If you ask Jon Guidie, he’ll tell you everything fell into place for his Carthage Tigers last fall.
It would be hard to argue with that assessment.
Battle-tested from a rigorous Central Ozark Conference schedule, and peaking at the right time, Carthage captured its first-ever state football championship by beating Jackson 27-21 in the 2019 Class 5 Show-Me Bowl in Columbia.
The Tigers ended a historic season on a nine-game winning streak, finishing 12-2.
“It was really special, no question about it,” Guidie said. “There was a time where we thought a state championship was the last thing that would happen. We had to deal with some adversity, but our kids hung in there. You could see them growing each week and you could see the confidence building each week of the playoffs. They came together at the right time and played their best football at the end. It was really a special thing to be a part of.”
Now in his 16th year at the helm, Guidie noted the ’19 season had its share of ups and downs.
“The middle part of our season had some challenges,” Guidie said. “We had to overcome an emotional loss to Joplin. We bounced back and got a big win over Neosho, but suffered a big loss to Webb City. And because of injuries, we played Branson without nine of our usual starters in Week 6.”
The Tigers are now reloaded, with three returning all-state performers expected to lead the way. In all, Carthage has 10 returning players who gained starting experience a year ago.
“This group has played in a lot of football games with deep playoff runs, and we need to rely on that experience,” Guidie said.
OFFENSE
The Carthage offense will once again be led by senior quarterback Patrick Carlton, now a three-year starter.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Carlton is coming off a stellar 2019 season. It was one that saw Carlton rack up 2,900 total yards with 39 touchdowns.
For his efforts, Carlton earned the Class 5 Offensive Player of the Year award at the conclusion of the season, along with all-state and all-COC honors.
Carlton, who is drawing a lot of interest from college coaches, compiled 1,554 rushing yards and 1,329 passing yards in ’19.
“Patrick should be a leader for us,” Guidie said. “We typically go as Patrick goes.”
Guidie noted Carlton has improved from this time last year.
“Patrick has gotten bigger, stronger and faster,” Guidie said. “He’s more mature. He worked with a quarterback coach in the summer and his leadership is starting to emerge.”
Senior offensive lineman Aiden Logan returns after garnering all-state honors last year. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Logan has verbally committed to Arkansas State.
“Aiden will be a huge anchor for us up front,” Guidie commented.
Two other starters return on the offensive line in senior Ian Ketchum and junior Garrett Lilienkamp. Other possible starters up front include senior Cooper VanWey, junior Gavin VanGilder and sophomore Micah Lindsey.
“We’ve got to get our offensive line playing at a high level,” Guidie said.
Carthage has some holes to fill at the skill positions.
Junior Zach Lansford and sophomore Luke Gall are options at running back.
Senior wide receiver Silas Templeman recorded 191 yards last year and should take on a bigger role this season. Junior Riley Barker and sophomore Hudson Moore are options at wide receiver.
Carthage averaged 38 points per game in 2019, with 421 yards of offense per game.
DEFENSE
Defensively, Guidie hopes his team will once again be stout after holding six teams to 10 points or less in ’19.
Senior defensive back D.J. Witt returns after recording 126 tackles and two interceptions in an all-state season.
Other returning starters at defensive back are seniors Justin Sneed and Templeman and junior Caden Kabance. Kabance made 64 tackles last season, while Sneed recorded 54 stops and a pair of interceptions, earning all-conference honors. Barker also has starting experience at defensive back.
At linebacker, Gall made an impact last year as a freshman, recording 57 tackles. Guidie noted Gall started all five playoff games.
“He’s a big time player,” Guidie said.
Junior Sylas Browning and Lansford are other possible linebackers.
There are several spots open on the defensive line, as senior Lucas Neuenswander is the team’s only returning starter at the position. He had 52 stops and five sacks in ’19.
Max Williams, a junior, is a possible starter at D-line.
“Defensively, we’re searching for some guys to fill roles,” Guidie said.
Guidie noted the keys to success are simple.
“We need to keep building depth,” Guidie said. “We had some great success with our younger groups last season. Our 9th grade team went undefeated. Obviously, we need to continue to work and get better each day and each week. Also, we need to remember how we came together as a team last year and how important that was through the playoffs.”
PRODUCTION LOST
Carthage must replace a number of key performers from last year’s squad.
Kale Schrader is playing at Missouri Southern, while Alex Martini is at Central Missouri, Oscar Campa signed with Missouri Western and Avery Sneed inked with Illinois College.
Others like Tyler Mueller, Bobby Kendrick, Marcus Huntley and Brener Ocana also played big roles.
“We lost some outstanding players and leaders,” Guidie said. “We need players to step up and take on those roles.”
DEEP PLAYOFF RUNS
Carthage has a record of 53-12 since 2015, and deep playoff runs have become a yearly occurrence for the Tigers, with a championship, three semifinal appearances and a quarterfinal appearance in that five-year span. Carthage has captured district championships in six straight seasons.
OPENER IS AUG. 28
Despite the global pandemic, Guidie noted his team was able to have a fairly normal summer as far as workouts.
“For the most part, we got in what we thought we could get in this summer,” Guidie said. “I feel like we’re caught up and real close to where we were at this time a year ago.”
Carthage hosts Ozark at David Haffner Stadium on Friday, Aug. 28.
And for the first time in program history, Carthage will begin a season as a defending state champ.
“We’ve never been in this situation before,” Guidie said. “It’s new for everybody. We’re just trying to do business as usual and keep things consistent.”
