FULTON, Mo. - Leaning back in his chair in the training room recently, Fulton Hornets head football coach Pat Kelley remembered a film session from three years ago.
With the video stopped, Kelley recalled a particular moment featuring his current senior class.
"These seniors, I can remember vividly, about midseason of their freshman year we were watching as a coaching staff and we paused the video and we had seven freshmen on the field on a Friday night," Kelley said. "It was great for them to get experience but, especially in our conference, you're not going to win a lot of games if you start seven freshmen."
Kelley retained those seven first-year players and they form the crux of the Hornets' 12-man senior class looking to continue the upward trend established last year.
Fulton hosts the School of the Osage Indians in today's 2015 season opener. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Robert E. Fisher Jr. Stadium.
The Hornets return 17 starters, including 10 on offense from last season's 6-5 squad.
"That's one thing we haven't had in the last few years is a lot of depth, particularly on both sides of the line," Kelley said.
Junior quarterback Devin Masek will guide Fulton's shotgun-heavy, multiple-look offense. Masek's lone start last year, coincidentally, occurred at Osage in the Hornets' 41-14 season-opening loss.
The 5-foot-10, 155-pound Masek completed 7-of-15 passes for 106 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in limited action under center in 2014. His athleticism and knowledge of the offense solidified Kelley's confidence in giving him the starting nod.
"He makes good decisions and he's probably different from the quarterbacks we've had the last few years, where Sam (Christensen) was a big, strong kid that can run for power, Devin is a lot more elusive," Kelley said. "He can make things happen out on the edge and we'll get him out, roll him out more on the edge than we have quarterbacks in the past to give him better options once he gets out there."
Senior Trenton Clines (5-7, 153) will back up Masek at quarterback, but will be utilized as an H-back and on the perimeter in some multiple-receiver sets.
"He's a good-enough athlete where we'll have him on the field," Kelley said. "... He can do a lot of things for us and it's great because I wouldn't have a problem with him playing quarterback either."
Senior standout Travis Dean returns to the Fulton backfield after rushing for 1,191 yards (7.9 average) and 11 touchdowns in 2014. Dean (5-11, 172) averaged 119 yards per contest on his way to all-district and all-North Central Missouri Conference acclaim.
"(He's) over 170 pounds, still quick and fast," Kelley said. "We're excited, I know he's excited about his senior year; we just have to make sure we help him find some holes."
Dean sets up behind an offensive line that returns all five of its starters from a year ago, a first for Kelley in his 29 years of coaching.
Senior tackles Zach Benner and Kobe Kaminski, senior guards Clayton Bristol and Alex Garner, and junior center Jared Peery started all 11 games and sprung Fulton runners loose for 203 yards a contest and 5.9 yards per carry.
"All five of them are athletic, especially the guards," Kelley said. "They work hard and they set a great example for the guys behind him."
Benner and Kaminski - each listed at 6-1, 215 - both switched to tackle in their junior seasons after the Hornets phased out their use of the tight end. Benner - an all-NCMC selection last year - sat out last week's Jamboree due to recent arthroscopic knee surgery. Kelley listed him as day-to-day in regard to his availability for tonight's opener.
Peery (6-0, 210) fine-tuned his blocking in the offseason to complement the solid snaps he delivered in his first year starting.
"We put a lot on him," Kelley said. "... He struggled blocking, but his snaps were true and that's what's really important. Now, he's become a better blocker as well; it's exciting to have him up there."
Masek will have no shortage of receiving options to help replace departed all-district, all-NCMC receiver Devin Gibson. In fact, Kelley believes he has as many as nine pass-catching options.
The group is led by senior Radarion Glover (5-10, 165), who tallied 239 receiving yards (34.1 average) and a touchdown on seven catches last season.
"Bubba has become a great leader for us," Kelley said. "He doesn't say a whole lot, but he works hard, works through pain, works through injuries, and he's probably harder on himself than anybody is."
Kelley singled out senior wide receiver Andy Baysinger (5-10, 165) as his unit's best blocker. He will also look for contributions from juniors Alec Fleetwood (6-0, 160) and Isaac Franklin (6-1, 165), and sophomore Makygh Galbreath (6-0, 155).
"All of these guys can start at any given time or place depending on what we want to do in the beginning of the game," Kelley said.
Fulton's depth on the offensive line will prop up a defensive front that will switch between a 4-3 or 4-4 look.
Bristol (5-11, 240) collected all-district and all-NCMC recognition at defensive tackle in 2014 after racking up 64 tackles and a sack. Garner (6-2, 230) compiled 43 tackles and a team-high three sacks while switching between tackle and end. Benner notched 42 tackles, two sacks and a team-high five tackles for loss a year ago.
Behind that front is a linebacking crew that could have depth issues. Kaminski tallied a team-high 144 tackles and three interceptions in the middle en route to all-district and all-NCMC honors.
"We know when he gets out there on Friday night ... he covers the field and he's everywhere, and he gets to the ball," Kelley said.
Junior Will Dunn (5-11, 175) will man the other spot in the middle when the Hornets go to four linebackers. Junior Luke Berrey (5-11, 170) returns to the outside after accumulating 96 tackles a year ago. Clines - who logged 22 tackles in six games last season - will man the other outside slot.
Glover - who totaled 44 tackles, an interception and a defensive touchdown in 2014 - will man one cornerback spot, while sophomore Cameron Vaughn (5-11, 162) will occupy the opposite side.
Baysinger is slotted at strong safety and junior Luke Gray (5-9, 160) will shift from corner to free safety.
"Cameron, his athleticism, he's a great cover corner, and him and Bubba up there, we'll play a little bit more man, which allows us to be more aggressive with our front seven," Kelley said.
Two years ago, this Fulton senior class had a big hand in upending Osage 28-22 at home in the 2013 opener. Returning to the site of that triumph, Kelley hasn't put too much stock in that result heading into tonight's game. A victory to start the year is good, no matter the opponent.
"It's not just Osage," Kelley said. "Anytime you start off with a win at home, it's a good start."
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Tonight: Fulton hosts School of the Osage - Updates on Twitter: @FultonSunSports or @SOTOsports. Listen live online: cool1027.com.
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Fulton Schedule
Here is the schedule for the Fulton football team. All games start at 7 p.m. TBA -To Be Announced:
Aug. 21 School of the Osage
Aug. 28 at Versailles
Sept. 4 Missouri Military Academy
Sept. 11 at Moberly
Sept. 18 Marshall
Sept. 25 at Hannibal
Oct. 2 Boonville
Oct. 9 at Mexico
Oct. 16 Kirksville
Oct. 23 District opener*
Oct. 30 District semifinal*
Nov. 6 District championship*
Nov. 14 Quarterfinals, 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 21 Semifinals, 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 28 State championship, at Edward Jones Dome, TBA
*Site TBD