davesports.com Area Prep Football Poll

Unless you’re a college football team hoping for a BCS bowl bid, polls mean very little in sports.

Particularly preseason polls.

That may be the case, but it seems most sports fans like polls, whether they mean much or not.

And certainly the teams ranked or unranked in the 2007 davesports.com high school preseason area football poll aren’t going to care all that much one way or the other.

But it is something to look at, agree with or disagree about. It gets us talking football, and that’s what it’s about.

That being stated, we present the first davesports.com area football poll of the 2007 season.

What teams are included? Basically it’s the three conferences that teams in the Rolla area compete in and against – the Ozark Conference, the Four Rivers Conference and the South-Central Association (SCA). In addition, other area schools that are football independents could pop up in the poll, such as small-school program Cuba.

Or a team from outside the area but with ties in our coverage area. Such a team would be Washington, a former Four Rivers Conference school who now plays out of a St. Louis conference but bumps heads in Class 5 District 4 with area schools Rolla, Waynesville and Camdenton.

We’ll include Ozark Conference teams in our poll but not other southwest Missouri teams such as Webb City, Ozark or Branson because those teams don’t consistently play schools in this area.

This poll is very mythical, as is any poll, and we don’t pretend it’s anything more.

If we were ranking the true top-10 area teams probably only Class 6, 5 and a couple of 4 schools would be selected each week. But we want to include both the big boys and the smaller schools. For example, Class 2 Hermann has cracked our first top-10 list. That’s not to say that Hermann would beat an unranked large school team such as, for example, Springfield Glendale. But we want to promote the accomplishments of the Hermann Bearcats, who advanced to the Class 2 semifinals last year and are expected to be quite good again, as much as we would a successful

large school.

So, check out davesports.com each week and see who cracks our top-10.

Let’s have fun with it.

Here is the first davesports.com area high school football poll of the 2007 season, along with last year’s overall record:

1. Joplin (7-3) – The Eagles are so good that returning starting quarterback Corey Rector, who threw for more than 2,000 yards last season, may not win the starting job. He is being pressed by impressive junior Barrett Noirfalise.

2. Camdenton (8-2) -- The Lakers are still grumpy about losing at Rolla in overtime on a muddy field, costing them a chance at another run in the post-season. An upset Camdenton could be scary.

3. Waynesville (7-3) – The Tigers have everyone’s attention, with 1,500-yard rusher L.J. Fort back in the backfield. However, look for Waynesville’s spread offense to inflict more passing damage this fall.

4. Union (10-1) – Can QB Jordan Webb possibly match his record-smashing sophomore passing numbers of 3,159 yards and 49 touchdowns? We’ll see.

5. Owensville (8-6) – The Dutchmen’s spirited run to the Missouri Class 3 championship game after a terrible beginning to the season is inspiration to every squad that stumbles out of the starting blocks.

6. Rolla (7-4) – Can a team that lost nine starters on each side of the ball possibly be as good or better the following year? Stay tuned.

7. Ava (8-3) – Ava wants to be this year’s Mountain Grove and represent the SCA in the state playoff semifinals.

8. Salem (8-2) – The Tigers, left out of the playoffs the past three years despite a combined four losses over that period, hope it’s their time again.

9. Hermann (11-2) – The Bearcats may be the smallest school in the Four Rivers, but with all-state receiver Taylor Cameron moving to the backfield no one is thrilled about the possibility of facing them.

10. Mountain Grove (11-2) – Losing five all-staters, the Panthers are going to be hard-pressed to make a fourth consecutive trip to the semifinals. But until somebody knocks them off…

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Some replacing to do for district champ Rolla

ROLLA – If the Rolla High School football team is going to repeat as champions of the very challenging Class 5 District 4 this season, some new faces are going to have to come through for the Bulldogs in a big way.

Third-year RHS head coach Brock Roweton likes the talent and effort he’s seen from his squad this preseason. However, there are many, many holes to fill.

Rolla returns just two starters on each side of the ball from last season’s 7-4 squad, which won the district crown and hosted a Class 5 Quarterfinal game, losing to eventual state finalist Kirkwood. It was the first playoff berth for RHS in 11 years.

Rolla averaged more than 24 points per game in 2006 while totaling more than 3,000 yards of offense, including more than 2,000 rushing yards.

Most of the key figures from that squad have graduated, including running back Joe Steelman (1,159 yards, nine touchdowns), quarterback Tanner Dinsdale (970 passing yards, 351 rushing yards), fullback, kicker and all-state linebacker Jake Drallmeier (334 rushing yards), receiver Steve Whitson (31 receptions for 335 yards and three touchdowns), linebacker Robert Houston, end Stephen Copple (six sacks) and receiver/place kicker/punter Spencer Kling.

"We’ve got five guys who have played varsity football," Roweton said. "You don’t know what’s going to happen until the lights come on.

"We’re excited of the fact that this is year three with basically the same staff. Because of that things have not changed much. We’re miles ahead of last year, as far as knowing what’s going on."

Starters back for Rolla include seniors Ryan Williams and Kenneth Maes at linebacker and senior offensive tackles Connor Barnes and Matt Wright.

Also back for RHS is junior running back/receiver Cameron Fore.

Fore didn’t start last season but he certainly made an impact when he came in on offense and as a return man. Fore rushed for 277 yards, caught 13 passes for 259 yards and scored five touchdowns last fall.

Starting the season-opener in Rolla’s veer offense will be senior Ben Buchka (6-1, 205) and junior Paden Long (6-1, 190) at tight end, Barnes (6-0, 285) and Wright (6-2, 310) at tackle, junior Anthony Bigby (6-3, 305) and sophomore Andrew Fridley (6-1, 200) at guard, senior Ryan Clift (5-11, 215) at center, junior Morgan Rechtien (6-1, 180) at wideout, junior Ross Parker (5-11, 200) at quarterback and junior Cameron Fore (6-0, 205) and Maes (6-2, 200) at running back.

Bulldog defensive starters are senior Allen Kilby (6-2, 220), senior Deniz Kutmen (6-2, 250) and junior Andrew Standifer (6-4, 205) on the front line; Maes, Williams (5-11, 190) and Buchka at inside linebacker; senior Zachary Butz (6-2, 200) and junior Robert Pettijohn (5-9, 170) at outside linebacker; senior Ethan Fowler (5-11, 165) and senior Brock Jones (5-11, 175) at cornerback, and Rechtien at free safety.

Senior William Morrison, who has transferred to Rolla from St. James this school year, will handle the place-kicking and punting. Morrison was a Class 3 All-State selection as a place-kicker last season as well as an all-district punter.

