A new football season is here.
Houston High School begins the 2017 campaign Friday night at Ash Grove. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
“It’s exciting to get going, but it’s scary how fast it comes,” third-year HHS coach Eric Sloan said. “But everyone in Missouri is in the same boat: all the nervousness of not being ready, everyone will feel that.”
Houston hits the road with a veteran crew from last year’s team that went 1-9. Seven of the team’s top nine tacklers are back and the offense will be led by returning starting quarterback Paydon Dixon.
Awaiting will be an Ash Grove team that returns two of its top threats from the 2017 squad that were district runners-up. The Pirates had an eight-win season, beginning with a 35-0 blanking of the Tigers.
The Pirates are led by senior quarterback Chase White, who threw for more than 1,000 yards and ran for 601 with 16 total touchdowns last year.
Also returning is speedster Spencer Eagleburger, who burnt the Tigers for 216 yards on just 12 carries and three total touchdowns last year.
Sloan said White will be the focus of the HHS defense. He said Ash Grove utilizes option running plays and rolls White out of the pocket on passes to utilize his athleticism.
{{tncms-inline alignment=”right” content=”<p>Houston at Ash Grove</p> <p>McDonald County at Salem</p> <p>Cabool at Jefferson</p> <p>Thayer at Hayti</p> <p>Ava at Marshfield</p> <p>Miller at Willow Springs</p> <p>Aurora at Mountain Grove</p> <p>Liberty at Cape Central</p>” id=”f98d6f5c-1775-4aa3-8260-6e0b19819c3e” style-type=”bio” title=”WEEK 1 SCA GAMES” type=”relcontent” width=”half”}}
“We better have eyes on him at all times. If not, we’re in trouble,” Sloan said. “He’s a big-time player for them. If he’s in the SCA, he’s a running back for most teams and first team guy.”
Houston will counter with its own run-first quarterback in Dixon and an offensive line that returns three starters.
Sloan, who is the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, said he hopes to take advantage of a very aggressive Ash Grove defense.
“We’ll let some of them scream upfield and trap or kick them out to run underneath them,” he said.
HHS had mixed results in last Friday’s jamboree. The Tigers struggled in their first matchup against Cuba but outscored Willow Springs and Cabool.
After watching film, Sloan said he felt better then he did immediately after the scrimmage.
“I feel okay,” he said. “There are some things we’ve got to get fixed, but it’s nothing major.”
HHS head football coach Eric Sloan, center, addresses his team between sessions of Friday’s jamboree.
Houston at Ash Grove
McDonald County at Salem
Cabool at Jefferson
Thayer at Hayti
Ava at Marshfield
Miller at Willow Springs
Aurora at Mountain Grove
Liberty at Cape Central