The excitement surrounding the upcoming football season goes beyond wins and losses for Luke Eigsti.
As he prepares for his final season at Hutchinson Central Christian, Eigsti is looking forward to one more opportunity to compete alongside teammates he has grown close to while seeing months of hard work come to fruition.
“I am really excited to have one more run with a group of guys I love being with and working alongside,” Eigsti said. “I’m also looking forward to seeing the work we’ve put in together pay off during the season. It’s gonna be a great season, and I’m excited to work hard, get some wins, and grow physically and spiritually with my guys and coaches.”
That preparation has already been underway throughout the offseason.
The team has participated in camps and early morning workouts, while Eigsti has also spent extra time building chemistry with his receivers.
“As a team, we’ve had camps and early morning workouts,” Eigsti said. “We’ve also had times where I get with my receivers and we work on routes and developing that chemistry and connection.”
The offseason has included work away from the field as well.
“Personally, I’ve been watching a lot of film from last year and seeing what I need to improve on,” he said.
One of those improvements has been adding strength.
Eigsti said he wanted to enter the season with more size after feeling undersized at times a year ago. Through consistent work in the weight room and paying closer attention to nutrition, he believes he has made meaningful progress.
“I wanted to add some weight and muscle mass this offseason,” Eigsti said. “I wasn’t as big as I would have liked last season, but this summer I’ve tried to be more consistent in the weight room and with what I eat, and I’ve seen gains. I want to be able to run through more tackles and be stronger in the pocket.”
While Eigsti has personal goals for the season, including earning a spot in an all-star game, his priorities begin with leadership.
He hopes to set an example for younger players by demonstrating that football is only part of a much larger purpose.
“First of all, I want to be the best example to the younger guys that I can, and that means representing Jesus the best I can,” Eigsti said. “I want to show them that football is important, but there are a lot of things that are more important.”
On the field, Eigsti hopes to help Central Christian continue its recent success.
“I also want to see the team win multiple playoff games and build on these last couple years,” he said. “Personally, I would love to play in the All-Star game and grow into a better leader.”
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