Cub Football Season Opens with Skills Camp

Excitement is in the air in Olney because football season is upon us. The first sign of Cub football returning is always the Cub summer football skills camp for younger players. The camp hosted two camps, Kindergarten through 5th grade and 6th through 9th grades.

For some attending the camp, it was all about learning new skills, teamwork, and instilling the excitement of the sport. For others, it was about honing already acquired skills and waking up muscles that may have gone dormant over summer break. For both camps, it was about having fun, meeting new friends, reuniting with old friends, and making great memories.

With high school football practices beginning this week, Head Coach and Athletic Director Dustin Altmiller says the biggest difference from a year ago isn’t the playbook. It’s the relationships.

“When I came in last year, I didn’t know the coaches or the players,” Coach Altmiller said during an interview on the Olney On Air podcast. “Now they know what to expect from us, and we know what to expect from them. That’s how growth happens.”

Coach Altmiller, an Olney graduate, enters his second season leading his hometown program after spending last year installing a new spread offense and building a new culture.

He believes that foundation is now in place.

Rather than teaching an entirely new system, this preseason has focused on refining the details.

“We know the X’s and O’s,” he said. “Now it’s about getting better at the little things.”

That confidence extends to the offseason work the Cubs have put in.

Coach Altmiller said participation in summer strength and conditioning was among the best he’s seen, with athletes embracing speed work, agility drills and weight training throughout the summer.

Even more encouraging, he said, was seeing boys and girls train together in the weight room as coaches worked to build what he calls a “family atmosphere” across all Olney athletic programs.

“Our kids really bought in,” he said. “We’re trying to develop those positive relationships with them, and they understand that.”

The Cubs return much of last year’s young roster after graduating only eight or nine seniors.

That extra year of experience could prove especially valuable along the offensive line.

Coach Altmiller singled out juniors Jacob Gallardo, Jacobi Esquivel, A.J. Solano and Kanin Beavers as players who have transformed themselves since being thrown into varsity competition as sophomores.

“They really got thrown into the fire last year,” he said. “They’ve grown up a lot.”

He also expects Will Caffey and Noah Limbrera to make significant contributions after injuries and limited playing time slowed them a year ago.

The Cubs will also face a different challenge this season after realignment placed them in a new district.

While Olney no longer has to contend with powerhouses such as Stamford, Cisco and Hawley, the new district offers little relief.

Muenster, Alvord, Tioga, Nocona and Chico all present formidable competition, with Alvord entering the season highly regarded and Tioga bringing back athletes from back-to-back state championship track teams, he said.

“It’s going to be a fight week in and week out,” Coach Altmiller said.

Still, longtime broadcaster Reed Mankins believes the Cubs have every reason to be optimistic.

“I think Olney’s got a really good shot at the playoffs this year,” Mr. Mankins said. “I think we’ll be right in the mix.”

The Cubs open the season Aug. 28 at Quanah, where Coach Altmiller hopes to see a more polished team than the one that began last season.

“The goal is to win,” he said. “But we also want to look at the film afterward and see that we’re ahead of where we ended last year.”

Beyond wins and losses, Coach Altmiller hopes fans notice something bigger.

“I think people are going to talk about growth,” he said. “Growth not just in the football team, but in the whole program.”

As anticipation builds across Olney, both Coach Altmiller and Mr. Mankins delivered the same message to Cub Nation: show up.

Friday nights in Olney remain one of the community’s great traditions, they said, and a packed stadium can energize players in ways statistics never measure.

“Get to the game,” Coach Mr. Mankins said. “Be loud. Be proud. Support the Cubs.”

Coach Altmiller agreed. “These kids sacrifice a lot,” he said. “When they look up and see the stands full, it means something.”