"I think we have more team speed than we had the last couple of years – at least in the skill positions," Roweton said. "I’m hoping one strength to the team we have is that fact they are smart players. We’re just basically building on what we’ve done in the past."

Here is the Bulldogs’ 2007 schedule:

Aug. 31...at Springfield Hillcrest, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7...Joplin, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14...at Springfield Parkview, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21...Lebanon, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28...West Plains, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5...at Springfield Glendale, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12...at Springfield Kickapoo, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19...Waynesville, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26...at Camdenton, 7 p.m.

Nov. 2...Washington, 7 p.m.

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St. James hopes for healthier 2007

ST. JAMES – The St. James High School football team began losing starters to injuries before the season even began in 2006.

And once the games started, the players kept falling.

Tiger head coach Greg Harlan was hoping this a new season would mean more health.

Unfortunately, St. James begins the 2007 campaign again short on personnel due to injuries.

While constantly shuffling the lineup due to injury woes, St. James struggled to a 2-8 record.

However, partly due to those same injuries, many youngsters got plenty of playing time a year ago. Those players are now seasoned varsity competitors who hope to add several more wins to last year’s victory total.

If they can only get on the field at the same time.

"We like to think we’ve got a lot of experience back," said Harlan, a former Tiger all-state player who is entering his second season as St. James football head coach. "We suffered a lot of injuries last year and a lot of kids got a lot of playing time. We have four or five offensive linemen back, and that’s where you want to have some experience. The overall experience we have back this year is probably more than we had coming back last year."

The Tiger offense will build around a seasoned line anchored by two-time all-district selection Lance "Bubba" Cunningham.

Cunningham is penciled in at right guard this season. Other starting offensive linemen back include senior center Ryan Dautenhahn, senior left guard Kyle Wendels and junior right tackle Nick Zachery. Wendels has been one of the players out much of the preseason practice this fall.

Returning at quarterback for his senior season is Damon Thomas. Thomas was the third highest-rated passer in the Four Rivers Conference last season, hitting on 71-of-138 passes for 974 yards for four touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Thomas will have to find new favorite receivers, however, as wideout Nick Olivas (36 receptions, 395 yards) and running back/slot back J.J. Jackson have graduated.

Getting first cracks at taking their place will be senior Larry Karnes, who is moving to the flanker position this fall, and sophomore Chase Ford. Karnes may miss the first couple of games with a shoulder injury.

The running back position was wiped out by injury much of last season. Trying to bring consistency – and health – to the positions this season will be senior Nathan Deluca – last year’s starting fullback who led the squad with 245 rushing yards – junior Ethan Rodgers and junior Jake Mankin.

"As the season progressed last year Damon really improved," Harlan said. "One of the biggest problems we had last year was running the football and part of that was a lack of experience up front. With experience back now there is really no reason we can’t have a solid running game to complement Damon’s strong arm.

"I think we may have better depth at running back this year than we had last year. Receiver-wise we graduated six of our top seven receivers; we’re looking to have some kids step up and play."

The replacements must be found in earnest on the defensive side of the ball.

St. James returns just two full-time starters on defense – Deluca at outside linebacker (74 total tackles) and Karnes (17 tackles, one interception) at safety. Thomas, one of the best athletes on the squad, is likely to play both sides of the ball this season; and will probably be an outside linebacker on defense.

And there is a huge void to fill in the kicking game, as all-state place-kicker and all-district punter William Morrison has transferred to Rolla.

Here is the Tigers’ 2007 schedule (all games are to begin at 7 p.m.):

Aug. 31...Blair Oaks

Sept. 7...at Hermann

Sept. 14...Union

Sept. 21...at Houston

Sept. 28...Pacific

Oct. 5...at St. Clair

Oct. 12...Park Hills Central

Oct. 19...Owensville

Oct. 26...at St. Francis Borgia

Nov. 2...at Sullivan

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Waynesville wants to romp on new turf

WAYNESVILLE – There is a lot of newness surrounding the Waynesville High School football team in 2007.

The Tigers have a new synthetic turf on their game field. They have a new defense they are using as their base formation. They have a new quarterback that will probably increase the value of the passing game.

And long-time head coach Rick Vernon is hoping all that newness adds up to a return to the post-season.

The Tigers are coming off a 7-3 campaign. A solid season, but not a championship one; it was the first time in the past three years that WHS did not win the district title.

With eight players on both sides of the ball returning with varsity starting experience Vernon, entering his 26th season as Waynesville head coach, feels there is enough talent back to again be major contenders for both Missouri Class 5 District 4 and Ozark Conference honors.

Waynesville may have used a spread offense last year, but it was the power running game that was still the squad’s bread-and-butter. Senior running back L.J. Fort (6-2, 215) returns after being named to the Missouri Class 5 All-State Team. Fort rushed for 1,510 yards and scored a total of 19 touchdowns for the Tigers last season.

"Fort is right at the top as far as some great running backs we’ve had here," Vernon said. "And we’re going to do some different things with him this year; even use him at wideout in some sets.

"And we’ve got some other running backs who are going to contribute, such as (senior) Trumayne Clayton (5-8, 165 senior)."

Despite losing Raphael Perry – a feared two-way threat – to graduation the Tigers look to have another solid two-threat QB in senior Lyle Cox, last year’s backup.

And Cox potentially is a stronger passer. In a summer combine was clocked at a :04.45 40-yard dash. Cox was named the most valuable player of the 2007 Scout Recruiting Combine this summer at Arrowhead Stadium.

Entering the fall as Cox’s go-to receiver is senior Lucas Bateman (6-3, 175). An all-state hurdler this spring in track, Bateman has good speed. Last year he caught 13 passes for 165 yards.

Other starting wideouts figure to be senior T.R. Raines (6-2, 170), junior B.J. Ray (6-2, 195) and senior Peter Spoehr (6-1, 210).

The potential depth at receiver should allow Cox to spread the wealth around.

"We feel we have the ability to pass the ball; we’ve done it well this summer," Vernon said. "Lyle will be quarterbacking the team and he throws the ball well and runs the ball well. Overall he’s just a tough kid. Lucas has done well; he’s worked very hard and has good speed and great hands. He’s another big target for us."

Two starters back to anchor the offensive line are senior right guard Chris Young (6-3, 245) and senior right tackle Jason Ostrowaski (6-4, 245). Other WHS offensive line starters are senior center Jess Osborne (5-11, 185), senior left tackle Tamar Patton (250) and junior left guard Kameron Davis (275).

Defensively the Tigers plan on going with a 3-5-3 base formation.

A three-front defensive unit requires a squad to have depth and talent at the linebacker position, and Vernon feels that will be a Tiger strength.

