Jefferson City football had a tough start to the season against Class 5 powerhouse Chaminade, but it doesn't get easier this week against Class 4 power Hannibal in Week 2.
"We were at a meeting not too long ago and a coach from another school walked up and said that, 'Hey, I just wanted to tell you, your schedule is brutal,'" Jefferson City coach Damon Wells said.
Wells and his team got through the first game of the season, a 34-20 loss against Chaminade, but the Jays have another tough test this week at 7 p.m. Friday at Porter Stadium in Hannibal.
The Pirates are 1-0 after dispatching defending Class 4 state champions Helias 54-20 on Friday and are one of the favorites in Class 4 this season after returning most of their skill players and linemen after an 8-3 campaign in 2020.
The matchup could be a postseason preview, with Jefferson City and Hannibal both in Class 4 District 5, but Wells hasn't been afforded the luxury of looking too far forward. The Jays moved down from Class 5 after being a Class 6 program in 2019.
"I'm totally focused on how we can get better today and trying to navigate Chaminade and Hannibal to start the season," Wells said. "We don't have our mind on late October, early November, we've got to get through right now."
The game will be a test for the Jays defense against one of the more experienced and prolific offenses they'll face all season. Hannibal returns quarterback Courtland Watson and running backs Aneyas Williams and A.J. Thomas with four of its five starters on the offensive line.
Williams is one of the most promising athletes in the state. He was the only freshman to be named to an All-State team last season after he was given second-team honors in Class 4. He also earned an FBS offer from Oregon during the summer before his sophomore season even started.
The sophomore back had 262 total yards with three scores in Week 1 and will be a threat as a runner and receiver with his game-breaking speed. Thomas also had 142 yards rushing while Watson returns from an injury-shortened junior season where he threw for 19 scores.
"When you have a well-coached team plus a significant amount of talent, it's a pretty good combination to have," Wells said. "It's definitely a challenging start to the season."
Those players offer another test for a young line that was vulnerable against the run in week one. The Red Devils ran for 280 yards on 28 carries, with their workhorse back William Lufiau running for 210 yards and three scores. The Jays' defensive line will have to improve in the trenches to make sure Williams and Thomas don't repeat that kind of performance.
One of the Jays' position groups with the least experience is in the trenches, so another week of experience will certainly be beneficial. Wells said the Jays have five juniors or sophomores in the front seven along with a line that, besides returning starters in junior Jordan Garth and sophomore Brodie Smith, is a group of fresh faces with a lot of underclassmen.
"We're constantly being mindful of the fact that our entire offensive line is sophomores and juniors," Wells said. "And the depth pieces are all underclassmen."
Smith, a 6-foot-5 lineman who played center on offense and as an end on defense, started as a freshman last season and is someone who can give Jays fans hope of improvement in the trenches as a player with potential.
"We have a number of kids who, the sky is the limit," Wells said. "But we talk about never trying to predict a kid's fate. That hard work and being a great teammate and having a positive attitude, all those things are going to be a litmus test for how good they can be in the future."
That youth has been shoved to the forefront to combine with a group of skill position players that are primarily seniors.
Running backs David Bethune and Kevion Pendelton, fullback Will Berendzen, quarterback Hayden Wells and tight end Seth Brooks are a couple of the skill players who will graduate this spring and Damon Wells wants to get the most out of their last season.
"One of the promises we made to this group of seniors is that they're going to get our very best effort today," Wells said. "Our vision is not on the future the whole time. We're mindful of the future, but we also deserve to give them the very best opportunity to be successful today."
For the Jays' mixture of youth and experience to have success against the Pirates, the team needs to improve on ball security and special teams.
Against Chaminade, an interception just outside the red zone in the middle of the first quarter and a fumble just past midfield stopped two promising Jays possessions in Chaminade territory.
Those empty possessions along with two miscues on punts, a low snap that forced a turnover on downs, and a blocked punt that set up a third-quarter touchdown for the Red Devils, were the difference in the two-possession game.
"We do a deep dive into all three phases every single week," Wells said. "So we will address everything that needs to be addressed."
The Pirates defense was advantageous early against Helias, with a touchdown on the Crusaders' second play from scrimmage to go out to a 13-0 lead, showing that the unit can take advantage if the Jays have some sloppy play.
Wells and his squad will have another tall task tonight, but the first-year coach is focused on more than just the short term with two of the team's tougher opponents to start the season.
"Obviously you want to win football games," Wells said. "And I know that's the metric that we will be judged on. However, our kids are doing everything right outside of that. I believe if you focus on the process and you stack some wins on a daily basis the scoreboard will tend to take care of itself."