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WARDSVILLE - Ted LePage may be the new coach at Blair Oaks, but Falcons football is nothing new to him.
Prior to spending 12 seasons as head coach of the Jefferson City Jays, LePage was helping put Blair Oaks football on the map. He led the Falcons to district titles in each of his five seasons, including a Class 2 state championship in 2004.
Since early March, when it was announced LePage would return as Falcons head coach, there has been plenty of anticipation, which has been matched by high expectations.
"We've been together for six months, and we've been working," LePage said. "We've broken it down into four quarters, and we're in the fourth quarter."
Blair Oaks is coming off a 13-1 season, winning its fifth district championship in six years to go with a Class 3 state semifinal appearance.
With a program that has been as successful as Blair Oaks, there were some areas where LePage wanted to subscribe to the "If it isn't broke, don't fix it" theory. But that doesn't mean he didn't want to find ways to improve.
And in the offseason, he had one area in mind.
"We went into the weight room, we turned off the music, we turned off everything," LePage said. "We had one coach for every two racks, so there was one coach per eight guys. We developed relationships with the guys.
"That's when we really saw this team accelerate."
The players quickly adapted to an almost complete overhaul of the coaching staff - assistant Josh Linnenbrink is the only returning Blair Oaks coach from 2017.LePage brought with him five assistant coaches from Jefferson City: Lerone Briggs, Mike Cook, John Butler, Andrew Terpstra and Mason Swisher. He also added Kevin Alewine to the staff.
"Within that first week, we met with the seniors," LePage said. "We sat down with them and said, 'What do you want to do? Where do you want to go?'"
One thing Blair Oaks players want to do is avenge last year's 49-20 semifinal loss to Maryville, which went on to win the Class 3 title.
The Falcons will get that chance, and quickly. They open the season at 7 p.m. today against the Spoofhounds in the Kickoff Classic at William Jewell College in Liberty.
"This is the opportunity to go out and play the last team we played and show them how much we've improved," LePage said.
III
Blair Oaks has the potential of building a record-breaking offense this fall.
Senior Nolan Hair returns at quarterback. He was named first-team all-state in 2017, despite missing five full games due to injury with a hairline fracture in his lower right leg.
With another strong campaign his senior year, Nolan Hair could take over most of the school career records held by his older brother, Jordan.
"He told me he wants to win," LePage said. "He said if we need to run the ball, let's run the ball. If we need to throw the ball, let's throw the ball.
"We have a system set up to allow him to not only accelerate as a passer, but to also accelerate as a runner."
Senior Braydan Pritchett was suited for both running and passing last season. In 2017, he caught a program-best 85 passes for 1,045 yards, but he also ran for 558 yards, gaining most of them during the second half of the season to earn all-state accolades.
LePage said what Hair already does is off the charts, but Pritchett will likely be the key to the offense this season in the slot position.
"That's a guy who has to have the opportunity to have the ball in his hands 20 times a game," LePage said. "We may run him on a sweep, he may have catches out in the flat. The thing with Braydan is he brings the ability to not only run over people, but you also see the breakaway speed down the sideline."
Senior Ben Thomas returns as the Falcons' leading wide receiver. Last season, he scored a touchdown nearly one-third of the times he caught a pass, breaking the school single-season record with 19 touchdowns.
"He can run the short route, he can run the medium route. But he can also knock the top off the coverage," LePage said. " He may not have as many catches, but he may have more yards per catch and he may have more touchdowns."
Senior Marcus Edler returns as a starting wide receiver and senior Trinity Scott will take the third starting wideout spot. LePage refers to Edler as "the quiet storm."
"He very well could be our No. 1 receiver," LePage said, "because with the attention (Thomas and Pritchett) draw, he's going to get a lot of 1-on-1 matchups."
Sophomores Jake Closser, Carson Prenger and Cobi Marble will also see time at receiver.
In the backfield, junior Riley Lentz returns as the starting running back. Through the first half of last season, Lentz was on pace to become a 1,000-yard rusher, but his touches became less and less when the postseason began, finishing with 761 yards, still best on the team.
LePage said Lentz has worked on ball security this offseason, and now, he's holding the ball high and tight.
"This guy's going to carry the rock for us and do a good job," LePage said. "If he does that, that's going to do nothing but advance this offense."
Junior Sam Luebbering and sophomore Levi Haney will also carry the ball some for the Falcons. Sophomore Jayden Purdy and junior Kamron Morriss will see some time in the backfield as well.
On the offensive line, the Falcons will have a little more size than usual.
Senior Nolan Atnip (6-foot-4, 265 pounds) will start at right tackle and senior Corban Bonnett (6-3, 210) is opposite at left tackle. Senior Collin Branum (6-0, 215) will handle the snaps at center, while junior Andrew Luebbering (5-10, 255) and senior Connor Wilson (6-1, 220) will be at right and left guard, respectively.
"Our size, I can't complain for a Class 2 offensive line," LePage said. "I feel like we're going to match up well with a lot of people, as far as strength, size and movement.
