Since Cody Hillburn was named head coach at Seneca two years ago, there has been a culture change inside the Indians’ program.
Though the casual fan may not realize how important it is, a unified locker room with one goal in mind is a crucial first step in changing the fortunes of a program for the better. And none of that is possible without proper leadership.
“There is a lot that goes into that,” Hillburn said. “First, it’s the type of kids we have at Seneca. These kids have bought into what we do and they show up and work. We don’t have to coach things like attitude and effort. We just get to coach football, which is nice. Secondly is the community of Seneca. They are highly supportive of our football program and the kids. They show up on Friday nights and provide, in my opinion, one of the best small-school atmospheres in the state. Lastly, our school administration and leadership has been great. Anything I’ve needed to get this thing turned around has been met with a ‘yes’.”
For Seneca, that sentiment under Hillburn has produced positively not only in the locker room, but on the field as well.
After an 8-5 season for Hillburn in his inaugural season for his alma mater, the Indians took an even bigger leap in success in 2022. Seneca finished with an 11-2 record, including a 7-1 conference record to win the Big 8 West, and a district title before ultimately falling to the eventual Class 2 state champions, Lamar, in the state semifinals.
“The first thing I saw was the first week after our season ended in Year 1 was how quickly our kids were ready to get back to work,” Hillburn said when asked what led to success from his first to second season. “Then I knew we had a chance to really take the next step in our second year. … The younger kids saw what we could do (after that first season) and really ran with it in the offseason and worked extremely hard in the weight room and in offseason conditioning. It changed our bodies and got us to be more competitive in Year 2.”
In 2023, Seneca will be on everyone’s radar and will no longer be taken lightly. This is the year the Indians will be the game circled on the opposing team’s calendar every week. Coach Hillburn is excited to see how his team responds.
“We’ve had that conversation,” Hillburn said. “That’s where we want to be as a football program. We want the target on our backs. I think it’s going to be interesting.”
While the Indians lost eight starters from a year ago, they return 13 guys with starting experience for the upcoming season. That experience is what will drive Seneca to success in 2023.
“As a coach, the thing you worry about the most every year is leadership,” Hillburn said. “We lost a lot of really good leadership from last year. … To see some of these guys step up into those leadership roles (this offseason) has been pretty rewarding for me as a coach.”
Highlighting the list of returners for the Indians are senior all-state RB/LB Jackson Marrs and senior all-state QB Gavyn Hoover as well as senior LB Morgan Vaughn, senior WR/DB Ethan Altic, senior OL/DL Brian Bigbee, senior WR/DB Blake Hurn and junior TE Hagen Ginger, all of whom garnered multiple accolades a year ago.
“A lot of those guys were playing as sophomores,” Hillburn said. “They were contributing on offense, defense and special teams. This group has logged a ton of snaps. It’s not a huge group, but we are going to rely heavily on those guys.”
Senior WR/DB Eli Olson, senior WR/DB Blake Skelton and sophomore LB Roman Miller also return to the varsity level.
Also expected to make an impact at the varsity level this year—senior OL/DL Treyton Castaneda, junior QB/DB Kaden Clouse, junior OL/DL Nolan Napier, junior OL/DL Diego Amaya, junior OL/DL Dominique Brown, junior OL/DL Sawyer Cornell, junior OL/DL Landon Commons, junior WR/DB Caanan Miller, junior TE/LB Ryan Owens, junior OL/DL Lane Scribner, sophomore RB/LB Roman Miller, sophomore QB/DB Brodie Probert and sophomore OL/DL Jace Renfro.
“We are going to have to have some young kids step up on the offensive and defensive lines,” Hillburn said. “We only return one starter up front, so that is a concern. We have some kids who have been waiting their turn and have been working extremely hard, they just don’t have those live varsity reps, yet. But, I do think it is a group that is going to grow and get better every year.”
The Indians are eager to continue to build the program into the type of team Coach Hillburn envisioned them to be when he took over. It’s clear the mindset is where it needs to be. All that is left is executing.
“I think more than anything over these first two years, our kids understand you don’t just show up on Fridays and win football games,” Hillburn said. “There is a detailed process that goes into it. I truly feel our kids have bought into that process.”
Seneca opens up the season with a home matchup against Aurora on Aug. 25.
