HSFT Stop #40: Shannon
After finishing with seven wins a season ago, the Shannon Red Raiders are entering the 2026 campaign with one message at the center of everything they do: finish. Shannon’s season ended with a first-round playoff loss to New Albany, a defeat that has fueled head coach Ken Topps and his team throughout the offseason.
“We’ve just been focused on raising the standard,” Topps said. “You might have reached one goal, but you’ve still got to push to another point. Every time we do something, we think back to what happened last time when we were up and didn’t finish the game. Our mindset is that we’ve got to finish—always until the last whistle.”
That emphasis has shaped the team’s offseason workouts, where Topps has stressed discipline and attention to detail.
“That’s the big difference between winning and losing games,” Topps said. “Discipline is doing exactly what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it. You don’t want to make the mistake that costs your team. Having discipline on the field gives you the best chance to succeed.”
For Topps, building a winning program extends beyond football. The Red Raiders have also focused on developing players mentally and spiritually, with Topps bringing in preachers to speak with the team and encouraging players to strengthen their relationships with God as part of the program’s culture. Center Timothy Thompson says those lessons have reinforced the importance of every player doing their job.
“He teaches us that the little things matter,” Thompson said. “The difference between winning and losing is the little things. Everybody has to be on the same page, and having a relationship with God helps make everything better.”
Senior quarterback Dashaun Clifton says the team’s biggest takeaway from last season was its inability to close games.
“I think the biggest thing last year was we didn’t finish,” Clifton said. “In the playoff game, we played well in the first half, but in the second half we didn’t finish. That’s the biggest thing we have to do this year.”
Defensive end Rayshaun Richardson believes the culture Topps has built is already helping the Red Raiders move in the right direction.
“Coach has changed the program,” Richardson said. “We’re trying to go from being a first-round exit team to making it to the third round. I can see the improvement through the hard work and dedication that everyone is putting in.”
The Red Raiders will have their first opportunity to put that offseason work to the test when they open the season on Aug. 21 against Aberdeen.
