With a talented senior class gone and expectations from the outside beginning to shift, Wichita Northwest’s JaeLynn Ligon sees opportunity instead of pressure.
After graduating a large portion of its Class of 2026, the Grizzlies enter the new football season with something to prove. Ligon believes that perception has fueled the team’s offseason.
“I am most excited about this upcoming season because, as the Wichita Northwest Grizzlies, we have a lot of weight on our shoulders due to losing a bunch of talent from the Class of ’26,” Ligon said. “We are now seen as the underdogs, and not only myself but the whole team is prepared to make a name for ourselves and show everyone differently this year.”
Northwest has spent the offseason building toward that goal with a demanding schedule. The team meets four mornings a week for strength training, conditioning and competitive drills designed to build chemistry and accountability.
“This offseason has been a long but fun offseason,” Ligon said. “Workouts as a team every Monday through Thursday morning include team lifts, team conditioning and even team competitions.”
Ligon has also dedicated extra time to his individual development, training on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to sharpen his skills at wide receiver and safety.
While his physical preparation has been important, Ligon said his biggest focus has been developing as a leader.
“One area I want to improve this year is the leadership on the team,” he said. “I want the team to be a player-led team. I want the team to take responsibility and hold each other accountable so we can push to be the best of the best.”
He believes the team’s competitive offseason workouts have helped establish that culture.
“The way we work on this is our team competitions, striving through the challenges, pushing each other to finish and never leaving a man behind,” Ligon said.
Ligon enters the season following a productive junior campaign in which he recorded 36 receptions for 349 receiving yards, added 137 punt return yards and scored five touchdowns. He finished with 486 all-purpose yards while earning second-team All-League honors at wide receiver and honorable mention recognition as a special teams returner.
He also tied the school record for most receptions in a single game with 10 catches, matching Griffen Baker.
Despite those accomplishments, Ligon has set even higher expectations for himself.
“Personally, I want to make myself known for what I am capable of, to be first-team All-State at wide receiver and safety,” he said. “Another goal I have set is to break the rest of the receiving records in a single game and throughout the season.”
His individual aspirations, however, take a back seat to the team’s primary objective.
“As a team we have one goal and one goal only, and that’s to win state,” Ligon said.
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