By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
After winning nine games in back-to-back seasons, the Nevada football team had some big holes to fill last fall after graduating another big senior class.
The Tigers, though, didn’t miss a beat: Nevada rattled off another 9-3 season and won the Class 4 District 7 crown before falling to eventual state champion Kearney. Since a winless 2019 campaign, Nevada has gone a combined 34-13
“We had a lot of young men step up,” said head coach Wes Beachler, the Southwest Missouri Football Coaches Association coach of the year last fall, “particularly on the offensive line where we had some question marks. We had some young men step up and fill the void there. Most people are familiar with the fact we lost a lot of talent before last year to graduation in the offensive backfield, all our starters but fullback. We had a lot of young men step up there, too, and perform well. We just feel like we’ve been pretty fortunate with some young men being able to progress through the JV program and be ready for varsity when their name is called.”
Yet again, the Tigers have some big contributors to replace. They graduated seven players who garnered all-conference honors in the Big 8 West, including Talan Chandler, a unanimous Big 8 offensive guard and first team all-state pick who took his talents to Missouri, and Henry Campbell, a unanimous Big 8 linebacker who was second team all-state.
Nevada returns several key players, though. Quarterback Kellen Braden returns after starting last season as a sophomore; he passed for 395 yards and five scores and rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
“We had Dylan Beachler for two years and then Cade Beshore for two years and then Kellen as a sophomore had to follow those two who had a lot of experience and a good understanding of the system and he ran the show really well,” Beachler said. “We didn’t throw as much as we had Dylan’s senior year and Cade’s junior and senior years but he set himself up for us to be able to throw a little more this year. He’s also a dual threat guy, he can run it or throw it and we feel pretty good about what he brings to the table.”
Senior fullback Grady Stewart returns to the backfield and brings a tough, physical presence.
“He’s just a tank,” Beachler said. “He understands what he’s supposed to do, understands leverage. He may see time at different spots.”
Senior Gabe Smith, who backed up Jack Cheaney at tailback last season, will be carrying a heavier load this fall with Cheaney sidelined due to an injury. Cheaney was a unanimous Big 8 running back, second team all-state player and the all-region offensive player of the year after totaling 2,056 yards and 31 touchdowns. Smith rushed 63 times for 406 yards and seven scores.
Senior Caden Klumpp returns at tight end after earning a starting spot last season in his first year playing football. He made three receptions, including one for a touchdown. Senior Cam Williams returns on the offensive line after earning honorable mention Big 8 honors as a guard; he was also named to the second team all-area squad.
“He’ll be anchoring that offensive line,” Beachler said. “We feel pretty good about him.”
“We’ve had really good offensive lines for about four years in a row now,” Beachler said. “We have two of our former offensive lineman playing at the college level. We’ve been fortunate to have a really strong offensive line. I think the kids we have that we project as vying for those starting spots are capable of being really good offensive linemen but it’s more than just being big and strong. You’ve got to have a sense of wanting to move some bodies and create openings for backs. We’ll see how willing they are to be physical, punishing blockers up front.
“With the talent we have at the quarterback spot––he’s a real humble young man but to start as a sophomore in the Big 8 Conference and help lead a team to a 9-3 record means you were handling the load pretty well––with his ability to run and throw, it will allow us to pass the ball a little bit more. This is my eighth year back coming up and in the seven years I’ve been here we’ve passed for over a thousand yards three times. When we have the quarterback and receivers who are capable, we’re not afraid to throw it.”
Defensively, Grady Stewart returns as a senior end and an honorable mention all-area player; he also nabbed all-area honors as a tight end. As a defender he recorded 45 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Joining him as an anchor of the line is Williams, who made 15 tackles and caused two fumbles. While the linebacking crew will be almost entirely new, the Tigers return experienced players in the defensive backfield in Smith at safety and Ayden Pryor at cornerback. Smith made 55 tackles and two interceptions, and Pryor, an honorable mention Big 8 and all-area player, recorded 61 stops with two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Nevada’s special teams unit lost its long and short snappers, but Braden will be back as the punter and kicker after earning second team and honorable mention honors on the all-area team.
“The work ethic is really strong,” Beachler said of this year’s team. “This might be the hardest working freshman class I’ve been around in quite a while. I’m just amazed at their work ethic in the weight room. We paired them the first two or three workouts of the summer with seniors and our seniors are just a really good, hardworking group. The work ethic, the unity and the commitment to the program is pretty strong.”
Nevada will jamboree at Carthage before kicking off a “brutal” Big 8 schedule against Monett on Aug. 30. The Tigers also host Seneca, East Newton and Mt. Vernon, and play a non-conference game at Pleasant Hill in October.
“You look at the schedule and it’s tough: McDonald County district champ, Lamar state champion, Seneca state runner up,” Beachler said. “Pleasant Hill was a district runner up. Mt. Vernon is a very good football team. Aurora is up and coming. We play Monett week one with a new coach and we’re not too sure what that’s going to look like. East Newton is an up and coming program. It’s going to be brutal and there’s really not a week you can look at and say we’ve just got to go out and handle our business. We need a few breaks. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a tougher schedule since I’ve been here.”
