Not all postseason honors are wrapped in the most wins or touchdowns. Sometimes an award is based solely on the effort and resolve a person takes upon himself to lift an entire program from the doldrums of winless seasons and lack of hope.
With all due respect to the other head coaches in the Mississippi Area Football Conference, I told several people two months ago that De Soto’s Russ Schmidt would be the league’s coach of the year. The coaches from Festus, Hillsboro, North County and Windsor thought so, too, because they chose him for the honor when the conference released its postseason awards for the players.
With two wins in the previous three seasons, Schmidt needed to show progress in his second year as both head coach and activities director for the Dragons. And while they are still well behind the Tigers, Hawks and Raiders, their games this season against those teams – except for MAFC champ Festus – were a lot closer than in years past. The result was a record of 5-5, De Soto’s first non-losing season since 2018.
“It was a situation where I didn’t see this coming,” Schmidt said. “I knew we’d eventually have success, but would we finish 5-5? I thought we’d finish 6-5. I’m happy with where we’re at as a program. It was because I got to spend a whole year with the kids and coaches. The kids’ football IQ improved. Our biggest gain was in the offseason in the weight room.”
A 56-6 loss to Festus sunk the Dragons to 1-3 and Schmidt said it was the turning point in the season. The Tigers are 9-2 and played Gateway STEM (11-0) in the Class 4 state quarterfinals Saturday, after the Leader early holiday deadline.
“I still look at the Festus loss as an embarrassment,” said Schmidt, the former Tiger head coach. “Our kids didn’t compete that night and I don’t know why. I thought about it for a few weeks and we challenged the kids to practice like a champion. Our kids listened. They have an appetite to be successful. Look at our district. There are potentially two state qualifiers. There’s some damn good football played in our district.”
De Soto junior Brenton Drummond was selected to the all-MAFC first team at the hybrid “slash” position. Weighing about 120 pounds, Drummond returned punts, played slot receiver and running back. He had a four-game stretch in which he rushed for at least 107 yards, including a season-high 194 against Fredericktown. He also was selected as a first team defensive back after posting 80 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
“Our opponents respected his nose for the football,” Schmidt said. “He seemed to be that pesky gnat. He was always doing the right thing.”
Drummond is preparing for another wrestling season after finishing one match shy of the medal round at 120 pounds at the Class 3 state championships last February.
“To me he was a kid who willed his way into the end zone,” Schmidt said. “That was a testament to the team we became moving forward.”
Seniors Eli Hessler (offensive line) and Conner Siebert (linebacker) were the other Dragons named to the first team.
“Eli’s athleticism as a guard (was evident),” Schmidt said. “(He has) quick feet and a low center of gravity. He pulls well. For two years, all Eli did was get better. He’s never afraid to try new things.”
A second-teamer in 2023, Siebert had a wide range with 77 tackles, eight for loss, and five sacks to go with a fumble recovery. When Schmidt needed a big play on defense, he had Siebert in mind.
“We had a special play for him called ‘84 Special,’ designed to put Conner in position to make a play for us. He came off the edge as well as anybody. He defended the flat. He was in the QB’s face.
“We lost to North County and he put his arm around me and said, ‘Coach, I’m disappointed. North County didn’t run my way all night.’ I said, ‘Conner, that’s called respect.’”
Mason Schirmer has won a state baseball title at Festus (2023) and was named the Jefferson County Activities Association large-schools MVP on the diamond this spring. But you could make a case that the left-handed pitching ace is even better in football.
Schirmer was selected the MAFC Defensive Player of the Year and its MVP. Over the past two years, his 180 strikeouts on the mound are surpassed by his 230 tackles on the gridiron. Now the Tigers are two wins from Faurot Field and the state final in Class 4.
“It feels good,” Schirmer said. “Last year I thought I could get (MAFC MVP). It shows if you work hard, it pays off.
