Forkner steps up to lead Grain Valley's strong defense

by Michael Smith

     Grain Valley football coach David Allie noted at the beginning of the season that his defense had the most varsity experience at defensive line and in the secondary.
     But the one area the Eagles would have inexperience was with the linebacker core. The one steadying presence was expected to be senior Gage Forkner, who played as an outside linebacker for the 2020 Eagles.
     This season, Forkner has not only lived up to expectations, he has exceeded them as the leader of a Grain Valley defense that has allowed just 18.8 points per game. He has excelled as the defensive captain as he has played at middle linebacker and on the outside.
     So far this season, Forkner leads the team with 55 tackles, with 9.5 of them being for a loss.
     “I worked on playing inside backer all offseason,” Forkner said. “I played outside linebacker all last year, so I am able to play both. When you’re outside, you’re mostly reading the tackles. When you are inside, you are reading the guards to the back.”
     Through nine games, Allie has been pleased with how Forkner has adjusted to his new role.
     “He’s adapted well to it,” Allie said.
     ”He’s fast and is aggressive to the ball. He’s done just as well in an interior position as he has on the outside. He’s got a tremendous attitude and he’s extremely coachable. He makes the defense go.”
     He’s also been the main player to call audibles and make sure his defense mates are in the right spot.
     “He’s done a great job with it as you have seen with how well our defense has played,” Allie said.
     “That goes back to him having varsity experience and knowing the game plan. He studies film and makes sure we are in a good position.”
     While Forkner had been a strong presence at linebacker, he’s had some help in that unit from players like Brody Baker, Cole Elliott, and others. Forkner admitted that the linebacker core struggled in an offseason training camp at Pittsburg State University but have made strides since then.
     “We just had such a young team and we just all had to get together and go after the right goal,” Forkner said. “We were going against some really good teams like Carthage. I think they are No. 1 right now.”
     While the Grain Valley linebackers have done well, Forkner said the defense as a whole has been strong in 2021.
     “Our D line has done an amazing job. I think that’s the strength of our defense,” Forkner said.       “All four of them go out there and have played to the best of their ability and our defensive backs have been killing it all year.”
     And Forkner and the rest of the team hopes they can continue that trend against Sedalia Smith-Cotton in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 7 Tournament Friday.
     “We just need to keep getting better,” Forkner said. “We also got to help the young guys keep getting better, especially (in the secondary) with so many injuries there.”
 
     After his high school career is over, Forkner hopes to continue playing in college. He said if he can’t get a good enough offer, he might try to earn a spot on a team as a walk-on or play at a junior college.
     “He can play at a variety of levels,” Allie said. “He’s going to make someone really happy. He will be the first one to say he needs to put on some weight and still keep his speed. If wants to play some more, there will be a place for him.” 

Left to right: Senior Gage Forkner, with junior Keegan Hart and senior Jordan Jones.
Photo credit: Michael Smith

So far this season, Forkner leads the team with 55 tackles, with 9.5 of them being for a loss.
Photo credit: John Overstreet