CALEDONIA — As the lights of Friday night approach, the Cavaliers can be seen at practice. The coaches are constantly sharpening the fundamentals for each position group, spending painstaking hours on footwork and positioning. For a team that runs the ball the way they do, that’s key, and this year is no different — putting in the work and getting new role players up to speed.

“I like what we’ve seen the first two days in protective gear,” said head coach Michael Kelly. “We have a good group of kids. I don’t know how that’s going to play out in a few weeks, but I love our group. We’ve had really good groups in the past, but there’s just something special about this group. They know how to work hard, they know how to play and have fun. We have some inexperience and we have to grow up quickly, but that’s what this time of year and the non-district league is for. I feel like this group is special and I’m excited for them to get it done.”

The culture of the program is currently a far cry from what it has been in years past, and even in one of the toughest districts in the state, the Cavaliers aren’t playing out of fear. That confidence and focus are the result of six years of work under Kelly, and are evident in year seven.

“We’re seeing the fruits of our labor, there’s no doubt about it,” Kelly said. “I love our football program and it speaks volumes to the staff and our junior high program that they’re doing a great job of establishing the culture and the standards, getting the students in the weight room and teaching them how it’s like, and you see the fruits of the labor in 9th, 10th and 11th grade.”

The Cavaliers have a number of experienced players back, and this year’s group of seniors has experienced nothing but playoff runs in their time as Cavaliers. For them, the standard remains the same in preparation throughout the year, and they welcome their chance to emerge as leaders in the locker room.

“In the offseason we practice year-round, in the summer we practice and then in the fall,” senior lineman Tim Farrell said. “We don’t change what we do, we practice our game plan year-round. We lost a lot of good players last year, but we have some experience and depth.”

“The seniors from years past have always set the standard for us, they do that every year,” added Carson Gorum. “We come in the offseason knowing we have to meet expectations or we’ll let our community down. They set the standard and we just put in the work to prove we can do it. That’s what it comes down to. If you get the little things right, the game gets easier.”

Last season, the Cavaliers made the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, and those five playoff appearances under Kelly are remarkable considering the team had only made the playoffs four times in the last 60 years. But nothing was easy in 2023, and it took them several games to get there.

“Last year we struggled with little things like stepping in the right spot or hitting the right gap,” senior Jackson Selmon said. “This year we focused on those things to be successful and gain more yards on each play.”

The Cavaliers won two close road games against Ripley and Newton County to face undefeated defending 4A champion Louisville in the third round. It was the fourth postseason meeting in as many years for the district rivals and ended with the Wildcats once again ending Caledonia’s playoff run.

They never gave up, but the Wildcats were too strong and took care of their business at home.

After the game, Kelly was both proud and frustrated. Nearly a year later, that frustration has turned into motivation, and he and his players know those feelings won’t go away until they prove themselves against the best of the best.

“Let’s face it, until we beat Louisville and Houston, we haven’t proven it,” Kelly said bluntly. “Until we beat some of the guys, and I don’t have to hide that from these guys, they know what we have to do, we just have to roll up our sleeves and find a way to get it done. I’ve got some tough young men, let’s hope we’re healthy when we get to that point and then we’ll let the football roll and see where we are.”

