Along with the Xs and Os, Moundridge High School football head coach Tyler O’Connor also has question marks.
The Wildcats start the 2026 campaign without experienced players.
“We’ll have a lot of new faces that will be stepping into new roles,” he said. “There’s very limited varsity level experience with just seeing snaps.”
That’s because 13 players graduated last year.
“We’re going to have a lot of young kids that have been waiting for their turn, and they’ll be stepping into those roles,” O’Connor said.
Specifically, the team will be looking to seniors Josh Koehn, Rylan Unruh, Logan Wolf, Cyrus Blough, Tione Wilson and Atley Lichti.
O’Connor said he has been hosting leadership classes with these players to prepare them for their new roles as team torchbearers.
“They’re taking it really seriously,” he said. “I think they’ve done a good job with the opportunities they’ve had up to this point.”
With 2026 marking 13 years coaching and his fourth year at MHS, O’Connor said he started his team leadership classes to address a need he has found throughout his coaching career.
“I kept hearing that there was a lack of leadership, and unless kids know exactly what it looks like or should look like, it’s kind of hard to ask them to do something if they don’t have that example set in front of them,” he said.
O’Connor focuses on four leadership pillars: individual, team, school and community.
This helps with communication.
“We know where each other are coming from,” he said. “We just get on the same page.”
Having strong leaders helps the team achieve its goals, which is to play and win in the postseason.
However, O’Connor said he doesn’t put too much attention on that.
“We focus on one game at a time,” he said.
With a less experienced squad, O’Connor recognized that every game won’t go perfectly.
“Anytime you have younger kids, there’s going to be growing pains, so I really foresee going through those growing pains, learning from them, and in mid-season really hitting a stride,” he said.
The schedule won’t make growth any easier.
“This season’s going to be loaded,” O’Connor said.
For example, MHS will play Conway Springs High School, which has won several state titles in the past five years; Sterling High School, which is the defending state champion; Ellinwood High School, which has a large and physical team; and Inman High School, which seems favored to make a deep playoff run.
“There’s not really a down week,” O’Connor said. “But I have all the faith in the world that these kids will be able to answer the call and step up.”
To prepared, MHS football spent the summer lifting weights four days per week, working on skills one day per week, and attending two football camps, which made the team ready for Aug. 17 when the season officially started with practices.
O’Connor has racked up an impressive 26-5 record during his tenure as MHS head coach. Along the way, his teams have been district champions twice, district runner-up once, and his most successful season to date was when his team was the 2025 sectional runner-up and regional champion.
For 2026, O’Connor will be supported by assistant coaches Chase Hansen, Brandon Kaufman, Jared Kaufman and DaWayne Stos.
The staff, O’Connor said, has a lot of football knowledge, which helps everyone improve.
“Iron sharpens iron,” he said. “The IQ in the room is extremely high, and we’re close enough that we’re not afraid to call each other out, which is awesome. It’s the best way to go about it.”
The coaching staff leverages data and statistics to make decisions, though.
“We track kids as far as physical performance, with how they’re doing in the weight room, participation, how they are as a leader, and their character,” O’Connor said. “Those things definitely go into play.”
Still, the end goal is to set each player up for success.
“When we meet as coaches, what centers around our talking points is what we can do to make a kid successful,” O’Connor said.
Building a strong culture is key.
For O’Connor, that means getting his players to pay attention to all aspects of the game.
“They’re understanding the importance of little details and how important those are to the end product,” he said. “It’s everything from what they’re wearing, taking care of the things that they have to, and even leaving places better than they found it.”
Such actions lead to positive outcomes on the field.
“They’re finding out that those small details result in a disciplined football team, and disciplined football teams are able to accomplish what they set in front of them,” O’Connor said.
The same goes for the coaches.
O’Connor said he and his staff prepare extensively for each game, breaking down film, pouring over statistics and preparing a game plan for each opponent.
It’s not simple, but O’Connor said he and his coaches enjoy it.
“There’s an easy way and a hard way, and the hard way is usually the right way,” he said. “It’s about having a solid impact on kids and helping them achieve something. We help kids be successful in school and out of school and contribute to the community.”
2026 MHS Football Schedule
September 4
7 p.m. at Sterling
September 11
7 p.m. vs. Sedgwick
September 18
7 p.m. vs. Ellinwood
September 25
7 p.m. at Conway Springs
October 2
7 p.m. vs. Hutchinson Trinity Catholic
October 9
7 p.m. at Hillsboro
October 16
7 p.m. vs. Remington
October 23
7 p.m. at Inman
