By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practice at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2024 season on Sept. 6.
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Coming off its best season as a full member of the Kansas State High School Athletics Association, Cair Paravel Latin finds itself starting over in many ways this fall.
Doug Bonura's Cair Paravel football team will make the jump to 11-man this fall, competing in Class 1A. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Doug Bonura's Lions posted a 9-3 record and advanced to the Eight-Man Division I state semifinals a year ago, but CPLS graduated nine seniors and has only four returning lettermen and 19 total players as it begins its transition into the 11-man ranks this fall.
Cair Paravel's enrollment was two students above the limit for Eight-Man Football, prompting the move to Class 1A.
And although Bonura knows the Lions will face numerous challenges this fall, he said the focus will be on making steady improvement each and every day out.
"If you do everything right and grow and get better and you do the best that you can and you still lose, that's still successful,'' Bonura said. "If there's 100 guys on the other sideline and you've got 19 you still play your heart out and we may be able to win, we play to win. David can beat Goliath but the reality of it is if they're bigger and they're better and they're stronger we just say, 'You know what, hats off to you, you guys are better than us.' ''
Because of its low numbers, some of the Lions will rarely come off the field this fall, but Bonura said he wants his players to embrace the opportunity that's in front of them.
"I said, 'Our job is to play football and this is what you get to do, so regardless of who's up you guys are going to be on the field a lot and that's a whole lot of fun,' '' Bonura said.
"We've got a good group of boys. They're smart, and they like to work hard, so I think we're excited to get out there. I said, 'Look, you're going to play a lot of ball.' ''
Cair Paravel senior quarterback Jase Pavlik passed for 2,036 yards and rushed for 890 yards last season. [File photo]
Cair Paravel's top returner is senior quarterback Jase Pavlik, who accounted for more than 2,900 total yards and had a hand in 53 touchdowns last season.
Pavlik completed 159 of 227 pass attempts for 2,036 yards and 38 touchdowns and rushed for 890 yards and 15 TDs on 92 attempts.
Also returning for the Lions are senior lettermen Ben Roeder and Billy Lanich and junior Tobias Bonura.
Cair Paravel will open its season Sept. 6 at West Franklin and will play at Osage City on Sept. 13 before playing its home opener on Sept. 20 against Council Grove.
The Lions will play their home games this season at Washburn University's Yager Stadium.
"It's exciting,'' Bonura said. "It's a great opportunity, fun for the boys.''
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN
2024 football schedule
(Home games at Yager Stadium)
September -- 6 at West Franklin, 13 at Osage City, 20 Council Grove, 27 at Mission Valley.
October -- 4 Wabaunsee, 11 at Rossville, 18 Maranatha Christian, 25 at Olpe.
Next up: Hayden.
