By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
As head coach Bill Voorhis put it, the district championship game felt something like Groundhog Day for the Fair Grove football team.
The Eagles had played in eight in a row entering last season, and had finished as the district runner up each time. But Fair Grove finally broke the streak in 2023, and the Eagles first––and only––loss came in the Class 2 semifinals against eventual runner up Valle Catholic, capping a 12-1 season.
“Every group came in with that same goal and every group had fallen short before that,” Voorhis said. “It was really special for those kids to finally get over the hump and to do it against Strafford at home makes it even more special for those kids and seniors, and coming from behind––we were behind at halftime, the first time we’d trailed at halftime all year long. That’s a big memory for them, winning the first one since 2011. It had been a long time since we got to play a Saturday afternoon game and getting to see a program like Valle Catholic in the semi’s and see what that level of football is, hopefully it made those juniors and seniors hungry to come back. That’s been at the front of their minds all offseason.”
Now, the Eagles are hoping to reload for another district run with every skill player returning offensively, though Fair Grove must replace four starters from the line, both guards and tackles. Voorhis said that unit was probably the best Fair Grove has seen and it will be “impossible” to replace those seniors up front.
Leading the list of returners is senior Kellen Lair, who was the unanimous offensive player of the year in the Mid-Lakes Conference, a unanimous first team running back, a first team returner, a second team all-state running back and unanimous first team all-state returner. He rushed 165 times for 1,986 yards and 37 touchdowns, averaging better than 12 yards per carry, and added 638 receiving yards and 10 scores on 30 catches, averaging more than 21 yards per reception.
“He had four opportunities to return kicks last year the whole year and returned all four of them for touchdowns,” Voorhis said. “He’s a legit 4–4 kid and all-state in track. Obviously he’s trying to play at the next level.”
Senior Brock Bruner returns at tight end after earning unanimous first team honors in the Mid-Lakes, and does a great job blocking, Voorhis said, with his role in the passing game expected to grow this fall.
Senior Spensar Seiger will be back at quarterback after passing for 1,221 yards and 15 touchdowns and averaging 19.08 yards per completion. He was a first team athlete in the Mid-Lakes and made the all-state second team as an athlete, while also playing some running back for the Eagles and topping 1,000 yards on the ground.
Senior Bryden Baxter started off as the team’s quarterback before suffering an injury and then returning to play receiver. He still earned first team Mid-Lakes honors as a quarterback but figures to mostly play receiver this year, and Voorhis said he considers him one of the best receivers in the area.
Sophomore Gavin Thomason started as a freshman at receiver and made the all-conference second team. Senior Carter Roy, who played receiver last year, has put on a lot of muscle and will be moving to running back. And sophomore Wyatt Hallam also returns at running back after taking over for Seiger there last year.
The team’s lone returner on the line is center Jaren Robison, a senior, who will be moving to guard this year. He could be joined by junior Luke Trehal, who Voorhis said looks the part at left tackle and will likely start; by junior Nolan Dorsey, who’s gotten a lot stronger in the offseason and will probably play both ways; and by senior Steven Lederich, another likely two-way starter.
“I know everyone sees all the skill kids coming back and thinks it’s just automatically going to be similar to last year,” Voorhis said. “People that know football know we had a really good offensive line last year and it’s going to be difficult to replace and repeat those results unless we can find five guys who play at the level those kids did. That’s been our entire goal this summer is we’ve got to get that figured out.”
The team’s defensive unit is led by Bruner, a first team Mid-Lakes linebacker and unanimous first team all-state honoree. Bruner committed to Southeast Missouri State earlier this summer. He totaled 17 tackles for a loss and eight sacks as a junior.
“Just a guy that jumps off on film when guys watch him,” he said. “You’ve got to know where he’s at.”
Sophomore Eron Daugherty returns to the defensive line after playing end last season; he’ll likely move to nose this fall. He was a third team Mid-Lakes pick. Fair Grove also returns Baxter (first team all-conference) at free safety and Seiger (unanimous first team all-conference) at strong safety. Baxter totaled four interceptions in six games before his injury.
Sophomore Kolton Klineworth, an all-conference jumper in track, looks to fill one of the open linebacker spots. Sophomore Harrison Martin will get reps in the defensive backfield. Senior Carson Krider looks to earn a starting spot as a defensive back and will also get time at receiver. Sophomore Gage Hill is another who will contribute at defensive back and receiver. Dorsey and Lederich will help solidify the defensive line.
Fair Grove gets its first taste of action in the Glendale jamboree before traveling to Mountain Grove in week one and hosting Central in week two in a pair of non-conference games.
“Our conference finally got up to a number that is respectable after having five teams in a conference and we’ve added Catholic, Reeds Spring and Hollister which fills out our football schedule,” Voorhis said. “We’re excited to play some new people and go to some new places. Adding those schools makes our conference as a whole better so we’re looking forward to having more competition. As always, the biggest game on our schedule will be Strafford, which is week nine this year.”
