Kellen Hoover takes over as the head coach of the McDonald County football program after five years as an assistant at Monett.
It was those yearly Big 8 battles with McDonald County that attracted him to the job.
“I’ve seen the type of players McDonald County has had go through their system while I was at Monett. They always had some guys that just kind of made you nervous to game plan against. You knew you would be playing a tough, hard-nosed football team, and now I get to be a part of that with some new philosophies and schemes sprinkled in,” Hoover said.
Hoover is tasked with turning a program around that has won three games in the last four years and is in the midst of a 16-game losing streak dating back to Sept. 11, 2015 when the Mustangs beat East Newton 41-6.
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There is a strong group of returners for Hoover in his first season.
Senior Cole DeLosSantos is back to be a two-way leader for the Mustangs. He caught 56 balls for 551 yards and five touchdowns last year to go with 112 total tackles on defense.
“His greatest strength as a receiver is his hands. He’s a very reliable target that quarterbacks love to throw to because if it’s close, it is caught most of the time. I expect more of the same from him on the defensive side of the ball. He may move down into the box more, but he just loves the game. He flies around and has a blast,” Hoover said. “His greatest attribute that he has brought through the summer and into the season is his leadership. We’re lucky to have him.”
Senior Israel DeSantiago will be another two-way force for the Mustangs. He rushed for 192 yards and on 44 carries to go with 300 yards receiving. He led the Mustangs with 117 total tackles on defense as a junior last year.
“He gives our offense that running back that you know can handle a heavy workload and embraces it. He will be a big part of our offense each week,” Hoover said. “Defensively, he is one that has a great nose for the football and one that we will rely on for big plays when we need them the most.”
Junior Oakley Roessler is also back to do a little bit of everything for the offense. He rushed for a team-high 222 yards and caught another 18 passes for 189 yards last year.
Senior Peyton Barton will provide a steady hand at quarterback. The returning starter threw for 1,454 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 144 yards and five more touchdowns.
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Junior Elliott Wolfe returns on the offensive line, which was a unit that was hit hard by graduation. Fellow juniors Will Gordon, Tanner Harner and Rendon Lane along with sophomore Trystan Leach will help fill out the line. Senior Trey Black and junior Dylan Akins are also in the mix for time on the line. Micah Burkholder will also help out up front at tight end.
Hoover will run a base 3-4 defense led by senior Trey Black up front on the defensive line. He will be joined by Nolan Baisch and Akins.
The linebacking crew has a trio of seniors with Timber Teague, Buckey Harrell and David Roark.
Senior Caleb Curtis, Marshall Foreman and Zack Woods will see time at cornerback. Kennedy Hodson returns at safety after missing last season with an injury.
It will be a battle for McDonald County to climb the Big 8 standings, but the early returns look good for the Mustangs in summer camp and early season practice.
“I have been impressed with the work ethic of all of our players since Day 1. They have worked hard in the weight room and have brought that same intensity to camp and the early part of practice,” Hoover said. “For us, we just want to focus on ourselves each day. We don’t want to get caught up necessarily in comparing ourselves to an opponent, but a set of standards we are trying to reach. We are constantly competing to reach those standards every day.”
McDonald County will open the season on Aug. 18 at Salem.
