By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Jim Genzler takes over at Pierce City and brings 18 years of coaching experience to the table, including stops at Monett, Ozark and Cassville as the defensive coordinator, as well as Clever as head coach.
He’s no stranger to winning and what it takes to win at a high level in great leagues.
He also knows just how hard that can be in Year One.
“I believe the first thing is to establish our culture,” said Genzler. “How we do stuff to the level we want to do them. Get our players acclimated to our schemes from mighty mites all the way through high school. Get a lot of people throughout the school community excited about football in Pierce City. Coach Hocker and staff have done a great job for many years. Our goal is to keep building on what they have established.”
Pierce City returns 10 starters with several productive players back.
Senior quarterback Kyler McWilliams (6-5, 180) returns with several of his top targets back. He passed for 373 yards and six touchdowns in six games as a junior.
Classmate Quortin Parks (6-0, 165) was an All-Southwest Conference pick and will also return to the secondary. Layton Mack is another senior receiver and defensive back. Sophomores Landon Stanphill (6-0, 165) and Caleb Poage (5-10, 160) will also look to be a factor in the passing game and in the secondary.
A quartet of seniors will see carries out of the backfield but also play linebacker defensively, led by All-Southwest Conference pick Evan Salazar (5-10, 195).
Salazar finished with 32 tackles in five games.
Carson Jesperson (5-11, 190), Mekhi Kleiboeker (5-11, 175) and Broc Olivier (5-10, 165) all bring back experience. Kleiboeker (270 yards), Jesperson (166 yards) and Olivier are the team’s returning rushing leaders.
Genzler’s offense will be heavily dependent on seniors Luke Perry (6-4, 240), Gage Warner (6-2, 215) and Jacob Lawrimore (6-1, 230), as well as junior Kordell McBlair (5-10, 210) and sophomore Cruz Ibarra (5-10, 220), to galvanize as an offense and defensive line unit.
“One of our biggest strengths will be the amount of experience we have returning,” said Genzler. “We have a lot of players that have Friday night experience. Our offense will have multiple sets and concepts that will help put our players in spots to be successful. Our players have done a great job adapting to the new system so far this summer.
“Like our offense, our experience returning will be a strength. We will be a very aggressive defensive unit that will pursue the ball and try to put as much pressure on opposing offenses.”
Several newcomers will be in the mix on either side of the ball.
Junior Eli Genzler (6-3, 160) will push for playing time at quarterback and in the secondary. Freshman Dyllan Kleiboeker is also taking reps under center but is a dynamic athlete that can lineup anywhere.
Junior Treyton Cahalan and sophomore Aiden Poage are WR/DB combos. Senior Brody Fortin, juniors Hunter Mize (5-10, 300) and Ethan Dewitt, as well as sophomores Crae Salsman (6-2, 215), Caiden Haworth (6-2, 215) will compete for reps on the offensive and defensive lines.
Senior Emmitt Price (6-1, 190) and sophomore Luke Eaton (6-1, 185) will split time at tight end and defensive end.
Pierce City will have another rugged regular season schedule, which includes Southwest Conference foes Marionville and Sarcoxie – and new member Skyline – as well as homeschool power Lighthouse Christian.
Genzler is seeking to get the program its first district championship in more than a decade. But to do so, he’ll have to set the foundation of his program.
“Our goal for the first year is to establish our culture and to implement our systems,” said Genzler. “We want to build the best program we can from youth all the way up to Friday nights that will make our community of Pierce City proud. Coach Hocker and his staff did a tremendous job of running a successful program for many years that we just want to keep building on what they have built.
“Our goal is to compete every chance we get the opportunity to and to keep improving as the year moves on to where we are playing our best football by Week 10.”
Pierce City will open the 2024 regular season by hosting Houston on Aug. 30.
