By halftime of the season's first game, Coach Eldridge's team could have called it quits. In a half of football, they lost their senior quarterback, Cameron Vanzant, and junior middle linebacker, Avery Lynch, to season-ending knee injuries. They finished a tough non-conference stretch of one 5A opponent and two 7A opponents with one win and two losses. After that, they rallied around their sophomore backup quarterback, Aiden Lester, and rolled through the 5A West conference by winning six of their next seven games.
The Cardinals started the conference season off with a multiple-score comeback vs Harrison in Cardinal Stadium in week four. Their most notable victory was a last-minute comeback vs Shiloh Christian at Home in week eight. That win broke a five-season conference win streak for the eventual 2023 5A State Runner-Up, Shiloh Saints. The Cardinals then sealed the conference title with wins on the road vs Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove in weeks nine and ten. It was their first conference title since 2006 and the first ever in the 5A West Conference. The Cardinals hosted the first-ever playoff game at Cardinal Stadium, where they fell to eventual state semifinalist Camden Fairview. Their success this season was a tribute to the culture that our staff and players have formed and an attitude never to quit, no matter the circumstance.
Many Cardinal players earned post-season honors in 2023. Running back Luke Elsik, safety Charlie Mobley, center Hunter Marshall, defensive end Michael Douglass, and receiver/safety Hunter Reeves were all named 5A All-State. All-conference players were Titus Brown, Ayden Lester, Russell Hodge, Dawson Keaton, Akin Johnson, Truitt Roland, Kaleb Harris, Taylor Conran, Jacquel Brown, Quinn Walker, Joey Richards, and Brandon Clark. Coach J.R. Eldridge was also named 5A West Coach of the Year.
In just his third season, Coach Eldridge has the Cardinal football program trending up for the upcoming future. Nine of their all-state and all-conference players return next season. The Jr. High Cardinal football team also went undefeated and won the 5A/6A NWRV league this year as well.