2024 Pigskin & Hoops Preview: Santa Fe Trail Chargers Football
TEAM: Santa Fe Trail Chargers
CLASSIFICATION: 3A
LEAGUE: Pioneer
COLORS: Blue, Red & Yellow
SOCIAL MEDIA: @sfthscharger on Twitter
HEAD COACH: Greg Slade (1st season, 0-0)
2023 RECORD: 7-3 (3A Regional runners-up)
2023 IN REVIEW
The 2023 campaign was a resurgent one for the Chargers. After three straight two-win seasons and four straight seasons finishing under .500, Santa Fe Trail roared back with a 7-3 campaign last year, earning its first playoff win since 2015 in the process. After dropping their opener in a shootout last season, the Chargers rattled off five wins in a row and wrapped the campaign with two more wins before bowing out to eventual state runner-up Hayden. It was a well-balanced attack that led the way in 2023, with SFT finishing in the top half of Class 3A in both rushing and passing yards, and top 10 in scoring.
KEY DEPARTURES
Santa Fe Trail football had six All-Pioneer League honorees last season, five of whom graduated. That included two first-teamers on offense: Running back Colton Warthen, who rushed for over 1,000 yards, and one of the men on the offensive line he ran behind, Cole Flory. The Chargers also graduated a pair of second-team all-league offensive players in receiver Trent Sleichter and tight end Kyle Strother. Last season’s defense was led by linebacker Luke Greenfield, who earned a first-team nod after tallying 128 total tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
TOP RETURNERS
Offensively, Santa Fe Trail will be led by an experienced offensive line, a group that returns four returning starters from a season ago. That includes junior tackle Connor Hudson, senior guard Tage Skocny, junior guard Trenton Ditty and junior center Alex Strother. Senior receiver Blake Slavin and junior running back Kain Tantaros will be back to lead the way for the skill positions. On defense, Slavin and junior safety Trevir Hinck will be back to patrol the defensive backfield. Juniors Bryson Crotinger and Julion Daniels are reclaiming their linebacker roles, while junior Eli Rolla will anchor the defensive front. Daniels also returns as SFT’s kicker after earning a second-team all-league honor at that spot a year ago.
2024 SCHEDULE
9/6 @ Burlington
9/13 vs Prairie View
9/20 @ Iola
9/27 vs Osawatomie
10/4 @ Wellsville
10/11 @ Baldwin
10/18 vs Anderson County
10/25 vs Bishop Ward
Pioneer League, District game
2024 OUTLOOK
Coach Greg Slade has won everywhere he’s been. Over the past two years, he’s helped get the Newton program back on track. Prior to that, he spent six seasons at Haysville-Campus and led that program to new heights. And during 15 years as the head coach at Rose Hill, he led the Rockets to two state title games and a 4A championship in 2011. He’s bringing that successful pedigree to Carbondale, where he joins a Santa Fe Trail program that is on the ascent. While the program needs to replace a bevy of talented upperclassmen from last year’s roster, this year’s group is plenty deep and talented, and is primed to make a run at both a district title and a long stint in the postseason. That veteran experience is going to help against a schedule that looks nearly identical to last year’s. There’s a lot to like about the 2024 Chargers, and no one should be surprised if they make it even deeper into November this year.
FROM THE COACH’S HEADSET
“We are very optimistic about this season. Being the first year at Santa Fe Trail, we have had good numbers this summer. Our upperclassmen have been doing a great job of leading, with the underclassmen following their lead. As we move forward to the first day of practice, we’ve been working very hard to be prepared for the start of the season.” – Greg Slade
–Brendan Dzwierzynski
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