2024 Pigskin & Hoops Preview: Cair Paravel Latin Lions Football
TEAM: Cair Paravel Latin Lions
CLASSIFICATION: 1A (up from 8-Man 1)
LEAGUE: Flint Hills League (new in 2024)
COLORS: Red & Gray
SOCIAL MEDIA: @CPLSAthletics on Twitter
HEAD COACH: Doug Bonura (12th year, 60-49)
2023 RECORD: 9-3 (8-Man Division 1 Sectional Champions, Sub-State runners-up)
2023 IN REVIEW
In just their second season as KSHSAA members, Cair Paravel made a surprising run all the way to the sub-state round of the 8-Man Division 1 playoffs. Doug Bonura’s squad served notice immediately that they would be a team to be reckoned with by hanging tough for four quarters with defending 8-Man 2 state champions (and ultimately repeat champions) Axtell in their opener. After dropping their district opening contest to Lyndon – giving the eventual 8-Man 1 champions one of their two toughest games of their unbeaten campaign – the Lions roared to four straight wins to close the regular season and blew out Sedan, Central Burden and Chase County for their first ever KSHSAA playoff victories before succumbing to Lyndon in a rematch at sub-state.
KEY DEPARTURES
Several key Lions were lost to graduation. Jace Bonura (all-purpose) and Logan Pasta (offensive line) were both first-team All-Class selections by KSHSAA Covered. Three other seniors were honorable mention All-Class picks – Evan Collins on the line, Evan Will as a ‘back’, and Ian Brian as a linebacker.
TOP RETURNERS
Jase Pavlik seized the reins at quarterback last season and never let them go. The junior completed 159 of his 227 pass attempts (70% completion) for 2,036 yards and an eye-popping 38 touchdowns. But Pavlik’s not just a threat with his arm. He also rushed for 890 yards on 9.7 yards per carry and found the end zone 15 times on the ground. His outstanding all-around athleticism should make him one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in Class 1A this season. Senior Billy Lanich will be counted on to anchor the offensive line as the lone returning starter from that unit last year. Senior Ben Roeder and junior Tobias Bonura both saw time at running back last year and give the skill positions around Pavlik some added punch. All four of the aforementioned players will play both ways for the Lions, with Lanich in the trenches, Bonura at linebacker, and Pavlik and Roeder patrolling the secondary.
2024 SCHEDULE:
9/6 @ West Franklin
9/13 @ Osage City
9/20 vs Council Grove
9/27 @ Mission Valley
10/4 vs Wabaunsee
10/11 @ Rossville
10/18 vs Maranatha Christian
10/25 @ Olpe
Flint Hills League, District Game
2024 OUTLOOK
It’s a brand new ballgame, quite literally, for Cair Paravel this season. A move up to Class 1A means a move to 11-man football after the Lions had played 8-man in their first two years as a KSHSAA school, not to mention the several years prior to that as a program. Given that, and the heavy departures from last year’s roster, it’s reasonable to expect that 2024 could be a challenging season. But having a legitimate star at quarterback in Pavlik will help the Lions build a foundation to be competitive. They’ll be welcomed to their new league, the Flint Hills League, with five straight games against league foes to start their season, and will have their hands full with the likes of Wabaunsee, Rossville and Olpe in district play. But if last season taught us anything about this program, it’s this: do not underestimate the Lions.
FROM THE COACH’S HEADSET
“We are entering the 11 man arena for the first time in school history, and we are young, so this will be an adjustment and building year for us. We desire to make the most of every game and continue to improve on how we play. We desire to put ourselves in place to be successful and enjoy the journey. We need to play with mental toughness and maintain a vigilant attitude in any situation that comes to us. We need to win the turnover margin and control time of possession to be successful this year.” – Doug Bonura
–Dan Lucero
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