By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Bolivar is no stranger amongst the area’s elite on the gridiron with six nine-win seasons in the 2010s.
But, last year was special for the Liberators.
For the first time since 2013, Bolivar reached double-digit wins and had one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory on their way to a perfect regular season before losing to eventual Class 4 state champion Webb City in the district championship.
For Glen Johnson, last year was a righting of the ship for Bolivar Football.
“Our program went through a lot of change in the last half decade,” said Johnson. “We have been very young across the board (starting 8 sophomores a year) and we are beginning to play with mostly seniors now. The class of 2020 was full of winners and guys that refused to lose. They had been starting since they were sophomores and it really paid off their senior year. On the other side, the class of 2021 is full of outstanding talent. They were a huge part of that success and they too have been playing on Friday nights since they were sophomores. These guys have put in the work and we look forward to what this season holds for this hard working and talented group of seniors with the help of a gritty class of 2022 juniors that will fill in some big holes.”
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The changes will continue to come as Bolivar enters the Ozark Conference for the first time, but the roster seems equipped to rise to the occasion with 14 starters and 39 total lettermen returning in 2020, Johnson’s fifth season as head coach.
The Libs will miss the presence of departed graduates Eathen Dinwiddie (2,465 rushing yards, 30 TD) and Hayden Burks (1,572 passing yards, 20 TD).
“It was so much fun to work with those guys,” said Johnson. “They gave our program everything they had and it is no surprise they will be playing on Saturdays. They stepped up and were ‘Trailblazers’ for our program. They took me and our program places we hadn’t been.”
Things will look different, but the cupboard is hardly bare.
Senior Bo Banner will take over under center and Johnson believes he’s a player that can make a difference through the air or on the ground. He’s also a returning defensive starter.
“Bo has waited his turn to play quarterback and he has put in a lot of work this offseason to get ready,” said Johnson. “He is a very athletic returning three year starter at multiple positions on both sides of the ball that will really open up our playbook this year. He throws a very good ball and has a nose for the end zone.”
Paving the way for Banner and the rest of the Bolivar offense will be a pair of two-way three-year starters in Jack Roweton and Drayton Huchteman. Standout tight end and linebacker Parker Erickson, another three year starter, will also help set the tone in the trenches.
Simon Nelson will step in at center and help galvanize the offensive line.
The strength of Bolivar’s roster will be on the defensive side, where all-state linebacker Andrew Bunn (108 tackles, 11 TFL) leads a unit that pitched three shutouts and held six other offenses to 14 points or fewer. He will also see some snaps at running back this fall.
“Andrew is one of those players that you might only get to coach one like him in your career,” said Johnson. “He is heavily recruited for good reason and we feel extremely confident with him in charge of the defense. He brings a toughness and swagger to that side of the ball. His character is off the charts and his ability to make everyone around him better. We expect him to have another all-state campaign.”
Dylan Hall, Blake Campbell, Mason Rogers, Darrin Fugitt and James Miller all return as multi-position starters with multiple years of starting experience under their belt. One of the major themes within this year’s team will be eight three-year starters returning to the program.
Few teams in the Ozarks are reloading with that kind of experience.
Junior Josh Bowes is expected to slide into a spot at receiver, giving Bolivar a playmaker on the perimeter. Classmate EJ Ingram is a bowling ball that could see reps in the backfield or at linebacker and fellow junior Brant Meredith will see some action in the secondary.
Joining the Ozark Conference presents a much welcomed challenge and a sense of stability the program had been missing recently.
The league has teams ranging from Class 4 to Class 6, meaning there will be a natural preparation for another postseason reason that could include another clash with Bolivar.
“Joining the OC is a huge answer to prayer for our school and community. We were forced into a couple years of independent scheduling with over 1,500 miles of travel each year,” said Johnson. “It is great to have a place to call home and an opportunity to compete for a conference championship. We went undefeated in the regular season and didn’t get the satisfaction of hanging a conference championship banner. It’s easy to focus on the negative, but it was our sixth undefeated season in school history and our program got to play 12 games last season and play one of the best teams in the state in the district finals.
“We will need to continue to show up and work this fall to compete in a very competitive Ozark Conference. Districts are in the air as far as where everyone is going to land for classification and districts, but I don’t think there is any doubt in Bolivar that we are going to show up and play for both of those opportunities every Friday night.”
Bolivar will open the 2020 season on Aug. 28 at Rolla, which will be the program’s inaugural OC game. The Libs home-opener will come on Sep. 11 versus OC power Lebanon.
