By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices 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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Silver Lake football will begin competition in a new league and a new district this fall, but the main focus for the tradition-rich Eagles will continue to be on putting themselves in the Class 2A title picture.
Third-year Silver Lake coach Logan Pegram talks to his Eagles during a preseason practice. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Eagles, who are coming off an 8-2 record in 2023, are now a member of the 11-school Big East League, which has the potential to be one of the state's premier small-school leagues, and will compete in 2A District 3 but third-year Silver Lake coach Logan Pegram said it will be business usual for his team.
"We're just kind of worried about us,'' said Pegram, a former Silver Lake standout. "Not in a selfish way, but we can only control what we can control and I think our kids are looking foward to the challenge.
"Everybody's like, 'Oh man, that new league you're in,' but KSHSAA kind of dictates our districts and our districts are also no slouch. There's quality teams in there and there's going to be a good team not in the playoff race.''
But as is the case every season, Silver Lake's expectations will remain the same as the Eagles take aim on the ninth state title in program history.
"Our expectations are pretty clear,'' Pegram said. "I think anyone that knows us knows how we define success and our kids know that. We're honest with them and all six of us coaches played here, so we know the expectations and we define success with footballs (state titles) on the fence over there.
"We haven't gotten there yet, but we're going to keep working.''
Logan Pegram's Silver Lake Eagles will be looking to take another step this fall after an 8-2 campaign in 2023. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Silver Lake has posted a 14-5 record over Pegram's first two seasons and the Eagle coach said his team turned in a solid offseason as it looks to take another step this fall.
"We did a great job,'' Pegram said. "We had a lot of kids out here getting better and we had a lot of kids that are stepping up and really embracing the challenge of replacing some of our talented seniors that left.''
Silver Lake returns six starters on offense and seven on defense to build this year's team around.
Offensively the Eagles return senior linemen Braden Strausbaugh and Trenten Harris as well as senior receivers Trent Rollenhagen, Brody Deiter and Logan Cathcart and junior receiver Dayne Johnson.
Defensively Silver Lake returns leading tackler Johnson and Cathcart at safety, Rollenhagen at linebacker, Deiter and senior JP Whitehead at cornerback and junior Samson Webber and Strausbaugh in the defensive line.
Pegram said he also thinks several other Eagles are ready for breakout seasons in 2024.
Senior Dysen Schooler and junior Ben Renfro could move into the starting quarterback position for the Eagles while junior Bryson Burgos and Rossville transfer Paxton Willett, a junior, are expected to be solid contributors at running back.
"We've got guys who are ready to carry the torch,'' Pegram said. "We've just go to coach them up and they've got to take coaching.''
Silver Lake opens its 2024 season at home on Sept. 6 in the continuation of the fabled 'War on 24' rivalry with Rossville before posting defending 2A state champion Nemaha Central on Sept. 13.
SILVER LAKE
2024 football schedule
September -- 6 Rossville, 13 Nemaha Central, 20 at Perry-Lecompton, 27 at St. Marys.
October -- 4 at Baldwin, 11 Riley County, 18 at Osage City, 25 Council Grove.
Next up: Topeka High.
