2023 Preview: Northside Christian Crusaders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tight end <strong>Gavin Ford</strong> and wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360013' first='Sam' last='Burks']</strong> have high aspirations for Northside Christian.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A year after making the post-season and just three seasons removed from a 2020 campaign in which the Crusaders played a junior varsity schedule, the two seniors athletes believe they are ready to make even bigger noise this season in SCISA Class 2A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I feel like we're super confident,” Ford said. “I feel like we have a good chance of winning it all this year. We've just got to stay focused and disciplined.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Said Burks: “I also think we're really confident this year. We have a great team. I think we have a lot of good guys that want to be here, and I think we're going to win it all this year.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the attitude head coach Dean Howell has sought to create during his first two seasons. With a middle school and JV program fully established, Howell has the program positioned to contend for a region title and possibly make its second state final in school history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“This is been like I feel like I've had to kind of reinvent myself as a coach and kind of go back to my days of coaching…middle school football and ninth grade football again. Started with a bunch of really, really young kids, but they're older now and they're more mature and they've been in our program for 2-3 years, most of them. It's fun in the fact that now everybody kind of knows what to do and what to expect and all that kind of stuff.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“So I guess fun, easier, however you want to phrase it. We're doing things the way I've always wanted to do it and we're doing things in a much smaller setting and, hopefully, the kids are having fun. Hopefully, we'll make some noise this year.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burks is arguably the team's most versatile player. He was the team's leading offensive weapon the past two seasons at both wide receiver and running back and sees action at defensive back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1399629' first='JR' last='Kinard']</strong> was the team's leading wide receiver last season. He's part of arguably the team's deepest position with Burks, <strong>Jake Jeffrey</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578709' first='Trevor' last='Hoffman']</strong>, <strong>John Lizewski</strong> and Chapin transfer <strong>Preston Mills</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The timing could not work better for quarterback <strong>Jefferson McCallum</strong>. Howell has called him one of the hardest workers this summer and praised his growth as a leader.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northside Christian will play its first two games on the road. The key is staying healthy as the Crusaders' depth is only “razor thin” in Howell's words.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jefferson McCallum</strong> QB, 2025 – In eight games, he threw for 1,370 yards and 11 touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360013' first='Sam' last='Burks'] </strong>WR, 2025 – Argubly the team's best player, he plays as many as three positions at a high level. He amassed over 1,000 total yards and averaged 27.4 yards on kickoff returns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>John Libewski </strong>DB, 2025 – Davis expects him to be among the best receivers in his graduating class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No film available</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST LOSSES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dylan Judy </strong>OL – One of the team's leading linemen on both sides of the football was also one of the team's top leaders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Braedon Patterson</strong>&nbsp;LB – The lone senior on defense to graduate last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preston Mills </strong>WR 2025 – He saw action at tight end for the Chapin junior varsity team last season. He's expected to make an immediate impact for the Crusaders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1399629' first='JR' last='Kinard']</strong> WR 2025 – The team's leading receiver last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->