Thanks for everything Whitehall/Harrison seniors

In the past two seasons, the seniors on the Whitehall/Harrison High School football team have helped lead their team to an amazing 20-3 record that included reaching the Class B semifinals in 2016 and quarterfinals in 2017.

While their season did not end they way they wanted it to last Saturday, it is important to take a look back at the what the six seniors did to elevate this program. The six will forever go down as one of the most important classes in Trojans football history. They are a special group of kids who bonded together for some magical moments and a whole lot of success.

Thank you to Kayden Howser, Dawson Hoerauf, Wyatt Alexander, Garrison Shaw, Braden Smith and Lane Buus for all the great memories, and thanks for doing things the right way. You are leaders on and off the field and make the community proud.

Kayden Howser: I think it would be fitting to call Kayden a sparkplug for the 2017 Trojans team. He played with passion, emotion, and gave it everything he had every time he stepped onto the field. He wore his emotions on his sleeve and his teammates fed off of this. When he missed the first half against Columbus, the offense was not the same without their "sparkplug".

Dawson Hoerauf: "Dino" will go down as one of the best linemen in Whitehall history. He was big, strong, and was a nightmare for the opposition. I can't imagine what the feeling was like for opposing players when they watched film knowing they were going to have to face him. Despite facing double teams, Dawson would always find his way into the opposition's backfield to cause all sorts of chaos.

Wyatt Alexander: Despite being double teamed almost all season, Wyatt found a way to have spectacular senior season hauling in amazing touchdown passes on a weekly basis. He was equally good on defense in the secondary with numerous interceptions and shutting down some amazing receivers. With his size, speed, and ability to catch just about anything thrown to him, Wyatt will be fun to watch at the next level.

Garrison Shaw: For the past several seasons, Garrison Shaw has showed the heart of a warrior. Garrison would often times be undersized in his matchup on the line, but it didn't matter. He would play with his motor always on, and was an integral part of the success of the team. He made key plays throughout the season, and the fact he was able to do this against often time bigger opponents shows the true grit of Garrison. He is the epitome of a Trojan.

Braden Smith: "Smitty" is about as well rounded as you can get as a football player. He was a fierce linebacker who delivered vicious hits throughout the season; he made unbelievable catches from his wide out position, had some great runs while at running back, and also punted for the Trojans. The toughness he displayed returning to the field after in injury in the playoffs against Shepherd was like something I had never witnessed. Not many kids would have come back from that injury, but he did.

Lane Buus: First and foremost with Lane, you have to talk about what he was able to overcome during his senior season. He suffered a serious leg injury in the first game of the season and was able to get back onto the field after only missing a couple of games. And when he did come back, he made numerous huge plays for the Trojans. His ability to catch the ball over the middle of the field was huge for his teammates, and the senior from Harrison High School had an unbelievable interception and return in the playoff game against Shelby.

Thanks boys, it has been a pleasure to cover you the past three years.

GO TROJANS!!!!