“I like hitting (people). It’s my job. Chase something down and be physical. Our defense is probably the best it’s been at Festus. We challenge each other. We get to our assignments and we know what we’re doing.”
Schirmer has plenty of company from Festus on the first team. Running back Leauntae Williams, wide receiver Trey Lacey and offensive lineman Ezequiel Cristobal were named to the offense, and lineman Rob Turner, end Owen Gardner, linebacker Jeremy Davis-Mayes and defensive backs Hunter Bates and Avery Edwards made the defensive team.
Lacey is a big-play specialist, averaging 30 yards per catch and 16 yards per rush to go with seven TDs.
A year after reaching the Class 4 final, Hillsboro suffered the loss of senior quarterback Preston Brown to injury halfway through this campaign, and with several other starters nicked up, the Hawks retreated to a record of 5-6.
Brown will surely recover from his broken finger, hopefully not long after basketball season begins, and continue his career at his school of choice, North Dakota State. Despite his injury, he was chosen the first-team QB. In half a season, he still passed and rushed for a combined 1,500 yards and scored 10 touchdowns.
“I don’t know if the other quarterbacks in our conference had half the numbers he had in half a season,”
Hillsboro head coach Bill Sucharski said. “For what he’s meant to our program, he’s the best QB that’s ever played at Hillsboro.”
When Brown went down, junior Braxton Chazelle stepped in as his backup and soon discovered wide receiver Ian Phillips as a prime target. Phillips was named to the first team after he caught 27 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns.
“(Phillips is) a sparkplug,” Sucharski said. “Slot, jet sweep, he has a knack for finding the football. He had some big catches against Perryville.”
Needing a replacement at running back for last year’s conference MVP Payton Brown, Preston’s older brother, Sucharski turned to senior Chris Duncan, who ran his way onto the first team with 890 yards rushing and 450 receiving. Duncan also was chosen as the top special teams player, returning two kickoffs for TDs.
“He’s not the typical 200-pound kid,” Sucharski said. “We got him in space, catching the ball out of the backfield. He’d hide behind the wall on the kickoff game and pop loose.”
The sky is the limit for first-team 6-3 junior tight end Karson Campbell, Sucharski said. Campbell popped for touchdowns three games in a row and finished with 343 yards on 11 catches.
“He made two big catches against De Soto and had a catch-and-run against Chaminade,” Sucharski said.
Micah Bacher was Hillsboro’s only returning starter on the offensive line, and he was lost for the season with an injury against De Soto, but he still made the first team.
On the defensive line, Hillsboro’s Aiden Petit had 66 tackles and recovered a fumble and was named to the first team.
“He’s a program kid who played with great technique,” Sucharski said.
Senior linebacker Aidan Roland was Hillsboro’s jack-of-all-trades in coverage, off the edge and at the middle spot.
“He could be on one side of the formation and track the ball down to the other side,” Sucharski said. “He’s had uncles and cousins play here. He was a three-year starter.”
Lee Freeman found his return to the MAFC as Windsor’s head coach a little more challenging than when he left the same job at Hillsboro five years earlier. The Owls were winless in the conference and after a 3-1 start, finished 4-6.
Injuries and youth were factors in Windsor’s struggles. Freeman said he had three backs – Landen Robbins, Willie Coleman III and Logan Wilson – each capable of gaining 1,000 yards. But an early injury to Robbins forced Wilson to move to fullback and created more carries for Coleman. Wilson and Coleman were both named to the first team, Coleman at running back and Wilson at fullback.
Freeman was two-thirds correct, as Wilson led the Owls with 1,219 yards and Coleman had 1,012. They combined for 21 touchdowns and Wilson also was named to the first squad at linebacker.
“After Week 4, Willie came into his own and was a really good back for us,” Freeman said. “A good kid and hard worker. I had just met these guys eight months ago and didn’t know what to expect, but saw talent, dedication and drive.