"We feel over the years we probably have more of those type of players," Vernon said of his linebackers. "This will allow more of those players to show what they can do.

"We feel out of this defense we’ve got some bigger guys we can put in there. But we can also put in some quicker guys. We’re not going to be as big, but we’ll be quicker. We feel we have what we need."

Young starts at noseguard flanked by tackles senior Chase Chavers (6-0, 180) and Patton.

Fort, who had four interceptions last season, highlights a linebacking group. Fort will play inside linebacker in the 3-5 front along with senior Andre Taylor (200) and Spoehr. The outside linebacker starters include Clayton (175) and senior Jared Bales (150).

The secondary includes Raines and sophomore Miakel Williams (185) at cornerback and Ray at safety.

The Waynesville kicking game is in good hands with senior Aaron Cruz. As a place-kicker Cruz hit 32-of-35 extra-point attempts, 4-of-5 field goals attempts (a long of 46 yards) and was one of the area’s leaders in touchbacks. As a punter Cruz averaged 36.5 yards per kick.

"That’s the third phase we feel very good about," Vernon said of the special teams. "We feel Aaron can place the ball very well."

Here is the Tigers’ 2007 varsity schedule (all games start at 7 p.m.):

Aug. 31…at Joplin

Sept. 7…Springfield Kickapoo

Sept. 14…Farmington

Sept. 21…at Springfield Hillcrest

Sept. 28…Springfield Glendale

Oct. 5…Springfield Parkview

Oct. 12…Lebanon

Oct. 19…at Rolla

Oct. 26…at Washington

Nov. 2…Camdenton

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Salem ready to do some advancing itself

SALEM – Forgive the Salem High School football team for thinking that the off-season is way too long.

Too much time to think about it.

That’s because for the past three seasons the Tigers have had a chance to advance to the state playoffs entering the regular-season finale...only to see their final foe dash their hopes each year.

In 2004 and 2005 it was South-Central Association (SCA) rival Mountain Grove that kept Salem out of the playoffs (Mountain Grove went on to the semifinals each of the past three years). Last year Salem moved to Class 3 District 9 and it was another SCA foe, Ava, that rallied for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat Salem and advance.

The Tigers feel they are way overdue to do some advancing of their own.

Salem has a combined record of 26-4 over the past three seasons. Last year the squad had a 8-2 mark.

However, don’t ask Missouri High School Coaches Association Hall of Famer Bill Schuchardt what to expect from his Tigers this fall. He has no clue.

"I totally have no idea," said Schuchardt, Salem’s long-time head coach. "We only played 16 plays in our jamboree (before it was stopped due to weather). We had our soap scrimmage rained out. We have no idea how they will react in stress situations. This is the most unsure I’ve been (at the beginning of a season) in 27 years."

What Schuchardt does know is he has five starters back on both sides of the football.

Heading into the first game starters for Salem’s wishbone offense include senior Jordan Thompson (5-11, 209) at tight end, senior Ryan Thompson (6-4, 272) at left tackle, junior Danny Hutchings (5-6, 240) at left guard, senior Vincent Jackson (6-0, 240) at center, sophomore Ty Floyd (6-1, 210) at right guard, junior Andy Flett (6-2, 320) at right tackle, junior C.J. Smith (6-1, 145) at receiver, junior Cody Wofford (6-0, 166) at quarterback, junior Yousef Ibrahim (5-9, 172) at left halfback, senior Max Ball (5-11, 192) at fullback and senior Justin Davis (5-11, 175) at right halfback.

Ibrahim will do the kicking.

Tiger starters on defense are junior Landie Oliver (5-11, 175) and sophomore Jacob Schafer (5-11, 152) at end, R. Thompson and junior Brady Adams (6-0, 216) at tackle, senior Tyler Washausen (6-0, 2065) at noseguard, J. Thompson and senior Cass Jones (5-7, 167) at linebacker, senior Alex Heitman (5-10, 165) and junior Julilan Mason (5-9, 151) at cornerback and junior Cass Keene (5-9, 152) and sophomore Derek Freeman (5-9, 160) at safety.

Ibrahim and Ball are starters back in the Tiger offensive backfield while Flett, Jackson and J. Thompson are also back on offense. J. Thompson has moved from fullback to tight end this season. Wofford will be backed up at quarterback by Heitman.

Defensive starters returning are R. Thompson, Adams, Jones and Heitman.

"I hope we can run the ball...that’s what we need to be able to do," Schuchardt said. "I think our backs are pretty solid. We have good speed, for Salem. Both of our quarterbacks have played with this group for years, so they are capable of running the offense.

"We’re going to be a young, inexperienced defense. We’re not overly fast in the secondary and not overly big up front."

Here is Salem’s schedule:

Aug. 30...Mountain Grove, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7...at St. Clair, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14...Owensville, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21...at Cabool, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28...Houston, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5...Willow Springs, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12...at Mtn. View-Liberty, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19...Rogersville, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26...at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Nov. 2...at Ava, 7 p.m.

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Experienced defense leads Lakers

CAMDENTON – Opposing coaches have found out over that years that the earlier Bob Shore complains about his Camdenton squad in the preseason, the more victories the Lakers usually put up.

If that’s the case this fall, Camdenton could be headed for another big year.

The blazing weather of the preseason has helped Shore, entering his 32^nd season as Camdenton head coach, have a lot of uncertainty about his 2007 squad.

"I’ve been doing this for 40 years and we’ve had hotter days we’ve had to practice in," Shore said. "But I don’t think I’ve ever seen the number of practices in the kind of heat we’ve had this year.

"I know everybody has had the same problem. But we really haven’t looked good in practice mentally. I attribute that to the heat. Physically we haven’t been bad. The heat doesn’t affect you physically as much as it does mentally."

The 2005 Missouri Class 4 state champions, the Lakers are still upset with the way 2006 ended. Camdenton was moved up to Class 5 last season and were placed in the rugged District 4 with Rolla, Waynesville and Washington. The Lakers handled Waynesville and Washington in district play. However, on the road Camdenton was beaten by Rolla in overtime on a muddy mess of a field. Rolla went on to win the district title.

Be sure, Shore is still thinking of the muddy loss.

As usual Camdenton has great numbers, with 92 players in grades 10-12 on the roster this season. That includes three offensive starters and seven defensive starters from last season’s 8-2 squad.

Leading the Laker offensive attack will be all-conference and all-district senior wideout Derek Libby (5-9, 150), who had 35 receptions for 555 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Other offensive starters back include senior slotback Curtis Kerr (6-1, 190) and senior tackle Justin Ruble (6-0, 257).

