2003 NHS football preview

Sunday, August 31, 2003

The Nevada Tigers, coming off their first winning season since 1998 at 6-4 , lost several key players to graduation, but return a strong nucleus, particularly on offense. Head coach Jerry Cornelius and assistants Chris Wilkerson, David Carpenter, Larron Hurst, Brian Sommerer and Justin Hoover strive to keep the Tiger program marching forward, despite a low turnout of 37 varsity players. Depth will be problem No. 1. Said Cornelius, "Our biggest concern is keeping kids healthy." OFFENSE The Tigers return seven starters on offense. Leading the way will be a solid, but thin in numbers, frontline which includes all-Southwest Conference performers in senior center Mikel Gragg (6'-0", 240) and senior tackle Kyle Lathrop (6'-5", 300). Junior guard Tyler Shouse (5'-11", 210), all-conference honorable mention, will flank Gragg on one side and Tad Johnston (5'-10", 185) will man the other guard position. Junior Brad Robison (6'-1", 275) is at right tackle and junior Eric Atkinson (6'-0", 191) is the tight end. "Our offensive line has been upgraded," said Cornelius. "I thought it was one of our strong points last year, too, but if this group performs as it should, we should be able to control the line of scrimmage." Running behind that group will be all-conference senior tailback Steve Branstetter (5'-10", 184) and senior fullback Kaleb Leonard (5'-8", 180). Branstetter, the 2002 leading rusher (775 yards) and scorer (10 touchdowns) is a slashing north-south runner with better than average speed. Leonard came on late in the 2002 season and blossomed, finishing with 436 yards for a 5.3 average. He also had Nevada's longest run from scrimmage, a 37-yarder against Neosho. Senior Brent Chapman, currently slowed by injury, is a capable backup, as are seniors Thomas Pitts and Ryan Seaver. Chapman rushed for 215 yards and hauled in four passes for 52 yards last season. At present, the quarterback position remains unsettled. Junior Ben Wilson and senior Roger Shafer are waging a tight battle for the starting spot. The competition is so close Cornelius is considering alternating Wilson, the better passer, and Shafer, the better runner and option triggerman. "I can't tell you what we're going to do right now," said Cornelius. "That's still a question mark." The injury-plagued Shafer, who has seen little or no playing time since his freshman season has, nevertheless, picked up the offense quite well, according to the coach. Senior Tommy Werner (5'-8", 160) and junior Willie Bailey (5'-6", 151) are the starting wideouts. Neither has a pass reception in varsity competition. Obviously, the running game, out of the I-formation, will be the Tigers' bread-and-butter. DEFENSE Experience is not so prevalent on the defensive side. But, Cornelius said, "I'm not worried about the D. Our front line is all new and we've had some injuries there, but the linebackers should pick it up." A tough, athletic linebacking corps of Shouse in the middle, flanked by Atkinson and Leonard, looks especially strong. "They're a pretty good group," said Cornelius. "They're going to make tackles." The defensive line is not set in stone right now. Injuries and close competition hasn't allowed the starters to be sorted out yet. But none of the injury situations are long-term and Cornelius believes it's just a matter of getting them all together. Inside, at the tackles in the 4-3 alignment, will be a combination of senior Frank Lurten (6"-5", 265), Gragg, Robison or sophomore Klayton Leonard (6'-1", 262). At the defensive end spots are rangy junior Derrik Jones (6"-3", 215) and Johnston. The secondary will be led by cornerback Pitts, a hitter who played linebacker last season, with Seaver, at the other corner. Shafer and Wilson are the safeties. "The secondary's got some skilled people back there," said Cornelius. KICKING GAME It will be tough to maintain, let alone upgrade, this aspect of the game. Nevada was blessed with one of the top high school kickers in the state last season in Drew Blake. Blake hit 8-of-9 field goals to rank second all-time for accuracy in the Missouri prep record book. He also connected on 12-of-15 extra point attempts and averaged 34 yards per punt. Sophomore Kyle Quick and junior Jared Badders are engaged in competition for the placekicking job. Kaleb Leonard will handle the punting. Branstetter, one of the premier kick returners in the area, will again be deep for the Tigers. RESERVES Junior Mark Steward will likely get playing time at offensive guard, as will junior Luke Rainey at wide receiver and linebacker. As for the younger players, Cornelius likes the progress of sophomore running backs Heath Baker and Keith Overton. Sophomore quarterback Justin Reed, currently a third-stringer, is pushing the top two signal callers. SUMMARY Health is critical for the Tigers. If they can avoid injury, given the quality of their offensive line and running backs, the Tigers should move the football on the ground. And anchored by a trio of quick, aggressive linebackers, they should make stops on the defensive side. Picked to finish fourth in the five-team Southwest Conference by the Joplin Globe is probably a safe bet, but victories over Carthage, as well as McDonald County and Neosho are not out of reach. Of course, perennial conference champion powerhouse Webb City is another story. "We're not going to lay down for them," said Cornelius, "but we can't worry about Webb City. They're always going to be loaded, so we just throw them out the window and play the other three." One thing that separates this team from the 2002 squad is lack of motivation and leadership from the senior class. Said Cornelius, "Last year's seniors had never won, but they were a good group, determined and willing to sacrifice. This year, our leadership on the field is o.k. and we've got some underclassmen who are taking on leadership roles, but the senior unit…they're not there yet."

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