By Brock Sisney (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Coming off a winless season and a 2-18 record over their last two seasons, the Neosho Wildcats have a new head coach in former Joplin assistant Brandon Taute.
New is a common theme for the Neosho football program, between Taute, their field turf freshly installed before the 2020 season, and their end zone facility under construction before this new season.
“I am excited to be a part of Wildcat Nation for the first time,” Taute said. “We have a great group of kids led by our senior class. They have worked hard this summer and have bought into the culture we are building.
“Our goal is to get better every day. We are focusing on getting better each individual day and believe if we do that the results will take care of themselves. The strength of our team is our desire to get better and focus on doing the little things right. Our ability to come together as a team and trust and love one another are the keys to a successful season.”
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The Wildcats return 10 starters in senior tight end and all-conference third team defensive end Marcus Duncan, senior running back and linebacker Tristen Linders, junior receiver and defensive back Isaiah Green, junior offensive and defensive lineman Nico Olivares, junior running back and defensive back Collyn Kivett, senior running back and linebacker Talon Mitchell, senior offensive and defensive lineman Seth Green, senior running back and defensive back Logan Whetzell, senior quarterback and defensive back Evan Haskins, and senior offensive and defensive lineman Pete Houk and eight varsity contributors in junior running back and linebacker Jeremiah Cobb, junior receiver and defensive back Aiden Howell, junior tight end and defensive end Hunter Stockton, senior offensive and defensive lineman Eric Renner, junior running back and defensive back Jared Siler, senior receiver and defensive back Landon Werneke, senior running back and linebacker Noah Reed, and junior tight end and defensive lineman Carter Basle.
“Our senior class has done a great job of setting the tone and leading our team all summer,” Taute said.
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The Wildcats graduated two of their three all-Central Ozark Conference third team selections: offensive lineman Kaden Decker and linebacker Jacob Fry. Decker signed with the local NCAA Division II school Missouri Southern to continue his academic and athletic career.
Taute comes from a Joplin program that became synonymous with high-octane offense (their spread made lethal with talents like running back Isaiah Davis, receiver Zach Westmoreland, and quarterback Blake Tash) since joining the COC in 2018. It will be interesting to see how this stylistic shift fits a Neosho program that highlighted more traditional old-fashioned smash mouth football during former head coach Leon Miller’s four seasons.
The Wildcats open their 2021 season Aug. 27 on the road against Republic and they return home to historic Bob Anderson the next two weeks for games against Webb City and Carthage, teams which finished a combined 20-3 last season.
On the Friday night one week before the start of the season, Neosho travels to Mt. Vernon for their annual jamboree that will also feature McDonald County and Bolivar.
