By Chris Parker
Pleasant Hope football has not played a varsity game since 2020.
That will change in coach Jim Apple’s second season as head coach with the Pirates moving back up to varsity this season.
“Me and my staff arrived last year in July. We have been positive in our coaching while instituting a program that rolls from time of the year to the next time of the year,” Apple said. “We are supportive of our athletes playing other sports and go and watch them play and cheer them on. We are supportive of band and cheer as well, as they are there for us. We are building a culture of support and discipline. We are not there yet and even if we were done there is always more work to be done. I am a big believer in the philosophy of being a true competitor, which states your competition is not the person or team across from you; it is all the work and preparation you have done up to this point.”
This year’s senior will finally get to play varsity after a long wait. When Apple called them together to give the news of the move the varsity, the team thought the meeting was for a much different purpose.
“They were unaware of it (the move to varsity) until after the season and the re-organization of going to a new conference which meant we were to go independent,” Apple said. “I gathered the team to make an announcement after the season was over. It was sad as they actually thought I was leaving them so much so that most didn’t hear when I told them we were playing varsity. The seniors on this team said I am their first coach they have had for two seasons since little league. To get kids to turn out when winning can be tough let alone when you are losing.”
There may have been some mixed emotions about the return to varsity, but all levels of support within the community have gotten behind the move.
“I believe it has mixed emotions there have been some who wanted to stay safe in a comfort zone,” Apple said. “Winning games, even JV games, was new to them. They had previously been losing those games on JV. However, I have great administrators and school board who are supportive. As well as fantastic boosters who jumped into the pit stood side by side with me and my staff and players shoring up our walls. We are working to build the foundation that this program will rise from.”
Pleasant Hope will throw the ball around on offense with Apple listing Dayton Altic (senior), Peyton Guy (sophomore) and Daylin Campbell (freshman) as quarterbacks.
Caleb Altic (junior) and Issac Ingram (senior) will be two of the wide receivers. The tight ends will be Oliver Ackels (senior) and Skyler Stark (senior).
When Pleasant Hope does run the ball look for Charles Hutcherson (senior), Stark and Carson Simon (junior) to get carries.
Up front blocking on the offensive line will be Ayden Stevens (senior), Dallas Stockdale (junior), Brayden Oldfield-Clark (sophomore), Taveon Cote (sophomore) and Bryce Huber (sophomore).
The linebacking corps will be the strength of the defense. That group will include Hutcherson and Ackels.
The secondary will feature Dayton Altic, Caleb Altic, Ingram, Simon, Quincy Willoughby (sophomore) and Jack Keeling (freshman).
Look for Oldfield-Clark, Cote, Hayden Micks (junior) and Gabe Diggs (sophomore on the defensive line.
“We are aggressive on both sides of the ball,” Apple said. “We play fast and leave the last play behind us and concentrate on the next play. As my defensive coordinator loves to say ‘goldfish mentality’.”
Pleasant Hope will travel to Springfield Catholic for a jamboree on Aug. 23 with the host Irish and Marionville. The Pirates open the regular season in Week 2 on Sept. 6 at Willow Springs. The first varsity home game since 2020 will be on Sept. 13 against El Dorado Springs.
“We need to be competitive and disciplined in our play have a growth mindset,” Apple said. “We are building a program not re-building one. This program has never had a winning season. We will be laying the brick work and foundation of our success to come.”