"I think we took huge steps forward."
Backing up the offensive line are senior Caleb Buechter, juniors Shane Gillmore, Zack Wilbers and Adam Jurgensmeyer, and sophomores Carson Bax and Rylee Niekamp. LePage said Gillmore (6-1, 210) will probably get as many snaps as the starters.
"If you don't have depth, you're not going to be able to do the things you want to do in November," LePage said.
III
The Blair Oaks defense had a reputation of its own as well last season.
While the offense was piling up touchdowns (42.1 points per game), the defense was preventing them (14.9), holding six of its 14 opponents in single digits.
LePage has decided to adjust the Falcons' defense, however, to put more athletes on the field.
"We're going to go with an odd-front defense," he said. "We're going to play with three down linemen and we're going to put more linebackers on the field."
After watching film from last year's Maryville game, LePage wants Blair Oaks to "own the line of scrimmage" this season.
"We're really working on trying to develop our hands and feet on the D-line, and have our linebackers be a little bit more read-and-react than probably what they have been in the past," he said.
Niekamp will start up front at nose guard. While he's 5-9 and 185, LePage said Niekamp is squatting 440 pounds in the weight room.
"If you don't double-team him, you're going to have a long night," LePage said. "Don't let his size fool you. He's very, very explosive."
Andrew Luebbering and sophomore Nico Canale will be backing up Niekamp.
Starting at defensive tackle are Atnip and Buechter. Also getting time on the line will be Bax, sophomore James Thomson, Gillmore and junior Adam Dyer.
"We feel like they have some great attributes, they do nothing but accelerate," LePage said of Atnip and Buechter.
Cade Stockman made a name for himself as a freshman last season, quarterbacking the Falcons to a 5-0 record in Hair's absence. LePage said he had to find a way to get Stockman on the field this season, and he will as a starter at outside linebacker.
"Cade brings that knowledge of the offense, so he's almost thinking along the lines of what the offense is trying to set up," LePage said.
Sam Luebbering and senior Grant Laune will start at inside linebacker, while Morriss will man the other outside linebacker position in Blair Oaks' 3-4 defense.
"Kamron can be on the line of scrimmage and play a defensive line position, he can step back and play a linebacker position," LePage said. "Or we can play him in man-to-man coverage because he's got such great speed."
Also getting time at linebacker will be juniors Adam Hughes and Kyler Griep, as well as Scott, Lentz, Purdy and sophomore Ian Nolph.
The Falcons return two cornerbacks who combined to haul in 13 of the defense's 21 interceptions in 2017. Thomas was all-state last season after grabbing a team-best eight interceptions, while Edler snagged five.
"We feel like with Marcus and Ben out on the outside, we can cover the passing threats on the corner," LePage said.
Pritchett led the Falcons in tackles (110) last season at safety, and he'll be joined in the secondary by Prenger.
Backing up the corners are Closser and Marble, and senior Seth DeWesplore, sophomore Josh Bischoff and Haney will help at safety.
"We're going to utilize a lot of different things," said LePage, adding his defense can adjust to using just two linebackers or as many as five. " Each week, I think it's going to be a growing process for us."
III
The kicking game is going to look different this year for Blair Oaks. Much different.
The kicker - Edler - will remain the same. Just plan on seeing him run onto the field with the special teams unit on more than just kickoffs.
Edler will also boot extra points, something Blair Oaks didn't do at all last season.
"In the Green and White Scrimmage, he kicked a 37-yarder," LePage said. "We were kicking the other day and he kicked a 40-yarder that came up a little bit short, but it was into a headwind. We think he's got the leg to kick it from 40."
In 2017, the quarterback - either Hair or Stockman - did the punting. That duty will fall on Edler this season as well. However, if Blair Oaks opts to revert back to the shotgun punt at times, LePage said Hair will handle the punting role.
Also on special teams, Thomas will serve as the holder and Buechter will be the long snapper.
III
It's no secret Maryville likes to run the football.
Entering last year's semifinal, teams averaged 74 yards rushing against Blair Oaks. Maryville ran wild for 452 yards.
"The biggest issue with them is they're very physical at the point of attack," LePage said. "Their running backs can run, and they are big and they are fast."
Returning to the Spoofhounds' backfield is senior Eli Dowis, who averaged 104.5 yards rushing in Maryville's six postseason wins and was named first-team all-state. Senior Tyler Houchin, a second-team all-state running back, led the team with 1,404 yards rushing in 2017.
"This offense has been around for a long time, and there's a reason why this school is still using it," LePage said of Maryville's wing-T offense. "They been in four Show-Me Bowls out of the last six."
And scoring against Maryville has been just as difficult for opponents as it is stopping its offense. Last season, Blair Oaks was only one of five teams to score 20 or more points against the Spoofhounds.
"When they control the pace of the game, you're in trouble," LePage said. " Even if we don't have a score early, let's not get worried about it, but let's stick to our game plan and let's continue to go."