There will be a new look in the Laker offensive backfield. Junior Kyle Simpson (6-1, 165) figures to take over as quarterback. Junior Josh Glover (5-5, 156), who rushed for 561 yards and three touchdowns last season, will be the new starting tailback. Senior Andy Sweatt will be the fullback.

The Lakers could be extremely strong on defense, with all-district/all-conference linebacker Sweatt (5-9, 185) – a three-year starter – pacing the unit. Also back are returning senior starters Travis Sanford (6-2, 262) at tackle, Bary Weems (5-11, 195) at linebacker, Shane Thomas (5-10, 210) at noseguard, Spencer Shaw (6-3, 200) at end and Jake Williams (5-10, 170) and Brent Lewis (6-1, 180) at defensive back. Williams had 68 tackles and four interceptions while Sweatt had 67 tackles and Shaw had five quarterback sacks in ‘06.

"We’re going to replace good people every year," Shore said. "We lost nine starters two years ago and we started 10 seniors last year. It’s been a pattern for us and it’s good because we have experienced players on the field...just not experienced starters.

"Over the years we’ve hung our hat on physical football. I think we’ll be that way again this year."

Here is Camdenton’s 2007 schedule (all games start at 7 p.m.):

Aug. 31...at Springfield Glendale

Sept. 7...Ozark

Sept. 14...Springfield Kickapoo

Sept. 21...at Springfield Parkview

Sept. 28...at Lebanon

Oct. 5...West Plains (Homecoming Game)

Oct. 12...at Springfield Hillcrest

Oct. 19...Washington

Oct. 26...Rolla

Nov. 2...at Waynesville

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Cuba hopes for more winning ways

CUBA – Mission accomplished.

After suffering through a combined record of 2-18 over the previous two seasons – including a winless 2005 – the Cuba High School football team returned to winning ways in 2006.

In his second season as Wildcat head coach Larry Mueller led the squad to a 5-4 record last season, including a 2-1 mark in Class 2 district play.

And with several starters returning on both sides of the ball Cuba is hoping for even bigger things this fall.

Mueller, who had previous head coaching stints at nearby Owensville and Sullivan before coming to Cuba, starts his third season with the Wildcats with seven returning starters on both offense and defense.

Overall Cuba has 42 players on its roster, including 12 seniors.

The Wildcats have featured a physical option game under Mueller and look for that to continue in ‘07.

The key for Cuba this season probably lies in the line, where much experience returns. Offensive line starters back include senior Matt Mahurin (5-10, 263), juniors Cody Cason (5-9, 247) and Ben Weber (6-1, 257) and sophomore Ben Britton (6-3, 256).

Depth at running back could be a team strength, and two of the runners vying for playing time there are seniors Zach Karpowecz and Zach Sego.

Mueller also says he would like to throw the ball more this season. It will be a new quarterback doing that throwing as last year’s starter, Jon Hunt, has graduated. There has been solid competition for the starting quarterback job opening in the preseason.

Among the targets, senior wideout Andrew Setter, who caught 45 passes last season, is back as are fellow seniors Charlie Brockway at wideout and A.J. Harmon at tight end.

Among those looking for playing time on the defensive line include senior Drew Weems, who had five sacks last season, Joe Brown, Sego, Joseph Bennett and Matt Mahurin.

Linebackers looking for playing time include Setter, Brockway, Kevin Mullally, Michael Warnhoff and Nathan Fisher.

Cuba will again be competing in Missouri Class 2 District 3, along with Herculaneum, Maplewood-Richmond Heights and Principia.

Here is Cuba’s 2007 schedule:

Aug. 31...at Fulton

Sept. 7...Sullivan

Sept. 14...at Park Hills Central

Sept. 21...Brentwood

Oct. 5...at Grandview

Oct. 12...at Wright City

Oct. 19...Herculaneum

Oct. 26...at Maplewood

Nov. 2...Principia

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Area roundup: Washington will again be district threat

Washington Blue Jays

One St. Louis-area team that south-central Missouri prep fans will be following closely this fall is the Washington Blue Jays, who are again paired in the murderous Class 5 District 4 with Rolla, Waynesville and Camdenton.

That district again has the look of one of the toughest in Class 5.

Washington, which plays in the Gateway Athletics Conference North Division, appears ready to hold up its end again in district play, with five offensive starters and three defensive starters back from last season’s 8-2 squad.

Jeff Duncan, entering his seventh season as Blue Jay head coach, has one of the St. Louis area’s most productive running backs to build around in speedy Denodus O’Bryant, a senior who rushed for more than 1,000 yards and had more than 1,300 yards in total offense.

Back to direct the Blue Jay offense is senior Matt Scheible, entering his third season as the starting quarterback. Scheible’s top targets figure to be senior Jamieson Ogle (6-3, 180), who caught 15 passes for 202 yards and four touchdowns last season, and junior sprinter Kerwin Stricker (6-2, 190), a four-event medalist at the Missouri Class 4 State Track Meet in the spring.

Seniors Ryan Brinker and Alex Koenig return to lead the offensive line.

Defensively Brinker on the defensive line, senior linebacker Dallas Pennock and Scheible and O’Bryant in the secondary will be key.

Veteran head coach Dale Gildehaus, entering his 21^st season leading the Knights, looks to have another state playoff contender this fall. Borgia returns 15 starters from 2006's 7-3 unit – eight on offense and seven on defense.

Gildehaus was inducted into the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame this summer. He and fellow Hall-of-Famer Harold Flannagan have coached a combined 45 of the 48 years that Borgia has had football.

A strong offensive line, including senior Matt Shannon (6-3, 250), senior Zac Michels (5-10, 205) and junior Colin Chalk (6-3, 340), is expected to lead a potent ground game which will include senior backs Tyler Filla, Adam Brigg and Justin Alleman.

The defensive standout figures to be senior linebacker Jeff Klott, who is being recruited by Division I schools.

Borgia is hoping to lift the Class 3 District 7 title from Owensville this season. Other district foes will be St. James and Sullivan.

The Falcons won their second Missouri Class 2 state championship in the past three years last fall.

Heavy losses to graduation will make it very difficult for a repeat, however.

In his first season as Blair Oaks head coach Brad Drehle had a 13-1 overall mark and the state title. He has four offensive starters and five defensive starters returning this season, but replacing all-state types such as quarterback Travis Henke and running back Derek Verslues will not be easy.

Leading the returners on offense are receivers Justin Eiken, a junior who caught nearly 50 passes for more than 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns, and senior Brandon Otto. Seniors Brent Thomas and Calvin Wilbers anchor the offensive line.

Senior linebackers Kyle Henke, Otto and Michael Singer key the defense.

