Football preview: Positive Perryville team focused on future

High school football has evolved over the years into a commitment that begins following the last game of one season and continues through opening night of the next when preparation collides with execution. This introduction and team breakdown are part of the Southeast Missourian high school football preview, which examines how teams spent the year preparing for Friday night's season openers.

Perryville players rest between plays during practice Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015 at Perryville High School. (Glenn Landberg)

Remember the offseason?

High school football teams across the country take the field for three to four months every year, but as the product has grown in popularity over time, preparation has redefined the rest of the year.

From the last game of the season to the start of opening night, high school football players hardly ever stop working.

It's a process that begins in the weight room and ends on the field, and Central coach Nathan Norman is one of many people who understands the demands of the yearlong grind.

"It's so demanding now for a high school student," said Norman, who guided the Tigers to their first-ever Class 4 state championship appearance last season. "You're asking a lot for them to be involved with a sport like that because it's year-round, and that's tough."

A 1996 graduate of Jackson High School, Norman helped lead the Indians to a pair of state title game appearances before competing at the college level with Arkansas. Bob Sink and Van Hitt both coached Norman in high school and now serve as assistant coaches on his current staff.

"We'll all tell you that it's definitely changed," Norman said. "We were encouraged to weight lift, condition and train, and we did. I feel like that aspect of it probably hasn't changed as much as the number of practices, obviously. I remember when I was in high school, you got two weeks to practice, and that was it."

Perryville's Brandon Renaud talks with coach Kellen Basler during practice Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015 at Perryville High School. (Glenn Landberg)

Jackson coach Brent Eckley began his coaching career in 1995 at Hickman Mills High School, where he coached quarterbacks for two years before serving three years as offensive coordinator at Warrensburg High School. Eckley landed his first head coaching job in 2000 at Montgomery County High School before moving on to Union High School in 2005, and he amassed a 101-32 record during his time at the two schools.

Eckley has seen the demands of high school football evolve over the years and believes there have been a number of factors that have contributed to it.

"I think sometimes as a coach, you want to try to control as much as you can," he said. "You want to have an influence on as many things as possible. I think that's what happens is in us trying to make sure our team is as well prepared as they can be, we'll spend as much time in the offseason as we can getting them ready for their season so things move smoother."

There's also a demand that's required from coaches, one that Perryville coach Mike Wojtczuk understands.

"It's a grind, but you've got to love the game," Wojtczuk said. "It's like my dad told me a long time ago, 'If you find a job you love, then you never have to work another day for the rest of your life.' Being a football coach is like that."

As for the players, focus and commitment go hand in hand.

Teams tend to carry the mindset that games are won in the offseason, and execution is only a part of the arduous process of high school football.

"It's very important that they buy in and want to be a part of it," Norman said. "It's easy to give up on something that you don't invest much time in. That aspect of it helps. If we've got a kid who makes it with the football program, they're dedicated because they have to be. There are just too many days they're required to be here.

"It's got to mean something to them."

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Perryville Pirates Preview

Perryville's Conner Stark takes off from the line of scrimmage during practice Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015 at Perryville High School. (Glenn Landberg)

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perryville coach Mike Wojtczuk knows there's nothing his players can do that will change the past, so his team is adopting a new mindset this season, one that's entirely devoted to what lies ahead.

"We just want to make sure that we don't repeat the past," said Wojtczuk, whose Pirates teams have finished 2-8 the last two seasons. "The kids have been positive and upbeat, and that's been our Achilles' heel and something we're hoping we've taken some strides to get over this year. ... We've had some new additions to our coaching staff, and they've brought in some good ideas. The kids have really responded to it, and we're excited about that.

"We're just ready to strap it on and go against somebody other than ourselves."

Perryville won its first two games a year ago before riding an eight-game skid to conclude its season, but the Pirates enter the 2015 season with a wealth of experience and depth.

Nine starters on each side of the ball return for Perryville. Wojtczuk said he expects between 80-85 kids in grades 9-12 involved with the program this season, which he said is about a 50 percent increase from when he first took over the program in 2011.

"They're bought into the product that we're trying to sell, and they're giving us everything they've got," Wojtczuk said. "We had some good practices last year and had some good things happen last year, but our worst practice this year was probably right up there with one of our better practices last year. We're excited about that."

Spring

A Perryville player waits to run a drill during practice Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015 at Perryville High School. (Glenn Landberg)

Wojtczuk gets his team started with offseason workouts beginning the week after Thanksgiving. He strongly believes in the importance of the offseason.

"We always operate under the philosophy and tell our kids that's when the season is won or lost," Wojtczuk said. "... We try to get them in and get them rolling, get those kinks worked out of everything before Christmas so that whenever we come back from Christmas, we hit the ground running."

The Pirates focus on strength training and speed workouts during the spring while a number of kids are involved with track and field, baseball or golf.

"We're on a four-day workout regimen, and we alternate between upper-body and lower-body," Wojtczuk said. "We work with a lot of explosive type of lifts. Obviously our five main core lifts are probably a lot like everyone else's -- bench, squat, power clean, dead lift and push press. We mix in a little bit of crossfit stuff. We started that this year. We went to a clinic last winter and heard a coach speak about implementing some crossfit workouts. We did some of that."

