By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
By most metrics, the 2024 Great Bend Panther defense was the best in school history. The 1910 team allowed just 19 points, but the Panthers that year played just six games with five shutouts and a 19-0 loss to Stafford. No other GBHS team had allowed fewer than 149 points since 2002 before this year's squad allowed a paltry 106 points, with several touchdowns scored with the game already decided in the second half.
Senior Aidan Davidson, who played defensive end this fall, set new school records for sacks in a season with nine and tackles-for-loss in a season with 14.
"It was just the hard work we put in this summer and how we were all so close to each other," he said.
Davidson recorded 11 tackles in wins against McPherson and Liberal this season. He got to the quarterback six times in the first five games of the season. Since sack records have been tracked at GBHS since 2002, only three players have recorded more than six sacks in a season, including Seth Homolka, who did it twice. Davidson's nine sacks this season surpassed Blake Penka's 2018 record, and his career total of 11 is second behind Homolka's 14.5.
"It's getting off the ball quick and hustling," Davidson said. "A lot of times the quarterback will roll out. If you're hustling, you'll get a sack."
Davidson is coming off a successful wrestling season after qualifying for state as a junior. Panther football head coach Erin Beck said that athleticism is what made him so dangerous on the gridiron.
"Aidan had a great season, and setting some long-standing school records is always special," Beck said. "He is so athletic and quick off the ball. He was a nightmare for offensive linemen to try and block. Anytime a defensive end is in the discussion for the fastest kid on your team, you know he is going to be a game-wrecker."
But Davidson was just part of a special defensive unit that rewrote the GBHS record books across the board. The 28 team sacks this year smashed the previous school record by nearly six.
"We’ve had some good defenses in the past, but I think what set this one apart from the others was the consistency at all three levels," Beck said. "It all starts up front with guys like Aidan, Brody Schnoebelen, Owen Kaiser, Blaine Ensley, Michael Montoya, and Conner Holladay. We were really able to get after the quarterback this season, which helps tremendously in the passing game. And, we were able to do it without having to blitz as much as we've had to in the past."
Tackles have been charted in the school record books since 1998. Junior Trent Kern is one of just two players to have two entries in the top-13 for most tackles in a season. With 113 tackles this season and 110 last year, he moves to No. 3 on the career tackle list with a season to go.
"Controlling that line of scrimmage to keep guys like Trent clean is key to success," said Beck. "When he can run and hit like that, teams struggled to run it on us. He is the best true-thumping middle linebacker I’ve ever coached. Getting his younger brother, Kale, healthy about midway through the season once we lost Brody provided some much-needed shuffling to keep things intact. Sophomore Jaxon Wondra stepped in nicely in his absence."
The moves paid off. The 2005 team that also played 10 games allowed just 988 rushing yards. This year's team became just the second in school history to allow fewer than 1,300 rushing yards with 1,297. The 885 passing yards allowed this season broke the 9-year-old school record of 915 yards, and this year's squad also reset the previous record of fewest total yards allowed in a season by 36 yards with 2,182.
Success carried over into the secondary. Entering this season, five players had recorded two defensive touchdowns in a season, including sophomore Cooper Ohnmacht, who tied the record last season as a freshman. This year, junior Jacob Hall reset the record with three defensive scores.
"Probably the biggest early-season surprise on that side of the ball was the emergence of Jacob," Beck said. "That kid is so athletic and long to be able to help in stopping both the run and pass. He really bought in and you could tell he had a lot of fun playing with this unit.
"We also gained some depth with Koehn Ribordy, who was such a versatile piece to our defense. Having a kid like Ian Premer at safety provided an eraser on the backend of that defense. He really learned to fill the alley in the run game this season. His ball skills and range are the best I've ever seen, and he just created a nightmare for opposing offenses. The physicality that Cooper brought in the secondary was also a huge help. He can do so much with his athleticism. Then, to finish it off with those sure tackling, wrestler guys like Hayden Kelly and Jace Schartz eliminated so much on the edge."
At 8-0 this season, Great Bend had its best start since 1978. The Panthers won another game, and that 9-game win streak marks the fourth-longest in school history. The offense made its share of plays but the defense was one of the best in Kansas this fall.
"Credit to our defensive coaches and all they did with this group this season," said Beck. "Coach Jeff Lutt, Defensive coordinator and linebackers; Coach Matt Barton, defensive line; Coach Bill Maddy corners and secondary; Coach Bryce Wells outside linebackers and safeties; and Coach Jason Perry, freshman coach and our eyes in the sky. They did a great job all season long developing a game plan and getting the kids to execute it on Friday nights."