AIRING IT OUT: Caney Valley Trojans sharpen offensive skills at 7-on-7 league

Caney Valley High football players are muscling up for a season rife with anticipation, but also partly an unknown due to graduation losses.

One thing’s for certain — several Trojan athletes are sowing sweat they hope will result in a harvest of success this fall.

“We’re averaging about 16 to 20 players at Summer Pride,” veteran Trojan head coach Stephen Mitchell said about the conditioning program. “We’ve also been going to passing league on Tuesdays in Pawhuska. So far, so good. We’re looking pretty good as far as that goes.”

The team’s performance in the passing (7-on-7) league has engendered more confidence in Mitchell’s outlook.

The focal point of his trust is prospective fourth-year starting quarterback Zak Wallis.

Wallis has endured the gauntlet — an 0-10 record as a freshman (2019), a playoff season as a sophomore (2020), and a winning record (but no playoff) at 6-4 last year.

He’s not attempting the harried — under pressure — throws he did as a freshman.

“Now, he’s making the right reads and putting the ball where we need it,” Mitchell said. “On wheel routes, we want the ball to go out of bounds or to the tip of the receiver’s fingers for the catch. As a freshman, he was throwing inside of the receiver on wheel routes which led to some turnovers. As a senior he’s putting it (the ball) outside of the receiver.”

Wallis has displayed that progress during passing league competition in Pawhuska.

“I’ve been really impressed with his leadership,” Mitchell said. “I feel he’s taken that role as the main leader.”

Mitchell is hoping also go give back-up freshman quarterback Noah Mitchell some varsity snaps in order to prepare him for the 2024 season.

Noah had a chance to take the snaps in a passing league session that Wallis was unable to attend.

“Every summer for the past four years I have not had to worry about getting a quarterback ready to go,” coach Mitchell said.

Caney Valley’s receiver corps took a sizable hit from graduation, but the Trojans still have some quality targets in the rotation, led by junior-to-be Cooper Fogle. Fogle also has average more than 90 tackles a year on defense the past couple of seasons.

Quaid Jones has looked good at receiver and Zack Ketchum also has been working hard in the rotation, coach Mitchell said.

Kenji Young is one of the receiving stars in passing league competition and freshman Talon Bond is a promising talent on the receiving end, Mitchell said.

Lane Arthurs also had been working into the receiver mix.

Ketchum and Arthurs are both transfer students and had to sit out of varsity action last season.

This year’s Caney Valley team has an opportunity to record back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in Trojan football history.