Four years ago, the Montezuma-Cortez High School football team was mired in mediocrity. Now, the Panthers are preparing for their first playoff game in 20 years thanks in part five of this year’s seniors.
Among those seniors is quarterback Jonathan Walck, who arrived on the M-CHS team in 2010 unsure of what to expect. He soon realized that expectations were not high.
“It was really different when I was a freshman that it is now,” Walck said. “(head coach) Casey Coulter kind of came in and changed everything. We didn’t have super-high expectations.”
After suffering through a tough first season, Walck, along with senior linemen Dante Dennison, Elijah Lansing and Kyle Kennell and senior running back Randy Haley committed to getting better.
The five seniors hit the weight room and quickly improved.
“We’ve done a lot of lifting and speed training since freshman year,” said Lansing. “It has made a big difference.”
The benefits of the training have been reflected in the play of M-CHS’s offensive and defensive linemen, who are far bigger and far stronger than their predecessors.
According to Kennell, the group’s size and strength have paid dividends.
“The strength training has been really important for us,” said Kennell. “If you’re not in the weight room busting it, you’ll never beat the guy across from you.”
Thanks in large part to their improved play, school and community interest in the team has grown, which in turn has impacted the team’s confidence.
“The culture has really changed since our freshman year,” said Haley. “Our drive and mentality have improved.”
Now preparing for the first playoff game of their high school careers, all five four-year seniors are thankful to see their hard work paying off.
“We’ve been showing up to lift and work out since we were freshman and sophomores,” said Dennison. “All the hard work is finally paying off.”