A.J. Ofodile already had a lot on his hands when he was hired as the new head coach of the Festus football program in January.
Then came the coronavirus.
Not only did spring prep sports get canceled, so did much of the typical offseason work all football coaches regard as an important building block for success on the field.
So now Ofodile (pronounced oh-FAH-delay) is playing catch-up, preparing himself, his coaching staff and the entire Tiger roster for fall football, come what may. Ofodile’s assistants this year are Jim Sardo, Rob Pryor, Brian Bidlack, Matt Morice, Harold Driemeier and Robert Martucci.
Ofodile said there’s too much uncertainty about which way the virus will trend in the coming months to postpone football until spring, as some St. Louis-area schools are doing under a special provision granted by the Missouri State High School Activities Association.
“It might be 18 months before a vaccine is ready, so I don’t think things will drastically change,” he said. “I’m in the camp with the way things have trended, it makes more sense to play this fall.”
The new Tiger mentor has the football pedigree to meet the challenge. Ofodile played tight end at the University of Missouri in Columbia and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL draft, the 158th overall pick. He retired from the league in 1999.
Ofodile moved naturally into coaching, as an assistant at Rock Bridge High in Columbia and then up the road at his alma mater, Mizzou. Now he’s back in the prep ranks as a head coach.
Besides operating under the rules and restrictions triggered by COVID-19, Ofodile is learning about the talent and teams on the eastern side of the state. Festus opens Friday night at Ste. Genevieve. The Dragons were 8-4 and lost to Kennett in the Class 3 District 1 championship in 2019.
“Being in mid-Missouri all those years, I was more familiar with the competition there,” Ofodile said. “Just familiarizing with the new opponents is important. Each area has its own trends and players. We leave no stone unturned. Ste. Genevieve was a really good team a year ago but graduated a lot of guys. But the guys coming back are used to winning. They didn’t have a jamboree, so game one is a mystery.”
Festus fans, as always, are hungry for a winner. After going 7-5 and losing to West Plains in the Class 4 District 1 final in 2018, the Tigers lost a tough battle to Farmington 16-0 in the district semifinals last year and finished 5-6.
Due partly to injuries and partly to younger players making their mark, the Tigers used at least 13 running backs a year ago. Ofodile, like most football coaches, wants his offense to find some balance between the run game and passing the ball. He plans on using an up-tempo no-huddle style.
“You have to start with the run, but you can’t just forget the other skill positions,” Ofodile said. “When you (face) teams that are bigger and try to run over them, that’s a tough agenda, so we want to be balanced. At the end of the day, you gravitate to what you’re better at.”
Junior Cole Rickermann took over as the Tigers’ quarterback midway through last season and is firmly planted as the starter under center this year. A two-year starting guard on the school’s basketball team, Rickermann is a good decision-maker on both hardwood and turf.
“I’ve been excited about his progress,” Ofodile said. “He got thrown into a situation where everything is different and everything is on his shoulders. He’s consistent with his reads. He’s been asked to do more than anyone in the program and he’s handled it well. He wants to be an elite-level player. He bounces back well from mistakes.”
Senior Collin Doyel has played about every skill position for Festus, including QB. He rushed for 451 yards and eight touchdowns and caught eight passes for almost 100 yards last season. He’ll line up at wide receiver and cornerback.
“He goes full speed and (has) played a lot of positions and picks up things quickly,” Ofodile said.
Seniors Austin Anderson and Cayden Glaze are experienced running backs, while junior Dalten Yates and sophomore Landen Bradshaw also will get their share of carries. Ofodile said Bradshaw might be the most electric back on the team.
Three starting offensive linemen return: seniors Judson Holland, Luke Greenstreet and Lucas Smith. Joining them are senior Rodney Campbell and junior Connor Holt. Ofodile called his linemen “company guys” who’ve all bought into the program.
“That group as a whole has been our most consistent,” Ofodile said. “They’ve taken the most reps of anybody in practice. We’re OK size-wise, big enough to be effective.”
Doyel and fellow seniors Cayse Martin, Luke Valleck, Daylen Wagoner and Isaac Stucke provide plenty of depth at wide receiver.
The defensive line features two newcomers. Ofodile calls Desmond Davis, a transfer from Caruthersville, an explosive player. Trent Harris didn’t play last season, but he’s fast for his size and with Davis will give the Tigers two roadblocks on the interior.
After finishing third at 170 pounds at the Class 3 state wrestling championships in February, senior Luke Shaver is another new face on the field and looks to make an immediate impact at linebacker. Ofodile said he’s already seen the competitive way Shaver practices. Eli Ortmann, Cole Wagner, Carter Cupp and Trent Ellis are the other linebackers.
Doyel, Martin and Yates are the cornerbacks, while Bradshaw, Anderson and senior Tom Meczkowski are the safeties.
With vivid memories of the lost spring sports season and the continuing shadow cast by the coronavirus, Ofodile just hopes his Tigers can play a full season, especially for the seniors’ sake.
“We’re operating on a limited amount of time, so it’s fortunate that we have a big senior group who’ve had success playing,” he said.
TOMORROW: Fox