There will be some familiar teams atop the SCA standings this year.
Preseason Awards
SCA Champions: Mountain Grove
Player of the Year: Carter Otwell, Mountain Grove
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Josh Pruett, MV-BT/Liberty & Trystan Short, Mountain Grove
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Eli Floyd, Salem
Co-Lineman of the Year: Lathem Melton- Farmer, Mountain Grove & Jordan Gower, Thayer
Breakout Player: Caleb Johnson, Ava
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How do you pick the SCA Player of the Year?
In the past it has been pretty clear going into the season just who the horse of the league would be. This year, not so much. I picked Carter Otwell for a combination of reasons. The junior quarterback had an impressive sophomore season on both sides of the ball, but his junior year could be really special. With Rich Adkins coming over and installing his version of the veer, this could be the most explosive Grove offense we’ve seen. Ever. The veer is only as good as the quarterback running it because of the increased emphasis placed on reads and decision-making; in a family full of football minds this shouldn’t be too hard on Otwell. He will again have the opportunity to make plays with his legs, but expect him to air it out much more than he did last year. He’s also one of the conference’s best players on the defensive side of the football and while his snaps on D might be limited, his impact will not be. If Mountain Grove wins the SCA then he should be player of the year… Josh Pruett might feel a little disrespected at this point. After all, he did lead his Eagles to back-to-back SCA titles and last year put on one of the best shows in SCA history. The only player in the history of the league to put up comparable numbers to Pruett’s (2,543 passing yards, 1,015 rushing yards, 60 total TDs) is Jaelon Acklin. Pruett was also great defensively for Liberty and was one play away from becoming the first Class 2 quarterback to beat Lamar in a half decade. If Liberty wins the SCA, he will be POY… The darkhorse in this race will be Mountain Grove senior Trystan Short. Football is becoming a quarterback-dominated game, but special running backs still move the needle. Short rushed for 1,801 yards and 19 touchdowns on just 160 carries. The combination of him being electric in space and Adkins’ system thriving on getting players into the open field could be scary. If he gets to 200-250 carries at the same average he had last year he will be a strong candidate.
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Lots of new districts
We’ve gotten used to the SCA beating up on each other in the regular season and then doing it to everyone else in district play. That might not be the case this year. Keep in mind that the SCA won district championships in Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 last year. With Mountain Grove and Ava dropping down to Class 2 and Salem getting shipped out of what would have been a very winnable district, you won’t see as many SCA teams advancing into late October. That does increase the potential for some interesting rematches, mainly the Liberty/Grove/Ava triangle. Also, Thayer and Cabool should again match up in district play. As it stands right now I think you’d have to put Cabool in the conversation of the second-best team in Class 1 – District 2 to Thayer. Also, keep an eye on Salem in C3-D1. Last year Ste. Genevieve went 8-1 and Park Hills Central went 7-2 in the regular season and split a pair of regular season and district games. They are the two favorites perennially. I say that to say this; Valle Catholic beat Ste. Gen 55-21. Salem won’t be the top seed, but certainly capable of making a run.
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Where is Liberty at mentally?
For whatever reason I love the SCA; largely because it reminds me so much of the Big 8. But despite all the elite teams in the conference in the last five years, no one has been able to make it to St. Louis. The biggest example of this is Liberty. The Eagles have gone undefeated in the regular season in three of the last five years. Liberty has won seven of the last eight district championships and six of the last seven SCA titles; the only team that has been more dominant in Class 2 is Lamar. Unfortunately Lamar has had Liberty’s number and last year’s 14-7 Lamar win in the quarterfinals was without a doubt the toughest for the Eagles to swallow. Honestly, I’m not really sure how you rebound from that. Being at that game, I truly thought Liberty had it won. Coach Darin Acklin brings back 16 starters from that team so clearly they’ll be good; they are probably the most talented team in the conference. is tough to be top dog year after year and not lose some of that bite, which is what makes Lamar’s run so impressive. It is also a testament to Acklin and the job he has done at Liberty and building a program that is a contender year after year at a state level. He’s one of the best X’s and O’s guys around and has no problem making the gutsy call. Honestly, if Lamar didn’t exist then Liberty would have at least two state championships right now. Not to say that Liberty isn’t gearing up to get back to that game, but I’m curious to see how they approach the regular season schedule. Will it be hard for them to get up for teams that aren’t Lamar? Will they be complacent and lethargic until district play starts? That remains to be seen.