The Jefferson City Jays finished in a rush to advance to the Missouri Class 6 playoffs under first-year head coach Ted LePage in 2006.

LePage, who won a state championship as Blair Oaks head coach in 2004, got off to a 2-4 start with the Jays last season. But the Jays ended the regular season 3-0 in Class 6 District 6 (against Columbia Hickman, Fort Zumwalt South and Fort Zumwalt West) and went on to advance to the state semifinals before finishing with a 7-5 mark.

The Jays have eight offensive starters and four defensive starters back.

All-state senior Travis Ruth (6-3, 305), who has made a verbal commitment to the University of Missouri-Columbia, anchors the Jay offensive line along with seniors Nick Bacon and Mark Schroeder.

Jordan Coons, who passed for more than 600 yards and nine touchdowns last season, returns at quarterback. The backfield is deep, with junior Aaron Terrill (600 rushing yards, nine TDs), senior Roland Mitchell (10 touchdowns) and senior Desmond Wilson leading the way.

Michael Johnson and David Sundemeyer are among the returners on the defensive line. Also back are all-state senior linebacker Ben Licklider and senior all-state defensive back Jeremy Hampton.

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Dutchmen picked to win tight Four Rivers

Owensville, Union and Hermann all had big 2006 high school football seasons, as all three advanced to the state playoffs a year ago.

Four Rivers Conference coaches feel the trio will be challenging for playoff berths again.

Owensville, Union and Hermann were selected 1-2-3 in the 2007 davesports.com Four Rivers Conference preseason poll.

The Dutchmen, who advanced to the Missouri Class 3 championship game a year ago, got the No. 1 nod in the league poll while Union, which finished the regular season 10-0 before falling in the first round of the Class 4 playoffs, is No. 2 and Hermann, which advanced to the Class 2 semifinals, is No. 3.

No. 4 in the conference poll is St. Clair while Sullivan is No. 5, St. James No. 6 and Pacific No. 7.

Owensville got five 1^st-place votes while Union got the other two.

If nothing else it appears that the upper-level of the conference is going to be very good again.

"I think it’s going to be balanced," said Union head coach Brent Eckley, whose squad is the defending Four Rivers champion. "I think we’re going to have to battle to win. Owensville lost a lot of key kids but they return some real good kids. And Hermann is deserving as well."

"I think it will be exactly the same – very tough," said Owensville head coach Randy Crowe, whose squad made a fierce run late to get to the Show-Me Bowl. "Last year was an example of how good the Four Rivers could be. Hermann almost got to the championship game. Union could have. I think the conference will be even better, because St. Clair is going to be very good, too."

"I do think Union will be the team to beat but I think Hermann will give them a run," said St. James head coach Greg Harlan. "And Owensville had them down 28 (last year) but couldn’t hold on."

"I think the conference (last year) was a lot like we expected it to be," said Hermann head coach Chip Stutzman. "Owensville played Union real well and I thought we played them well. There is kind of a split in the conference, with three or four teams at the top all equal."

Here is a look at the 2007 Four Rivers Conference race, in the predicted order of finish (last year’s overall and conference records in parenthesis):

1. Owensville (8-6, 4-2) – After getting off to a 1-4 start to the season the Dutchmen began a spirited run to the state title game, including a stretch of five straight wins to get to the Dome, where they finally saw the season end with a loss to powerhouse Harrisonville in the Class 3 finals.

From that squad the Dutchmen return eight offensive and six defensive starters. Leading the way will be senior all-state receiver Matt Angell, senior all-state offensive lineman Brian Decker, senior quarterback Nathan Cooper and senior running back-linebacker Brett Nelson. Cooper passed for more than 1,500 yards last season while Nelson rushed for nearly 700 yards and Angell caught 25 passes for 500 yards. Other key players back include senior two-way lineman Zeb Dintelman, senior two-way lineman Kolby Baker, two-way senior lineman Charlie Meyer, two-way senior lineman Josh Schaning, senior running back-safety Phillip Shoemaker and junior place-kickers Stephanie Chapman and Brooke Adkison. Added to the mix will be freshman receiver-defensive back Ryan Cooper.

2. Union (10-1, 6-0) – The Wildcats rewrote the school record books last season, averaging 49 points, 290 passing yards and 205 rushing yards per game. Back to direct the Union spread offense is all-state junior Jordan Webb. Webb totaled eye-popping numbers as a sophomore, including 3,159 passing yards and 49 TD passes. In all Union has four starters back on both sides of the ball. Other key players include Webb, senior linebacker-receiver Jed Nieder, junior running back Adam Amato (787 rushing yards last year), senior receiver-defensive back Chris Sperry, junior linebacker Steve Schaefer, junior lineman Jarred Cahill, senior two-way lineman John Mitchell and junior two-way lineman Patrick Gerrien.

3. Hermann (11-2, 5-1) – The Bearcats also have four starters back on each side of the ball, led by senior Taylor Cameron. Cameron was an all-state receiver last season, catching 41 passes for 940 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, he will move to running back this year and also play at defensive back, where he had seven interceptions in ‘06. Also back are senior linebacker-running back Brady Houska (450 rushing yards, nine touchdowns) 6-3, 320-pound left tackle Seth VanBooven, senior left guard Michael Brandt, junior defensive back Josh Witthaus (five interceptions), junior two-way lineman Stephen Flint and all-conference kicker-punter Jacob Murphy. Junior Dan Mundwiller takes over at quarterback. In four starts last year Mundwiller went 3-1 while throwing for 450 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 185 yards and two scores.

4. St. Clair (4-6, 3-3) – The Bulldogs expect improvement with six starters returning on both sides of the ball. They include seniors quarterback-receiver-defensive back Phillip Lashley, tailback-linebacker Corey Pfaff, tight end-defensive end Tom Deason, receiver-linebacker Mike Stolle and fullback-linebacker Patrick Martin.

5. Sullivan (3-7, 2-6) – First-year head coach Patrick Burke served as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator the past two seasons. He has eight total starters back, including senior tailback George Phillips, senior fullback Brad Landwher, junior safety Danniel Schatz, junior two-way end Cody Davis, senior receiver-cornerback Jacob Voss, senior two-way lineman Jacob Strauser and senior two-way lineman Brian Caldwell. Schatz will take over as the starting quarterback.

6. St. James (2-8, 1-5) – The Tigers have six players with starting experience back on offense but just two full-time defensive starters back. And one of the returning defensive starters, safety Larry Karnes, is recovering from shoulder problems. Senior Damon Thomas (974 passing yards) returns at quarterbback while senior Nathan Deluca is back at running back. Junior Lance "Bubba" Cunningham leads an experienced line, which also includes senior Ryan Dautenhahn, senior Kyle Wendels and junior Nick Zachery. Deluca will be one of the defensive keys at linebacker.

