By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Last fall was a solid bounce-back season for the Camdenton football team, which won five of six games to start the year and finished with a 7-4 record for the program’s fifth winning record in six years.
“We had some really good wins and ended up getting beat by Lebanon twice,” head coach Jeff Shore said. “Both ball games were tight at half and they had a good ball club. We played young early and had some good wins early. We probably had one bad ball game but I felt like it was a really good season, really enjoyable. The kids played hard, had some big wins and we hope to carry that momentum into this year.”
This will be Shore’s 12th season at the helm – and likely his last. Camdenton has had a Shore as head coach every year since 1975. The stadium is named after Jeff’s father, Bob Shore, who coached for 35 years and is in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
“Everything points to that for me,” he said. “This is probably going to be it.”
Shore isn’t one to downplay things and said he’s “super optimistic” coming into this year as long as the Lakers can stay healthy.
“It’s a very seasoned team,” he said. “It’s easy to coach because they’ve been through the wars I guess you’d say. From a coaching perspective it’s going to be a very enjoyable season. It’s probably going to be my last go around and I really want to take it in and enjoy every moment of it. I’m very optimistic and very much looking forward to the season in all aspects.”
Camdenton returns several players who earned postseason honors, including All-State players Bear Shore and Jaden Parkman. Shore, Jeff’s son, was a third team Class 5 quarterback and Parkman was a third team defensive back.
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Shore led the entire state in passing for most of the season and finished with 2,588 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air while rushing for 475 yards and eight scores. In addition to the All-State nod, that also earned him second team All-Conference and All-District honors. He’s drawn a lot of college interest and he returns most of his receiving weapons, too.
Senior Kam Durnin was a first team All-Ozark Conference athlete (and All-District receiver) who had 759 receiving yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 145 yards and two scores on the ground. He plays some quarterback, too, and threw for 110 yards last season while completing 13-of-22 attempts. Senior Hayes Hulett returns after receiving for 397 yards and two scores, senior Reese Waters had 94 yards and a touchdown, senior Javari Stewart had 300 yards and three scores and junior Kyle Eidson had 347 yards and three scores and earned honorable mention All-Conference honors.
That group alone includes four of the top five receivers from last season. The Lakers also have junior Blake Ford (141 yards, 1 TD) and Ethan Evans, who suffered a season-ending injury in week one last year and is getting closer to full speed.
“We play five wideouts so we need 10 to 12 guys there honestly,” Shore said. “We’ve got some good young receivers. I feel really good about our quarterback and receiving corps. We’ve got a ton of experience back.”
The Lakers won’t be very deep on the offensive line but will have some “really good, solid” seniors in place. Senior Jackson Scott will start at center, senior Gabe Norton (second team All-Conference and All-District) will probably start at one tackle spot and junior Nathan Reap, junior Logan Wheat, junior Garret Hilton and senior Gunner Morris are all in the mix for time up front.
The defense doesn’t return as much experience and has to replace three linemen who earned All-Conference honors.
There’s Parkman at free safety, who in addition to his All-State honors was a first team All-Conference defensive back and an All-District player. He’ll anchor the secondary and be one of the best defensive backs in the conference, Shore said.
Junior Spencer Mellencamp will also play a safety spot. Senior Anden Vanskike looks to earn a starting job at corner, Stewart could see time at corner, Kam Durnin could play either safety or corner and his brothers Kade (junior) and Karson (senior) could also play in the secondary.
The linebacking group includes junior Sam DeMott and senior Wiley Powers, who was the team’s leading tackler as a sophomore but was injured midway through last season. The outside linebackers include Waters (honorable mention All-Conference defensive back), senior Joshua Curley and senior Thomas McElyea.
Up front there’s junior Jeshua Balderas, Morris and senior Caden Jefferson, and Norton could also play both ways.
Kam Durnin has been the team’s kicker for two years. Other special teams contributors will be Jefferson, who excels in kick coverage, along with junior Tyson Parkman and junior Willard DeMott.
“I think defensively we’ll be a little bigger up front than we were the last couple years which helps us,” Shore said. “I think we carry a little more weight in our front line on the defensive side. We did some different things last year that we installed and there’s a learning curve on that. This year we are coming in ahead of the curve. We know exactly what we’re doing, attacking and not sitting back on our heels.”
Camdenton will host Sedalia, Jefferson City and West Plains for the jamboree. The Lakers open the regular season at Rolla and won’t play a home game until they face Parkview on Sept. 16.
