FARSON — Farson-Eden has established itself as a consistent postseason program under fifth-year head coach Ryan Lay.

The Pronghorns have reached the playoffs in each of Lay’s four seasons at the helm, but the program is still looking for its first playoff victory under the veteran coach. Farson-Eden has also yet to finish with a winning record during Lay’s tenure, making the road to the postseason more difficult as the Pronghorns have routinely entered the playoffs as a lower seed and faced a top team in the opening round.

This season, Farson-Eden returns a young but experienced group with hopes of changing that postseason narrative.

“We lost one of our biggest classes last year, but the guys coming back do have quite a bit of experience,” Lay said. “They all got playing time last year. Might seem young with only one senior but lots of play time experience.”

That experience could be especially important for a program that lost a large senior class from last year’s team. Rather than relying on players seeing significant varsity action for the first time, Farson-Eden will turn to returners who have already been through a full season of high school football.

Lay said the program’s consistency has been built on a simple approach.

“We stick to the fundamentals and the basics,” he said. “If we can do the little things right every day, then it transfers when we need it to.”

That philosophy will be tested as the Pronghorns attempt to build on an offense that averaged more than 41 points per game last season.

Lay believes the system is suited to the players Farson-Eden has on its roster.

“Our offense is built for the talent we have,” Lay said. “It is designed to fit our players’ strengths and make it simple for them.”

The Pronghorns’ season ended last year with a high-scoring 69-60 playoff loss to Hulett, a game Lay believes was arguably the team’s best performance of the season despite the final result.

“That was probably our best game all last season and we came up a bit short,” Lay said. “It was a tough one to walk away from, but we learned and hopefully now we are better because of it.”

That experience provides another piece of motivation heading into the new season. Farson-Eden will need to turn those lessons into results if it wants to advance beyond the first round for the first time under Lay.

The offseason focus has centered on keeping players active and engaged with the sport.

“Stay active is key, weight room is a huge benefit, and to stay engaged in the game of football,” Lay said. “Figure out a way to keep watching it and learning.”

Leadership will also be important for a team with just one senior. Jeffery Goodwin is the lone senior expected to assume a leadership role, while junior Clancy Madsen is another player Lay believes can help provide leadership.

“Jeffery Goodwin is going to be our only senior that will have to step into that role,” Lay said. “Clancy Madsen is a junior that I feel can assist in that roll. Hopefully some other step up and become positive leaders too.”

Depth remains one of the biggest concerns for a small-school program.

“Depth is always a big concern in a small school like ours,” Lay said. “The more boys we can get out the better.”

“As mentioned before, the returners we do have, have plenty of game time experience and have been playing with each other, some since middle school,” Lay said.

The challenge now is turning that experience and familiarity into postseason success.

The program has not yet reached the level it enjoyed during one of the most successful stretches in school history.

From 2016 through 2020, the Pronghorns reached four championship games in five seasons, missing the title game only in 2019. Farson-Eden won championships in 2018 and 2020, completing undefeated seasons both times under head coach Marvin “Trip” Applequist.

For Lay, the formula starts with everyone embracing the team rather than focusing on individual roles.

“As long as we all continue to understand we are a team and we play for each and every teammate, we can go as far as we want,” Lay said. “And not to sound too cliché, but we all need to believe we are good enough to make it. We are confident we can compete and win.”

Farson-Eden has already demonstrated that it can consistently reach the postseason. The next challenge is taking the step that has eluded the program during Lay’s first four seasons: winning once the playoffs begin. A stronger regular-season record could help the Pronghorns improve their postseason seeding, potentially giving them a more favorable first-round matchup and the opportunity to host a playoff game.

For a program looking to return to its championship ways, those regular-season wins could prove especially valuable. Farson-Eden is no longer trying to prove it can reach the playoffs. Now, the Pronghorns are looking to put themselves in a better position once they get there, with the hope that a higher seed, a potential home playoff game and the experience of a young but seasoned roster can help push the program back into championship contention.