7. Pacific (0-10, 0-6) – First-year head coach George Hinkle will be trying to turn around the Indian program. He will have 10 returning starters to work with, including senior quarterback-safety Ben Dorenkamp, senior receiver Ken Gordie, sophomore two-way end Jacob Nutt, junior running back Justin Lawrence, senior two-way linemen Chris Poll and Caleb Knott and senior running back Marcel Wedlow.

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Joplin the pick in Ozark Conference

The Ozark Conference head coaches feel that the power of the league a year ago will fill the same role this fall.

In the davesports.com Ozark Conference preseason coaches poll defending league champion Joplin were selected to repeat. In the poll teams got nine points for a 1^st-place vote, eight points for a 2^nd-place vote, seven points for a 3^rd-place vote, etc.

Joplin received six of the No. 1 rankings. Camdenton was No. 2 in the poll with 71 points and one 1^st-place vote while Waynesville was No. 3 with 69 points and two 1^st-place votes, Springfield Glendale No. 4 with 55 points and one 1^st-place vote, Lebanon No. 5 with 49 points; Rolla No. 6 with 46 points, Springfield Kickapoo No. 7 with 30 points, West Plains No. 8 with 26 points, Springfield Hillcrest No. 9 with 16 points and Springfield Parkview No. 10 with 12 points.

"I think the conference will be as competitive as it always is," said Rolla head coach Brock Roweton. "Any of the top four or five teams could win it. I think Joplin, Lebanon, Camdenton and Waynesville will all be better. Glendale has a chance to be better. Kickapoo has a new coach, so who knows what to expect from them? And I’ll guarantee you this...Parkview will not go winless this year. There are a lot of good football schools who play a good brand of football."

"I feel the conference will be tougher this year than it was last year," agrees Waynesville head coach Rick Vernon. "There are a lot of returning players from a lot of teams. Joplin has a lot of people back; same with Glendale. Camdenton will be very good again – they have a big offensive line back."

"It’s always a good conference," said Camdenton head coach Bob Shore. "We lost one (conference) game, in overtime in the mud to Rolla. Joplin is probably the favorite. I know Glendale and Waynesville will be pretty good. Lebanon is the sleeper; they’ve got everybody back."

"I see the conference has the haves and the have-nots," said West Plains head coach Greg Simpkins. "Those that have this year are Joplin and Camdenton. And I think Glendale is kind of emerging as the football leader of Springfield."

"It’s a conference getting stronger every year," said first-year Hillcrest head coach Shawn Flannigan, who got a look at the league while he was an assistant at Ozark High School. "Coach (Will) Christian at Lebanon and Coach (Doug) Buckmaster at Joplin have turned those programs around. And Coach Roweton has done a great job in Rolla. And, of course, Coach Shore."

Here is a look at the 2007 Ozark Conference football teams in the order of their predicted finish from the davesports.com Ozark Conference coaches poll (2006 overall and conference records in parenthesis):

1. Joplin (7-3, 7-0) – The Eagles want to regroup from a winless district schedule last season; and they’ll have to do it quickly. Joplin opens the season by hosting two of the biggest threats to its conference title – Waynesville and Rolla.

Buckmaster, entering his third season at Joplin, has eight starters back from his high-fired offense and five starters back on defense. Senior quarterback Cory Rector (2,086 yards, 15 touchdowns passing, 158 yards, four touchdowns rushing) is back but has been battling junior Barrett Noirfalise in practice. Also back is senior running back Devon Fowler (1,005 yards, 16 touchdowns rushing, 7.33 yards-per carry average). Senior wideouts Logan Taylor (38 catches for 726 yards and five touchdowns in seven games), Logan Simon (24 catches for 327 yards) and Corey Wattelet (41 receptions, 447 receiving yards; 152 yards, five touchdowns rushing). Leading the offensive line are senior center Harrison Menke, senior guard Brennan Strickland and junior tackle Jeff Black. Starters back on defense include senior linebackers Jake Moore and Jordan Forste, senior free safety Ja’Cobe Britt, senior cornerback Taylor and junior strong safety Barrett Noirfalise.

2. Camdenton (8-2, 7-1) – The Lakers have three offensive and seven defensive starters to build around. New starting QB Kyle Simpson, a junior, will throw to senior wideout Derek Libby, who had 35 receptions for 555 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Junior Josh Glover (561 rushing yards) is the top rusher back. A slew of all-conference and all-district types return on defense, led by senior linebacker Andy Sweatt, senior tackle Travis Sanford and senior end Spencer Shaw.

3. Waynesville (7-3, 6-1) – The Tigers return five starters on both sides of the ball, including one of the top running backs in the area in senior L.J. Fort, who rushed for 1,510 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. The senior passing combo of new starting QB Lyle Cox and wideout Lucas Bateman could be a very good one. Seniors Chris Young and Jason Ostrowaski anchor the offensive line. On defense the Tigers are going to feature their speed and quickness, including outside linebacker Fort, who had four interceptions a year ago.

4. Glendale (5-6, 4-3) – The Falcons have four offensive and five defensive starters back, but have some replacing to do in the skill positions. The front like is solid, led by seniors defensive end-offensive tackle Alec Pedigo, linebacker-offensive guard Nick Detelich and two-way lineman Alex Olive. Also back is senior safety-running back Tanner Thompson.

6. Rolla (7-4, 6-3) – The Class 5 District 4 defending champion Bulldogs have just two starters back on each side of the ball from last season’s squad, which lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Class 5 finalist Kirkwood. However, a slew of last season’s key reserves are now starters and are very athletic. Junior running back/receiver Cameron Fore (277 rushing yards, 13 receptions for 259 yards, five touchdowns total) headlines the returning RHS offensive attack. Junior Ross Parker gets his first shot at the starting QB spot. Returning starters are senior linebackers Ryan Williams and Kenneth Maes and senior offensive tackles Connor Barnes and Matt Wright. Rolla also senior transfer student William Morrison, an all-state place-kicker and all-district punter at St. James.

7. Kickapoo (3-7, 3-6) – First-year Kickapoo head coach Don Knock returns to the prep game after working the past several years at Iowa State. He was a high school coach in Iowa for 22 years prior to that. He replaces highly-regarded Kurt Thompson. Knock begins a rebuilding process with six returning starters. They include senior tight end-linebacker Austin Etter, junior linebacker Casey Wiener, junior kicker Ryan Moses, senior defensive back M.C. Worthen and senior offensive linemen Taylor Walker and Chase Tuck.

