By Staff

2017 Big 8 Football Conference Preview

By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

It’s the final year of the Big 8 as we know it. Next year the conference will welcome half of Missouri and become the Big 100. Kidding (kind of). But seriously, the merger of the Big 8 and a chunk of the COC Small, along with Nevada, will make this conference extremely interesting. So, what can you expect in the final year of a more traditional Big 8? Here’s what you should know.

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Preseason Fan Poll Results

1. Lamar
2. Monett
3. Cassville
4. Mount Vernon
5. Aurora
6. Seneca
7. East Newton
8. McDonald County

LISTEN: Big 8 FOOTBALL PREVIEW PODCAST

Justin Sampson & Matt Turer give their thoughts on the 2017 Big 8 Football Conference. Click play below to listen.

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It’s another reload in Lamar

Eventually Lamar will have a rebuilding year, it’s inevitable, but that won’t be the case this fall. The Class of 2017 was loaded with talent, headlined by All-Everything athlete Luke Hardman, but the Tigers return a ton of firepower in the form of 14 starters. Cooper Lucas, reigning Big 8 Defensive Player of the Year, is back after rushing for 1,118 yards and 20 touchdowns on just 87 carries. He’s also one of the most productive defensive ends in Missouri. TW Ayers is back at his tight end spot, leading a unit that returns five of seven upfront (tight ends at Lamar are basically offensive tackles). Ayers doesn’t get a ton of media love because he doesn’t play a glamorous position, but he may be the best in the Ozarks at what he does. He’s a physical blocker and is scary explosive off the ball, he’s tremendous against the run or pass from his defensive end spot and his special team hits are legendary. To put it simply, he’s one of the most violent football players I’ve seen at the high school level and I love watching every second of it. Travis Bailey is back, along with his team-high 98 tackles. Michael Danner will step into a bigger role both offensively and defensively. The best news for Lamar is a healthy Stuart McKarus and not just from a football standpoint. McKarus was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, which put his athletic career in jeopardy. Fitting, because by all accounts he’s a generous, caring kid. Regardless if he plays another snap or not, it’ll be nice to see No. 17 in uniform. Basically – on both sides of the ball – Lamar returns horses at every position group. It’s almost baffling at this point how good Lamar continues to be.

The rest of the conference…

Monett claimed the Class 3 state championship and now it’s time to rebuild. No Michael Branch, no Ian Meyer, no Alex Turner and no Brian Parra-Navarro is bad news for coach Derek Uhl. The good news for the Cubs is three of five starting offensive linemen are back and there is an entire roster of underclassmen that were a part of last year’s run and saw what it takes to win a title… Cassville was great last year, but the ‘Cats just happened to share a conference and district with two of the best teams in Missouri. Cassville’s three losses came against Class 2 state champ Lamar and Class 3 champ Monett. Now they must find a way to fill the voids left by standouts River and Devin Phelps. Cassville may struggle at time this year, but this team is a year or two away from competing for a state championship… It didn’t take long for Tom Cox to get Mount Vernon rolling. The ‘Neers have to find a way to replace standout quarterback Garrett Hadlock and wide receiver Jarrett Massie, who torched the Big 8 for much of the last two years. Their departure will be tough to overcome, but Mount Vernon isn’t in rebuild mode. Sammy Robinson rushed for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2016. He’s back. Cox is also high on Andrew Montemayor, who had 920 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last year. Those two should make the job of Ty Boswell much easier. Mount Vernon will score, that hasn’t been the issue recently, the question is can they consistently get stops… Ryan McFarland is excited about Year Two and he should be; Seneca is a sleeper to be in the top three of the Big 8. Gavin Clouse is back at quarterback, having a better understanding of the split back veer, and so is backfield mate Cole Hatfield (565 rushing yards, 8 TDs). The Indians must improve defensively to truly compete every Friday night, but McFarland has established the foundation of what he expects Seneca Football to look like under him… Former Monett assistant Kellen Hoover takes over at McDonald County after a half decade at Monett. Hoover is an Ozarks native and understands the challenges associated with winning consistently at Mac, but he also returns his quarterback, top three rushers and top three receivers. With the Big 8 in an overall rebuild, the Mustangs have a chance to be extremely competitive… The Class of 2018 at East Newton officially has had a different coach every year, with Broc Wolfe taking his shot now. East Newton isn’t the easiest place to win. The Patriots haven’t had a winning season since 2007 and have as many winless seasons (4) as multi-win seasons since 2004. Wolfe has preached the power of positive energy, which is exactly what East Newton needs to change the culture… Craig Weldy has been a fixture in Aurora for more than a decade and now he’s the head man. So, he and new quarterback J.D. Lee will insert the split back veer at Aurora. Adjusting to a new system will be tough, but there’s some returning talent in the form of seniors Clayton Dunning and Connor Savage. There may be some growing pains in the first few weeks, but expect to see a highly competitive team by district time.

