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Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Coming off an 8-3 season and with numerous key contributors returning, including a quarterback who threw for nearly 3,000 yards, the theme for the Jackson football team is pretty self-explanatory: continuous improvement.
The Indians will look to build off a year in which they claimed their first conference title since 2013, with a 4-0 run in the SEMO North, and advanced to the Class 5 District 1 final, before falling to eventual state champion Vianney, 49-14.
The Golden Griffins remain a roadblock in Jackson's district, but Cooper Callis is back under center after completing 199 of 308 passes for 2,947 yards and 34 touchdowns.
From left to right, Jackson's Cooper Callis, Ethan Laster, Cade Lattimer, Nathan Brown and Owen Leible figure to be key contributors for the Indians in 2017.
Laura Simon
He isn't the only familiar face. Ethan Laster is back at running back after rushing for 506 yards last season while backing up Bryndan Reid. The second-leading receiver, Jordan Kent is back after hauling in 45 catches for 786 yards and 13 touchdowns. The list goes on, as linebacker Nathan Brown had 68 tackles and defensive back Cole Welker intercepted four passes. Those and many others are back, including two starters on the offensive line.
"We return enough guys," Eckley said. "When you return several guys from one year to the next as you start into the new season, you think about teaching something that you did last year, and it just goes faster. There's more kids that understand and get it, and it's just easier to move forward and build. So that's been fun so far this year with the carry-over we had from last season."
While Eckley wants the Indians to improve, that doesn't necessarily translate to concrete goals like beating Vianney for a district title or repeating as conference champs. He wants his kids to focus on getting better, and the rest will take care of itself.
"The bottom line is we want to play as well as we possibly can," Eckley said. "I know that's easier said than done. That's one of the things we're really trying to get the kids to focus on -- playing their best every time out, playing confidently and playing focused. That's a challenge of teenage kids of all the different things that surround a game and practice and just their lives.
"That's one of the things we're focusing on. So that's not like beat Poplar Bluff, or whatever it is, win districts. We feel like that's kind of an end result, and we're trying to focus as much as we can on the process."
Jackson's Owen Leible
Laura Simon
Offense
Callis returns after leading an Indians' air attack that averaged 41.7 points per game. He was named the All-SEMO Conference North quarterback and earned a nod as a Football Offense finalist at the Semoball Awards. He averaged 267.9 passing yards per game and has offers from four schools, including two Football Bowl Subdivision programs in Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State.
Laster provides balance in the backfield after averaging 8.0 yards per carry last year. He will be complemented by sophomore Seth Waters, who didn't play at the varsity level last year.
"Ethan will be an outstanding guy for us," Eckley said. "He's a really good football player, and then, like I said, Seth will sub and split time with him there."
Leading receiver Quentin Kent, Jordan's older brother, is gone. He caught 68 passes for 1,146 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Jordan will try to help replicate that production, and Terrico Johnson will be stepping into Quentin's inside receiver position after backing him up last year.
"There's big shoes to fill, and he's done a really nice job for us," Eckley said.
Drew Moran returns as a starter at outside receiver. Jack Warren, last year's third-leading receiver with 26 catches for 241 yards and one touchdown, should contribute, too.
Matt Jaco will help out at inside receiver. He was the starting kicker last year before an injury sidelined him for several games.
"There's some opportunities for guys to step in and give us some depth," Eckley said of the wide receiver positions. "Lucas Stricker's done a nice job. He'll be a senior for us this year. So he's rotating in there at outside receiver. Michael Schneider's got a chance. Dalton Skrob's got a chance to help us at inside (reciever). So there's several guys there."
Jared Wren has been playing at both the outside and inside receiver spots as well as running back, and has even taken a few reps at quarterback.
The Indians will have to rely on three new starters on the offensive line -- Dawson Southard, Braxton Green and Kevin Crites.
Owen Leible and Cade Lattimer are the two returning starters, and Lattimer will be taking over for Nick Freeman at left tackle. Freeman was the SEMO Conference North lineman of the year.
Jackson's Nathan Brown
Laura Simon
Defense/ST
Brown anchors the middle of Jackson's 3-4 defense as an inside linebacker. The senior, who played a fair amount as a sophomore, was the Indians' third-leading tackler last season. He's joined by Justin Laurentius, who played sparingly last year.
Laster will man one outside linebacker position, and sophomore Luke Starzinger will be on the other side after a solid offseason.
Along the defensive line, Jackson will have to replace an All-SEMO Conference North selection in Freeman.
"We're returning Justin Crane up front," Eckley said. "Newcomer would be Cole Amelunke at nose guard. He's done a nice job in there after coming off a very nice, successful wrestling season. Bailey Beggs played at outside linebacker for us a year ago and didn't get a whole lot of snaps there but had a very good offseason and has found a home at defensive end."
Welker returns at cornerback, giving Eckley a starter he can rely on.
"Cole has had a good camp for us, been pleased with him," the coach said. "He's done well."
But Football Defense Semoball Awards finalist and All-SEMO Conference North selection Payne Guilliams is gone at safety. His 85 tackles led the team, and he had three interceptions.
Wren will start there, while Jaco and Jake Friedrich will both rotate in at safety.
Along with Welker, newcomer Markiese Jones has impressed at cornerback. Junior Reece Bright and freshman Demichi Herring have also done well there in the offseason.
"I've been pleased with how they've been able to progress and develop and improve throughout the offseason," Eckley said of the secondary.
Quentin Kent returned kicks last year, but so did Jordan Kent and Laster. Other players will be competing for playing time there, Eckley said.
"Payne Guilliams did a good job catching punts for us last year, so we're going to have to get some great play this year from Jared (Wren) and Jake (Friedrich) in catching the ball clean," Eckley said. "We'll have to rotate somebody in."
Jaco will be the starting kicker again, and Callis returns as punter. Southard is back at long snapper, as is Welker at holder.
