'Down, set!' Tigers snap the ball on new season

Friday, August 24, 2012

By James R. Campbell

Nevada Daily Mail

The Nevada Tigers will charge into the 2012 football season, new District 7 and bigger Class 4 alignment tonight with a good deal of confidence based on strong practices and a talented, battle-tested offensive line, Head Coach Wes Beachler said Thursday night after the annual team dinner.

All-district junior linebacker Cole Sanderson's bruised right foot will keep him on the sideline this week against the Holden Eagles and maybe next week at home vs. Willard; but Beachler expects a stellar team effort nonetheless as the new look nine-game season begins at 7 p.m. under the lights at Logan Field.

Having helped turn the long-moribund program around last year with a 6-4 record and just missing the playoffs in a season-closing loss to Holden, Beachler said the O-line is a real source of power since making adjustments to blocking schemes based on opponents' ability to thwart the ground game at times last year. Senior left tackle-defensive lineman Sam Ellifrits, 6-6, 290, returns from his all-state year.

"We like to run the ball, so we'll be doing what we do in the double wing with wingbacks Dalton Hendren and Bradey Denney and fullback Lucas Denman," the coach said. "We lost some good players to graduation in running back Johnathan Klingaman and linebackers Bubba Banes, Nathan Slichenmeier and Trevor Hunholz."

So he and his assistants are looking to Denney, Quinton Jacks and Alex Francis to uphold that linebacker tradition when the Tigers' 4-3 defensive set takes the field tonight.

Beachler said junior quarterback Alex Payne manages the running game well and passes accurately and that the fans should be encouraged by the Tigers' offensive timing, which is more advanced than might sometimes be expected the first time out.

Beachler said the squad's No. 1 challenge may be for its relatively inexperienced reserves to gain maturity quickly and play key roles as the season progresses.

Elevated into the new classification and moved into the new district, NHS will enter single elimination competition after its last regular season game at home against Stockton to determine if it reaches the state playoffs.

Asked if the Tigers are still agitated by Holden's having waylaid them in last season's 43-29 loss, Beachler said, "We haven't talked about that.

"We're talking about executing and starting the season off right. But I would guess that will add a little motivation."

The Willard Tigers game Aug. 31 will precede contests vs. Oak Grove at home Sept. 7, Pleasant Hill there Sept. 14, El Dorado Springs here Sept. 21, Kansas City Northeast here Sept. 28, Springfield Central there Oct. 5, McDonald County there Oct. 12 and Stockton here Oct. 19.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association is inaugurating a new playoff system while expanding districts from four teams to eight. The 10th week will start district tournaments with teams seeded according to a new formula that considers their records, the relative strengths of the teams they played and other factors.

District 7 includes Bolivar, Grain Valley, Grandview, Harrisonsville, Pleasant Hill, Raytown South, Warrensburg and Nevada. Three tournament wins will put a squad into the state playoffs, where three more victories will win the championship.

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