After a rebuilding year in 2023, the Frankfort Hot Dogs are positioned for improvement in the 2024 season. Frankfort finished 1-9 last season and fell to Marion in the first round of sectionals.
James Byers returns for his seventh season at the helm and said he is excited for the year.
“We were very young last year in some really key positions,” Byers said. “We started a lot of sophomores and juniors last year, which makes us really excited for this year because now we have a bunch of seasoned vets. Now we have a bunch of juniors and seniors who have made huge strides from last year to the start of this year.”
Byers said the Hot Dogs will return 18 of 22 starters from a season ago. They did lose 2 key offensive contributors; leading receiver Garek Birge and leading rusher Caleb Boggs.
Byers said the team will lean on its seniors this season, especially Rolando Castillo and Jackson Woods.
“Castillo plays DB (defensive back) for us, the journal and Courier picked him as the number three DB to watch in the area,” Byers said. He led all 4A schools in tackles as a DB and was an all-state candidate last year. And now we’re adding to his plate by putting him in at tailback, and he’s going to get a lot of touches because he’s really dynamic with the ball in his hand. Jackson Woods is moving from offensive line to fullback because he’s really quick, he’s really physical, and he’s 260 pounds and when he gets going, he’s tough to bring down. And so they’re really gonna kind of anchor the offense.”
After beating Clinton Central and falling to Clinton Prairie, Byers said he has his eyes on sweeping the county this season.
“I think our first goal every year is to come out and win Clinton County,” Byers said. “We open up the season with Clinton Central and Clinton Prairie, and we need to take care of business at home. And then it would be great to be able to go win Montgomery County as well.”
This will be the last year for Frankfort in the Sagamore Conference as the Hot Dogs and four other schools opted to leave the conference. Byers said because it’s the final year, competition will be even tougher.
“Our schedule is tough week in and week out,” Byers said. “We’ll open up conference play with Tri-West. And this is the last year for the Sagamore. So in a conference where everybody is ranked all the time, and everybody’s having great seasons, it’s going to be, I think, even more intense this year with this being the last year of the conference.”
Frankfort will open its season at home against Clinton Central before hitting the road in week two to take on Clinton Prairie.
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