Photo by Daniel Mohrmann
The Manitou Springs football team has been on the emotional roller-coaster of a lifetime. What began as a heartbreaking decision to cancel the fall 2020 season ended with elation as the Mustangs claimed the Class 2A Season C football championship in May.
The Mustangs enjoyed a lot of deserved celebrations. But those days are over, and the program is moving forward in more ways than simply starting a new season.
As the team made their way out to the practice field Wednesday, Aug. 11, a loud scream could probably be heard up in the Crystal Park neighborhood.
“Man, I love football!”
It didn’t come from senior captain Ethan Boren or any other player donning a Manitou helmet. The cry came from new head coach Stu Jeck and is a clear signal that the passion and joy that surrounds Manitou football will certainly be dialed up this fall.
“Jeck’s going to lead the program in the right direction,” Boren said. “For the next few years, Manitou is going to be in good shape.”
It’s a bit of a culture shift since head coach Cory Archuleta retired after the state championship game. Jeck was on staff for two years as an assistant, and has been enamored with what he has seen in the Manitou community.
After experiencing the ultimate sports high with the team last spring, he’s hopeful that the success can carry over this fall. He knows the team needs to move past what happened just three months ago and keep the focus on what’s ahead.
“I think now is about that time,” Jeck said. “I think a lot of these kids have a lot of confidence coming in but they also understand that as good as things were last year, it doesn’t guarantee a thing for this year.”
The team will have a somewhat different look. The loss of several key seniors is leaving some major gaps on both sides of the ball, but the Mustangs are hopeful that some of the returning players can fill those holes.
Boren is back as a tight end, while Tate Christian and Tyler Maloney will have increased roles on offense. With Caleb Allen down for the year with a torn ACL, sophomore Nate Gentzel will assume the job as the starting quarterback and will have to lean on those veteran upperclassmen as he grows into his role.
Defensively, Parker Salladay will try to be the anchor and carry Jeck’s high-energy mentality through each practice and each game. He understands that not just for this year, but for years down the road, his attitude can have a trickle-down effect on future Manitou teams.
That’s something he learned from past team leaders.
“We’re trying to keep our energy and help our freshmen get better,” Salladay said. “I look back to guys like Nate Haas who was always grinding (on the field) and telling everyone what to do and being a true leader. He kept that energy high.”
The Mustangs have more than a week of practices remaining before getting back into action.