Lakota East Football

Varsity Coach:                    Jon Kitna                   Junior Varsity Coach:     Dalton Strunk  Freshmen Coach:               James Scott           

2023 Season Outlook

This season will bring new looks to the Thunderhawks as thirteen-year head coach Rick Haynes retired, and the Hawks hired former Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna as head coach.  Kitna will bring ten years of high school head coaching and sixteen years of NFL experience to Lakota East.

The 2023 Thunderhawks return four starters on both offense and defense as well as several players that earned experience in 2022.  On the offensive side of the ball, the Hawks will be led by junior transfer and four-star quarterback Jamison Kitna.  Kitna will have seniors Andy Vogelmann (WR) and Derek Jackson (TE) as key targets in the Hawks new pro-style offense.  Anchoring the offensive line, which will average 295 pounds, will be senior left tackle Nick Fritzsche.  The Hawks are also excited about several other offensive players that will be getting their first start this season. 

Defensively the Thunderhawks will also be sporting a new look moving from the traditional 5-2 defense of the past to a more modern attacking even front filled with a variety of stunts, blitzes, and coverages.  The defensive Hawks will be led by senior linebackers Marvin Richter, Wyatt Pleasant, and Hezekiah Holliman.  Up front in the trenches, the defense will rely on the run-stopping abilities of juniors Marcus Osner and Parker Elam. The secondary will see several Hawks vying for starting positions including senior Payton Peck and juniors Nick Miller and Connor Kruse.

The Hawks will open their season on the road against Centerville, a strong GWOC champion contender.  East will open GMC play at home in week two against Hamilton.

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