But, if they are motivated, they will be disgustingly good. Pruett is stud and the trigger man for what they want to do. Marcos Rodriguez is an absolute bowling ball of a back (140 carries, 1,079 yards, 9 TDs) and Pruett will have plenty of weapons on the perimeter with Brenton Bush (47 catches, 760 yards, 9 TDs) and Max Rudolph (19 catches, 251 yards, 6 TDs) returning, but look for Koel Orchard to have a breakout year for Liberty. Acklin loves having guys like this that he can line up all over the field and exploit mismatches with and Orchard (909 yards from scrimmage, 12 TDs) is just that. Defense is the big question. Cale Cornman was the best high school linebacker I’ve seen in Class 2 and one of the best I’ve seen period; Lamar couldn’t stop him. Losing him is tough. Acklin does have the liberty (see what I did there) of returning a nice duo upfront with Adam Shaw and Brodyn Kenaga. Liberty gives a ton of different looks defensively, but everything they do starts at the line of scrimmage and how those two play will dictates a lot, specifically with teams like Lamar, Ava and Grove being so run-heavy. Moving Chase Smith (76 tackles, 18 TFL) to linebacker will help fill Cornman’s departure. And don’t forget Bush led the team with six interceptions and is a mistake-eraser in the secondary. The schedule does them zero favors early. At home against Class 4 power Cape Central followed by a trip to Aurora will test Liberty on both sides of the ball. Cape has averaged nearly 11 wins per season over the last three years, including playing for the state championship in 2014 and Aurora has one of the best quarterbacks in the area in Payton Evans and advanced to the Final Four last year.
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New coach, new system, new result for Mountain Grove?
I’m not sure there’s a more hungry group in the Ozarks than Mountain Grove. Last year they lost in the Class 3 quarterfinal on the road at Aurora. They followed that up by going to the Final Four in basketball and winning a state championship in baseball. Success only breeds more success and many of these guys either played on those teams or went to cheer them on and they’re all hungry for that kind of season this fall. They also haven’t been shy in stating their desire to play Liberty and Lamar in the playoffs. Be careful what you wish for because the Panthers will get the opportunity by dropping to Class 2. Grove has been loaded for the last few years, but this might be the best team they’ve had. Otwell and Short or Short and Otwell, however you want to say it, uncle and nephew (Otwell is Short’s uncle) are going to give people the business this fall. Last year they combined for 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns on 350 carries. That’s light work. Again, them playing in Adkins’ veer could be a situation because he’s not afraid to operate out of a spread formation. It also helps that Latham Melton-Farmer is back (84 tackles, 16 TFLs) and he’s as equally devastating on either side of the line. Grove could be huge up front with Steele Buttram and Trenton Thompson. Also, look for man-child sophomore TJ Drone to make an impact this season. Defensively this unit will have the potential to be elite. The depth up front should allow Adkins to keep his hogs fresher than most Class 2 teams. Then there’s Chance Barbe. The sophomore linebacker balled out in in 2015 (135 tackles, 13 TFL). He plays football with zero fear and his instincts and play recognition are unreal; this is the kind of kid that times snap counts and leaps over the line of scrimmage to make a play. *Seriously, go look at his Hudl video* The fact that Grove is so good in the trenches means linemen rarely make it to the second level, freeing Barbe to make plays sideline-to-sideline. He will also get some carries offensively. He might be the second-best running back in the conference but unfortunately his teammate is the best. Grove has a chance that not many teams get this season. They can get revenge on the team that ended their season last year (Aurora), end the dominant run by their conference rival and then end their season (Liberty) and end the state’s longest-running dynasty (Lamar). Yes, Mountain Grove will be a hungry football team this fall.
