A mix of returners and newcomers will line up at various special teams positions for Cassville this year, including an All-Conference punter and two new soccer players looking to make a mark on the gridiron.
Clay Weldy, Cassville football coach, said punting duties will mostly be in the hands of quarterback Bodee Rose, who utilizes a rugby-style punting method to maximize offensive possibilities.
“Bodee was an All-Conference punter last year, and he and Colton Roark have been working as punters,” Weldy said. “Last year was Bodee’s first handling punt duties, and having your quarterback there always gives a threat for a fake. A lot of times, it changes how teams attack us.”
Weldy also said with Rose’s style, there are less returns because the Wildcats are always close to the ball when it comes back to the ground.
Looking more for distance and pinpoint accuracy will be two new soccer players handling kicking duties, Logan Wingo and Diego Haros. It will be the third year Cassville soccer players have doubled up to kick for the football team. Weldy said Roark and Andon Goutney are also getting in some kicking work.
“Logan has come out a few times, and Diego will be here when school starts,” Weldy said. “Over the years, we’ve had a lot of success with guys who play soccer kicking for us. They kick all the time, so the transition from soccer to football is fairly easy. The toughest thing is trying to find the right tee, because soccer players tend to kick the ball lower and need lower tees.”
Weldy said once they get into a rhythm, accuracy and the ability to kick in pads come next.
“They have to figure out how to aim for field goals, and we have not seen them in pads yet,” Weldy said. “That should come in the next week or so.”
A key player for successful field goals and punts squats on the line of scrimmage — the long snapper.
“Isaac Luney is returning to snapper after getting extra-point and field goal experience last year,” Weldy said. “Sky Yang and Easton Hughes are also getting some reps in. The big thing for these guys is you can’t have the snaps rolling back or going over the punters’ or kicker’s heads. That’s the worst thing because it’s almost always a turnover.
“They have to be consistent and have some speed to the snap so the other team does not have time to get back there and block it. And, you have to hit the punter or holder in the chest.”
Rounding out the special teams skill spots are the kick and punt returners, and Weldy said he hopes they can provide some sparks this season. Cassville did not have any returns for touchdowns last year, but Weldy said it was an odd season for those kinds of scores.
“Roark, Riley James, Kaedyn Garnett, Kyle Bailey, Kamden Beebe and Rose are all working on returns,” he said. “Part of why we didn’t get many returns last year was because we had a tone of teams squib and pooch kick at us. It was a unique situation where a lot of teams just didn’t have kickers. Only one or two teams really kicked it back to us. We had the hands team out there most games just to cover the ball.”
Whether or not that situation changes this season, Weldy said there are certain qualities he continues to look for in his returners.
“The big thing is to field the ball cleanly, whether you catch it in the air or have to get it off the ground,” Weldy said. “Then, when you have it in your hands, you have to do something with it. There’s no bigger spark than a big special teams play.”
Cassville’s season is fast-approaching, with a jamboree in Springfield on Aug. 23 and the season opener on Aug. 30 at Seneca. The home opener is Sept. 6 against McDonald County.
Publisher’s Note: This story is the last of a five-part series running July 24 through Aug. 21 breaking down the 2024 Cassville football team by position groups.
