It’s hard for a football team to pull off a meteoric rise when its star quarterback crashes to the turf with a broken leg.
Last year, Windsor was 2-1 and junior quarterback Derek Williams was shredding defenses when he was injured running the ball against Park Hills Central in Imperial. He missed the final six games and the Owls faltered at 3-7, following tough seasons in 2017 (0-10) and 2018 (2-8).
In the four games he played a year ago, he rushed for 583 yards – still the team high at year’s end – passed for more than 300 yards and scored 10 touchdowns.
Williams has fully recovered and got to test his leg during basketball season for the Owls last winter. Aside from his QB role, he also starts at free safety and handles the kicking and punting duties.
A full final season with Williams under center could mean the Owls can compete for the Mississippi Area Football Conference Red Division title.
“He’s done all those (positions) successfully and he’s looking very good. He has another level of appreciation for being here after losing a good part of the season last year,” said fourth-year head coach Alex DeMatteis. “You can tell his teammates are more confident with him calling the signals.
“He’s deceptively explosive. He’s got some good instincts. When he does have trouble, it’s going off the script. He has incredible vision and he has a knack to burst and when to throttle down. He doesn’t feel threatened in the middle of the box with linebackers all around him. He’s a true dual-threat QB and everybody wants one of those.”
Senior Chris Butts is a hard-nosed athlete who finished fourth at 182 pounds at the Class 3 state wrestling championships in February. He rushed for 287 yards on 64 carries last year and will be a load to take down as the Owls’ top running back. Windsor typically runs the triple option, but DeMatteis said the Owls will line up more in the shotgun this year.
“What I like about Chris is he’s not built like a bowling ball, but he runs the football downhill very aggressively. He runs angry and I like that,” DeMatteis said. “We’re still a triple-option team and the field will be our playground.”
Senior Mikey Wolcott was Windsor’s lone Missouri Football Coaches Association all-state selection as an honorable mention kick returner, averaging 26.4 yards on nine returns. At wide receiver, Wolcott led the Owls with 19 receptions for 185 yards.
“He’s got a motor like I’ve never seen,” DeMatteis said. “I’ve joked he’s my favorite player because he doesn’t talk and plays whistle to whistle. He’s got incredible stamina. He’s an animal out there.”
At 6-5, junior Conner Begeman offers an enticing target for Williams at wide receiver. Begeman started all 10 games as a defensive back last year.
Windsor returns two starters on the offensive line: senior three-year starter Owen Exler at tackle and senior two-year starter Tyler Hunter at center. Senior Dante Reigle plays guard and junior Travis Clouse lines up at tackle.
On defense, Windsor usually runs a stack 3-3 and will frequently rotate players up front. Butts is a three-year starter at linebacker and junior Evan Carter is starting his second season at inside linebacker. Williams and Wolcott are the top two defensive backs. Beyond that, there’s a lot of sorting out to do.
“We have fresh blood and not a lot of experience on defense,” DeMatteis said.
The head coach added that concerns about the coronavirus didn’t keep anyone from coming out to play this year.
“We’re firing on all cylinders,” he said. “A lot of things in my fourth year are in place. The biggest issues are adding the new normal of our experience: using the locker rooms in shifts, having outdoor spaces they’re assigned to for water breaks, sanitizing equipment and wearing masks. For the kids, they’re in the middle of a learning curve.”
Like all of the football coaches in the county, DeMatteis said he’s just thankful there will be a season.
“I’m always reminding these guys it’s a very special game,” he said. “The next day isn’t promised and they understand that. There’s a lot of clichés like, ‘Play every game or down like it’s your last.’ This time it’s for real. You could be called to a meeting on any day and told you’ve played your last game. I hope that’s not the case, but we’d be naive not to think like that.”
After opening the season against St. Pius X of the I-55 Conference the past four years, Windsor kicks off its 2020 campaign at Herculaneum on Friday. Prior to home games, the Owls plan to get the same game-day experiences they’re used to, like sharing a pregame meal prepared by the Mom’s Club and listening to a guest speaker. There will be one difference: the players will wear masks when not eating, and sit six feet apart.
“We plan on keeping those things in place,” DeMatteis said. “Our boys will have the ultimate opportunity to focus on the opponent. I have no idea who will be there to watch us play, but our warmup routines will be the same before we play a football game.”
TOMORROW: Fox