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Best of the rest
There are many people expecting Thayer to take a step back this season and while that will be the case at some level because of their graduation losses, the Bobcats will still be contenders for conference and district championships. Billy Webber has done nothing but win games at Thayer and when he has a good offensive line he’s nearly untouchable in Class 1. Jordan Gower is back, as well as Eli Russell and Remington Childers which could spell trouble for everyone else. Thayer will again be able to control the line of scrimmage on most Fridays regardless of who the opponent is. If you’ve seen Zyman Langley on a basketball court then you understand why he will be fine likely quarterbacking the Bobcats, and Garrett Young showed plenty of promise last year at running back. Thayer might have some losses because of the schedule, but this is a team that will make yet another deep postseason run… Ava has built itself into one of the better programs in the area under Daniel Swafford. Unfortunately, the Bears have come up just short in big games, preventing them from winning a district title. This team is facing some monumental losses with the graduation of Nate Bray, Paul Porter and Caleb McFarlin. But Ava has more than enough to be competitive in 2016. Swafford has been worried about the development of his line, but with Kolton Skyles and Brandon Johnson back, the unit has a good starting point. Both guys will go both ways and neither of them are strangers to the physicality necessary to win games in the SCA. Kelly McDonald and Eli Maggard are also back after being key contributors defensively last year and both will be focal points offensively as well. The name to keep an eye on is Caleb Johnson. Even last year his ability as a dual-threat quarterback presented itself immediately. Johnson (881 total yards, 12 TDs) is one of those kids that is just a football player that happens to play quarterback. He has great vision and runs hard, which is an excellent place to start. Continuing to improve his decision making in Swafford’s offense will be imperative for Ava to compete for conference and district championships. I would be shocked if this wasn’t a 1,000-yard season for Johnson and another winning season for Ava… Salem has taken steps towards conference and district championships under Brian McNamee and this team should continue that growth. Last year’s 6-6 record is slightly misleading; four of those six losses came by one possession. The Tigers lost to Reeds Spring in overtime, fell to Ava by five, lost to Grove by six and lost to Grove again in the district championship by four. The bad news is Derek McClain and Dylan Wisdom are gone, as well as some key linemen. The good news is Salem has several pieces to fill those holes. We’ll start with Zak Eplin. The senior was a slash last year, playing quarterback/running back/receiver in three games before having his season cut short. He’s dynamic in the open field and while there’s a chance he plays quarterback, don’t be surprised to see him lineup anywhere on the field to take advantage of his ability. When he’s healthy he’s one of the best playmakers in the league. Eli Floyd and his 18 career interceptions are also back in the mix and he should be a much bigger target offensively. I jokingly call it “Floyd Island” but he’s good enough to lockdown one half of the field which gives Salem the ability to be aggressive defensively. A huge key to Salem’s success will be move-in JJ McGowan. McGowan spent last year at Mountain Grove and was a good player, shredding Ava for three catches, 101 yards and three touchdowns in their meeting last year. He has great size and can play several positions. The big thing with McGowan is consistency. If he can consistently play at a high level then Salem will have a surprisingly dynamic and diverse offense. I’ve had a few coaches tell me that this team has the chops to beat a Liberty or Grove. Doing so will be huge as this program tries to restore its luster from the 90s… If you saw Houston at any point last summer then you knew Eric Sloan had them going in the right direction; a 4-6 season for a program that hadn’t won that many games in a single season since 2008. Houston lost much of the offensive line that helped build the foundation for last season, but they do return one of the best players in the conference in senior Chance Hunter. He’s been a player since