By Brock Sisney (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Sarcoxie Bears made their deepest playoff run in 18 years last season by playing for a district title against eventual Class 2 state champion Lamar.
A dozen starters from last season return and the excitement level around the Sarcoxie football program seems to be high entering the 2021 season.
“Last year, we were a really young team from top to bottom with just a few kids with actual varsity experience,” Sarcoxie head coach Russell Ellis said. “We competed throughout our conference but fell short of the top three. We improved greatly from Week 1 to Week 12.
“This team will be one of the most athletic teams we have had in a while. We are looking to put pressure on our team to start fast and finish games. In years past, we have put ourselves behind the eight ball with slow starts. We will look to put our athletes in space offensively. Defensively, we want to be extremely physical at the point of attack and tackle well in space.”
The Bears return their most talent from last season on the offensive side with four out of five starting linemen, their starting quarterback, two of their top three running backs, and both wide receivers. Ellis hopes these players being a year older, stronger, and faster, as well as even more comfortable within the Bears’ system, will produce more opportunities to succeed.
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On the defensive side, Sarcoxie returns three linebackers, two of whom earned postseason honors from the Southwest Conference.
Senior running back and linebacker Drake Acheson earned all-SWC first team at linebacker for a junior season highlighted by 135 total tackles and three quarterback sacks. At running back, Acheson rushed for 394 yards and seven touchdowns and caught a pair of passes for 26 additional yards. Ellis called Acheson probably Sarcoxie’s best overall player.
Ellis said that junior quarterback Jaron Malotte was thrown to the wolves last season as a first-time varsity starting quarterback and that he handled the challenge like a pro. Malotte accounted for more than 1,100 yards of total offense with 585 yards rushing and 545 passing; he scored nine rushing touchdowns. From his defensive backfield position, Malotte recorded 45 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions.
Senior running back Terio Asterio proved to be the Bears’ most effective big-play threat last season, reflected by his 745 yards and 10 touchdowns from 90 carries. Asterio earned all-SWC honorable mention.
Acheson, Malotte, Asterio, and Sarcoxie’s other skill players should benefit from the fact the Bears have experienced linemen Tyler Cupp, Kenneth Guenzel, Sammy Zamora, Kobe Heinz, and Kayden Triplett returning for their senior (Cupp, Guenzel) and junior (Zamora, Heinz, Triplett) seasons.
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Cupp and sophomore Garrett Smith joined Acheson in the linebacker corps last season and they combined for 137 tackles (Cupp 69, Smith 68) on top of the 135 by Acheson. Cupp tied Acheson with three sacks.
Junior defensive back Ethan Lee paced the secondary with 57 tackles and he matched Malotte with two interceptions. Lee received all-SWC second team honors.
The Bears open their 2021 season Aug. 27 on the road against Houston and their unorthodox schedule begins with three straight on the road, followed by four straight at home and two more back on the road to close.
Sarcoxie travels across state lines in Week 2 for a game against Wyandotte (Okla.) and host Springfield Central in Week 5, a Class 5 opponent the Bears defeated 55-20 for one of their six wins last season.
Sarcoxie opens conference play Sept. 10 at Pierce City.
In the annual jamboree one week before the start of the season, Sarcoxie welcomes Pierce City, Stockton, Ash Grove, El Dorado Springs, and East Newton.
