Of all the moving parts needed to field a successful football team, the stability of the offensive line is usually the biggest factor.
Graduation stripped Festus High School of eight defensive starters – among them their leading tackler Mason Schirmer. Plus, three-year starting quarterback Essien Smith, and two pass catchers, Trey Lacey and Hunter Bates, but the Tigers return four starters on the OL.
Combine the return to the line of seniors Mason Weinhaus, Connor Rush and Karter Reese and junior Carson Grass with bigger, stronger, faster versions of senior Leuntae Williams and junior Kamden Yates at running back, and the Tigers are well stocked to repeat as champions in the Mississippi Area Football Conference and perhaps earn another trip to the state final. Festus was 4-0 in the MAFC and 11-3 overall after losing 46-7 to Lutheran North High School in the Class 4 championship game. It was the first time in school history the Tigers made it to the final.
“We have both running backs coming back. We have a lot of returners at tight end and receiver and the four returners on the line. We’ve been together three or four years so that chemistry is there and it brings us together,” said Rush, who handles the ball first on every play as center.
AJ Ofodile begins his sixth season as the head coach at Festus. The Tigers have won two conference and district titles and have a record of 41-20 under Ofodile, who is also the strength-and-conditioning coach for all of the athletes at Festus High. Performances have improved across the gamut of all of the Tiger programs since his arrival.
The three Festus losses last year were Lutheran North, Class 6 quarterfinalist Jackson High School and Class 6 state champion De Smet Jesuit High School. After beating Perryville High School in the District 1 final, the Tigers shredded Gateway STEM High School 48-16 on a brilliantly seasonal, sunny November quarterfinal. A week later, they held off Warrenton High School 21-16 in a semifinal played in a snowstorm.
“Every year you have attrition. As far as when and how we practice, those things are pretty static,” Ofodile said during training camp last week. “A lot of the defensive players were three-year starters, so you can’t replace that kind of experience and physical development. We have talented young kids we’re trying to fit into those spots. There’s a steep learning curve, especially with our schedule against programs I think are on the rise.”
Festus kicks off the season Friday night at Rolla High School, which finished 6-4 last year as a Class 5 school. The Tigers beat the Bulldogs 20-6 in last year’s opener.
“Rolla is on the upswing,” Ofodile said. “They were somewhat young last year but have a lot of good players coming back, some dangerous weapons we had to deal with. We had a tough game against them last year. They bottled us up offensively. Defensively, we were lights out and that kept our head above water. They’re a year older and better.”
As is the Tiger OL. Grass has been a starter since his freshman year, and along with Weinhaus, was second team all-conference last year. Ofodile said the fifth spot was still up for grabs.
“Our O-line is somewhat like our defense a year ago, guys who took their lumps when they were young but now have starting experience.”
Williams (first team MAFC) rushed for more than 100 yards five times and 1,087 for the season, but he really stood out in the quarterfinals with a season-high 196 yards. However, he couldn’t gain traction in the snow in the semifinals, gaining 12 yards on eight carries. He was listed at 5-7, 160 pounds last season. Ofodile said he’s packed on 20 pounds without sacrificing what made him dangerous – speed. Yates, too, has gained about 20 pounds in the offseason after he rushed for 737 yards and scored a team-high 13 touchdowns, including three against Gateway.
“Running back should be a strength for us,” Ofodile said. “(Williams and Yates) were exceptional players last year and we really challenged them to get better. When we played in the snow (against Warrenton), we had these small, shifty guys who weren’t really effective. They’re both leaps and bounds stronger. And they got faster in the process. Both can catch the ball and are unselfish having to share that role.”
As Smith’s backup at QB, junior Parker Perry gave his coaches every indication he’s ready to assume the starting job. Weinhaus is convinced.
“I think Parker will do great,” Weinhaus said. “We have a lot of guys returning from the positions we lost, so I think we’ll be just as good as last year.”
In limited duty spread out over seven games last year, Perry completed 19 of 32 passes for 298 yards. He threw a TD and two interceptions. Sophomore Quinnten O’Brien is Perry’s backup. In his first two seasons, Smith shared time under center with Jeremiah Cunningham, who’s now on the roster at Southeast Missouri State University as a punter. Ofodile said it’s Perry’s job full-time.
“Parker is a really talented young man, a natural thrower, really smart, great processor,” Ofodile said. “He can do anything you ask him to do in the position. He can push the ball down the field.
“Last year we played Parker to get him some live, varsity game action in some pressure situations, and he held up really well. He made the most of his opportunities when he was in there. If we hadn’t done that, we’d have a really good player going into week one not really knowing he can play on the varsity level.”
The Tigers have had a top-flight tight end since Ofodile arrived, which is not surprising since it was the position he played. Festus senior tight end Aiden Clifton returns off an all-conference (second team) year. He caught six passes for 134 yards and two TDs. There’s plenty of experience returning at wide receiver in seniors David Russell, Jackson Frank, Rowan Stucke and Gus Drinen. The foursome combined for 12 catches last year.
Russell averaged more than 16 yards in 23 punt returns. Stucke is one of the school’s top track and field athletes.
Schirmer was the MAFC MVP after registering 153 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions. He made several key plays in the win over Warrenton. His brother, Aiden, a sophomore, was a starter at linebacker and by year’s end looked an awful lot like his sibling. Clifton and junior Braydon Wilkes are both at LB and in the 220-pound range. Wilkes is also at TE.
“Aiden played about every snap and was highly productive,” Ofodile said. “He’s gotten to a level athletically that excites us coaches. Braydon played exclusively TE last year. Aiden’s not a lot different than Mason in terms of instinct and ability to find the football. He’s going to be a special football player in his own right.”
Russell and Stucke are at cornerback, and Yates and junior Liam O’Brien line up at safety.
Kicking is again at the capable feet of senior Luke Wacker, who nailed 50 of 53 PATs last year and somehow was left off the all-conference team. Wacker might punt this year.
“He’s a great young man and has worked really hard in the offseason,” Ofodile said.