CMS caught in early numbers crunch
Three weeks before its season opener, Cutter Morning Star was backed up to its goal line in a numbers game.
Nonetheless, coach T.C. Shamel is confident the Eagles will put up a united front when, after a bye week, CMS opens the season Sept. 8 at Mountain Pine.
“We’ve got 17 kids out right now,” he said. “It’s a good 17, so we are really trying to be interchangeable.”
Start with the offensive line, where senior Cole Sorrells (6-1,
220) will share time at center and left tackle with classmate Paul Odell (6-1, 215), while fellow senior Austin Price (6-3,
210) lines up at right tackle. Senior Lester Menjivar (5-9, 215) and junior move-in Seth Alexander (5-10, 245) fill the guard slots, and senior Austin Price
(6-3, 210) and sophomore Shamus Mace (5-7, 145) also could play on the front line.
“(Mace has) a great work ethic, probably one of our hardest workers,” Shamel said. “He’s little, but he works hard. Lester, we’re expecting a lot (and) a big year out of Austin Price; he was All-Garland County last year.”
Senior Michael Kimpton (60, 185) moves from receiver to quarterback.
“He’s worked good for me so far,” Shamel said. “He’s never played quarterback. He’s smart in our system. He’s not really seen those secondaries, those blitzes that we’re going to see. He’s a senior; he’s played every year for me since I’ve been here, so he knows what I expect. He’s all for doing the best he can.”
Despite the low numbers, Kimpton should have available targets.
“I think we have a little depth, and by depth, I guess I should say that we can catch the ball,” Shamel said. “Our X’s and Y’s can catch it. Our A’s and C’s can catch it. Once again, we’re interchangeable with those guys. Our running backs can slide out and catch a pass here and there if they need to. We may not have as much team speed, but as far as just catching the ball, we’re even more solid than we were last year.”
Junior Dakota Lepitre (5-11, 185) moves to running back after impressing at defensive end and nose guard last season with more than 100 tackles, several for a loss. Sophomore Matthew Cook will also see time at running back and serve as backup quarterback. Kimpton can slot in as receiver when Cook receives the snaps, and senior Jaydee Mace (5-10, 155) will play slot receiver.
On defense, Lepitre will start at nose guard while Menjivar and Sorrells rotate on the defensive line.
Odell, a converted lineman, moves to outside linebacker while Price fills in at middle linebacker. Kimpton will also see time on defense as the third linebacker or “adjuster.”
Sophomore Brock Duncan
(6-1, 210), senior Mason Treat
(6-3, 175) and Shamus Mace will all see time on the edge.
“Mason Treat, who didn’t play last year, was another guy with our basketball team that went so far last year,” Shamel said. “I’m glad to have him out as a senior. With 17 kids, you’ve got to interchange a lot.”
In the secondary, seniors Matthew Tims (5-9, 150) and Austin McKinney (5-10, 155) are joined by sophomore Tyler Mace (5-9, 155) at corner while Cook and Jaydee Mace line up at safety.
Kimpton is the punter since Shamel likes “to have my punter be my quarterback, if at all possible.”
Menjivar and Lepitre are auditioning for kicking duties while Cook and Jaydee Mace look to be deep on returns.
In his eighth year as CMS coach, Shamel has struggled to get numbers up, a problem for the Eagles when he played at the school.
“It’s a numbers game,” he said. “My goal has been here to get 30 kids out for varsity football. For whatever reason, we just haven’t been able to do that. We’ve got a really good senior class this year, which a lot of times when you do, that wins those games you should lose. Like last year, we go to Quitman and a lot of those transfers I only had for a year or two. If I’d had them since the seventh or eighth grade, we don’t lose to Quitman by two points on the road.”
Reaching the playoffs from
2A-5 will be a challenge, he says. “It’s a solid conference,” he said. “If you don’t bring it at them every Friday, it’s tough. A lot of people don’t realize, but there’s some good football played in the 5-2A. It’s going to be tough to get a playoff spot. We’re right there in the first, second and part of the third, but with 17 kids, if you get one down, it’s tough. I’ll put my first
11 up with anybody’s. Now, after that, those 11 don’t come off the field. Every play in this conference is physical.”