Pigskin Preview: Sandhills Valley

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) -The Sandhills Valley Mavericks come into the 2023 season following a first round loss to Sandy Creek in the D-1 playoffs last fall, and though the Mavericks lost a large senior class head coach Luke Connell is excited for this team and thinks they can take the next step this season.

“We have got a good group coming back,” said Connell, “but we lost a good group of senior last year, a really good group of seniors, 5 guys that started on both sides of the ball, but we have a really nice group coming back that has some experience, but we have to get some young guys to rock and roll as well.”

Getting back on the field in August means dealing with the Nebraska heat, but the team feels like practicing in the hot conditions only makes them better.

“I think it has made us more tough than anything,” said Senior Braden Powell, “obviously we have had our battles with heat, but like everyone else in the state we are getting through we we are going to be tougher through it.”

Coach Connell makes sure that his squad takes the season one game at a time, but when it comes to the playoffs, he and the team want to show that they can get the win when it counts this fall.

“Our main goal is obviously to get down to Lincoln,” said Senior Cooper Layher, “but our team goal is to win a playoff game, we have done that the past three years, I believe as a team we should win a playoff game this year”

Sandhills Valley kicks off their season on Friday when they host Southern Valley in Stapleton.

Copyright 2023 KNOP. All rights reserved.