Windsor football: Biggest questions facing the Wizards for the 2023 season

There may be questions entering each individual season, but there aren't exactly major questions about Windsor football as a whole.

The Wizards have a consistent track record under head coach Chris Jones, who has helmed the program for 16 of the past 17 years now with two state titles and double-digit playoff appearances on his resume.

Last year, though, was a much-needed bounceback effort from a 4-7 campaign in 2021.

Windsor went 7-5 in 2022, winning a Class 4A home playoff game, beating local foe Fort Collins, pitching two shutouts and winning five of its last seven games.

So what are the next steps for Windsor?

Here are some questions (and possible answers) for the Wizards heading into the 2023 season.

(Note: This is the second edition of a seven-part series previewing our local football teams at coloradoan.com/sports. Next up will be Timnath.)

Fort Collins football: Biggest questions facing the Lambkins for the 2023 season

First things first: What's the QB position look like?

The Wizards have options for their RPO (run-pass option) offense that was implemented last year, moving away from a more run-heavy previous style.

Jones said it's still a competition between junior Kyle Phelps, sophomore Wyatt Gustafson and even senior defensive star Mikey Munn.

While Gustafson started Windsor's 23-6 playoff win over Bear Creek last year after then-senior Garrett Sauer's injury, it sounds like Phelps is right there for the starting gig.

"He’s super talented, an athletic runner with speed who is quick and shifty and fits what we have returning," Jones said of Phelps. "He could be a special player with his running ability."

Windsor threw 12 passes per game last season, nearly double the Wizards' average from the previous three seasons. Gustafson, a hard-throwing baseball standout, flashed a big arm in 49 attempts but threw six interceptions to just one touchdown as a freshman.

However, there should be plenty of help for whoever emerges under center.

How will Windsor replace the Thomas boys?

Departed seniors Chase and Jaden Thomas combined for more than 300 touches, 2,500 yards from scrimmage and 26 touchdowns last season. Throw in fellow senior back Mitchell Madril, who had 401 yards rushing and seven scores.

Jaden was the rushing star, while Chase was a home-run hitter at receiver and a backfield threat.

How could the Wizards replace all of that? Well, it's Windsor, and there are always playmakers at running back.

This year's unit will likely be an "Earth, Wind and Fire" trio, as assistant coaches have nicknamed them.

The junior triplet of Eastin Hubbard, Brady Lichtenberg and Sam Cooper will "share the load" in the backfield.

At 5-foot-8 and a shifty 200-plus pounds, Hubbard was named toughest to bring down by his teammates during The Coloradoan's football media day.

Cooper (also a defensive back) can make guys miss with his speed, while the 6-foot Lichtenberg (himself a linebacker) is a heavier hitter who linebackers don't want to see.

"We definitely have three boys right now that are blessed with some great skillsets," Jones said. "It won’t be running back by committee necessarily, but it will be figuring out who has the hot hand and doing the right things each game."

More: A QB competition, favorite jerseys and new coaches: Takeaways from Coloradoan football Media Day

Can Wizards' defense avoid 'boom or bust' games?

It may seem obvious.

You win games when your defense plays well and lose when it allows more points.

But the difference for Windsor last season was especially stark.

In seven wins, the Wizards allowed just 10. 5 points per game. That number jumped to 36.6 points per game in their five losses.

Jones cited two key factors in avoiding the "boom or bust" games for his defense this year.

First, Windsor returns nine defensive starters, including four of their six leading tacklers in Munn, Colton Pieper, Brock Paquet and Rylen Renton.

Jones expects more consistency and "playing with a better football IQ" from a defense that was also adjusting to a new scheme in 2022.

Second, he wants to limit game-changing swings, citing late-half turnovers that snowballed games out of control last year.

"We just had several games with late-half hijinks where we turned it over and that was a 7- or even 14-point swing and an emotional swing," Jones said. "Closing out the half and being more poised is something that can help our defense out."

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Can Windsor's kicker swing games?

You don't get this one often at the high school level.

The Wizards, though, may have a kicker capable of changing games.

Senior Gavyn Helm earned 5-star punting honors and 4-star kicking honors at the prestigious Kohl's Kicking Camps over the summer.

The 6-foot-3 kicker booted 41 touchbacks in 51 kickoffs, averaged more than 41 yards per punt, made more than 90% of his PATs and had a field goal long of 50 yards last season.

At the high school level, where kicks are hardly guaranteed, expect Helm to be a legitimate weapon who gives Windsor more offensive options on opponents' side of the field.

How's the Windsor schedule look?

As far as travel goes, this is (almost) as favorable a schedule as it gets in Colorado high school football.

Windsor only leaves the Fort Collins-Loveland metro area twice, with two road games in Timnath vs. Fort Collins and Fossil Ridge plus another at Loveland.

A fourth road game comes at Skyline in Longmont before a late October cross-state trip to Grand Junction Central.

There are also revenge game opportunities against Mead and Erie at home, plus the road tilts at Fossil Ridge and Loveland.

It's not an easy slate, though. Loveland and Erie each made at least the 4A semifinals last season, while the SaberCats were a top-10 5A seed with a 9-3 record.

"The first six games are going to be stout and then league play will always be hard-fought," Jones said. "We get their best. Everybody wants to beat Windsor."

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Windsor football: Top questions facing the Wizards for the 2023 season