Blane Boss hopes the brand new artificial-turf field his team will play home games on this year will give Herculaneum some bounce.
This is Boss’s fourth season as the head coach, with a record of 16-17. On the old grass field at Dugan Memorial Stadium, it was the coach’s job to chalk the lines.
“It’s a rite of passage,” Boss said, not unhappy to be relieved of that duty.
Dunklin R-5 voters approved a $13.5 million bond issue in April 2023 that is paying for the new $1 million surface and the machine that maintains it. Boss said he was hopeful the field would be ready for the official start of preseason practice Aug. 12. The lush green carpet nicely complements a modern scoreboard donated by the Electrical Connection in 2019.
“We’re all excited for (the new field),” Boss said as the Blackcats went through a summer weight training session. “We’ve watched them build it this summer, and every day it looks like we’re one step closer to getting on it. Once the goalposts go up, we should be on it for the first time Monday.
“Being on brand new turf is going to help out as far as keeping guys healthy. It’s so clean-looking and bouncy. It puts a little pep in your step.”
Boss said there could be as many as 55 players in the program by the time practice starts and the underclassmen look promising. But the team strength this year lies in its veterans, many who’ve been playing for Boss since they were freshmen.
“We’ve got a lot of experience from last year,” he said. “We took our lumps last year and the injury bug got us, too, with all the guys we had to roll through. That led to experience on Friday nights, and I think that’s going to help us out a lot, especially at the skill positions.
“We pride ourselves on being in good shape. I don’t have to give the ball to one person 20 times a game.”
But if senior running backs Luke Brice and Mac Waddell play to their potential, Boss might not need rushing-by-committee. Brice was the Blackcats’ leading rusher a year ago with 480 yards on 100 carries, and Waddell gained 128 on 34. Waddell also caught nine passes for 75 yards. Brice gained almost half of his yards against conference opponent Bayless and scored three touchdowns as well.
“(Brice) is an athletic, good-sized kid,” Boss said. “He’s got it in himself to be a 20-carry back. It’s going to be up to him. He’s got the skills. He understands our offense. He’s been making some good cuts at camp, making good reads.
“We need him to be that guy on both sides of the football.”
Seniors Anthony Gallina and Brayden Mattingly combined for 369 yards rushing and two touchdowns and will help keep the run game fresh. Gallina has started on defense since he was a freshman. When quarterback Keaton Reeves was injured in last year’s opener against Windsor, Mattingly was under center the next week against Fredericktown and piloted Herculaneum to a 14-0 win.
“We’re going to lean on those guys (in the backfield) this year and they know that, and they’re excited about it,” Boss said.
Waddell was pressed into service at QB for a three-game stretch before Reeves returned to action midway through the season. Reeves also is a wrestler and qualified for the state championships at 157 pounds. He’s healthy and ready to assert himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the county.
“He’s gotten bigger, stronger and wiser,” Boss said. “He’s a great leader, great person. The offense will be in good hands, and we’re excited to see what he can do. You can trust he’ll do whatever you ask of him.
“Wrestlers are a different breed. You’ve got to have a different mindset in that sport. A quarterback who wrestles is a great thing to have.”
Reeves’ top receiver is junior Clark Struckhoff, a hybrid tight end/wideout. He averaged 20 yards per catch and two of his four receptions went for touchdowns. Waddell and seniors JD Romero, Riley Cox and Mason Morton round out the receiver corps.
“We’ve got a good rotation,” the coach said. “We’re run-first and our receivers know they have to be good blockers if they’re going to catch the ball. We have some younger guys who will get in that mix.”
It stings to lose first-team all-conference offensive linemen Demien Light and Shea Eberhardt to graduation. But junior Carter Light and senior Ashton Henderson played varsity snaps up front last year and are joined by a trio who didn’t play last year: senior Brennan Thomas and big, athletic sophomores Payton Baker and Taylor Greenlee, returning from injury.
“As a unit, I hope (the offensive line) can work together and be nasty,” Boss said. “(In) high school football, you go as your line goes.”
In Boss’s tenure, the Blackcats have featured tackling machines at middle linebacker with Cody Gibson, Michael Moloney and Demien Light. Last year Brice made 50 tackles and recovered three fumbles. Waddell had 33 tackles and three interceptions.
“My first year we had Cody,” Boss said. “He was sideline-to-sideline. Michael Moloney was probably the best middle linebacker I’ve had here. He was an animal for us.
“Last year Demien Light took over and he was real close to Mikey as far as production and relentlessness. I think Luke or Mac could be the next guys. If they both are, we’ll have a heck of a defense.”
The defensive line will draw on Baker, Greenlee and Henderson, and whatever depth the team can develop.
All four defensive backs return. Reaves plays safety along with Gallina. Senior cornerbacks Mason Morton and Ian McCoy are back, while all-conference baseball player Tanner Duncan joins the secondary after starting there late in the year. Romero also has emerged as a talented cornerback. McCoy will handle the placekicking duties while a punter has yet to be determined.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if all three (cornerbacks) play a lot in Week 1,” Boss said.
For the fifth year in a row, the Blackcats kick off the season against Windsor. Herculaneum will christen its new field Aug. 30 against the Owls, who are 3-1 in the previous openers and scored a fourth-quarter touchdown last year to win 7-6.
“It’s football season and it’s exciting to coach again and see the boys,” Boss said. “It’s one of the best sports in the world, so it’s a fun time. It also means school’s starting soon. Once that starts, it’s a busy time for everybody.”