8. West Plains (4-6, 2-5) – The Zizzers have four starters back on both offense and defense. Junior Austin Riggs, who passed for more than 300 yards while starting half of the games at QB, is back as is senior offensive lineman Ryan Warford, senior wideout Caleb Walker, senior linebacker Seth Conelly and senior defensive backs Seth Miller and Dustin Tidwell.

9. Hillcrest (2-8, 1-6) – Look for Flannigan to open things up with the spread offense he’s installing after serving the previous three years as an assistant at Ozark. Five starters return to work with – senior receiver-safety Justin Lierz, junior quarterback Tim Williams and senior offensive-defensive linemen Brady Yates, senior Adam German and Paul Hufft.

10. Parkview (0-10, 0-8) – The Vikings are trying to win a game for the first time in five years. Second-year head coach Wes Beachler will try use a power running game to get the job done. Parkview has seven defensive and five offensive starters back, including senior tight end-linebacker Blaine Hanschel, senior two-way tackle Jacob Barge, senior safety Bart Hand, senior offensive lineman Gage Rios, senior running back Josh Messick and junior defensive end-offensive guard Richard Tyler.

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Ava the pick in SCA race

The past three years the Mountain Grove Panthers were the big kid on the block in the South-Central Association.

The Ava Bears want to flex their muscles atop the league this time around.

Ava is the choice to win the SCA title this fall, according to the 2007 davesports.com SCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

Ava received five 1^st-place votes and 35 total points (teams got six points for a 1^st-place vote, five points for a 2^nd-place vote, four points for a 3^rd-place vote, etc.).

The Salem Tigers got the other two 1^st-place votes and were No. 2 in the poll with 32 points. Mountain Grove was No. 3 with 24 points, Cabool No. 4 with 23 points, Mountain View/Birch Tree Liberty No. 5 with 16, Willow Springs No. 6 with 10 and Houston No. 7 with 7.

"It’s hard to tell this year," said David Williams, who has been plenty of SCA battles as current head coach of Ava and former head coach of Mountain Grove. "I think Mountain Grove could drop a little; they had a big run of athletes the last few years. Salem will always be good. And Cabool is going to be better."

"I think the league is better," said Salem head coach Bill Schuchardt. "Ava and Cabool are going to be very good football teams. Mountain Grove is tough. I think it is a tougher league than a year ago."

"I think it’s Ava; they’re the team to beat," said Cabool head coach Vince McCrosky, whose squad is considered perhaps the most improved. "I think it will come down to Salem and Ava."

"We were good enough to advance to the semifinals the last couple of years...and Salem was too," said Mountain Grove head coach Steve Ary, whose squad made it to the Missouri Class 2 semifinals for the third year in a row in 2006. "Ava will be good. They have six or seven guys back on defense and their quarterback is in his third year as a starter. He and their running back will carry them."

Here is a look at the 2007 SCA race, in the predicted order of finish (last year’s overall and conference records in parenthesis):

1. Ava (8-3, 5-1) – The Bears, like Mountain Grove a playoff qualifier last season, winning the Missouri Class 3 District 9 title. Ava figures to again be dangerous with senior Jonathan Batcheller running the team’s spread offense at QB. Batcheller threw for 1,965 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Also back are all-state senior running back Chance Davis, who rushed for more than 1,700 yards a year ago, senior receiver-safety Mark Philpott and two-way senior lineman Jake Rieken.

2. Salem (8-2, 4-2) – For the third consecutive season Salem saw its playoff hopes end on the final regular-season game, as the Tigers watched Ava rally for two fourth-quarter touchdowns to win 30-27 and take the district title. Salem took some big hits to graduation but still return five starters to both sides of the ball. Backs returning to the Tigers’ wishbone attack are senior fullback Max Ball and junior left halfback Yousef Ibrahim. Other offensive starters back include senior Jordan Thompson, who is moving form fullback to tight end; senior center Vincent Jackson, and junior tackle Andy Flett. Tiger starters back on defense include senior tackle Ryan Thompson and junior tackle Brady Adams, senior Tyler Washausen at noseguard, senior linebacker Cass Jones and senior Alex Heitman at cornerback.

3. Mountain Grove (11-2, 6-0) – Defending SCA champion Mountain Grove would love to make it four state semifinals in a row. To do that some new stars will have to emerge, as just three offensive starters and two defensive starters return. The squad lost a whopping five all-staters to graduation, including running back Chad Nueroth, who rushed for 1,970 yards and 33 touchdowns a year ago. Junior quarterback Casey White, who passed for 1,448 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, is back. Other key players will be senior receiver-defensive back Aaron Charlson, senior offensive guard Daniel Bruce, senior linebacker Logan Williams, junior cornerback Ethan Smith and senior defensive end-offensive guard Jacob Heppner.

4. Cabool (4-6, 2-4) – The little school that has league foes a little uneasy, Cabool – the smallest Class 2 team in the state – has 10 offensive starters and nine defensive starters back. Senior wingback-linebacker Ryan Smith, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, is back to key McCrosky’s wing-T offensive set. Other key players back include senior guard-linebacker Doug Walls, senior offensive tackle-noseguard Chance Iott, senior offensive-defensive tackle Michael Johnson, junior offensive guard Trent Sears, senior wingback C.R. Polston and senior quarterback Patrick Jesse.

5. Liberty (6-4, 3-3) – Liberty has six offensive and five defensive starters from a nice ‘06 campaign. The Eagles return junior all-purpose player Luke Yarber – who plays quarterback, running back and receiver on offense and free safety on defense – along with senior offensive guard-linebacker Brent Hockman, junior receiver-defensive back Paris Walkup, senior tight end-linebacker Adam Mattison and senior offensive tackle Jeff Daniels.

6. Willow Springs (3-7, 1-5) – The Bears have 14 starters back, including senior receiver Rick Wilce, who had 700 receiving yards in ‘06, along with senior offensive tackle-middle linebacker Raymond Bowen, senior defensive end-center Bret Paul, senior receiver-free safety Derek Chapman and junior noseguard Justin Johnson, who is in his first season as the starting QB as well.

7. Houston (0-10, 0-6) – Chris Edwards becomes Houston’s third head coach in as many seasons and will be trying to rebuild the Tigers with 15 returning starters. Hard-running senior running back-linebacker Kirk Pierce leads the way along with junior receiver-linebacker Ty Scheets, sophomore running back-defensive back Brad Pound, senior two-way lineman Josh Dixon, junior two-way lineman Aaron Scheets, junior quarterback-defensive back David Weybright and junior tight end-defensive back Travis Barker.

