt at written journalism. I considered calling part one "Heat" and part two "Humidity." This way if people discuss these two articles it can be said "the only thing worse than the heat is the humidity." Take good care.

John