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Preseason Awards

Champion: Lamar

At this point, they’re the favorite until someone proves they can beat them. Honestly, this might be one of the Tigers’ most lopsided runs through the Big 8. For the first time since they started winning at an elite level, there’s nobody else in the conference that can carry the Big 8 banner. We’ve seen Cassville, Carl Junction, Seneca and Monett all be that team that beat or pushes Lamar. There’s no one to do that this year.

Player of the Year: RB/DE Cooper Lucas, Lamar

It’s rare to see a high school kid double as a running back and defensive end, but that’s exactly what Lucas does and he excels at both for the same reason; he just plays hard. Offensively, he runs like he hates the world and defensively he plays with an endless motor. If you want to know why he’s special, just look at the big games. Monett and Valle Catholic couldn’t stop him when he had the ball. In the state championship game against Trinity Catholic he rushed for 110 yards on 15 carries with zero negative plays. That’s unreal. He’s a different breed.

Offensive MVP: WR Andrew Montemayor, Mount Vernon

This kid is just electric with the ball in his hands. He’s DeSean Jackson explosive; any touch can turn into a touchdown. What makes him so difficult to deal with is his quickness in and out of breaks, which makes him the perfect slot receiver. He’ll miss Garrett Hadlock’s ability to anticipate throws, but Coach Cox will find ways to get Montemayor 15-plus touches, via special teams, the run game and the pass game. He had a huge junior year with 56 catches, nearly 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns, his senior year could be scary.

Defensive MVP: LB Travis Bailey, Lamar

If your last name is Bailey and you live in Lamar then you better be able to ball and Travis is carrying on the tradition. He led one of the state’s best defenses in tackles a year ago and again, he was sensational in big games. In fact, re-watch the Trinity Catholic game and tell me who the best player on the field was. His line was a dirty 8.5 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Several of his tackles were right at the line of scrimmage. He was a major reason why Isaiah Williams was rendered one dimensional. To put that in perspective, Williams is a 4-star, top-100 prospect that has been offered by Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas. Bailey is great against the run and an underrated pass rusher. He’s in line for a monster senior year.

Co-Breakout Player of the Year: QB Gavin Clouse, Seneca & WR/LB Cole DeLosSantos, McDonald County

There are few offenses more difficult to run than the split back veer. Clouse was able to get his feet wet last year and by the end of the season was running it like a vet. Having another full offseason to progress in his reads will be trouble for everyone else. After rushing for nearly 800 yards last fall, expect Clouse to have a huge senior year, especially with his arm when opponents start crowding the box.

Another odd combination from a skill standpoint, but DeLosSantos makes it work. The 6-foot-2 senior runs clean routes and has great hands which makes him a quarterback’s best friend. He’s coming off of a junior campaign that saw him haul in 56 passes for 551 yards and five touchdowns. He also racked up 112 tackles last year, the second-highest total on the team. Coach Hoover will find ways to get the ball in his hands.

COMPLETE 2017 FOOTBALL SCHEDULES – CLICK HERE