Two years removed from being relegated to a junior varsity schedule, the number of football players at Grandview is increasing to help the revival under head coach Dave Dallas.
The Eagles return 21 players, including 14 starters, on this fall’s roster, which numbers more than 30.
All the sophomores, juniors and seniors have been with Dallas since he arrived and guided them through a JV schedule in 2017 and a winless schedule last year.
The Eagles will be looking for their first varsity win since Oct. 16, 2016, when they travel to Scott City on Aug. 30.
“What’s been exciting is we have some kids who’ve been here all three years,” Dallas said. “We have six seniors and our sophomore and junior classes have been here the whole time. I feel really good about where we’re at. We’re adding kids on a daily basis.”
Grandview has enough players to play both JV and varsity schedules.
“That’s crucial for the development of our program,” Dallas said. “Our kids have worked really hard this summer.”
There were plenty of growing pains last year. The Eagles lost their home opener to Scott City 50-0, were pummeled 56-6 by I-55 Conference annual champion Valle Catholic and, as an eighth seed in the Class 2 District 2 tournament, were shut out by top seed Lutheran North 83-0.
With each passing week, however, Grandview is getting closer to at least bringing those deficits more in order.
“Our level of being familiar with our system and the buy-in to what we’re doing is making (us) bigger and stronger,” Dallas said. “It’s been fun to watch them grow and develop as athletes and young men.”
Dallas said he’s simplified the playbook on offense and defense. He said he may have overtaxed his players last year with too much to learn too quickly.
“I got a little too complicated and it hurt us at times,” he said.
Junior Jakob Brand returns as the starting quarterback, and he’ll be backed up by sophomore Clayton Riddle. Brand and Riddle are also starters on defense.
“Jakob’s confidence and his ability to read things in the running and passing games has been outstanding,” Dallas said. “Jakob’s arm has developed and he has breakaway, big-play potential.”
Junior running back David Creath needed about 50 yards to reach 1,000 on the season last year. Creath is joined in the backfield by Eric O’Brien, Dylan Barker, Chase Wilson and Ryan Ruble.
The wide receivers are Hunter Routh, Barker and Alex Massey. Barker and Massey were starters last year.
Three starters – Jerrod Lattimore, Franklin Greenman and Kris Ledbetter – return on the offensive line. They’re joined by Jason Gill, Dawson Milner and Brandon Volner, who will probably play center.
“We simplified things for them, too,” Dallas said.
Along the defensive front are Milner and Ledbetter, who were both starters last year. Gill played a lot on the D-line, as did Lattimore and Gavin Oldham, whom Dallas said has been a pleasant surprise in practice.
“It’s a night-and-day change for him, maturity-wise,” Dallas said.
At linebacker, Creath, Brand, Riddle, O’Brien and Ruble patrol the second level of the defense. In the secondary are Massey and Chase Wilson, who each started five games in 2018.
Creath will do the kicking, while O’Brien is looking like the punter through a week of practice.
Perhaps the most important addition to the Eagles this year is assistant coach Steve Nausley, who has been the head coach and athletic director at Grandview in the past. Nausley replaces Mike Loyd, who is now teaching and coaching football at conference rival Jefferson.
“We’ve got some guys from the community who’ve come back to help us. I’m excited about that,” Dallas said.
The Eagles kick off the season with back-to-back road games at Scott City on Aug. 30 and Portageville on Sept. 6. Grandview’s first home game is Sept. 13 against league rival St. Pius X.
“Scott City has a lot of good kids back and we’re excited to play them because we’re going to be more competitive and we’re going to give them a great game,” Dallas said.