Football Spotlight: Whitko senior split end and defensive back Brady Weeks will look to have a big impact on both sides of the ball in 2015. (Photo by Nick Goralczyk)

SOUTH WHITLEY – Over the past two seasons Whitko has found plenty of success on the gridiron. The Wildcats have put together two consecutive winning seasons and have amassed a 12-2 Three Rivers Conference record as well as claimed a share of the TRC crown in 2013. But Whitko faces a tough task in filling some big shoes heading into the 2015 season.

The Wildcats graduated several key pieces to their success on both sides of the ball. The program’s all-time leading rusher, Tanner Hughes, graduated along with defensive playmakers such as Sam Silor, Zach Baughman, Zach Snep and Cole Kessie. But despite losing those pieces, head coach Josh Mohr knows that there is still plenty of talent on his team.

“We have a few guys that we’re looking to pick up where they left off last season,” began Mohr. “Guys like Landon Goff, Brady Weeks and Garrett Elder. Brady plays on both sides of the ball as a split end and as a corner. He’s a three year starter, we know he can make plays for us.

“Garrett is entering his second year as our starting quarterback, we look for him to pick up where he left off and run our offense successfully. Then you have Landon that really came on strong towards the end of last year.”

While there is no true successor to Hughes yet, seniors Gavin Powell and Garrett Smiley both worked out the backfield in the triple option with Hughes last year and have the experience needed to carry on Whitko’s run-heavy reputation. Of course, to run the ball a team needs reliable guys in the trenches.

“Everything starts up front for us,” Mohr stated. “We have four guys back this year that have starting experience, that’s important. Then for that last spot on the line we have two or three guys that are coming on strong and can fill that gap.”

Garrett Cokl, Gavin Howard, Garrett Titus and Walker Hobbs will be the four returning road graders for Mohr’s offense.

Mohr later talked about how a big part of his staff’s focus has gone to filling the gaps on defense with the graduation of players like Baughman, Kessie, Snep and Silor but sees guys that are willing to work to fill those gaps.

New faces in the starting lineup from a year ago are not the only changes the team will see this year with the realigning of the TRC. Peru and Maconaquah join the conference to help form North and South divisions. The final week of the regular season is set for a cross-divisional playoff. Whitko is in the North division along with Tippecanoe Valley, Rochester, Northfield and Manchester. Peru, Maconaquah, Southwood, Wabash and North Miami make up the South.

“It makes conference games that much more important,” Mohr said of the new-look TRC. “Now we’re playing for something a little different in a playoff setting before we go into the sectional. We won’t know who we play until the week before and it’s all based on your record against the division teams, you can’t have a letdown and still make it to that conference championship like you could in years past. It changes the dynamic a little bit and makes it more exciting.

“I think it will help going into the sectional because you don’t know who you’re going to play until a week before just like sectionals. So, it adds to that excitement by bringing that playoff atmosphere one week earlier.”

Another change for the 2015 season will be the season opening game as Whitko will host Cambridge City Lincoln after playing Wawasee every season since 1997.

Whitko and Cambridge City Lincoln will kick at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, to ring in the new season.