In Cody Hunter’s third year as head coach at his alma mater, the Herculaneum football team faces some real challenges.
Turnout, it seems, will not be one of them. Hunter said just one athlete decided not to play because he didn’t want to wear a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
More importantly, as of the Leader deadline this week, all nine of the Blackcats’ opponents are planning on playing football this fall. But stay tuned: One of them is new I-55 Conference member Bayless, which is subject to St. Louis County COVID-19 restrictions on organized sports and may not be allowed to take the field at the start of the season.
With just two returning starters and a handful of seniors, Herculaneum (Class 2 last year) will be tested in the first five weeks with Windsor (a Class 4 school in 2019), Duchesne from St. Charles and conference games against Jefferson, St. Vincent and St. Pius X. The Missouri State High School Activities Association has yet to release the new classifications for football.
“For us, I want to keep it business as usual,” Hunter said of his team’s season, with the problems that could arise from the pandemic. “Most of our (opposing) teams this year are to the south and most likely they’ll have a normal schedule as well. What does that mean for the state, which might classify teams based on how many are left to play that sport? Does that mean we’ll move up in a class? What does that mean for the schools that are out? Do we put an asterisk next to district and state titles? I don’t know how it’s going to play out.
“We’re going to have a tough schedule with a young team. We need to play to the best of our ability and see how things shake out.”
Hunter said he’s satisfied with how the players have responded positively to his coaching staff, but he’s ready for the winning to increase. The Blackcats were 3-7 in Hunter’s first season and 2-8 last year.
“I came into this hoping we’d win sooner,” he said. “I’ve learned to have patience. We have a young team right now. We’re going to make the best of it. The kids are far more coachable now. They are listening to what we say. There’s not as much selfishness. It’s a group that listens because they don’t have any varsity experience.”
Senior Cole Myers is one of the team’s two returning starters, and he’ll be busy, playing running back, outside linebacker and safety.
“He’s that downhill kind of kid with the ball,” Hunter said. “He’s got a great lower half. He won’t go down on first contact and will give you those tough yards.”
Myers is the same kind of player on defense.
“He’s a hitter,” Hunter said. “He’s the kind of guy who might not have the great coverage skills, but he’ll make you think twice before you come across the middle.”
Mike Moloney, the last of a long parade of Moloneys to compete in sports at Herculaneum, stood up well as a freshman starting at inside linebacker last fall. Hunter said he’s excited to coach him for three more years.
“He loves football and loves to hit,” Hunter said. “He’s developed his reads at linebacker. We’ll depend on him a lot more in the backfield.
“Last year, we were a one-horse team at running back (with 2020 graduate Austin Huson). The good thing this year is we have four or five guys we can rotate back there.”
Juniors Tristan Watson, Aidan Reese and Dalton Stegall all will see time in the offensive backfield.
The Blackcats are still recovering from Jordan Duncan’s decision to not play football in 2019. Duncan, who has since graduated, would have started at quarterback but opted out of football to concentrate on his baseball career, which he plans to continue at Jefferson College.
Sophomore Jackson Dearing has been handed the keys to the offense and will be under center for the Blackcats. Dearing was a wide receiver on the JV last year.
“The kid’s tough as nails and he’s developing into a leader,” Hunter said. “For the first time since I’ve been coach here, we can develop (a quarterback) for more than a year. He’s getting better every day.”
Senior Aaron Payne will play a big part as a starter on offense and defense after seeing limited varsity duty last year. He can play wide receiver and will back up Dearing at quarterback. Hunter said Payne has developed into good route runner. D.J. Johnson, a speedy and athletic junior, also will line up out wide.
Herculaneum graduated all five linemen from last year, but Hunter thinks the new group is ready to start building for the future. Junior Cody Gibson, formerly a skill-position player, is perhaps the team’s top blocker and will move into a guard slot to help the team. He’s joined up front by junior right tackle T.J. Mize, junior center Joey Burns, freshman left guard Shea Eberhardt and sophomore left tackle James Mouyassar.
“We look at this as an opportunity to coach five new guys,” Hunter said. “We’re not big by any means. They’re doing what they’re coached to do.”
Most of the offensive linemen will get a rotation along the defensive front. Joining Moloney at linebacker are Reese, Stegall and Moloney’s brother, senior Doug Moloney. The defensive backs are Johnson, Dearing, sophomore Hunter Meyers and senior Me’Khilla Jackson.
Sophomore Dylan Jarvis returns at kicker and Aaron Payne is the punter.
TOMORROW: Jefferson