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Dons Welcome Opportunity To Get New Season Started
It has been hard to be an optimist in 2020. But then again, maybe that’s why more than ever school activities are needed in our community.
Friday night, the Doniphan Dons will put on the pads to begin their third season of varsity football. The Kelly Hawks from Benton, Mo., will be at Brumitt Family Stadium at Griffin Field for a 7 o’clock kickoff.
“Our schedule remains full and we’re ready to put the hammer down,” said Dons head coach Jeremy Stout. “Like everyone else, we’re taking things day by day.”
Stout has been pleased since the start of fall practice Aug. 10 with more than 40 players joining the squad. The roster includes seven seniors, 10 juniors, 12 sophomores and and 12 freshmen.
The schedule will be challenging as the Dons enter the newly-aligned SEMO Central Conference. The league includes Kennett, Caruthersville, Dexter, East Prairie and New Madrid Co. Central.
Four teams are gone from the schedule of the past two seasons. The Dons no longer will play Chaffee, whom they defeated 19-0 last year for the first varsity win of the new era. Also gone are Cabool, Thayer and Charleston.
Non-conference opponents this season are Kelly, St. Pius (Festus), Scott City (all at home) and Fredericktown on the road.
The Dons won’t know their district assignment probably until mid-September due to many urban schools not yet declaring if they will attempt to play this fall. MSHSAA has given all schools an option to play fall sports in the spring with a notification deadline of Sept. 11.
On the field, the Dons will rely on an experienced backfield to spark the offense and a year’s growth that should mean improvement on defense.
Senior Trey Mills (5-11, 167) is new at quarterback after leading the team in rushing last season.
“He’s one of our better athletes and he’s starting to settle in,” said Stout.
Fullback Alex Harris (6-0, 211) and halfbacks Alonzo Rios (5-11, 167) and Nolan Czerwonka (5-9, 195) give the Dons a good mix of power and speed. Senior Wyatt Kelly (5-8, 164) returns after missing last season and will line up occasionally both at a wideout and tight end. Ben Ruhl (5-5, 134) is a small but productive received, finishing last season with a 60-yard TD at Scott City.
On the offensive line, Dawson Bishop (6-1, 251) and center Dylan Hall (6-2, 252) are returning starters while the remaining starting spots will be filled by a combination of Jarvis Raymond (5-10, 271), Wyatt Rigbsy (5-10, 172), Benny Kelly ((5-9, 267) and Charlie Jones (6-0, 248.)
“The future looks good on the offensive line,” Stout said.
Mills, Harris, and senior Hunter Ward along with sophomore Kris Black all took snaps at quarterback during Friday’s Black-And-Gold scrimmage.
“We do have a very skilled backfield with a lot of experience,” Stout said. “They are playmakers as long as we can get them the ball and they hang on to it.”
Rios scored on an 85-yard run then turned a short pass from sophomore Kristofer Black into a 49-yard touchdown during Friday’s Black-And-Gold scrimmage.
Fumbles were a problem during the scrimmage with the offenses fumbling eight times, losing four. However, the defense was responsible for several of them with agressive tackling. Harris caused two fumbles, Rios one and freshman linebacker Christian Pinkston one.
Two defensive scores by the Gold team were the difference in a 28-14 win over the Black jerseys. Harris returned a fumble for a 35-yard score and tackle Dawson Bishop recovered another in the end zone for a TD after Harris had knocked it loose.
Stout is counting on his defense to be more aggressive this season.
“We are working on being more gap-sound and understanding our keys better,” he said. “We are learning to be more aggressive up front and at linebacker.”
High-scoring, air-minded offenses are the norm today even at the high school level.
“The thing that has hurt us in the past is not being able to defend the pass,” the coach said. “We have worked hard on that.”
Senior Hunter Ward (5-9, 142) returns to the secondary after missing nearly all of last season with a broken arm. He led the team in interceptions as a sophomore.
Senior linebackers Tristan Leroux (5-11, 209), Maguire Baucom (5-8, 189) and Harris bring experience to the defense along with Bishop, Hall and Rigsby on the line and Mills along with junior Ben Ruhl (5-5, 134) in the secondary.
Fans attending the game are asked to practice social distancing. Lawn chairs are welcomed on the grassy areas at the stadium.
Scouting Kelly
The Hawks return several key players and the coaching staff from a team that finished 5-5 a year ago including a 42-6 win over the Dons at Benton. In their first meeting in 2018, the Hawks won 28-0 at Doniphan. In junior varsity play, the Dons have prevailed the past two seasons, 32-6 and 44-22.
A year ago, the Dons trailed 7-6 with four minutes left in the first half. Evan Urhahn’s 3-yard run put the Hawks ahead 14-6. But with their third-team center pressed into action due to injury, a bad snap forced the Dons into a long-yardage down and Drew Dirnberger returned an inteception 28 yards to give the Hawks a 21-6 halftime lead.
Urhahn (5-9, 180) returns after rushing for 1,359 yards and 13 TDs last season. Quarterback Bryce Morgan (6-3, 200) and his top three receivers - Gavin Jansen (6-4, 190), Ty Powers (5-9, 155) and Drew Dirnberger (6-2, 190) - all return. Linebacker Keaton Fitzegerald (6-1, 240) returns after leading the Hawks in tackles a year ago.
The Hawks list eight players 6-3 or taller on the roster. The tallest Dons center Dylan Hall and freshman lineman Waylon Spencer.
Dons Opponents
Kennett at Malden, Caruthersville at Sikeston, New Madrid Co. at Portageville, Dexter at Scott City, Charleston at St. Piux (Festus), Jefferson (Festus) at Fredericktown, East Prairie (open date).