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Rolla Public School Football Schedules

Junior Varsity Schedule

Sept. 10... at Joplin, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 17...Springfield Parkview, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 24...at Lebanon, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 1...at West Plains, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 8...Springfield Glendale, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 15...Springfield Kickapoo, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 22...at Waynesville, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 29...Camdenton, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 10...Joplin, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 17...at Springfield Parkview, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 24...Lebanon, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 1...West Plains, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 8...at Springfield Glendale, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 15...at Springfield Kickapoo, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 22...Waynesville, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 29...at Camdenton, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 13...Salem, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 20...at Lebanon, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 25...J.C. Thomas Jefferson, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 4...Waynesville, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 11...at J.C. Lewis & Clark, 4 p.m.

Oct. 18...at Camdenton, 5:30 p.m.

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Veterans lead Miner gridders

ROLLA – If the University of Missouri-Rolla football team is going to enjoy a third consecutive winning season, some veteran Miners are going to make the difference.

Indeed, the Miners take the field this season with a veteran unit.

After a string of 20 winless seasons, UMR has put together winners the past two years. The Miners have won 13 games over the past two seasons, including a 6-5 mark last fall. Now the squad would like to up the season win totals.

"We have a veteran team coming back," said Kirby Cannon, entering his ninth season as Miner head coach. "We have a lot of kids who have been starters who know what it takes to win. The thing now is to learn to win big. I think this team will be focused to do the things it takes to beat the good teams."

Cannon stresses that the Miner philosophies on both sides of the ball will stay consistent to the past few seasons. However, he does see the offense – which has rewritten the school record books in passing – to rely more on an improved running game. UMR has a new offensive coordinator in Rolla native Josh Richards.

"The fact Josh does have knowledge of our personnel and of our system, the offense will not be changing," Cannon said. "But Josh will put his personal stamp on that. I think we’ll still be labeled a passing team, but running the football means running it when you need to run it. Being one-dimensional was never our intention. If we’re going to close out games and take advantage of teams’ inabilities, we need to run the football."

On the field UMR returns eight starters on both sides of the football.

As has usually been the case the past few years, the most intriguing position battle will be at quarterback. UMR has a different starting quarterback the past three seasons...and all three went on to set a number of team – and even some national – records.

Joe Winters, made the most of his one season at UMR last fall, passing for 3,724 yards to go with 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Now that Winters has used up his remaining eligibility, a pair of junior college transfers – Jason Schleuter and Brad Guidry – have battled for the starting position.

Guidry (6-7, 240) led the Blinn Junior College squad to the Junior College National Championship last season. Schleuter (6-2, 210) was one of the nation’s top-ranked passes in junior college a year ago.

Guidry won the starting position off his preseason work and passed for more than 350 yards in UMR’s season-opening 38-31 loss to Truman State on Aug. 25.

Both quarterbacks will have a potentially stunning foursome to throw the ball to, led by two-time All-America senior Ashton Gronewold (5-10, 190) and also including junior Mike Greaving (6-1, 205), sophomore Chad Shockley (6-0, 200) and sophomore Nathan Binder (6-2, 180).

Gronewold is one of the top receivers back in the NCAA Division II. Last season he caught 78 passes for 1,120 yards and 15 touchdowns. Greaving made 50 catches for 789 yards and five touchdowns. Binder had 22 grabs for 373 yards. And in just six games Shockley had 20 receptions for 259 yards and two TDs.

Shockley, a former record-setting receiver/running back from St. James, suffered a broken leg in the seventh game of the season. Possessing many of the same qualities that Gronewold brings to the field, Shockley hopes to make a bigger contribution this season. He was slowed in the preseason and the opener with a pulled hamstring.

The Miner receiving group lost outstanding long-ball threat Brandon Landry to graduation. Landry caught 52 passes for 741 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall and got a couple of looks at NFL mini-camps this summer.

"Brandon will be missed," Cannon said. "But Ashton Gronewold, Mike Greaving, Chad Shockley and Nathan Binder...I don’t think anyone in Division II can threw out four like that. Any one of those are capable of dominating a game.

"Shockley will still have that mental scar. But everything that has happened this summer indicates he’s back to 100 percent."

UMR’s base offensive formation does not include a tight end. However, when a tight end is needed Greaving can move to that spot and sophomore Bryan Crider (6-2, 215) gives the squad more of a tight end look.

The Miners usually employ a one-back running back set. And that could be a three-headed monster this fall in junior David Shields (5-9, 190), red-shirt freshman Jerome Miller (5-11, 195) and junior college transfer Antonio Williams (6-0, 185).

Lost to graduation was Miner rushing leader Matt Padilla (585 yards, three touchdowns).

Outside of the receiver positions, Cannon may feel as positive about his potential offensive line than anywhere else on the field. Despite losing huge left tackle Ken Pearce (who also got a look-see by a couple of NFL teams over the summer) Cannon feels the offensive line has strong abilities and competition.

Those with starting experience back include senior James Smith (6-4, 275), who is at left tackle this fall; senior Geoff Stafford (6-3, 285) at guard; sophomore John Krumme (5-11, 270) at guard, and senior Andrew Ravadge (6-3, 310) at center.

Junior Justin Hansen (6-3, 295) won a starting spot at guard, as did sophomore tackle Brandon Jordan (6-3, 265).

Starters back on the defensive line include junior Matt Loula (6-2, 230) and sophomore Loren Severs (6-5, 245) at end and senior Dallas Massie (6-2, 275) and senior Kalvin Bishop (6-0, 290) at tackle. Key backups are junior Patrick Akley (6-1, 260), sophomore Adam Strein (6-1, 245) and red-shirt freshman Justin Philpy (6-2, 265) at tackle and junior Oliver Carter (6-1, 265) at end.

At linebacker include senior Jamel Anderson 5-11, 245) on the strongside, senior Garyion Turner (5-9, 235) in the middle and junior Justin Butler (5-8, 210) on the weakside. Also competing at linebacker is senior Brandon Kessler (6-1, 245).

Senior Jamel Sims (6-2, 175) got a medical hardship red-shirt for another season and returns at cornerback. Safeties are junior Robbie Woodard 6-1, 200) and junior Brian Jordan (5-11, 195).

"We thought we had a very solid second half on defense," Cannon said. "I think we’ve got a better defensive attitude this year.

"We held Lincoln to seven points, Southern Nazarene to 14 points, Austin Peay to 14 points and Kentucky Wesleyan to three points. In four of our wins we had outstanding defensive efforts. If you look at the point totals, the only shootout game we had and won was over Morehead State. I think that it shows if we play well on defense, we win."

Standout place-kicker Tim Valencia (5-10, 185) returns for his senior season. He hit on 8-of-11 field goal attempts – including 5-of-6 from the 30-39 yard range – and had nine touchbacks.