Wojtczuk said he and his coaching staff attended a clinic in the winter in St. Louis and decided to incorporate crossfit agility workouts.

Perryville also took part in weight-lifting competitions at the beginning of the year, going up against schools like Central, Sikeston, Kingston and Scott City.

"We're really excited about how things turned out for us in the offseason," Wojtczuk said. "When I first got here, I think the percentage of kids who were lifting was really low, and now I think we're at about 98-99 percent."

Summer

The Sikeston, East Prairie, Kennett and Perryville football teams took part in Sikeston's 7-on-7 on the practice field at Sikeston Public Stadium Friday morning in Sikeston. (Chris Pobst/Standard Democrat)

The Pirates begin their summer practices in the first week of June, taking the field three days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, according to Wojtczuk.

"We ended June with the contact camp down at (Southeast Missouri State)," Wojtczuk said. "We always give them the week off for the Fourth of July, and then we had two weeks of camp in July and finished that up with the 7-on-7 tournament down at Sikeston."

Perryville competed in 7-on-7s against Sikeston, Kennett and East Prairie before dead week arrived at the end of July.

"Basically, we footballed all summer," Wojtczuk said. "The thing of it is that you can get a lot of work done in that three-day span, and the kids still have that break and feel like they're not here all summer. They get four days off in a row, and when they come back, they're fresh and ready to go."

The Pirates meet for a two-hour practice at 7 a.m. in August. Wojtczuk said he prefers to conduct his practices in the mornings.

"We like doing that. We go early in the mornings so we're not interfering with jobs or baseball," he said. "That's really helped our numbers, too."

Offense

Perryville's Brandon Renaud fires a pass his teammate during practice Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015 at Perryville High School. (Glenn Landberg)

Senior right guard Matt Terbrak, senior left tackle Austin Mueller and senior right tackle Austin Bachmann are three of the Pirates' four team captains and are members of an offensive line loaded with experience. Junior Jesse Yates will start at left guard, and senior Kameron Fears will get the nod at center after starting at fullback last season.

"We're a whole lot quicker than we've been in the past across the board from tackle to tackle," Wojtczuk said. "We're really not that big. We'll probably average maybe 240, and that's a stretch. ... We've got a couple kids playing on the line that are also basketball players and played other sports. All but one is at least a two-sport athlete, which I think that's big. That proves that we've got some athletic people up front."

Brandon Renaud returns at quarterback and is also a team captain. Renaud was 114 of 263 (43 percent) passing last year for 1,659 yards with 11 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He also ran for a team-leading 673 yards and four scores on 120 carries.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior improved throughout the season and has shown a lot of confidence this offseason, according to Wojtczuk. Sophomore Ross Hadler will serve as Renaud's backup.

"Brandon's that big, strong kid that can sit in the pocket, and he can beat you with his feet," Wojtczuk said. "Like I've said before to some other people, Brandon quite possibly could be our best answer at running back, too. He's that type of athlete."

Junior Kyle Creason will move from wide receiver to running back, while senior Blake Mattingly, sophomore Derek Kirn and junior Aaron Mueller are also expected to contribute in the backfield.

"Those three guys are speedy little scatback types of runners," Wojtczuk said. "We're excited about some of the things that they're doing."

Aaron Mueller is also expected to contribute at wide receiver along with junior Garrett Dix and senior Connor Stark.

Wojtczuk said he's still trying to decide who will replace senior Holden Stortz, who was poised to start at tight end before breaking his arm in an ATV accident at the end of July.

"We're going to miss him a bunch, but at least we have some guys that have picked up the slack," Wojtczuk said. "It's just a tough deal."

Wojtczuk said he's always been devoted to being a run-oriented team but expects to incorporate more spread formations this year.

"We're not full spread by any means, but we're trying to open things up a little bit," Wojtczuk said. "For my taste, I don't think we have enough running backs, but [my coaches] are assuring me that we're going to be fine. And that's why I hired them, so I just hope they're right."

Defense

Perryville coach Kellen Basler talks with the team in a huddle during practice Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015 at Perryville High School. (Glenn Landberg)

Terbrak and Austin Mueller will lead the way at defensive end, while Yates and senior Mason Cain are expected to contribute at defensive tackle. Bachmann will also see some playing time on the defensive line.

Junior Lucas Ponder will be joined by Fears at middle linebacker, and sophomore Hunter Sloan, Mattingly and Aaron Mueller are also expected to contribute at linebacker.

"Lucas will play defense only," Wojtczuk said. "I think if you can keep your middle linebacker fresh like that, he can flow from sideline to sideline and will only have to play one side of the ball and not have to worry about playing any offense. I think that's going to be a big key for us."

Dix, Aaron Mueller, Stark and sophomore Logan Thaxton are the frontrunners in the secondary, which Wojtczuk believes is one of the team's more inexperienced units.

"We've got some kids that are teetering between corner and safety," Wojtczuk said. "We're not really set on a starting free safety yet. ... With our numbers this year, a kid might have to start on both sides of the ball, but that doesn't mean he'll have to play the whole game on both sides of the ball."

Special teams

Stark joined the football team after helping lead the Pirates to a state championship in soccer last season. He also serves as the point guard on the basketball team and will take over the team's kicking duties.

Aaron Mueller and Dix are also expected to contribute as return specialists.