Change is nothing new in high school football, but for Smoky Valley senior Crew Elliott, this season will bring a different kind of adjustment.
For the first time in his football career, Elliott’s father won’t be on the sidelines coaching him. After serving on the Vikings’ coaching staff for years, his father is now an assistant principal at Salina Central, leaving Elliott to navigate his final high school season without the familiar presence he’s always known.
“My senior season is going to be very different, as my dad has always been on the sidelines with me as a coach, but is now an assistant principal at Salina Central,” Elliott said. “We lost a great group of seniors and a veteran coaching staff, but I am excited to continue to embark on a new challenge and improve as a team with many positions being filled by new people.”
The Vikings also enter the season with a revamped coaching staff and plenty of new faces expected to contribute. Rather than viewing those changes as obstacles, Elliott sees opportunity.
“I am also excited about our new group of young coaches and their ideas,” he said. “I hope our team can surprise some people.”
As one of the team’s veteran leaders, Elliott understands his role extends well beyond making tackles on Friday nights.
“I am really looking forward to being a good leader on and off the field, as a senior,” he said. “It is a goal of mine to try to lead by example in all areas of my life, not just football.”
That leadership has been evident throughout the offseason. Elliott said he has not missed a single day of the team’s summer lifting and conditioning program while also training at Sharp Performance Football Academy. He attended Kansas State’s Elite Camp, a Specialist Snapping Camp and a Top Prospect Camp to sharpen every aspect of his game.
In addition to individual training, Elliott has helped the Vikings prepare through Thursday night 7-on-7 competitions and team camps at Bethel and Buhler.
After a shoulder injury limited him to seven games last season, Elliott’s primary focus has been regaining his strength while becoming a more explosive athlete.
“I want to continue to work on my foot speed and get stronger,” he said. “I injured my shoulder last year, and it has taken time to regain my strength. I have spent a lot of time working in the weight room and with a trainer to help with both.”
Despite missing time, Elliott still made a significant impact on defense, finishing with 60 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles. He also contributed 352 rushing yards offensively while earning second-team Central Kansas League honors at linebacker along with honorable mention all-state recognition.
This fall, Elliott hopes to expand his role. In addition to anchoring the defense, he expects to contribute more at running back while continuing his duties as the team’s long snapper.
“My individual goals would include being first-team all-league defensively and, hopefully, all-state honors again this year,” Elliott said. “I also want to help my team offensively as a running back and get more points on the scoreboard. I am also our long snapper, so I have been working hard on my accuracy and speed.”
While personal accolades remain on his list of goals, Elliott’s priorities begin with the success of the Vikings as they look to exceed expectations.
“Honestly, for our team, I just want to continue improving and help instill confidence in my teammates that we can be competitive,” he said. “I think we can improve our record to .500.”
For Elliott, the message he’ll continue delivering throughout his senior season is one that puts the team first.
“I guess my main goal is to continue to stress the ‘WE, not ME’ mentality so we can be the best we can be,” he said.
