Six prep players from four Jefferson County schools earned recognition on the all-state football teams selected last month by the Missouri Football Coaches Association.
The coaches picked a pair from both Hillsboro and Jefferson, all on the offensive side of the football. The only one to make the first team (Class 4) was Hawk senior Jacob McNees on the offensive line. He was joined by teammate Micheal Keller, a junior, who was chosen for the Class 4 second team at running back.
Jefferson teammates Andrew Graves, a sophomore, and junior Dakota Jakoubek drew the coaches’ notice, with Graves making the third team at running back while Jakoubek earned second-team recognition on the offensive line.
Windsor senior Brandon Fouts landed on the third team in Class 4 at running back and Tony Pisoni, a senior at Fox, earned honors at second-team defensive back for the second straight year, this time in Class 6; he was on the Class 5 team in 2015.
Hawk pair chewed up defenses
Hillsboro’s brutish ground attack rolled up more than 4,500 yards last fall. The Hawks had two running backs – Keller (2,016 yards) and junior Luke Skaggs (1,047) – each rush for more than 1,000 yards.
That success was rooted in the five experienced offensive linemen who started every game. And the leader on that line was McNees, a cerebral player who also possesses a keen sense of humor.
McNees saw playing time on the varsity as a freshman and started the last three years. At 6-3 and 240 pounds, he weighed the least of the offensive lineman named to the Class 4 first team.
Hillsboro head coach Lee Freeman said that besides being a top athlete, McNees also is a top student with a 3.7 grade-point average.
“He’s one of the more talented kids I’ve coached on either the offensive or defensive line,” Freeman said. “He’s one of those kids who got better every week of practice. He benefitted from all of the snaps he played in four years. He’s a real high character person and a leader in the school. You can be a big physical kid and play on the line, but Jacob’s intelligence went beyond that.”
Usually a 2,000-yard season is more than enough to garner first-team recognition, but Keller was voted onto the second team despite gaining 2,016 yards and scoring 33 touchdowns.
Freeman said he believes Keller didn’t make the first team because he missed games, including the Class 4 District 1 championship against Cape Girardeau Central. Keller had his best game of the season the week before against Sikeston, shredding the Bulldogs for 447 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Micheal has had an outstanding career to this point and we’re looking forward to him helping us out next year,” Freeman said.
Keller always was quick to credit his offensive line for his statistical success. The Hawks will have to retool their entire line next fall, but don’t expect to see Keller’s numbers fall too far. Freeman said if Keller stays healthy, he could move up to the first team next season.
“For me as a coach, (rebuilding the offensive line) will motivate me to work harder,” Freeman said. “We have a group of guys capable of doing what this year’s line did. With (Keller and Skaggs) and (running back) Joe Gregory returning, they will give our young offensive line confidence.”
Breaking records
As it turned out, Keller wasn’t the only back in the county to surpass 2,000 yards. The two others who did – Graves and Fouts – made all-state as well and both carved their names in their schools’ record books.
Of the six backs in the St. Louis area who gained more than 2,000 yards, Graves had the fewest carries, by far, with 149. His 2,112 yards set a new single-season school record. As Jefferson head coach Alex Rouggly noted, Graves was held out of many games in the second half after the Blue Jays built large leads, or for weather-related reasons.
“He should hold all of the (school) rushing records by the time he graduates,” Rouggly said.
That’s an easy prediction to make considering Graves has two more years to pile on his current two-year total of 3,652 yards and break the career rushing record of 3,782 held by his older brother, Austin.
“A lot of people asked if (Andrew) could back up his freshman year,” Rouggly said. “I knew and our staff and everyone in our locker room knew he could do that if he stayed healthy.”
In fact, the sophomore standout seldom left the field last fall because he was the Blue Jays’ top defensive back and most dangerous kick returner, torching conference champion Valle Catholic for two long touchdown returns.
Graves was recently honored as Jefferson’s most valuable player and offensive MVP.
“Do I think his body can take 25 or 30 carries a game?” Rouggly wondered aloud. “I think so, but I want to make sure he can make it to Weeks 10, 11 and 12.”
Jakoubek, meanwhile, opened many of the holes Graves ran through last season. At 6-2, 230, Jakoubek isn’t the largest lineman around, but Rouggly said his gritty nature more than makes up for it. Jakoubek, who was a third-team all-state choice in 2015, was banged up toward the end of the season but continued to play hurt.
“He will work tirelessly,” Rouggly said. “He does things people don’t see and has become more of a vocal leader. He didn’t play on the offensive line until (2015). We were losing four offensive linemen and we had to plug them in there.
“We talked about personal goals after the season, and he wants to be on the first team next year.”
Fouts, the first Windsor player to earn all-state notice since the advent of the state’s current playoff system in 2012, ran for 2,115 yards this season and 3,569 in his career – both No. 2 on the Owls’ all-time list behind 2004 graduate (and Owl assistant coach) Blane Boss. He rushed for 433 yards against Cuba and 343 yards against Festus, the second- and third-highest game totals in school history (behind Boss’ 508 yards).
Greg Westermayer, who recently stepped down after seven years as Windsor’s head coach, said Fouts will be a good example to follow for future running backs at the school.
“I was very excited to hear he was selected to the all-state team,” Westermayer said. “That doesn’t happen every year. I’m so thrilled for Brandon to have the season he did. And this was the icing on the cake. That’s a tribute to the work he’s put in the last few years.”
Although Warrior fans may remember him more for his exploits as a playmaking quarterback, Fox’s Pisoni impressed the state’s coaches for two straight years as a defensive back. The 6-2, 170-pound multi-sport athlete had two fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 60 tackles in 2016. In three seasons as a varsity starter, he recorded 214 tackles and picked off 12 passes.
Pisoni recently committed to McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill.
“As a community we’ve had some good football players and Tony’s carried the torch,” Fox head coach Brent Tinker said. “We’ve got kids who are as good as anyone in the state. Tony started for three years. We dropped down as a program after 2009 and Tony was part of our resurgence.
“Most of the time this year, Tony was the best athlete on the field. He will go into the (Fox) High School Hall of Fame.”