Caruthersville FB is going to be 'hard-nosed and aggressive' in 2022

Caruthersville senior quarterback Ty'Lan Golliday throws a pass in a 7-on-7 scrimmage against Halls (Tenn.) High School last month at Caruthersville.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

CARUTHERSVILLE – On the first play of its recent 7-on-7 football scrimmage against Halls (Tenn.) High School, first-year Tiger coach Dom Guglielmio sent a message to the opposing defense.

“We’re going to be pretty aggressive,” Guglielmio explained. “We have the athletes to be aggressive.”

The Caruthersville offense opened that night by throwing a bomb into the end zone.

And then the Tigers did it again. And again.

“We’re not only going to be aggressive in the pass game,” Guglielmio said, “but we’re going to run the darn ball.”

Spoken like a former collegiate offensive lineman, which Guglielmio was.

The Tigers featured senior quarterback Ty’Lan Golliday, who looked as if he could beat defenses with his arm or his legs.

He hit senior Lawrence Epkins for an impressive score early, while Epkins effectively ran the ball, as well.

“We’re going to get down the field,” Guglielmio said, “and we’re going to be in 20 personnel look or 10 personnel look or an 11 personnel look.

“We’ll be able to run any of our plays out of any formation, just with little tweaks.”

Caruthersville senior Lawrence Epkins looks for more yardage in a 7-on-7 scrimmage against Halls (Tenn.) High School last month at Caruthersville. (Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com)

Caruthersville has struggled to just four wins over the past two seasons, but historically, the Tigers have been very good.

The program won MSHSAA Class 2 District titles in 2018 and 2019 and you would have to go back more than a decade to find a losing record in the town.

“When I say that we are being aggressive,” Guglielmio said, “we’re being very aggressive in the fact that we are going to utilize our athletes to the best of their ability, and right now, we’ve got a bunch of really good skill guys.

“And we’re going to use them.”

On the opposite side of the ball, Guglielmio could hardly contain his excitement.

Caruthersville hired defensive coordinator Mark Jackson, who has spent over two decades coaching across the Mississippi River in Tennessee, and Guglielmio said the Tigers will be “hard-nosed.”

“Coach Jackson is a Hayti graduate,” Guglielmio said. “He is teaching those kids how to be hard-nosed, aggressive football players. There is nothing better than that.”

Guglielmio said he has had to pull back the reins on that aggression, at times, through summer workouts.

“These kids are at practice,” Guglielmio said, “and they want to hit. I told them that we’re still learning, but they fly around out there like it is nobody’s business.”

Guglielmio spent several years as a college coach, where he had to recruit every day, which isn’t completely different from how he has handled his first head coaching position.

Last season, Caruthersville had just over 20 players on its roster, and Guglielmo said over 40 student-athletes have decided to play in 2022.

“There was a lot of recruiting in the hallways,” Guglielmo said. “A lot of kids began building interest and building interest, and boom, we’ve got a full squad.”

Defensively, Guglielmio said his team will have a unique look to its scheme this fall.

“I’m thankful that they are buying into (the defense),” Guglielmio said, “because it is something different for the Bootheel that (fans) are going to see. It is something that I haven’t coached before.”

Guglielmio has spent a lot of time with Jackson, who is orchestrating the defense and assuring Guglielmio that this system will return the Tigers to their past success.

“I have put my trust in Coach Jackson,” Guglielmio said. “He has really taken it and run with it. I was unsure about how it would look when I first hired him. Now, I am looking at it, and I think this is perfect.

“When I came here, I said that we were going to be hard-nosed and aggressive, and that is the defense that (Coach Jackson) has put together.”