KINGDOM CITY - In a year constantly dogged by the presence of COVID-19, Don Boulware likes the air of familiarity that permeates his North Callaway Thunderbirds.
Boulware starts his second year as head coach at North Callaway when the Thunderbirds launch the season today at home against the Louisiana Bulldogs in an Eastern Missouri Conference contest. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
North Callaway is coming off a 7-3 finish in 2019, ending in a 49-22 loss to O'Fallon Christian in the Class 2 District 5 first round.
"I know the kids a lot better and the coaches, they know me," said Boulware, a 1973 North Callaway graduate. "If this was the first year, I can't imagine. Even despite COVID and despite not being able to have 7-on-7 and camps and Jamborees, I think we're fairly along this year because of the continuity within our staff and with the head coach knowing the lay of the land, knowing his players better, knowing his assistant coaches.
"We know each other, we trust each other."
The Thunderbirds bring back seven starters from an offensive unit that put up 32.4 points per game last season. However, North Callaway will see a new face at quarterback in sophomore Braydn O'Neal (5-foot-8, 145 pounds) after two-year starter Jadon Henry graduated.
O'Neal saw limited playing time in 2019, but did step in when Henry suffered a hit to the head while playing defense and helped rally the Thunderbirds in the second half of a 46-29 EMO win at Clopton/Elsberry.
"He really throws the ball well," Boulware said. "He's not a real big kid, but he has gotten bigger - he lifts hard, he's strong for his size, he's fast, he's quick, he's athletic.
"He sees the field really well and he's got good arm talent. Even though we're a little nervous about putting a sophomore out there who hasn't started before, we think he's got a lot of potential and a lot of upside to develop into a really good quarterback for us."
While O'Neal acclimates to being a starter, North Callaway will depend on a running game that averaged 236.4 yards last season. The Thunderbirds lost their second-leading rusher, Mason Wortman, to graduation, but leading rusher Cody Cash - a 5-7, 155-pound senior - returns.
The fleet Cash gained 896 yards (6.9 average) and was second with eight touchdowns to Mason Wortman's 10. Cash also sparked North Callaway in receiving with 14 catches for 283 yards and tied for the team lead with three scores.
"Cody is fast, but more so than fast, he's just really athletic," Boulware said. "He's got great vision, which for a running back and a receiver is a gift.
"More so than his speed is his ability to change directions, make people miss, cut on a dime. He sees holes and he waits for blocks to develop, and then darts through a hole as good as any skill kid I've ever had."
Cash will be joined in the backfield by junior running back Trevor Ray (6-0, 210), who was third on the team with 392 yards (6.4 per carry) and six touchdowns in 2019.
The Thunderbirds also bring back their third-leading receiver - senior tight end Christian Griffith (6-0, 200) - from last season. Griffith finished with 11 receptions for 130 yards and three scores.
The wide receiver mix will include seniors Wyatt Raithel (6-1, 175) - who had three catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns in 2019 - and Layne Wortman (6-2, 185), as well as junior Payton Olsson (5-8, 190).
North Callaway's offensive line will feature two returning starters - junior center Zeke Gilman (6-1, 225) and senior guard Josh Selby (5-10, 185). Senior Grant Wright (6-0, 180) will also be counted on for playing time at guard.
The Thunderbirds return six starters to a defense that allowed 24 points per game last season.
One noticeable area of concern will be the fact the entire defensive line graduated, though Gilman and Selby are expected to be starters.
"That's going to be the biggest question mark," Boulware said. "We think we're going to be quicker and more athletic up front."
Griffith - who piled up a team-high 97 tackles last season - is back as a three-year starter to anchor North Callaway's linebacker corps. Ray and Wright are also expected to be part of that package, according to Boulware.
The strength of the defensive unit appears to be the secondary, where all three starters return - Raithel and Layne Wortman at cornerback, and Cash at safety. Cash led the Thunderbirds with four interceptions in 2019 and tied for second with 66 tackles, while Raithel finished with two interceptions.
"We've probably got more experience on the back end than we do at any other level of the defense," Boulware said. "Layne and Wyatt - for corners - have some height. That's a nice luxury to have because a lot of teams in this conference have some freakishly tall receivers.
"Then Cody on the back end, he just has center-field instincts. Some guys - when the ball is in the air - they go get it. He's got that."
The Thunderbirds will square off tonight against a Louisiana squad that was 0-10 last season.
"Louisiana hasn't had great success lately, the kids know that - we're not going to emphasize that," Boulware said. "They've got more kids out, they've got a new coach. They could come out running the swinging gate or the polecat, who knows?
"We better be ready for whatever. We're just excited to play somebody else right now. Every year you go through this - you get to this point in the preseason, you're tired of hitting on each other, you're tired of the routine of practice. You need that extra adrenaline that you get only from facing a different opponent in an actual game."