College Heights Christian School is set to debut its 8-man football team.
The Cougars are scheduled to open their inaugural season against North Shelby at 7 on Friday night at St. Joseph Christian.
College Heights coach Travis Burk noted his squad is thrilled to kickoff the season.
“I think we’re as ready as we can be,” Burk said. “North Shelby was a top-four team in the state last year. It’s our opening game and it’s going to be a tough game. We’ll need to play well. But I expect our kids to get after it. And we’ll find out where we are.”
Burk said the team has made steady progress during preseason practices.
“We’re learning a lot,” said Burk, who has previous head coaching experience at Oswego and Humboldt in Kansas. “I think the kids are learning something new every day. We’ve got 22 kids out, and for 12 of them it’s been the first time they’ve ever put on a football helmet. They’re getting better and learning a lot. It’s been a journey. It’s been a lot different than other programs I’ve taken over. We started from scratch.”
The Cougars competed at a jamboree in St. Joseph last Friday.
“I thought we looked pretty good for our first time out,” Burk said. “We didn’t make a lot of mistakes. Overall, it went pretty good.”
Burk said sophomore Logan Decker is the team’s starting quarterback.
“He’s a smart kid and very athletic,” Burk said, noting that Decker is a dual threat.
Junior Colsen Dickens is slated to start at running back.
“He’s a great kid and is athletic,” Burk said. “He can play receiver, too.”
Junior Caleb Quade is a wide receiver.
“He’s about 6-4 or 6-5,” Burk noted. “He can jump and he runs well.”
Derrick McMillan, a senior, is another wide receiver.
“He’s quick and explosive,” Burk noted.
Sophomore Levi Durling is a player who can contribute at both running back and receiver, while freshman Cannon Miller is another option at receiver.
Senior Curtis Davenport (6-5, 235) is expected to anchor the offensive and defensive line.
“He’s very strong,” Burk said. “It looks like he’ll be an offensive guard and a defensive end for us.”
Matt Williams, a junior, is a player Burk expects to contribute at linebacker and on the offensive line.
Junior Kyson Miller is the starting center and a defensive lineman. Noah Hipple, a senior, is another player who will start on both sides up front. Sophomore Caleb Hipple is a nose guard.
“There are several other kids who will get some playing time,” Burk said, adding several freshmen could be in the mix.
College Heights has three home dates scheduled — Sept. 9 vs. Greenfield, Sept. 23 against Appleton City and Sept. 30 vs. Norborne. The home games will be played at Joplin High School.
With the program’s first-ever game arriving on Friday night, Burk noted he and the players are thankful for the opportunity to make College Heights proud.
“We’ve got great kids,” Burk said. “They work hard, and they ask questions and want to learn. They’re coming in before school to get their lifting in. I’ve got some great assistant coaches (Andrew Campbell, Kaden Decker, John Lucas). The administration has backed us and our parents have been wonderful. And I think we’re going to do some good things this season.”
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