Maryville head football coach Chris Holt is banking on big game experience to carry his 2009 squad through a rugged Midland Empire schedule and deep into the playoffs once again this season.
Following a 13-2 season in which the Spoofhounds fell to Clark County kicker Kolt Kiger’s 23-yard field goal in a 10-7 state title loss, Holt foresees a possible repeat of that success despite playing in the preeminent Class 2 and Class 3 conference in Missouri.
“Winning is contagious,” Holt said of the experience that the Spoofhounds soaked up during a Class 2 runner-up finish a season ago. “Now that we’ve experienced winning that deep into the season, we know what it takes and that’s a huge advantage.
“I believe, and I think the other coaches and the players feel the same way that I do, that we’ll consider our season a success if we’re able to play deep into November. We got a taste of it last year, and I think everyone agrees that we all want more.”
Maryville has made a habit of success on the gridiron in recent seasons. The Spoofhounds posted a 9-3 mark in 2004 before falling 26-22 to Harrisonville in the second round of the playoffs.
Then in 2007, Holt’s second season at the school, Maryville completed a 9-1 regular season, which included a 28-20 district loss to eventual state champion Lawson keeping the Spoofhounds from making a postseason run.
Playoff success for any team in the Midland Empire conference centers squarely on that team’s ability to survive a rugged schedule. For the Spoofhounds, the league’s second smallest school in enrollment, battling against larger opposition is a weekly endeavor.
Holt will guide Maryville against a slate that includes league foes Chillicothe, Smithville and Savannah as well as Class 2 power Trenton.
“The kids have to compete at a higher level each week,” Holt said. “Athletes are athletes so you have to be ready to play whether or not your opposition is winning that season. When you compete against teams that are as good as you are, or better, you have to prepare just as hard each week. You can’t take a week off.”
As is typical of a Maryville offense, Holt hinted that the Spoofhounds would once again employ a bruising run-oriented Wing-T offense despite the throwing abilities of quarterback candidates Sam Snyder and Marcus Grudzinski.
“We’re going to run the ball,” Holt said. “We take pride in our ability to pound the ball at people. Last season we ran for nearly 5,000 yards. We like to line up and come at you and you’ll just have to be able to deal with it.”
If the Spoofhounds are going to be able to equal those running numbers again this season, Holt will have to be able to replace three starters up front. Back is returning senior all-state guard Clint Thompson (6-2, 205) and senior all-conference tackle Brad Scheiber (6-3, 245).
Last year’s starting tight end Adam Thompson (6-4, 220) returns for his senior season as well.
Sophomore Dan Johnson (6-0, 215) will likely take over the other guard position, while junior running back Gavin Talmadge (5-10, 160) and senior fullback Anthony Groumoutis (6-0, 205) will make the run game go.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior all-state linebacker Evan Johnson (6-0, 225) is back in action. Returning all-conference free safety Derek DeMott (6-0, 180) returns for his senior season, as does returning starter Jason Davis (6-2, 285) at defensive tackle.
Junior Will Twaddle (5-11, 160) is set to step in at strong safety, while junior Tyler Peve (6-0, 170) will likely earn a starting spot as a linebacker in Maryville’s 3-4 defense.
If Maryville has a weakness this season, it would be the ability of the Spoofhound coaching staff to find the depth needed to give top line players an opportunity to catch a breather.
“We like to platoon as much as we can at a Class 2 school,” Holt said. “With the loss of 20 seniors from last year, depth is a concern for us. Last season we were able to substitute without much of a drop off. I’m not so sure about that this season.”