Featuring two of the Central Ozark Conference’s top returning players, including the area’s premier two-way standout, the Carthage Tigers appear poised to once again be one of Southwest Missouri’s top football teams.
Entering the 2022 season, defending conference champion Carthage features six returning starters on both sides of the ball and 20 returning lettermen, including two players who received the COC’s top postseason awards last fall—Luke Gall and Micah Lindsey.
“I really like the experience we have coming back,” Tigers coach Jon Guidie said. “We’ve got a lot of seniors, which is fantastic. They’re doing a great job. I like how these guys practice and I like their attention to detail. And they’re a very close group. I think the chemistry is there. Hopefully, all that translates into doing something productive.”
Of course, when you talk about the Tigers, you have to begin with Gall, a standout senior running back and linebacker.
The reigning Central Ozark Conference Offensive and Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Gall has already put together a stellar prep campaign ahead of his senior season. Following his fantastic junior campaign, Gall was named the Class 5 Offensive Player of the Year by the Missouri Football Coaches Association.
“He had a great season a year ago, no doubt,” Guidie said. “I think he has even bigger expectations for himself. He’s so productive for us on both sides of the ball. And he has been for the last three years. Hopefully we’ll see more of the same. He’s a great kid and he works extremely hard. He’s very business-like in practice. His presence out there makes everybody else better.”
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Gall compiled 1,902 rushing yards with 29 touchdowns last fall, averaging 11.5 yards per carry.
Gall, who shared the conference’s defensive player of the year award with his teammate Micah Lindsey, recorded 88 tackles. Gall, a four-year performer who has earned first team all-state and all-conference honors, has committed to the Air Force Academy.
“He’s one of our most productive two-way starters in school history,” Guidie said. “He also may be the hardest working kid I’ve ever coached in 29 years.”
Senior Cooper Jadwin (5-10, 170) is slated to take over the starting quarterback duties.
“He’s been fantastic for us,” Guidie said. “Cooper’s played quarterback his whole life. He was the starting quarterback on the freshman team that went undefeated. He started at QB on the JV the last two years, and now he’s getting his chance. He’s very excited and we’re very excited about him. He’s very smart and runs the offense very well. He’s also a dual-threat kid.”
Senior Tyler Willis (6-3, 210) is entering his third year as a starting tight end, while classmate Hudson Moore (6-6, 180) is a three-year starter at wide receiver. Both Willis and Moore earned all-COC honors last year.
“Tyler has really bulked up and gotten stronger,” Guidie noted. “He’s a great blocker with good speed and hands. He’s a very consistent player. At 6-6, Hudson poses some mismatches. He has tremendous ball skills. He should have a great year.”
Senior wide receiver Aiden Rogers (5-9, 160) also returns with starting experience.
“He’s one of our fastest players,” Guidie said. “He’ll see an expanded role on both sides of the ball.”
The Tigers have two key returners on the offensive line, senior Drew Musche (6-0, 230) and junior Malachi Housh (6-0, 260). Musche earned all-conference recognition last year. Other possible starters on the offensive line include juniors Edward Carreto (6-3, 265) and Greyson Browning (6-1, 240).
Senior Chris Mejia returns to handle the kicking duties. He made 59 of 62 PATs last season.
The Tigers averaged 41 points per game last season, with 352 rushing yards and 84 passing yards per contest.
“We hope to be a little more balanced this year in terms of run vs. pass,” Guidie said.
The Tigers limited their opponents to 15 points per game last season, and Guidie hopes to see more of the same this season.
“We could possibly start 11 seniors on defense, which is very unusual,” Guidie said. “We have six kids who started consistently a year ago and we have some new faces. We have a lot of holes to fill from an extremely successful graduating class, a class that won 28 of its last 30 football games. We need to get buy-in from our newcomers and get them to understand how important commitment is.”
A senior, Lindsey (6-1, 240) is a returning all-state lineman who was the COC’s Co-Defensive POY with teammate Gall. Lindsey, who has committed to Pittsburg State, recorded 91 tackles (27 for a loss) with 11 sacks last season.
“Fast and explosive,” Guidie said of Lindsey. “He’s a very disruptive player. He and Luke are huge weight room guys.”
Seniors Clay Kinder (6-1, 200) and Davion King (5-11, 170) are returning starters at defensive back. Both garnered all-COC recognition.
“Clay started at safety, but is very versatile and could move to linebacker,” Guidie noted. “Davion is a three-year starter and is our leader in the secondary.”
Seniors Jadason Davis-Maxey and Mason Frisinger are candidates to start at defensive back. Fellow senior Antony DeLeon (5-10, 245) returns after starting up front last fall.
THIS ‘N THAT
After putting together a second straight undefeated regular season, Carthage’s stellar 2021 campaign came to an end in the district championship game, as the team’s lone loss after 10 wins came to eventual state champ Webb City.
Carthage hasn’t lost a regular season game since Sept. 27 of 2019. With that, the Tigers have won 21 straight regular season contests.
Guidie is entering his 18th season at Carthage and is the second longest tenured head coach in the conference behind Webb City’s John Roderique.
Guidie is approaching a milestone win, as he’s currently 199-70 as a head coach, with a 152-46 record at Carthage.
WEEK 1 IS HERE
Carthage hosts Republic on Friday night at David Haffner Stadium in the opener of the ’22 season.
“I think they’re going to be really good, and I think they’re going to be highly-competitive in our conference,” Guidie said of Republic. “They’re in their second year with their coaching staff and their system. They won six games last year and had a winning season. They’ve got seven guys back on both sides of the ball that have starting experience. I think their staff has changed the culture over there.”
2022 SCHEDULE
https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=38&alg=19&year=2022
