PERRYVILLE
The Perryville Mustangs saw a much better season last year than they had in more than a decade. They concluded the season 6-5 overall and 4-3 in conference in the class 3A-4 standings as they fell to Greenland in the first round of the playoffs. Head coach Chris Norton, who is starting his fourth season with the Mustangs, said he is thrilled to see his players reach their full potential.
“We are excited about this group of kids. This is a team we’ve been waiting on since I arrived here in Perryville,” Norton said. “The year will be challenging, as they all are, but we look forward to taking those [opponents] on and seeing our guys compete at a high level.”
The Mustangs return a total of 18 players, 10 on offense and eight on defense. Out of those returning players are seven players to watch, the coach said, including junior quarterback Tyler Givens (6-1, 190), senior tailback Crete Tippen (6-0, 185), senior receiver Mason Roland (5-7, 161), senior receiver Tyler Erwin (5-7, 145), junior receiver Matt Roberts (5-8, 151), senior linebacker Brandon Hoyt (5-10, 155) and junior linebacker Easton Walker (6-1, 190).
Norton mentioned that Givens, last season’s leading passer, completed 134 passes for 1,589 yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding 520 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground.
Despite missing the last two games of the season as the result of an injury, Norton said, Tippen also saw a great 2020 season, scoring 14 rushing touchdowns and 917 yards.
The leader in receiving yards was Roland, with 730 yards and an average 19.2 yards per carry.
The team’s leading tackler, Hoyt, had 86 tackles and 3.5 sacks, while Walker finished second with 73 stops and 17 tackles.
Perryville runs a Spread offensive formation and a 4-3 defensive formation.
Norton said he expects Givens to be the team’s starting quarterback, Tippen will start as fullback, and Roland, Roberts and Erwin will start as wide receivers. Senior wide receiver Austin Diez (6-5, 170) and returning starter junior Daryn Hubbard (5-7, 145) will join the receivers on the offensive line. Junior Tyler Hubbard (5-10, 260) returns as left tackle, and senior Garrett Farnam (5-10, 274) returns as left guard. Senior Hunter Johnson (6-0, 325) will start as center for his third season, junior Brady Surrett (6-0, 230) is back at right tackle, and senior Aidan Smith will start at right guard. Senior Gage Helsel (6-0, 235) will be a significant player at offensive tackle, the coach said.
On the defensive side, Johnson and Tyler Hubbard will anchor the defensive line as ends, and Colby Neumann (5-6, 190) will be the nose of the defensive line, Norton said. Senior Brock Smith (5-10, 246), Surrett and Helsel will start as inside linebackers, with Dylan Crowder (5-1, 125) earning significant snaps. Hoyt and
Walker will start as linebackers. Will Deen, Roberts and Roland will team up at cornerback, while Erwin, Hubbard, Diez and Jacob Patrick will play notable time at safety positions, the coach said.
As a result of their size and experience, the Mustangs showcase a strong team, Norton said.
“We average 287 pounds along the offensive line and return starters at 18 positions,” he said.
However, the team lacks in its number of players this year, the coach said.
“Our numbers are lower than they have been in my previous three years here at Perryville,” Norton said. “We expect to dress 29 to 30 athletes, which means staying healthy, both from injuries and COVID-related quarantines. [This] will be a huge factor this season.”
Even with a low number of players, the coach said, he expects his team to be prepared and compete for a conference championship and, hopefully, win a playoff game, but he is weary of any unforeseen circumstances.
“We have all the pieces in place to accomplish our goals,” Norton said. “The current climate and challenges that COVID presents will be a huge factor, but we will continue to do everything in our power to mitigate those and help keep our kids healthy and competing at a high level.”
Atkins is one of the Mustangs’ key games, which falls in Week 5 of their conference schedule. Last season, they fell just 8 points short of beating the Red Devils, ending the game 52-44, and have been unable to beat Atkins since 2014. The coach said he strives to come out victorious this year.
“It’s important that we finally get over the hump against those guys,” Norton said. “We had a shot last year and let it slip away. If you ask our kids, that is the game they are hungry to win, and how we fare in Atkins will go a long way toward determining the outcome of the season.”