By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Springfield Catholic football team lost its first three games last season – then didn’t play for nearly a month, came back and won three straight. The Irish finished with a 3-4 record and head coach Rich Rehagen called it a “crazy year.”
“It felt like it was quite an experience but I thought our kids really hung in there and did a nice job,” he said. “They got a lot better through the year.”
Rehagen, the longtime Nixa head coach who’s entering his second year at Catholic, said things are getting back to normal this fall.
The Irish return three full-time starters and two others who saw the field a lot from an offense that averaged 23 points per game and twice scored 39 or more. Six-foot-one Senior Liam O’Reilly, a first team Big 8 East selection, returns at wide receiver after making 38 receptions for 544 yards and eight touchdowns. Senior Brandon Ung returns at running back after totaling 75 yards on the ground and 62 through the air. Senior Major Riley, a 6-foot-5 tight end, returns too.
And seniors Quinn Roubal, a wide receiver who had 33 yards, and Ty Lyon, a receiver who had 17 yards, also return after playing quite a bit.
“Three of those guys are wide receivers and in that group Liam O’Reilly is coming off just a great year,” Rehagen said. “Thirty-eight catches last year, eight touchdowns. That’s in seven games. Those are pretty good totals. He’s a good receiver, very athletic. Ty Lyon and Quinn Roubal both just had a few catches last year but both are athletic. It’s a good group of receivers for sure.”
Riley played tight end for the first time last season and provides a big target and good blocking ability with his size.
“Being his first year at tight end he improved as it went and I really hope he keeps developing,” Rehagen said. Brandon Ung would get a few carries, a few catches as we went. He’ll have an increased role for sure this year.”
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Senior Rio Hernandez started a game at tackle and will see a lot more time on the offensive line this fall. Senior Blake Southern, sophomore Robert Brown, senior Chris Gilbert and junior Macguire Orman are all battling for spots on the line, too. Senior Evan Kilmer should see time in the backfield and junior Reece White, last year’s junior varsity quarterback, has been taking first-team reps for the varsity with sophomore Quinn Northrup also in the mix there.
“How it all fits together is always a big deal,” Rehagen said. “How everybody’s role gets defined early. Obviously replacing five offensive linemen, that group is one that will be learning as we go.”
The Irish will be more experienced on defense with six starters back – all of them seniors – from a unit that allowed an average of 29 points. Catholic allowed just 16 points per game the last four weeks of the season. Hernandez returns at defensive tackle after earning honorable mention All-Conference honors. He recorded 18 tackles and a sack last year. Riley returns at defensive end after making 15 tackles, two sacks and recovering four fumbles. Josh Palmer (21 tackles), Blake Southern (26 tackles) and Evan Kilmer (25 tackles) all return at linebacker, and junior Chase Haynes also started a couple games there last year.
O’Reilly, who made 17 tackles and two interceptions, also returns at corner after he was a second team Big 8 East selection.
Gilbert earned some time on the defensive line in preseason workouts, sophomore Carter Webster could play at defensive end, sophomore Robert Brown could play defensive tackle, junior Geronimo Avila is also battling for time on the line, sophomore Maxwell Meyer could play at linebacker and Lyon and Roubal could play in the secondary. Sophomore Haydyn Leiker and junior Nate Warren could both see playing time on the offensive or defensive line, as well.
“I would say we’re further along on defense,” Rehagen said. “Having more than half your starters back on defense, they know a little bit about what we’re trying to do and they just look a lot faster than they did last year because they know what’s expected.”
Rehagen said he’s excited about this 2021 group and likes what his players did in the offseason. Early on he just wants to see improvement each week.
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“I think that’s always such a big deal that each week you make progress, each week you go out and compete and you go and improve throughout a year,” he said. “And the teams that do that usually by the end are really tough to deal with. That’s our goal, go out and compete every week, go out and improve every day and bring all you have for four quarters each night.”
Catholic will head to Hollister with Ava and Clever for its jamboree. The Irish open the regular season at Lamar and host McDonald County in week two.
