As Smoky Valley prepares for the upcoming football season, senior Auley Boughfman is looking forward to more than just Friday nights under the lights. He is eager to embrace the responsibility that comes with being one of the team’s upperclassmen and use his experience to help lead the Vikings.
Boughfman said the opportunity to be a senior leader is what excites him most heading into the season.
“I’m super excited for this upcoming football season,” Boughfman said. “There is so many things that I am ready for, but the thing that I am most excited about is the leadership that comes with being a senior. I’m excited to be able to influence teammates more and set the tone for games.”
While leadership is a major focus, Boughfman is also looking forward to simply competing and enjoying the game he loves.
“Again, I am just excited for the opportunity to play and the fun that comes with football,” he said.
Boughfman and the Vikings have put in plenty of work during the offseason to prepare for the challenges ahead. Smoky Valley’s summer schedule has included four days a week of team weights followed by skills practice, creating a consistent routine focused on improvement.
“That is the everyday expectation for our team,” Boughfman said.
The Vikings have also taken advantage of several opportunities to compete against other programs during the summer. The team attended a weeklong camp and traveled to camps at Buhler and Bethel while also participating in weekly 7-on-7 competition in Hillsboro.
Those experiences have allowed Smoky Valley to evaluate its progress and measure itself against other teams.
“We have had some more special opportunities that we have had this summer like going to a lot of camps to see what the team is looking like and how we stack up against our competition,” Boughfman said.
Heading into his senior season, Boughfman is focused on controlling what he can and continuing to make an impact wherever he is needed. He hopes to become more involved offensively while maintaining a positive mindset throughout the year.
“For individual goals I really just look to give my best effort no matter what and maintain a good attitude throughout the season,” Boughfman said. “I want to get thrown the ball more as I have been overlooked on the offensive side, but other than that I just focus on the things that I can control.”
Beyond individual accomplishments, Boughfman believes the Vikings have the potential to make a strong run as long as the team continues to grow together.
“As for team goals I feel that we could easily have a winning record and even go past the regular season,” he said. “Apart from just winning, I want stronger team bonding than in the past and more effort as a whole.”
