Connor Guillote helped establish Grand Lake as a Class 1A football power, guiding the Hornets to an appearance in the state championship game as a sophomore and helping the baseball team appear in two state title games.

This year the degree of difficulty goes up for the Hornets, who are moving into Class 2A.

Guillote welcomes the change.

“I’d like to make a playoff appearance in 2A,” he said. “I like the competition, having new teams to play and hoping that it is a little bit more challenging.”

Guillote was up to the challenge when he was moved to quarterback midway through his sophomore season.

“We had Eli Fountain at quarterback,” Guillote said. “After we lost to Oberlin, Coach (Jeff Wainwright) thought I could take that role and then we could move Eli around.”

The move worked, as the Hornets won five consecutive games before losing to Oak Grove in the championship game.

Guillote scored five rushing touchdowns and threw two more in his starts. Last season he ran for 150 yards, threw for 448 and accounted for 11 touchdowns in six games played.

Guillote says over time he has improved the mental part of the game.

“I’m better at trusting my reads and everything that I see and being able to play faster and faster,” he said. “On offense, I feel like running the ball, using my legs and getting outside are my biggest strengths. On defense, they are definitely tackling and coming downhill. I enjoy defense more, being able to control everything and feeling like I’m on an island when I play corner.”

An outfielder in baseball, Guillote says he has a pair of great leaders in his two head coaches, Wainwright and Tyler Alton.

“Coach Wainwright has taught me everything,” he said. “I came in as a freshman not knowing much and he put a lot of trust in me and gave me an opportunity to shine. He took me under his wing, put time into me and put faith in me. Coach Alton is another great role model. He relates to all of us players very well and is a lot of fun to play for.”

Guillote said Grand Lake is a great place to play.

“It is a small town and the community stands behind all things,” he said. “It’s awesome when I can walk into a gas station and everybody’s asking about how I did Friday night or telling me they were at the game. We get so much love from this community; it is like no other.”