By Chris Parker
Frank Tristan enters his third season as head coach of the Willard Tigers looking for his team to start climbing the conference standings after back-to-back one-win seasons.
“We should be much improved. More importantly I think the team unity has been better. We did three things this summer. We did two 7-on-7’s and we went to the University of Central Missouri. We really had great experiences at all three of those competitions. The guys competed well together,” Tristan said. “It is 11 guys that are playing for each other and together. I am really excited about it. I think we are going to do really well. We will surprise some people.”
Offensively, the Tigers return one of the area’s top passers in senior quarterback Russell Roweton.
“Russell is going to be a huge leader for us,” Tristan said. “I think his completion percentage will be a lot higher. I think we will protect him better and he will be able to make some decisions. I don’t want him to have to feel like he is carrying the load because I think that is hard on one individual, so I think that will increase his efficiency if we have a little more balance. He is definitely going to lead, and we have high expectations for him. He has high expectations for himself. He has had a really good offseason.”
Roweton threw for 2,074 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior. He also had 79 carries for 255 yards and another touchdown.
Arm strength is the attribute that sets Roweton apart in the pocket.
“He does a really good job of throwing over the middle where a lot of high school kids get nervous. I think a lot of coaches get nervous about throwing over the middle because if you are not on time over the middle it is dangerous because there are more people,” Tristan said. “He has a strong arm, and he can throw over the middle throws really well. He also can make any throw from any position on the field. He can be on the left hash and throw something on the far-right sideline. His best attribute is probably his ability to throw to all fields.”
Leading rusher Gary Walker returns to the backfield for his senior season. He rushed for 368 yards and two touchdowns on 66 carries as a junior.
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“It is Gary’s show (in the backfield),” Tristan said. “Gary had a great camp in June. He did some things in practice that I haven’t seen since I have been here. (He has) great vision. He stays really low to the ground. He has really been working hard on his body too. He is much stronger and hasn’t had to lose weight for wrestling.”
Timmy Ruble will be a factor in all phases of the game, seeing time all over as a wide receiver on offense at linebacker on defense. He had 26 catches for 425 yards and five touchdowns as a junior.
“Timmy is our best natural football player. He has natural instincts. He goes after the ball well and is competitive,” Tristan said. “He has done a great job in the summer. Everywhere we have gone he has been one of the best players in any competition. A lot of college coaches (saying) ‘who is that guy?’ I am really excited about him offensively, but my personal opinion is that his ceiling is even higher on defense. I think he is going to have a breakout year defensively.”
Chaz Amodeo will also factor into the passing game after hauling in 23 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns as a junior.
Up front, Alex West, Brady Griffin, David Lawson, Dalton Jenkins and Brady McCroskey will fill out the offensive line.
Defensively, the defensive line will be a strength.
“There is so much experience there (on the defensive line) and they are all really strong,” Tristan said. “Out of our five or six guys who will play defensive line, every one of them is the 1,000-pound club, which is a good thing for high school. They are really strong and disciplined.”
Eli Burgin will be one of the key defensive linemen.
“Probably our best defensive lineman is a young man named Eli Burgin. He has been explosive, and he is angry. When he was a freshman, we had to tone him down a little bit because he was ready to fight at any moment. He is tough and plays really hard. He is like a Pit Bull,” Tristan said.
Junior Alex Nunez will be another key factor on the defensive line.
Ruble along with Jace Motlagh and Harry McDermott will be factors at linebacker.
The secondary will feature Omero Inda at safety leading the team. Junior Emory Blackwell returns to the field as a cornerback after tearing his ACL late in his sophomore season.
Kenyon Nixon, who has been the backup quarterback, will see reps at other positions while serving as the kicker and punter. He has improved kicking after attending camps over the summer.
The chemistry of this team is something that stands out.
“This team will stay together, and I think they will compete really well. We went to the Central Missouri camp, and we were probably overmatched by some numbers and some athletes, but our boys competed,” Tristan said. “These guys really care about each other. That is kind of a reflection of the coaching staff and what I am about too.”
Tristan is hoping that strong chemistry and familiarity with his system entering his third season will result in more wins.
“This year we have to bring more wins to the table,” Tristan said. “This is a gauntlet of a schedule. The first year we were here we got blown out a ton. The second year we were in a lot of games in the fourth quarter. This year, winning those games in the fourth quarter is a goal. That is progression of a program. Those games that we lost in the fourth quarter last year we win in the fourth quarter this year is the progression I am hoping for.”
Willard will travel to SBU for a jamboree on Aug. 18 with Bolivar, Parkview and Cassville. The Tigers open the regular season on Aug. 25 at home against Neosho.
