BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
A season of young starters and growth in 2023 is giving way to age and experience as the Cassville football team opens the season Friday against the team that ended the Wildcats’ last campaign.
After two sub-.500 seasons on the heels of a district title and state semifinal run, Cassville climbed back to a positive record last year with a youthful squad Coach Clay Weldy said has only gotten better in a year’s time.
The Wildcats finished fifth in the Big 8 with a 2-8 records, defeating Aurora in the first round of districts before falling the second time in the season to Seneca, eventual Class 3 state runner-up.
“We return a couple of linemen, a running back, a couple wide receivers and our quarterback,” said Weldy, who is entering his third year at the helm and 17th year total at Cassville. “We played a lot of young kids last year and many older kids that were first-year starters. We will be more experienced than we were a year ago, and we hope that will be helpful going into this season.”
Defensively, the Wildcats return four linebackers, two defensive backs and a couple defensive linemen.
“Like on the offensive side of the ball, we played a lot of youth and inexperienced kids a year ago,” Weldy said. “We will be more experienced this season, and hopefully that helps us play better than we did a year ago.”
Carrying the torch for Cassville is a small group of seniors, including four returning starters in quarterback Bodee Rose, running back/linebacker Kyle Bailey, linebacker Hunter Morse and lineman Isaac Pickett.
“Bodee has started at quarterback for us the last two years,” Weldy said. “We are hoping that his experience at the position will help him have a great year and be a leader for our team. Kyle was a two-way starter for us a year ago. He is a hard working individual that is primed for a good season.
“Hunter played linebacker for last year, and is one of the strongest players on our team. Isaac is an undersized defensive lineman that used his quickness and strength to have a good season for us. We are expecting the same this year.”
Rose threw for 340 yards and 2 scores last year, completing 32 of 84. He also led the Wildcats in rushing with 881 yards on 138 attempts, scoring 13 touchdowns. Bailey contributed 672 yards and 5 touchdowns on 118 attempts, and he caught 8 passes for 114 yards. He added 28 tackles and 4 tackles for loss on the defensive end. Morse had 31 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries.
A crowd of six juniors are also moving up the ranks this year, including defensive back Riley James, the tallest returner at 6-1; offensive linemen Gunner Knight, Isaac Luney and Ethan Sizemore; defensive back and wide receiver Colton Roark; and linebacker Tristan Thompson.
“Riley started at corner for us and played wide receiver, as well,” Weldy said. “We think he will take a major step forward this season for our team. Gunner started the first three games of the season before he suffered a season ending knee injury. He has worked extremely hard to get back this year and we are excited to have him back ready to play. Isaac was our center last year, and he has grown a lot physically since last season. We think he can have a big year for us.
“Ethan played guard for us and played a lot of defensive line as well. He has an opportunity to have a really good season on both sides of the ball. Colton started at corner and wide receiver for us last year. He has a high ceiling, and we believe he could be an impactful player this fall. Tristan started at linebacker and played a lot of running back as well. He’s another player we are excited to see how well he progresses on both sides of the ball this year.”
Roark was fourth in rushing with 146 yards on 19 attempts and a score. He also caught 9 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. Thompson led the defense in tackles with 42, and 6 for a loss.
Another young returner worked his way into the fold as a freshman last season, linebacker Masin Bryan. Weldy said he could play a bigger role on both sides of the ball this season. Last year, he had 13 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and one forced fumble.
Newcomers to the Friday night lights include one senior, seven juniors and nine sophomore.
“Our goal as a team is to get better as the season progresses,” Weldy said. “We want to see improvements each week of the season. We want to be playing our best football when districts begin.”
Cassville’s 2023 campaign was up and down, not winning or losing more than two games in a row. This season, the Wildcats return to a more traditional Big 8 Conference of nine total teams. The move solidified Aurora as an annual opponent, and returned Mt. Vernon to the schedule after not seeing the Mountaineers since 2021.
The Barry County Brawl against Monett in Week 8 remains Cassville’s chief rival, but Weldy said in the Big 8, every game is a big one.
With eight conference opponents, Cassville had to seek out a ninth game for its bye week, landing on a matchup with Class 4 Harrisonville. The Class 4 school south of Kansas City is a 2-1/2 hour drive, and the Wildcats will host in 2025.
The Missouri State High School Athletics Association lists two matchups between the teams, both in the state tournament. In 2003, Cassville fell, 24-12, and in 2005, the Wildcats fell again, 45-14. Harrisonville won the state championship in both those seasons during a run of four titles in five campaigns.
