By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season, McDonald County still managed to put together a 6-5 campaign and win a district playoff game.
The Mustangs must again replace several starters, but the crew of returners are at key positions and now have a ton of experience.
“We feel like we’ve made strides as a program the last few years, but we still have a long way to go in our conference to consistently be where we want to be,” said Hoover. “One thing that you always like to have coming back is experience in some key spots, which we feel like we have in some places. Those guys know what it takes to win and have had a really good summer leading our team and have really brought our group together through camp so far.”
Everything starts with returning quarterback Destyn Dowd. The all-area and All-Big 8 selection threw for more than 1,600 yards while also proving himself as a dual-threat quarterback.
“I’ve been extremely impressed with Destyn’s command of our offense throughout the summer in his second year as our quarterback,” said Hoover. “Our scheme asks a lot of that position, and he has really shown a new level of understanding of his job and what he can do to put our team in the best position to have a positive play. There aren’t necessarily any changes to how we will use him, but we will emphasize some things more than we did a year ago to maybe play to his strengths better. I’m excited to see what he’s going to accomplish in his senior season.”
One of the strengths of McDonald County will be its play in the trenches with multiple key returners there. Senior Toby Moore (6-4, 290) was an All-Big 8 and all-area selection on both sides of the ball. He’s joined by classmate Jayce Hitt (6-2, 250) who was also All-Big 8 on both the offensive and defensive lines.
Moore and Hitt form one of the best two-way tandems in the trenches the Big 8 will see. Classmate Cory Tuttle (6-2, 280) will also join the unit up front, as well as junior Miguel Melendez (5-11, 235).
“Toby is a force on both sides of the ball,” said Hoover. “He’s always had great explosiveness and been able to run really well, especially for his size. He’s really worked hard to improve at his craft as a technician, and has also shown a great level of nastiness that you want from your linemen. But Toby’s greatest attribute is actually his leadership skills. He’s developed into a great leader and has done a great job with his fellow varsity linemen, the underclassmen, and even our youth during our camps this summer.
“Jayce is an extremely strong and athletic two-way player up front for us, and we expect him to continue to progress on both sides. He’s a player that takes pride in bringing energy every day and we will continue to expect that this season.”
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Seniors Sam Barton (5-11, 175) and Samuel Murphy (5-10, 230) will see carries from the backfield, while classmates Josh Pacheco (6-4, 195) and Slyte Osborne (5-8, 140) will see time at receiver. Junior tight end Alex Bogart should see more time, as well as junior Dominic Cervantes seeing time at receiver. Fellow juniors Aidrian Short and Malosi Sosef could also see roles.
Many of those names will be two-way players, with Murphy joining Tuttle, Hitt and Moore on the defensive line. Dowd has the rare quarterback-linebacker combination, with juniors Bogart, Sosef and Jace Thomas joining him there.
The secondary is a strength for the Mustangs with Barton, Osborne and Cervantes returning. Junior Anthony D’Amico should also see reps.
Pacheco is one of the top defensive backs in the Ozarks, despite his 6-foot-4 frame. He’s expected to take another major step forward on both sides of the ball.
“Josh has had a great offseason and is looking to build on a really good junior season,” said Hoover. “He has gotten bigger, faster, and stronger and should be a really versatile defensive player for us, and a leader that shows the way for many of our new faces. He’s also worked very hard to be a consistent threat for us offensively, and has really shown some good things in our passing game through the early part of camp.”
Hoover is also excited about the development of senior receivers Huston Porter and Tucker Walters, as well as junior tight end Peyton O’Neill.
Mac has been .500 or better in each of the last three seasons, winning at least one district game in each of those seasons. That stretch includes wins over Lamar, Monett, Hillcrest, Cassville and Rogersville; something the program never could’ve imagined a decade ago.
For the Mustangs to consider that momentum, Hoover believes the program must continue on to buy into being better each week.
“I expect another year where each and every week is a challenge, and we need to stack great days of practice to put ourselves in a position to win games on Friday nights,” said Hoover. “Our conference is full of great coaches and great teams, so we better be doing our part and working to be the best version of our team in 2023.
“We need to bring a high level of energy and effort every day at practice. We need to really focus on being the best at our jobs, especially the little details, and be able to execute that assignment at a high level in a high pressure situation. We need to see our leaders to continue to develop and pull this team forward like they’ve shown an eagerness to do so far this summer. I’m excited to see us strive to reach our potential as a team and I hope we have a great time doing it together.”
McDonald County will jamboree at Mt. Vernon with Neosho and Forsyth joining. The ‘Stangs will host Mt. Vernon on Aug. 25 to open the 2023 regular season.
