For the first time in three seasons, the Festus football team won’t have a Johnson as its starting quarterback.
Jarrett Johnson transferred from Hillsboro to Festus and played QB for two seasons before graduating in 2016. Last year, his younger brother, Justice, started every game behind center and led the Tigers to a 5-5 mark.
Johnson would have been a junior this year at Festus but is not enrolled this fall. Festus head coach Russ Schmidt said Justice Johnson had worked out with the team until Wednesday (Aug. 9) but learned that morning he wouldn’t be a student this year.
“Needless to say we were pretty stunned,” Schmidt said. “I sat here for an hour and had a pity party. Nobody (the other coaches) wanted to say anything because they thought they were going to say the wrong thing.”
By Wednesday afternoon, Schmidt symbolically gave the keys to the offense to sophomore Austin Coale, who was 0-for-3 with an interception as Johnson’s backup last season.
“And I told (Coale) with that it comes with restrictions and responsibility,” Schmidt said. “You have to go home and prepare for this opportunity to lead this football team.”
Schmidt broke the news to the rest of the team on Aug. 9 that their promising quarterback had left the team and asked them a couple of simple questions.
“I got a Festus flag that we run into the stadium with before the games and I stuck it in the fence around the field,” Schmidt said. “Then I got a white towel and fashioned it to a broomstick.
And I told them, ‘You can either surrender, or you can compete.’”
The first practice without Johnson was intense. Schmidt said after the players and coaches took a 20-minute break to hydrate, he noticed the locker room was a little too quiet.
“I looked outside and (the players) had grabbed the flag and were running around the track and took the other flag, snapped it in half and threw it in the trash,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt said Coale takes weight training seriously and has the ability to make explosive plays.
“He understands what it is to compete,” Schmidt said. “His release may not be as quick as Justice’s, so we have to help him make decisions sooner.”
The Tigers also have to replace their leading rusher and touchdown producer in Tyler Sexton, a unanimous selection on the Mississippi Area Football Conference Red Division’s first team last year. Sexton gained 1,008 yards on the ground and scored 17 TDs.
Fifteen different Tigers carried the ball last year. Senior Jordan Fiedler returns to the backfield after rushing 65 times for 239 yards, second to Sexton. He’s joined by seniors C.J. Glaze and Logan Uding and sophomores Chalmer Brickhaus and Jack Robinson.
“There will be a lot of hands in the cookie jar this year,” Schmidt said.
If the loss of Johnson and Sexton weren’t enough, the Tigers will have to replace MAFC first-team wide receiver Elijah Richeson, who is attending Lindenwood University in St. Charles on a baseball scholarship. Richeson stretched the defense last fall to the tune of 20.4 yards per catch and four touchdowns.
Robinson and junior Gavin Weber will line up at tight end, seniors Chase Cole and Cameron Meyer and juniors RaShaun Hyde and Thomas Savez are the wide receivers. Hyde caught four passes for 63 yards and a TD last year.
“They’re possession receivers who will finish catches to move the chains,” Schmidt said. “They all block well downfield. We get a lot out of them.”
Keeping Coale upright falls to an offensive line comprised of senior Cole Martin (right tackle), juniors Zach Liles (left tackle), Reece Montgomery (left guard), Chase Rystrom (right guard) and freshman Judson Holland (center).
Schmidt said offensive line coach Jim Sardo will make sure that quintet is ready.
“He’s the best offensive line coach and strength and conditioning coach this side of the state,” Schmidt said. “He’s the best-kept secret in this area. He has these kids so dialed in fundamentally right now they’re fun to watch.”
As for starting a freshman at center?
“He’s bound to have a bad snap or snap the ball over the punter’s head,” Schmidt said. “But nobody is working as hard as he is to take that job. I’m OK with it because I’ll have him for four years.”
Uding returns to linebacker after he recorded 111 tackles (nine for loss), three sacks and being named to the all-conference first team a year ago. Fiedler and Robinson join him in the linebacking corps.
Cole Bennett, Martin and Rystrom anchor the defensive line, while junior Tyler Roth and Savez patrol the secondary. Roth is also the punter.
Fiedler was the first-team all-conference kicker last year after making three field goals and 25 PATs. Schmidt said Fiedler had offseason hip surgery but looks as strong as ever.
Festus kicks off 2017 Friday night at home against Vashon. The Tigers beat the Wolverines 29-26 in last season’s opener.
Schmidt said he likes to use props to motivate his players. After learning Johnson wouldn’t return this season, he laid down the gauntlet.
“I told them, if you don’t want to compete, grab the white flag and wave it at the teams coming to our jamboree Friday night, or wave it at Vashon when they come here to play,” Schmidt said. “All the goals and things we talked about, just throw them in the trash can. Or you can grab the other flag and come with me and not surrender.”