By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news will post preview stories for all 10 Shawnee County high school football programs over the coming days, leading into the opening games of the 2026 season on Sept. 3 and 4.
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Logan Pegram's Silver Lake football put together a second straight 7-3 season in 2025, but while a vast number of schools across the state would be thrilled with that accomplishment, anything less than a state tilte shot leaves the tradition-rich Eagles wanting more.
Logan Pegram's Silver Lake Eagles will be looking to make a run at a Class 2A state title this fall after going 7-3 a year ago. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And with a solid nucleus of players returning, the ultimate goal for Logan Pegram's team this fall is Silver Lake's ninth state championship.
"I think success is easily defined at Silver Lake across all sports, in the classroom, in the community,'' said Pegram, a former Silver Lake standout who is 28-11 in four seasons. "So we don't shy away from that and I think our kids approach that with an attitude of where they want to be at the end of the year, but they also understand that it's the daily deposits that are going to get you where you want to be at the end.''
"I think we have a very talented group and the football has been high quality over the first week. There's still a lot of factors that go into that but I think this team will be defined on how they respond to adversity because there's not a football season where you're not going to have any adversity, so I look forward to how they approach those obstacles as we get into the season.''
Senior Owen Rottinghaus, who earned first-team All-Big East League honors as a returner and received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season, agreed with his coach that the Eagles have the potential to make a run at a title.
"I feel like we have the group that can do it,'' Rottinghaus said. "We're pretty tight and real strong together, so I think we have what it takes.
"I feel like we've had good practices, pretty intense, and we're ready to get going.''
Pegram, whose staff is loaded with Eagle alums, said that Silver Lake had a productive summer to get ready for 2026.
"We preach multi-sport athletes across the board, so whether it's basketball or baseball or track along with football we just want to make sure they're doing those things and at the end of the day I thought our summer was great,'' Pegram said.
"We have high attendance and we don't even keep count of how many kids we have because we have so many that the weight room's filled up and they're out here putting in the work and they're consistent.''
Myles Fisher, a senior offensive/defensive lineman, received second-team All-Shawnee County honors and All-Big East League honorable mention last season while recording 73 tackles for the Eagles.
Silver Lake sophomore quarterback Kipton Kruger (8) was named the Shawnee County offensive newcomer of the year last fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore quarterback Kipton Kruger was named the Shawnee County offensive newcomer of the year last fall after completing 178 of 252 passes for 2,158 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Eagles. Kruger was a second-team All-Shawnee County pick and received All-Big East honorable mention.
Kendrick Vande Velde, a junior offensive/defensive lineman, also earned All-Shawnee County second-team recognition last season and was an All-Big East League first-team pick.
Junior running back Dom Monhollon is poised for a breakout season at running back for Silver Lake after carrying the ball 83 times for 444 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore.
Silver Lake opens its season on the road at St. Marys on Sept. 4 before hosting the continuation of the fabled 'War on 24' rivalry with Rossville on Sept. 11.
SILVER LAKE
2026 football schedule
September -- 4 at St. Marys, 11 Rossville, 18 Jefferson West, 25 at Oskaloosa.
October -- 2 West Franklin, 9 at Maranatha Academy, 16 at Holton, 23 Osage City.
Next up: Topeka High.
