For most high school football programs, following a state championship is difficult. By 2023, the Spartans reached the Class 1A state semifinals before breaking through with a perfect 15-0 season and the program's first state championship in 2024. "Last year, we tried to be that state championship team, and we weren't because we were a bunch of different guys," Gage Pennington said. Chad Pennington showed he knows how to focus forward during his NFL career, twice bouncing back from adversity to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year awards. Sayre opens Aug. 21 with a road trip to defending Class 1A state champion Kentucky Country Day, beginning what figures to be one of the state's most demanding schedules.