TOPEKA — Two students, that’s the difference for Cair Paravel this fall when the Lions will be playing 11-man football for the first time in their school’s history.
They will be playing in Class 1A with their student population exceeding the threshold by two students.
“We know there is going to be a big change and it’s going to be exciting when it happens,” head coach Doug Bonura said. “The last couple groups of boys that have gone through have improved the excitement for the game.”
The Lions’ schedule will see them play perennial giants Rossville and Olpe. Impressive teams don’t scare Cair Paravel easily. Their only losses from a year ago were from Lyndon and Axtell, both state championship-winning teams.
“We are really young and have a lot of boys that are going to have to learn and grow up,” Bonura said. “Last year, we had a tough schedule. We only lost to two teams last year and both of them won a state championship. That is something to be proud of. We have a good program and we hope the guys will continue to rise and learn.”
Football: Why Seaman grad Callen Barta made the ‘right decision’ to join Kansas State early
The move to 11-man will be a new challenge as Cair Paravel will only return two starters to the roster. One of those starters is quarterback Jase Pavlik, a rising senior who often is among the most athletically gifted players on the field. The move to a larger field and more players excites Pavlik in his final season.
Pavlik threw for 2,036 yards and completed over 70% of his throws. He also ended with 38 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns. His game is good enough to transition to a full team of players.
“This is going to be a fun challenge. We have a lot of shoes to be filled,” Pavlik said. “This is going to be a really good challenge for our younger guys.”
Bonura shared that the offense will be ready for 11-man football. There isn’t much he has to change as the Lions played a high-tempo, gunslinging style of play. The main change will come from the defensive side. Many players on the Lions’ roster will have to play both sides of the ball and tactics will be needed to judge.
“Our biggest challenge will be our defensive adjustments,” Bonura said. “That’s the one that we have really had to figure out a little more. There will be different holes because there will be five guys on the line instead of three and finding guys to fill those places.”
Track and field: After change of heart, Hayden’s Finn Dunshee is ‘hungry’ to make TCU
One of the advantages of Cair Parvel’s change in class is college recruitment. According to Bonura, college scouts don’t look to 8-man players very frequently. The move up in classification will give players, like Pavlik, a chance to show their talents in hopes of playing college ball.
“Coaches see that I play 8-man and they go, ‘nope, we don’t want an 8-man quarterback,’” Pavlik said. “The game has done a lot for me, created a lot of buddies and grown me closer to the Lord. I can’t imagine football not being in my life in some way.”
Last season, expectations were high for the Lions, who finished 9-3. This fall, they will be flying under the radar playing against new teams and in a new classification.
“We are going to have fun and enjoy the season,” Bonura said. “Hopefully, we are going to surprise some people.”
Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: How Cair Paravel is preparing for first year in 11-man football
The Topeka Capital-Journal
