Lights! Scoreboard! Action!
Following road games at Freeburg, Ill., on Friday and Perryville on Sept. 5, De Soto High School hosts North County High School on Sept. 12 in its Mississippi Area Football Conference opener and its first game at JC Culwell Stadium since a yearlong renovation project was completed. There is a new scoreboard, lighting and playing field and grandstand/bleachers. The grandstand and bleachers, which was the most expensive part of the project at $1.1 million, has 208 “green seats” situated on the 50-yard line.
De Soto activities director and head football coach Russ Schmidt said 55 of the reserved seats have been sold at a cost of $75 apiece.
“We’re trying to create a special environment for our fans,” Schmidt said, “Listening to the people who bought those and watching social media, they’ll fill up. It’s a comfortable seat.”
This is Schmidt’s third year as both the head coach and activities director. He was an assistant coach at Hillsboro in 2023 when the Hawks went to the Class 4 state final and the head coach at Festus before that.
“We can’t get ahead of ourselves because we’ve got two games on the road to worry about, so I’m hoping to pay the people back for all the new, nice things we have,” said senior Eli Thebeau, the Dragons primary running back, top tackler at linebacker and long snapper.
Schmidt can control the new LED lighting using an app on his phone. The new scoreboard has a sound system. He’s eager to see the curtain raised for
De Soto’s loyal fans.
“It’s an incredible environment,” he said. “The kids have a new stadium, new uniforms, so everything’s hitting at the right time. When we come home for North County in week three, not only is it our home opener, but it’s Senior Night, and this place is going to be electric.”
The Dragons finished 5-5 overall and 1-3 in the MAFC last year. It was their first non-losing season since 2018. The last time De Soto posted a winning record was in 2010.
Thebeau has been a starter for four years. The Dragons won two of 20 games his first two. He’s gained 1,884 rushing yards and last year led the team with 91 tackles and three fumble recoveries. Thebeau is 46 yards away from breaking the school’s career rushing record of 1,929 yards that’s been held by Landon Anderson since 1999, making him one run from breaking a record that predates the turn of the century.
“I want to continue to better the program, win more games and do something for the town,” he said. “I’ve been playing football since I was little and always dreamed about doing some big things. I feel like I’m getting close, and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches.”
Schmidt brought the wing-T offense to De Soto. It suits Thebeau perfectly.
“He’s a straight-ahead runner,” Schmidt said. “He blocks well in the passing game, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield. What we get out of Eli is a hard-nosed player who plays defense at 100 mph.”
Austin Missey concluded his four years as the Dragon quarterback in 2024, and sophomore Cannon Kisner steps in as the new starter. Schmidt said Kisner already has command and presence in the huddle and his teammates look up to him. Kisner scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion as Missey’s backup.
Schmidt charted Kisner’s speed during track and field season this past spring when he beat two of the county’s top overall athletes in the 100-yard dash.
“He played in Austin’s shadow last year and Austin mentored him,” Schmidt said. “He’s had a tremendous offseason in the weight room and has really bulked up. I don’t have anyone to compare him to in the conference. All I can say is he beat (Festus 2025 graduate Essien Smith) and (Hillsboro 2025 graduate Preston Brown) in the 100. That defines what kind of athlete he is. I’m excited about what he can do for us. He’ll make mistakes, but he’s going to win more games than he loses.”
Smith quarterbacked the Tigers to the Class 4 state final last December, and Brown won the Class 4 state javelin championship in May.
Thebeau has plenty of company in the backfield with a rotation of senior Brenton Drummond, junior Trey Blair and sophomores Damian Pogue and Landon Tomlinson. Drummond had 1,034 yards of total offense (857 rushing) and scored 13 TDs.
Senior Jackson Turnbo starts at tight end and is the backup QB. Juniors Peyson Casey and Grayson Presnell are at wide receiver.
Starters on the offensive line are senior Brayden McAnally, juniors Landon Lawson, Collin Barton and John Schmidt and sophomore Justin Moore. Schmidt transferred from Grandview. Barton is the only returning starter.
In their five losses last season, the Dragons allowed an average of 39 points per game. Thebeau gets help on defense by junior defensive end Levi Huck, freshman Caleb Barton, Collin’s brother, on the defensive line and Drummond, Pogue, Casey and Blair in the secondary.
All three kickers, seniors Wyatt Wolf and Will Weber and junior Josh Golightly, split time with the school’s soccer team. Golightly has made field goals the past two years. Drummond can be used as a punter.
At 60, Schmidt is trying to build a legacy of winning at a school unaccustomed to it.
“They set the bar last year with five wins, and anything else is going to be a disappointment,” he said. “We’ve put together a solid offseason.”