By Chris Parker
Stockton is poised to improve on last season’s 4-6 record with eight players who earned all-conference honors last season returning.
“I think the biggest thing is just believing that everything that needs to happen for that step forward is within our control, and it’s time to get it done,” Stockton head coach Luke Rader said. “One of the big things is attention to detail in the things that require no talent. We need to focus on those little things to fix mistakes that hurt us in some key moments in the past. The other big one is how we react to adversity. We know the other team will make plays at some point, but how do we react when they do? Both of those are within our control and have been big focuses all off-season. If we do those two things, we will have a successful season.”
It starts with a dynamic backfield featuring seniors Easton Hubbard and Jack Rickman.
“Jack and Easton both do a really good job doing things that help the other one succeed,” Stockton head coach Luke Rader said. “They are more concerned with winning than stats, and that helps both of them and everyone on the field have more success.”
Hubbard was named First-Team All-Southwest Conference as a quarterback last season. He threw for 1,029 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 602 yards on 132 carries and seven touchdowns. He will also play linebacker. Last season, Hubbard had 32 total tackles and two interceptions on defense.
“Easton’s biggest asset is probably his competitiveness,” Rader said. “He’s a very tough competitor. We return some talented skill players around him, and when defenses adjust to try to take him away, it opens opportunities for those guys to show their ability. All of those things have to work together for us to succeed, and Easton is a big part of that puzzle.”
Rickman was a two-way all-conference player last season as a second-team selection at running back and defensive back. He had 110 carries for 720 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense. Defensively, Rickman pulled down 42 total tackles with two tackles for a loss as a junior.
“Jack is kind of a throwback kid,” Rader said. “He has great speed, but more than that he doesn’t mind doing the physical, dirty, jobs that sometimes go unnoticed. He’s a great blocker, and his intensity on defense are both a big key to us being successful this fall.”
The offensive line brings back good experience led by senior Brandon Garner-Sims. Garner-Sims, who transferred to Stockton before last season, stands at 6-foot-1, 280 pounds. He was named first-team all-conference on both the offensive and defensive lines.
“Brandon was a big addition to our team. Not only physically, but he’s a great kid that all of his teammates enjoy being around. He came in at the end of summer last year and had a great season. Having him here for a full off-season has really helped not only him develop, but also helped him lead some of our younger players,” Rader said. “The obvious thing is his physical size and strength. He can move a lot of weight in the weight room and moves well. He does a great job communicating and working with the other linemen, which is a big key. Those guys up front have to work together for everything else to work. So, it’s nice having someone like him that is very coachable and wants to make sure he does the little things necessary to succeed.”
Garner-Sims had 23 solo tackles and three tackles for a loss on defense last season.
Juniors Kale Rader and James Flora also return to the offensive line after both earned honorable mention all-conference honors on the offensive line as sophomores. The duo will also see time on the defensive line.
“Kale is a big, strong, kid. He’s intelligent and communicates well. He gained a lot of experience last year as a sophomore, and should make a big jump this year as a junior,” Rader said. “James is very intelligent and works extremely hard. He does all of the little things correctly. We think he will make a big jump from his sophomore to junior season this fall and help lead us.”
Junior Pierce Brogdon and senior Brigham Lee also return to the offensive and defensive lines after lettering last season.
“Pierce is quick athletically and has had a good summer. He plays hard and helps give us depth up front,” Rader said. “Brigham is a great kid. He is very smart and coachable. An injury took him out of the second half of his season last year. We look for him to bounce back and have a big year up front.”
Preston Rains, an honorable mention all-conference honoree last season as a junior, will be the top returning receiver after he hauled in 20 catches for 250 yards and three touchdowns last season. He also plays defensive back where he tied for the team lead with three interceptions.
“Preston is athletic and has the ability to do several different things to help us on the field,” Rader said.
Senior Landon Sexton is also returning at wide receiver and defensive back.
“Landon has a lot of ability and is very coachable. He’s a great kid that everyone enjoys being around,” Rader said.
Senior Quade Ayers and junior Logan Reser return at linebacker after being named second-team and honorable mention all-conference, respectively.
Ayers had 11 total tackles with two tackles for a loss last season. He will also play on the offensive line.
“Quade is a high motor kid. He helps set the tone for us on defense, and was having a big year last year before an injury. We look for him to bounce back and be a leader for us this year,” Rader said.
Reser pulled down 36 total tackles with seven tackles for a loss in 2023. He will also see carries at running back.
“Logan is a high motor kid that works extremely hard. He got a lot of experience last year and we look for him to be a big part of things this fall,” Rader said.
Seniors Bowen Bird and Dennis Hall lettered last season and will both play linebacker. Bird will also play on the offensive line while Hall will see time at tight end.
“Bowen is a smart, tough kid. He will help lead us on and off the field this year,” Rader said. “Dennis is a smart kid that loves football. He is always early and stays late. His intelligence and toughness will allow him to fill a lot of different roles for us.”
Junior Quinten Hare (WR/DB) along with sophomores Justin Anderson (RB/LB), Trevor Swaggerty (OL/DL) and Chase Gregory (WR/DB) will be newcomers to watch.
The Southwest Conference was mostly spared from the conference realignment dominos but did add Skyline to the mix this season. It is also home to the defending Class 1 State Champion Marionville Comets.
“I have been in the conference since it started in 2018, and I think it’s gotten better and better every year,” Rader said. “There are some really good coaches that have done a good job building programs that are consistently a tough game year in and year out. Schools in the conference have got their kids to buy into the weight room and have their athletes out for football. There’s not a team in the conference you can view as an easy win. You really have to be ready to play every week.”
To navigate through the Southwest Conference gauntlet, Rader wants his team to lean on their intellect as much as their physical abilities.
“Intellectual brutality. We have a lot of smart kids on our team right now. We had eight academic all-state players last year, and we want to use that to our advantage,” Rader said. “We want to be sound and intelligent in everything we do, while also being physical and the aggressor. We have some athletes that we want to get in space, but at the end of the day we want to be known as a hard-nosed, physical team on both sides of the ball. I think that hard-nosed attitude is something our coaches, our players, and our community as a whole take pride in and want to be known for.”
