Carter Ricke always hoped he could get a similar opportunity.

“Seeing him when I was growing up, I knew that’s always what I wanted to do,” Carter said. “He was obviously such a great player. Seeing him doing that makes me want to do it.”

That time has come as Carter Ricke is transitioning into the starting quarterback role during the defending Class 3A champion Bulldogs’ spring practice.

“I’ve been waiting for this all my life. My chance has finally come so I’m ready to ready to win,” Carter Ricke said.

Since Chase Ricke graduated, Carter has seen current Charlotte quarterback Max Brown and Luke Milligan enjoy tremendous success as the Bulldogs’ QB.

“You’ve got to watch the game to get better at the game,” Carter Ricke said. “ They’re obviously great quarterbacks. So I’ve got to live up to that standard, but I’m excited to see what I can do and prove myself and see what our team can do.”

Carter Ricke was a starter in the Bulldogs’ secondary as a sophomore last season. With the Bulldogs playing in several lopsided games, he also saw a decent amount of time on the field as the backup quarterback. He completed 19-of-23 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

Spring practice has been a valuable time as Carter prepares for his first season as the starting quarterback for Lincoln, which has two Class 3A state championships and four title game appearances in the past five years.

“We’ve got to see what he can do, how he handles things and handles all the things, handles leading the team, and he’s done a good job of that,” said his father, Bulldogs coach Jerry Ricke, whose entire coaching career has been at Lincoln.

“Carter has been with our program as long as he could walk. He’s been a part of this and it’s a privilege to get to coach him and watch him as he learns from failures and successes.”

For the second year in a row, Lincoln was jolted in the spring by the departure of its top returning receiver. This year it was Malakai Dillard, who moved with his brother Kailib, to Jenks. But the Bulldogs have several experienced receivers returning, including Jack Milligan and Kylan Schultheis, and tight end Luke McCants, who scored on five of his 10 catches in 2023.

At running back, the Bulldogs are looking to fill the void left by the graduations of Sawyer Brooks and Moses Fullingim, who combined for nearly 3,000 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. Lincoln will probably use a committee approach that includes top returning rusher Hudson Farris, who had 378 yards and four TDs last season. The Bulldogs also have several openings to fill on the offensive line due to graduations, including another of Carter’s brothers, Caden.

On defense, the Bulldogs return most of their front seven, led by linebacker Mason Torres and end Dawson Fullingim.

“Dawson and Mason are both good leaders,” Jerry Ricke said. “Mason is the leader of our defense. I expect a lot of him. He gets us in the right calls, checks things that need to be checked. Dawson is relentless, a great effort kid. He’s really smart and plays the game the right way. Just does every little thing that makes him the best possible player you can be.”

Although Luke Milligan passed for 38 TDs last season and the rushing game produced stellar results, defense set the tone early in the season with a shutout over Holland Hall in the opener and a 20-14 win over Arkansas power Shiloh Christian.

It’s been an especially interesting offseason for the Bulldogs, who expected to be competing in 4A, but last month were reclassified to 3A where they will defend their state title.

“To me it’s kind of confusing, we wanted to have some competition in 4A, but we’re ready for 3A again and there’s still really good teams in 3A, and we’re ready to go just do what we do, play Lincoln football,” Torres said.

“We’re a very aggressive team that loves competition.”

The Bulldogs capped a perfect 2023 season with a rally from a 21-point deficit to defeat Heritage Hall in the state title game.

“I still think about that game from time to time, because it gets me pumped up for what we can do this season,” said Dawson Fullingim, who will face Heritage Hall again on Sept. 6 after opening a week earlier at Victory Christian.

Carter Ricke’s favorite pro quarterback is San Francisco’s Brock Purdy.

“He’s like the underdog story,” Carter said. “That’s how I feel sometimes and he obviously did. He got drafted dead last. Nobody expected him to do much and obviously he went to the Super Bowl.”

So what does Carter say is the best piece of advice he has received from older brother Chase, who is now playing for Emporia State?

“Be confident, know you’re a good quarterback, and go in there and be a good quarterback. Go in there and dominate, be confident.”