NTL FOOTBALL: SAYRE'S LINDBLAD HAS LOFTY GOALS FOR YOUNG REDSKINS IN 2025 (2025-08-21)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
SAYRE — Sayre graduated eight seniors from a 1-9 team in 2024, but coach Ricky Lindblad has his sights set high for the young Redskins in 2025.

"We did lose quite a lot of seniors from last season and we are a very young team. 

"It is always tough when you have a younger team, but our expectations are still we have to play quality mistake-free football and make sure we are getting better week after week," said Lindblad. 

"The goal is to qualify for districts, since we have yet to do that in our rebuilding process," he added.

Lindblad likes the mix on his roster.

"Our younger guys have been focused and coachable when we saw them over the summer and throughout these first few weeks of mandatory practices.

"And, most of our younger guys got plenty of time on the varsity field last year or throughout the season playing JV games so we look to them to be another year bigger, faster, and stronger and have a better understanding of what is expected of them," said Lindblad. 

"We also need our seniors and juniors to step up as leaders," added Lindblad. "They know the expectations of what is asked of them and they have been through the process that some of these younger guys may not have experienced yet."

Lindblad said his team needs to be more resilient.

"We need to attack the mentality of I'm going to make the next play," he said. 

"Too many times we let one mistake or big play dictate the rest of the game," noted Lindblad. "There are going to be big plays or mistakes made but it is how are we going to recover and move forward after that play?"

Sophomore Jayden Morningstar will start at quarterback, with senior Karter Green also seeing time there.

Green, junior Hudson Malanoski, junior Quin Chandler, and sophomore Riley Johnson will see time at running back.

Sophomore Carson Dietz, along with Johnson, Chandler, and sophomore Mason Oldroyd will vie for time at tight end.

Junior Declan Barry, sophomore Brayden Vorhis, Owen Duran, Tyrese Gamby, and Oldroyd will see action at wide receiver.

Senior Logan Zingeser and Kiyshon Cole, and sophomores Tucker Green, Riley McGaughey, and Zac Cross will start on the offensive line, with senior Ian Robles, sophomores Jayden Torres and Charlie Salesman, and Jack Lattimer and Parker Hovencamp will also vie for time.

"Offensively, we know we're not going to outsize many teams so we have to play discipline, smart, hard-nosed football," said Lindblad. 

"We will incorporate our ground game more this year and that will help us with our tempo and playing downhill," he noted. 

"One of our biggest concerns offensively is staying healthy and making sure we don't play behind the sticks," added Lindblad.

Tucker Green, Logan Zingeser, Cross, and Kole will start on the defensive line, with Salsman, Robles, Lattimer, Torres, Hovencamp, and  Blake Zingeser will also vie for time.

Karter Green, Malanoski, McGaughey, Chandler, Dietz, and Johnson will vie for time at linebacker.

Barry, Morningstar, Vorhis, Chandler, Duran, and Gamby will vie for time in the defensive secondary.

"Defensively, we need to be better tacklers and swarm tackle with all 11 hats to the ball, and create turnovers," said Lindblad.

"We have spent a lot of time working on our tackling and our football IQ as we've obviously struggled with it for the past couple years. 

"Our concern again will be staying healthy and tackling," added Lindblad. "Tackling has been an issue for us the past couple of years and we need guys to swarm to the ball and have multiple people in on tackles."

On special teams, Dietz will handle the kicking duties, and Karter Green will hand the punting chores.

Karter Green, Vorhis, and Barry will handle the return duties.

AROUND THE NTL SMALL SCHOOL
"Muncy obviously has a new coach at the helm this season, but I think they will be up there again this year," said Lindblad. "South Williamsport was a young football team, but has a great staff so I see them taking a step up this year."

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IN PHOTO: Sayre senior Karter Green. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.

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