By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
Gone from the Missouri Class 3 football ranks from a year ago are state finalists MICDS and Harrisonville, semifinalist Grain Valley and quarterfinalist Platte County, who have all moved up to Class 4 for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
But that doesn’t mean the Class 3 cupboard is bare. There are still plenty of skilled players and talented teams from which to choose from when projecting a preseason top 10. The division may just be a little more wide open this season.
Thanks to a bevy of returning starters from a team that lost 28-0 to Harrisonville in sectional play a season ago, Monett gets the nod as this division’s top team early in the 2008 season.
The Cubs return nine offensive starters and eight defensive starters.
Up front on offense, senior guard Jacob Barker and junior tackle Beau Bounous will pave the way for senior All-Big 8 running back Kellen Bounous and his backfield mate senior Scotty Wilson to shred opposing defenses.
Senior tight end Kirk Moore and receiver Sean Medlin also give the Cubs a couple of talented threats in the passing game.
Beau Bounous and Moore also double for head coach Alan Spencer as two of the better defensive ends in the state. When you throw linebacker Kyle Meyer into the mix, the Cubs should be pretty sound on defense as well.
For Pleasant Hill, who comes in at No. 2 following three straight 9-win seasons, the defense will have to hold the line early on for an offense that returns little experience. Returning All-Missouri River Valley-West senior defensive ends Grady Wolford and Trever Wilson will be up to that task.
Rooster coach Kyle Roach also has a pair of talented linebackers in Tyler Crotty and Logan Truninger at his disposal.
The offense will build around tight end Chris Kemerling and running back Aaron Roach.
Third-ranked Cassville returns senior quarterback Jack Nolan, who led the Wildcats to a 9-1 record in 2007. Senior kicker Aaron Jamieson and senior linebacker Ethan Couch also return for coach David Lange.
Although O’Hara didn’t make the playoffs a year ago, and finished with just a 6-4 record, the Celtics are ready to challenge for Class 3 supremacy in 2008.
Jim DeMarea has a pair of second team All-West Central defenders to build around in defensive end Joe Pepple and linebacker Chuck Preston.
Pepple returns at tight end as well following a 2007 season in which he earned first team all-conference honors. Donnie Criswell is a real threat at receiver as is junior James Tillman at running back. Experienced kicker Bryce Scovill returns for his senior season.
Mountain Grove returns 10 starters from a 10-1 season in 2007, following a narrow 28-27 loss to Cabool in overtime at sectionals, and is poised for a top five season or better this time around.
Senior quarterback Casey White returns at the controls of the offense following a second team All-South Central season a year ago. He will hand off to honorable mention all-league senior running back Evan Williams.
Should White and Williams fail to get the Panthers into the end zone, junior kicker Chris Matthews will be ready to finish the job.
Senior defensive back Ethan Smith and senior defensive lineman Cody Bryant will anchor the Panther defense.
Here is a look at the Class 3 top 10.
1. Monett Cubs 9-2
School Colors: Purple/Gold
Conference: Big 8
Head Coach: Alan Spencer
2007 State Playoffs: Lost to Harrisonville 28-0 in Sectionals
State Championships: 1971 (2A), 1977 (2A)
Record Last Five Seasons: 32-20
Top Players: Jacob Barker Sr. OG, Kellen Bounous Sr. RB, Beau Bounous Jr. DE/OT, Kyle Meyer Sr. LB, Scotty Wilson Sr. RB, Kirk Moore Sr. DE
2. Pleasant Hill Roosters 9-1
School Colors: Purple/Gold
Conference: Missouri River Valley-West
Head Coach: Kyle Roach
2007 State Playoffs: N/A
State Championships: N/A
Record Last Five Seasons: 31-21
Top Players: Trever Wilson Sr. LB, Chris Kemerling Sr. TE, Aaron Roach Sr. RB, Grady Wolford Sr. DL
3. Cassville Wildcats 9-1
School Colors: Black/Gold
Conference: Big 8
Head Coach: David Large
2007 State Playoffs: N/A
State Championships: N/A
Record Last Five Seasons: 42-10
Top Players: Aaron Jamieson Sr. K, Ethan Couch Sr. LB, Jack Nolan Sr. QB
4. O’Hara Celtics 6-4
School Colors: Green/Gold
Conference: West Central
Head Coach: Jim DeMarea
2007 State Playoffs: N/A
State Championships: 1980 (3A)
Record Last Five Seasons: 24-24
Top Players: Joe Pepple Sr. TE/DE, James Tillman Jr. RB, Donnie Criswell Sr. SB, Bryce Scovill Sr. K, Chuck Preston Jr. LB
5. Mountain Grove Panthers 10-1
School Colors: Maroon/Gray
Conference: South Central
Head Coach: Steve Ary
2007 State Playoffs: Lost to Cabool 28-27 in overtime in the Class 2 Sectionals
State Championships: N/A
Record Last Five Seasons: 47-13
Top Players: Casey White Sr. QB, Evan Williams Sr. RB/DB, Ethan Smith Sr. DB, Chris Matthews Jr. K, Cody Bryant Sr. DL
6. Saint Genevieve Dragons/Hunter 6-4
School Colors: Green/White
Conference: Mississippi Area-White
Head Coach: Bob Stolzer
2007 State Playoffs: N/A
State Championships: 1992 (3A)
Record Last Five Seasons: 42-18
Top Players: Kory Faulkner QB, Dustin Noll RB/WR, Josh Meyer WR
7. Chillicothe Hornets
School Colors: Black/Red
Conference: Midland Empire
Head Coach: Phil Willard
2007 State Playoffs: N/A
State Championships: 1970 (3A), 1972 (3A), 1978 (3A), 1985 (4A), 1991 (3A)
Record Last Five Seasons: 34-19
Top Players: Kyle Dosterschill Sr. LB/FB, Bryce Young Jr. DB/RB, Stephen Quin Sr. Special Teams, Clint Dysart Sr. P, Cory Lowe Sr. OL/DL, Tom Hargrave Sr. LB, Clayton Dahlberg Sr. DL, Colin Parker Sr. WR
8. St. Pius X (KC) Warriors 8-3
School Colors: Gold/Blue/White
Conference: West Central
Head Coach: Rick Byers
2007 State Playoffs: Lost to Platte County 10-3 in Sectionals
State Championships: 1998 (2A), 2000 (2A), 2002 (2)
Record Last Five Seasons: 36-16
Top Players: John Danaher Sr. DB, Ben Wilson Sr. DB
9. Fulton Hornets 8-2
School Colors: Black/Gold
Conference: North Central Missouri
Head Coach: Pat Kelley
2007 State Playoffs: N/A
State Championships: N/A
Record Last Five Seasons: 19-32
Top Players: Jon Sidney Sr. RB, Darren Jacobs Sr. WR/DB, Brent Masek Sr. DL, Chris Drester Sr. LB
10. Moberly Spartans 11-1
School Colors: Blue/Red/White
Conference: North Central Missouri
Head Coach: Jason Ambroson
2007 State Playoffs: Lost to St. Francis Borgia 49-21 in Quarterfinals
State Championships: N/A
Record Last Five Seasons: 36-21
Top Players: David Tooley Sr. WR, Terrell Graves Sr. OL, Kyle Stoecklein Sr. OL, Brett Hopper Sr. OL, Weston Kelcher Sr. DL, Hayden Berry Sr. LB