The Webbers Falls Warriors went 9-3 in 2023 and got to the second round of the Class B playoffs.

However, coach Trent Holt’s team graduated five players from that team — including quarterback Maddux Shelby, who will be a freshman at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M after signing a letter of intent with the Norsemen last February.

“We’re definitely going to miss him,” Holt said. “He’s been the quarterback for four years. He’s a heck of a football player.”

However, Holt said he thinks he has found this year’s quarterback.

“Right now, we’re going to go with Brutus Robinson,” Holt said. “He’s a sophomore. He’s a smaller kid, but he’s really smart. He’ll throw the ball well. He’s pretty athletic. He’s a really tough kid. If we don’t think he’s doing the job, we’ll probably end up moving Aiden Turley to quarterback — but he’ll be at tailback to start with. Aiden throws the ball OK, but mentally as far as being a quarterback, that’s not what his game would be. If we have to, we’ll put (Turley) back there, and we’ll throw the ball when we have to. We can run it, or he could hand it off to our other kids.”

While Turley is set to be the No. 1 running back, there are others in the mix.

“Aiden is just a big, tough, strong kid,” Holt said. “He’s pretty fast.

He’s a big running back. We’ll have Zane Nolan — he’s returning. He’s the fastest kid on the team. He’s very strong, and he’s pretty elusive. (Nolan) will be sharing the load at running back. We’ll have Dakota Moore, who’s a junior. He’s a solid football player. As far as football players, Dakota may be the overall best football player we have. Offensively, he runs the ball well.”

There is still a Shelby on the team, and likely will be the top receiving target for Robinson, or Turley.

“We have Gunner Shelby,” Holt said. “He’s got really good hands. He’s grown up a lot. He’s got pretty good speed, and he’s a really good route runner. He’ll catch the ball. Then, we have Trysten Wilbourn. He played here when he was in the seventh and eighth grade, and he played here as a freshman. He moved to Muskogee (last year) to play his sophomore year, and now he’s back. He’s got really good hands, and he is a pretty good route runner and has pretty good speed. He’s another kid who can catch the ball. We’ve got Brody Terrell, a junior. He’s a pretty tall kid, and he’s got pretty good hands. He played about half the year last year. He came out late. He’s got a chance to see the field. We have Clayton Roberts, and he’s got a chance to contribute as a receiver. We have a freshman kid who moved here, Colton Lester. He’s really fast, but hasn’t played football in a while, but he hasn’t had a chance to practice yet. We’re anxious to see him because it looks like he can run pretty well. If he can catch the ball, he’ll be in the mix as well.”

Ryan Cowan will lead the way along the offensive line for the Warriors.

“We return Ryan Cowan,” Holt said. “He’s started there for a couple of years. He may end up at center, but right now he’s playing guard. He’s our mostexperienced returning lineman. We have Brock Rhoden, a junior. He got a lot stronger. He’s in the mix. We’re looking at him at guard. We’re looking at Dawson Littlefield at guard. He’s a 165-pounder, but he can get off the football, and he’s scrappy. So, he’s in the mix. We have a couple of kids battling it out for center — Hayden Stephens, a junior, and Elliott Kunkel is a senior. We really need one of those two to step up and be the starting center. I think they can. If they don’t, Ryan will probably end up moving to center, and Dawson will go to guard — and Brock can be the other guard. Caden McNamara, a sophomore, is a strong kid, but he’s having some health issues right now.”

Holt said the Warriors are looking for a new tight end.

“We have to replace our tight end,” Holt said. “We’re looking at Thadan Yandell, a freshman. He transferred here from Stidham. He’s a big kid, about 6-2, 260 (pounds). He’s got good hands, but he’s raw, of course, being a freshman. He’s in the mix. We have Chevy Cole. He played here in seventh grade, he went somewhere last year and he’s back. We’re glad to have him back. He’s going to be in the mix to see a lot of time at tight end. He runs well. He’s over six feet (tall) and over 200 pounds. Elliott Kunkel may end up playing some tight end as well.”

Along the defensive line, the Warriors will have quite a few players so no one will have to get totally worn out and get a few breaks.

“We have some depth on the defensive line,” Holt said. “That’s where it’s all up in the air. Ryan Cowan returns at defensive end. (Caden) McNamara played nose guard last year. Brock Rhoden can play nose guard and defensive end. (Hayden) Stephens can play (defensive) end. We have a couple of twins, the Thao twins (Preston and Evan) might be able to step up and help us. Thadan (Yandell) will be a defensive end, and he’s been pretty good. He’s a big, strong kid. He’s going to be hard to move. We don’t know where to put (Dawson) Littlefield. He’s so twitchy, and he’ll go flying (to the football). He’s not afraid of contact one bit. He’ll probably see some time at (defensive) end as just a rushing end where we’ll say, ‘Dawson, get in the backfield.’ Elliott Kunkel will be a defensive end.”

Holt likes his set of linebackers.

“Aiden Turley played there last year, and he’s back,” Holt said. “Zane Nolan played some safety last year, but we’re looking at him at linebacker or safety. We’ve got Dakota Moore. On defense, he has a nose for the football.”

Both Maddux Shelby and Braydan Robinson, both of whom graduated last spring, were the key members of the defensive backfield in 2023, but Holt said he likes who he’s got in the defensive secondary.

“Gunner (Shelby) and Brutus (Robinson) played back there all year (in 2023),” Holt said. “We’re looking at Gunner being a cornerback, and maybe Zane Nolan at safety — if he don’t play linebacker. The other cornerback we have is Trysten Wilbourn, along with Clayton Roberts and Brody Terrell. They’re the ones we’re looking to take that other cornerback spot. We have a little bit of depth there. They all run well. We just have to teach them how to cover (opposing receivers).”