Good summer work setting up Wildcats to improve at fast rate
Holton High School head football coach Brooks Barta is getting ready for his 31st season of Wildcat football, looking to improve on a 2025 season that saw the Wildcats reach the sectional round of the Class 3A state football playoffs, after finishing in a tie for fifth place in the Big East League.
The Wildcats qualified for the state football playoffs last season for the 28th consecutive year.
Eight Big East League teams made the football playoffs last season and one of them, Nemaha Central, was a state champion team (in Class 2A).
Other league teams making it to the playoffs last season were Jefferson West, Perry-LeCompton, Silver Lake, St. Marys, Sabetha and Royal Valley.
“Our main goals will be to build depth, fundamentals and experience in the early season and build playoff-ready players,” coach Barta said. “We will also be looking for leadership and people who want to take their effort to the next level. We will use our challenging schedule to build a team that can compete and win in the playoffs.”
Last year, the Wildcats finished 4-3 in the Big East, tied with Silver Lake for fifth place, and at 6-5 overall, ending their season with a 28-26 loss to Santa Fe Trail in the sectional round of Class 3A football playoff. This year, coach Barta intends to take the team farther.
“The 2025 season started slowly, but eventually gained momentum,” he said. “Despite a close loss to Class 5A playoff team Leavenworth in week eight, our team be gan to play at a much higher level. Two good playoff wins over Baldwin and Frontenac and a heart breaking, two-point loss to Santa Fe Trail made this group look like a typical Holton football team.”
With the loss of some key seniors at the end of last year, the Wildcats lost a significant amount of offensive production in the backfield, and every position had to be replaced, coach Barta said. However, he added, there are some strong returners up front.
“It could be the best we have been up front for several years,” the coach said. “We will again have a tough league schedule filled with playoff teams and a strong district as well. It may take some time for this team to develop offensively, and we will look to play more aggressively on defense this year. I have enjoyed the vibe and leadership of this team this summer. If they keep this up, they will improve at a fast rate.”
On the front line, coach Barta sees seniors Ean Winsor (6’3, 295) and Eli Hines (6’, 205), who were starters last year, as anchors, along with juniors Thayne Gross (5’10, 190) and Cody Rodriguez (6’2, 235), also starters last year. The coach also expects good front-line work from juniors Landon Sawyer (5’10, 195) and Michael Willcott (5’10, 210), who saw “valuable time” last year.
Other strong prospects on the line include juniors Jaxon Carlson (5’10, 210) and Zac Jenson (5’10, 180) and sophomores Leroy Hall (6’3, 295) and Carsen Rinkes (5’9, 230), along with “some other sophomores.”
At tight end, junior Grant Warner (6’3, 225) was “a dominating blocker last year,” coach Barta said, and juniors Kannon Segenhagen (6’3, 185), Zane Montgomery (6’1, 190) and Kason DeDonder (6’1, 220) are also “expect ed to earn some meaningful minutes.”
The quarterback position is “up in the air right now,” said Barta, who noted that juniors Tucker Terry (6’1, 170) and Ryan Cox (5’9, 165) could move into the position, while seniors Brody Nicol (6’, 175) and Jarrett Abel (6’1, 175) “are ready to contribute in the backfield” but should expect some competition from juniors Mikah Boell (5’9, 165), Brodyn King (5’10, 160), Edward Shupe (5’9, 160) and Clete Wray (5’9, 160).
On the defensive front, Barta noted the starting work of Hines, Warner and Gross as inside and outside linebackers, while Boell, DeDonder and sophomore Xander Eisenbarth (6’1, 185) “should compete.” Winsor, Montgomery, Rodriguez, Sawyer and Willcott “have all had meaningful experience, and we expect them all to play,” the coach added.
In the defensive backfield, Barta said NIcol, Abel and Segenhagen played well last year and should continue to do well this year, but Cox, King, Shupe, Terry and Wray “will have to fill some holes.”
Barta — who has compiled an overall 275-74 record in his 30 years as a football coach, all of them at Holton — will be assisted this year by Joe Purcell, Cole Swanwick, Brian Meerpohl and Mike Grisell.
“We aim to play a physical style of football that highlights the strengths of our athletes,” coach Barta said. “As each player improves on the field and grows as a person, our overall success as a program will follow.”
The Wildcats will open their 2026 regular season at home on Friday, Sept. 4 against Sabetha.
On Friday, Aug. 28, the Wildcats will participate in a “jamboree’’ at Hummer Park in Topeka with teams from Topeka High and Topeka West, starting at 7 p.m.