his freshman year at Cabool and last year’s 1,000-yard, 14 touchdown season is what helped put Houston on the map. He will be counted on to lead this team on both sides of the ball as the Tigers adjust to a complete makeover of last year’s roster… Willow Springs fans should be gearing up for a much different season after last year’s 1-9 campaign; I fully expect the Bears to be 3-0 heading into a Week 4 showdown with Mountain Grove. Why? Horses. Last year Willow Springs just didn’t have enough of them. This year Coach Gabe Fris has enough to make his unique pistol offense work. Moving Ben Wake from quarterback to running back will help him get touches in space. Expect Dakota McDaniel and Dalton Rader to receive plenty of touches as well. Also, Treyvon Talbert showed plenty of promise last year as a freshman; he should be an impact player this fall and has big play ability. Depending on how much Matt Garrison can help the offensive line gel, Willow Springs could be in line for just its third .500 season since 2005… After a 6-6 season in 2014, its first since 2007, Cabool took a step back last year by going 1-10. The Bulldogs have a new, but familiar face at head coach with Greg O’Connor and will look to right the ship. For the first time in four years Tanner Barnes won’t be taking the snaps under center, but there is good news; Caleb Manning is back. As a junior he rushed for 885 yards and seven touchdowns, but was a horse in Cabool’s final four games, rushing for 508 yards and four touchdowns. With Manning back and Cabool returning its entire line, O’Connor will have a solid foundation to build on. I truly think this team can make a run in district play as long as they stay heathy and on the opposite side of the bracket as Thayer.
Top Games
Aug. 19
Cape Central at MV-BT/Liberty – Well, this is one way to get your team fired up; invite one of the top Class 4 teams in the state to come into town. This will be a welcomed challenged for the Eagles.
Mountain Grove at Aurora – This is purely about revenge for Mountain Grove. What better way to start the season than by beating the team that ended your season last year?
Sep. 2
Thayer at MV-BT/Liberty – The first time this season that Liberty will be playing a team they’re familiar with. If the Eagles beat Cape and Aurora then this could definitely be a trap game, especially because Thayer typically gives them a good, physical game. Thayer will be 2-0 entering this game with a chance to send a message statewide.
Mountain Grove at Ava – Last year Grove hammered Ava, 46-14. Both teams were state-ranked and it was a statement game. Ava was never the same and Grove marched to a district championship. Revenge will be a factor, but both teams should enter this game undefeated and considering they now share a district with Liberty, getting the top seed is imperative.
Willow Springs at Cabool – Both teams open the season with a really favorable schedule. There is a chance each team could enter this game 2-0, a positive start for two teams that struggled last year.
Sep. 9
MV-BT/Liberty at Ava – The last SCA team to beat Liberty was Ava. The Bears are tough to beat at home and potentially coming off of a loss to Grove, Ava can’t afford to drop two straight for conference or district purposes.
Salem at Thayer – This one is intriguing for a few reasons. For Thayer, playing up two classes is already a ton of points in district standings, but a win, especially a double-digit win, is an opportunity that not many teams in Class 1 get. For Salem, this is all about building. Last year they lost to Thayer in a 29-14 game. Salem should enter this game undefeated and a win here could carry over some momentum into the beefy part of the schedule with Ava, Grove and Liberty coming up in a four-week stretch.
Sep. 23
Mountain Grove at MV-BT/Liberty – Well, this one is likely for all of the marbles. It’ll probably be the O-Zone Game of the Week and they will likely be 2-3 in the Class 2 rankings. They don’t really like each other and it’s no secret. It’s also no secret that Liberty has owned Grove over the last seven years. Fortunately, this is probably just the first game with a sequel likely coming in districts.
Oct. 14
Mountain Grove at Thayer – This game could be really important depending on what happens during the rest of the season. Hypothetically Grove beats Liberty and Liberty beats Thayer, this game could be one that forces a three-way tie for the SCA title should Thayer win.