“(Wilson) has decent speed and is a student of the game. Toward the end of the season he carried the ball 30 times a game. He and Willie were durable all season. As a linebacker he has good speed and lateral movement. He’s aggressive and not afraid of contact. Logan is an outstanding human being. There’s a competitive side to him.”
Owl senior Evan Wessels was selected for the first team offensive and defensive lines.
“He made a ton of progress in the last season,” Freeman said. “He was a first-teamer last year and he didn’t regress – physical, athletic.
“I thoroughly enjoyed this year. I knew what some of the obstacles were and we didn’t have an issue with those. Our Achilles heel was our youth. I was pleased with the support from the administration. (Former coach Jeff Funston) had everything on track. I can’t tell you how valuable that was. I’m glad he’s still on the staff. There was groundwork.”
2024 all-Mississippi Area Football Conference
First team offense
QB: Preston Brown, Hillsboro
Slash: Brenton Drummond, De Soto
RB: Leauntae Williams, Festus; Chris Duncan, Hillsboro; Willie Coleman, Windsor
FB: Logan Wilson, Windsor
WR: Trey Lacey, Festus; Ian Phillips, Hillsboro
TE: Karson Campbell, Hillsboro
OL: Eli Hessler, De Soto; Ezequiel Cristobal, Festus; Micah Bacher, Hillsboro; Adam Burns, North County; Evan Wessels, Windsor
Second team offense
QB: Essien Smith, Festus
RB: Landon Whitfield, North County
FB: Eli Thebeau, De Soto
TE: Aiden Clifton, Festus
OL: Carson Grass, Festus; Mason Weinhaus, Festus; Jonathan Wallen, North County; Gannon Deranja, Windsor; McKinley Lynn, North County
Honorable mention
QB: Braydee McClure, North County; Austin Missey, De Soto
Slash: Braxton Chazelle, Hillsboro
RB: Kam Yates, Festus
FB: Noah Lashley, North County
TE: Jackson Turnbo, De Soto
OL: Owen Williams, De Soto; Caden Romaine, Hillsboro; Kyryn Miller, Hillsboro; Jack Heath, Windsor; Tommy Broderick, Windsor; Logan Jarvis, Hillsboro; Calvin Ellis, Festus
First team defense
DL: Rob Turner, Festus; Aiden Petit, Hillsboro; Evan Wessels, Windsor
DE: Owen Gardner, Festus; Tyler Pipkin, North County
LB: Mason Schirmer, Festus; Landon Carroll, North County; Logan Wilson, Windsor; Conner Siebert, De Soto; Jeremy Davis-Mayes, Festus; Aiden Roland, Hillsboro
DB: Brenton Drummond, De Soto; Hunter Bates, Festus; Ashton Goad, North County; Avery Edwards, Festus
PU: Landon Carroll, North County
PK: Cole Mullins, North County
ST: Chris Duncan, Hillsboro
Second team defense
DL: Isaiah Desmarais, Festus; Kyle Pennington, North County; Griffin Morris, Hillsboro
DE: Antonio Pinkston, Festus; Xavier Scherffius, North County
LB: Jackson Marks, Hillsboro; Eli Thebeau, De Soto; Landon Gonzales, Hillsboro; Noah Lashley, North County
DB: Dylan Visnovske, North County; Jack Kuda, Windsor; Clayton Brown, Hillsboro; Cory Flack, De Soto
PU: Austin Missey, De Soto
PK: Caleb Arnold, Hillsboro
ST: Conner Siebert, De Soto
Honorable mention
DE: Levi Huck, De Soto
LB: Coleton Romaine, Hillsboro; Jackson Scherffius, North County; Charlie Gabriel, Windsor
DB: Peyson Casey, De Soto
ST: David Russell, Festus
Defensive player of the year: Mason Schirmer, Festus
Offensive player of the year: Preston Brown, Hillsboro
MVP: Mason Schirmer, Festus
Coach of the year: Russ Schmidt, De Soto