By Chris Parker
Kickapoo football has big goals coming off a 5-5 season with six offensive and eight defensive starters returning.
The Chiefs will be stout on defense behind two of the Ozark Conference’s best players on that side of the ball in Andrew Link and Samias Pickett.
Link, a defensive end, has committed to Missouri State. He had offers from Navy, Indiana State, Colgate, Akron, Eastern Illinois, South Dakota State, Western Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Murray State, Army, Southeast Missouri State, Brown, Air Force and a host of Division 2 programs.
“His physicality and his motor (make him special). Every coach I’ve talked to comments about both,” Kickapoo head coach Nate Thomas said. “Combine that with him being a 4.0 student and a team captain; there’s good reason he is getting a lot of looks at the next level.”
He will also play tight end.
Pickett is the star of the secondary at cornerback. He had 16.5 tackles with three pass break-ups and a team leading three interceptions last year. He earned second-team all-state honors in Class 6 last year.
“Samias is one of the most pure corners I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. First and foremost, he is extremely coachable. (He is) the type of guy that you can tell once what you want done and he has the athletic ability to go do it and do it at a high level. Much like Andrew, he is another young man that is a tremendous leader on and off the field and epitomizes everything we talk about in our program,” Thomas said.
Pickett will be joined in the secondary by Matt Jones, Tyrus Shurtz and Jackson Young. All three had one interception each last year. Young led that group in tackles last year with 35 including 5.5 tackles for a loss. Shurtz was just behind him with 28 total tackles and two tackles for a loss.
Jackson Williams, Gannon Benton and Cayden Garrison will join Link on the defensive line.
The linebacking corps will feature Peyton Blecha, Harrison Holt and Daniel Clark. Clark led the team in tackles last year with 55. He was also the team leader in tackles for a loss (7) and sacks (3). Blecha was second on the team with 38.5 total tackles and six tackles for a loss.
DOWNLOAD THE O-ZONE APP NOW!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR APPLE
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID
Thomas said Blecha has improved his size and agility since last year and Thomas has taken a big step forward in his own right.
Limiting big plays will be key for the defensive unit at as a whole to take a big step forward.
“I think it will boil down to not giving up the big play. I think by law of averages, our defense is set up that if we can continually make people snap the ball, we will find a way to capitalize on a mistake,” Thomas said.
Offensively, junior Kylan Mabins returns to lead the offense at quarterback after starting every game as a sophomore. He threw for 1,304 yards and 11 touchdowns last year.
Mabins has shown marked improvement since last season.
“Kylan has all the tools you want as a quarterback and the best part of his game I believe is between his ears,” Thomas said. “He has a great understanding of the game of football and is able to process information very quickly at quarterback. He has the talent to go down as one of the greats here at Kickapoo for sure. His work ethic I believe is what will set him apart going forward.”
He has grown both in his ability and his size. Last year, Mabins was around 160 pounds at the end of the season. Mabins now sits between 185 and 190 pounds.
“(The added size) has done wonders for his confidence on the field. He can make every throw in our offense right now and that capability has opened up our offense and what people have to defend,” Thomas said.
Jackson Young, Samias Pickett and Bryan Wamshers will join Mabins in the backfield at running back. Pickett is the team’s leading returning rusher with 40 carries for 223 yards and two touchdowns last year. Young turned 22 carries into 134 yards last season.
Shaun Campbell, Cael McCarville, Trey Christian, Sam Johnson, and Brandon Davis will be the targets on the outside at receiver. McCarville tops that returning group with 13 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown.
Up front, Blake Reynolds, Kendel Scholl, Austin Riffle, Ethan Massengale and Benton Brown will be on the offensive line.
Kickapoo will travel to Nixa for a jamboree with Ozark and the host Eagles on Aug. 19. The Chiefs open the regular season with high expectations on Aug. 26 at home against Hillcrest.
“(Expectations are) very high to be honest. (We have a) senior-laden group with a ton of experience who are the type of young men who love football. They can’t get enough of it,” Thomas said. “Mindset I think is the only thing holding us back. Our guys have done a great job so far of how they are framing things. Competition in practice has been great and has forced our guys to be in the right mindset on a daily basis. (It) forces them to be locked in for each and every rep during practice.”