TRAINING STAFF

Michael Kelly: Head Coach

Chris Harlow: Defensive Coordinator/Secondary/WRs

Ray Weeks: Offensive Coordinator/QBs

Cody Cliett: Slots/Defensive Line

Jason Forrester: OL/ILB

Josh Baty: FBs/OLBs

Will Donald: ILBs

Karsten Gullette: Slots/Secondary

Darquez Williams: OLBs

Zack Gorum: WRs

SERVICE SCHEDULE

0 Jaxon Shellman SB/CB 5′ 8″ 151 lbs Sr.

1 Conner Black WR/OLB 6′ 2″ 164 lbs Sr.

3. Charlie Sullivan SB/CB 6′ 0″ 170 lbs Sr.

4 Cohen Clark QB/S 5′ 9″ 170 lbs Jr.

5 Alex Beaty WR/OLB 6′ 0″ 155 lbs Sr.

6 Jeramia Smith SB/OLB 5′ 7″ 140 lbs Soph.

7 Micah O’Daniel SB/S 6′ 2″ 180 lbs Sr.

7 Jack McDowell 6′ 2″ 205 lbs Jr.

7 Micah O’Daniel, 1.88 m, 82 kg, Sr.

8 Johnathan Hughes SB/CB 5′ 8″ 150 lbs Sr.

8 Johnathan Hughes 5′ 8″ 150 pounds Sr.

9 Kadarius Shanklin SB/CB 5′ 7″ 141 lbs Jr.

10 Tyler Long QB/S 6′ 0″ 150 lbs Fr.

11 Ethan Robinson WR 5′ 11″ 127 lbs Jr.

12 Brody Watrous QB, 6’2″, 185lbs, sophomore.

13 Ryan Macasek 6′ 0″ 173 pounds Jr.

14 Owen Byrd S 5′ 10″ 154 lbs Jr.

15 Carson Gorum WR 6′ 1″ 169 lbs Sr.

16 Trevor Dennis FB/OLB 5′ 10″ 159 lbs Jr.

17 Xander Tate WR/OLB 6′ 1″ 158 lbs Fr.

18 Sy Rushing S 5′ 8″ 148 lbs Fr.

19 Caleb Lang SB/CB 5′ 9″ 148 lbs Soph.

20 Blake Pennington 5′ 8″ 192 pounds Jr.

21 Reed Baughman WR/OLB 5′ 10″ 143 lbs, 2nd year.

22 Cole Garner FB 5′ 9″ 184 lbs Jr.

23 Holden Counts FB 5′ 8″ 176 lbs Fr.

24 Jakobe Jones SB/CB 5′ 8″ 142 lbs Soph.

25 Julius Wilburn WR/CB 6′ 1″ 135 lbs Jr.

26 Davis Smith WR/OLB 5′ 10″ 170 lbs, 2nd year.

28 Bryson Fountain FB/DL 6′ 0″ 190 lbs 8.

29 Landon Nutter WR/OLB 5′ 10″ 145 lbs Jr.

29 Hayden Jordan DL 6′ 2″ 210 lbs Fr.

30 Jordan Davis SB/CB 5′ 6″ 152 lbs Fr.

31 David Kimball FB 5′ 10″ 157 lbs Jr.

32 Kaiden Pierce WR/OLB 5′ 8″ 154 lbs Fr.

36 Matthew Keene WR/OLB 5′ 10″ 143 lbs Jr.

39 Michael Biller 5′ 5″ 145 pounds Soph.

41 Garrett Chandler WR/OLB 5′ 10″ 150 lbs Fr.

42 Max Starnes 5′ 10″ 151 pounds Soph.

44 Huntley Holliman DL 6′ 1″ 198 lbs Jr.

46 Trenton Carter K 5′ 9″ 170 lbs 2025

50 Weston Holliman OL/DL 6′ 1″ 217 lbs Fr.

51 Thane Shepherd OL 5′ 10″ 183 lbs Jr.

52 Kyler Whitworth OL 6′ 1″ 178 pounds Sr.

53 George Pruitt OL/DL 6′ 0″ 230 lbs, Sophomore.

54 Kolten Walters OL/DL 5′ 10″ 187 lbs Jr.

55 James Claybrook OL/DL 6′ 0″ 225 lbs Jr.

56 Jahiem Shinn OL/DL 5′ 11″ 320 lbs Sophomore.

57 Landon Clark OL 6′ 1″ 299 pounds Jr.

58 Houston Montgomery OL 5′ 9″ 244 lbs Fr.

58 Walker Ferguson OL/DL 5′ 8″ 180 lbs Jr.

59 Ashton Farmer OL 5′ 10″ 181 pounds Sr.

60 Dylan Dees OL 6′ 0″ 208 pounds Sr.

62 Landen Merchant OL/DL 6′ 0″ 220 lbs Fr.

63 Roy Claybrook OL 6′ 0″ 170 lbs Fr.

66 Mason Carter OL 5′ 9″ 159 lbs Fr.

67 Chris Thompson OL 5′ 9″ 251 lbs Fr.

72 Timothy Farrell OL/DL 6′ 2″ 193 pounds Sr.

73 Jaylon Washington DL 6′ 4″ 319 lbs, 2nd year.

74 Isaiah Bell OL/DL 5′ 8″ 207 lbs Jr.

75 Joshua Rendon OL 5′ 10″ 176 pounds Jr.

76 Grayson Carter OL 5′ 6″ 170 lbs Fr.

77 Duncan Whittington OL 6′ 0″ 268 lbs Jr.

80 Andrew Johns WR 5′ 11″ 153 lbs Jr.

81 Jack Jackson WR 6′ 0″ 140 lbs Jr.

83 Landen Daniels WR 6′ 2″ 136 lbs Soph.

84 Juan Cac WR 5′ 2″ 137 lbs Fr.

97 Woods Gramling FB/DL 5′ 9″ 210 lbs Soph.

Calven Hunziker Fr.

Lawson Brackin, 5 feet 10 inches, 208 pounds, Jr.

Sawyer Junkin Fr.

Curtis Honeycutt Fr.

Colton Waddell Fr.

Juan Gutierrez Fr.

Elijah Oppedal Fr.

Alexander Randall, 5′ 10″, 128 pounds, Sr.

Colby Hand Fr.

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