By Mike Monahan

After going 1-8 last season, Mattoon High football coach Jared Kimbro realized he had to address several areas where his team had faltered.

Kimbro started with the team’s overall strength, believing that could help ease problems in other areas.

The Green Wave allowed 36.1 points per game, big plays often keeping drives rolling. The offense also struggled, scoring only 13.1 points a game and averaging just 227.8 yards per game.

“We worked very hard in the off-season to improve our overall strength,” said Kimbro.” I think that will help us improve in other areas.  We worked quite a bit on improving our offensive consistency.  We put our defense in a bad spot too many times last year with bad snaps, 3 and outs and turnovers.  We are looking to improve our overall offensive efficiency.  Defensively, we have worked on not giving up the big play that can change the momentum of a game.”

A total of 20 players graduated, including second-team all-offense and defense Apollo Conference lineman Riley Spencer. MHS returns two other all-conference players –  second team all-conference linebacker Cale Kimbro and receiver Owen Hawkins. 

Kimbro said the team worked on fundamentals The first two weeks of practice was uncharacteristically cool and during that time coach Kimbro said they worked on fundamentals and worked on as many reps as possible. 

Mattoon moved practices this week to the morning due the extreme heat. 

“The kids handled the time change and early mornings very well,” said Kimbro, who had been an assistant for 18 years before last season. 

Tonight, he will see how well the team has improved when the Green Wave open the season at 8 tonight at Triad.

Triad leads the series 10-2, having won last year’s game 41-22. The Knights, who have made the Class 5A playoffs six of the last seven years, received a vote in the Associated Press preseason poll.

“Triad’s offense is very opportunistic and we have to play sound assignment football to limit their opportunities for big plays on us,” said Kimbro. “We will also have to handle their pressure.  They blitzed us quite a bit last year, and we have to be able to counter that aggressiveness.”

Senior Slater Trier returns at quarterback, where he was six yards short of throwing for 1,000 yards, completing 77-of-168 passes. Deaiden Arnold, the team’s second leading rusher last season, returns after making 79 carries for 378 yards during his sophomore season. Hawkins led the team last year with 38 catches for 510 yards. 

“Having most of our skill kids back on offense definitely helps us from an understanding standpoint,” said Kimbro. “Slater coming back at quarterback is huge. He knows the offense inside and out now, and I have high hopes for him and the offense this season. Hawkins and Jake Butler come back at receiver and they have caught a lot of balls this offseason and improved their blocking. Arnold and Sewell are who I expect to both have a huge impact on the offense.”

This year’s team has five sophomores, 16 juniors and 14 seniors for a total of 35 on the varsity. There area  total of 58 overall. 

The seven returning offensive starters are JD Sullivan (tackle), Kael Alexander (guard) Blane Howell (center), Elliott Burell (tackle), Jack Lepeyrouse (tackle), Trier (quarterback), Arnold (tailback), Butler (wide receiver) Hawkins (wide receiver), Luke Branson (tight end) and Kimbro (halfback). 

Defensively, Kimbro was the top tackler last year with an average of 10.1 per game.

The returning defensive starters are Sean Fuentes (end), Josh Egeijuru (tackle), Payton Ethington (tackle), Jack Lapeyrouse (end), Blackburn (linebacker), Kimbro (linebacker), Sewell (linebacker), Gavin Cline (corner), Ben Capitosi (corner), Trier (safety) and Arnold (safety).

“Our defensive front has increased their overall strength, and we have added some depth that we have not had in the past,” Kimbro said. “Our linebacking core is as good a group as I can remember us having in a while.”

Aidan Blackburn is three-year starter at linebacker, playing beside Sewell and Cale Kimbro. 

“Those guys all run and hit and are fun to watch,” Jared Kimbro said. “Slater is also playing safety for us; he is the quarterback of the defensive backfield and does a great job at that. “

With so many seniors gone from last year Kimbro knew that playing together is one of the keys. 

“The biggest accomplishment of the summer was the kids coming together as a team,” said Kimbro. 

Notes

The captains for the 2023 season are Trier, a two-year captain, along with Sullivan, Arnold and Kimbro. “The strength of our team is that they hold each other accountable, pick each other up and most of all play for each other not themselves,” said Kimbro,who added the goals are always the same and that is to compete for a conference championship and make the playoffs. …

Mattoon’s home opener is Sept. 1 against Olney. “We are just excited to play,” said Kimbro when asked about facing a playoff team. “We need to see where we are at and playing a team as talented and successful as Triad is a great test for us.”

Varsity Roster

Head coach: Jarad Kimbro, 2nd year, 1-8 .111. Assistant coaches: Colton Anderson, Matt Carpenter, Mike Cater Nathan Clapp, Jarod Kiger, Scott Kinney, Billy Manning

Seniors

Name/Height/Weight/Position

Aiden Blackburn 5-9 160 OLB/RB

Luke Branson 6-0 200 TE/DE

Ryan Bridges 5-11 160 NA

Gavin Cline 5-10 175 SS/CB

Noah David Decker 5-10 300 NA

Josh Egejuru 6-1 275 G/DT

Sean Fuentes 6-0 190 TE/DE

Owen Hawkins 5-11 185 SS/WR/CB

Tanner Keith 5-11 200 DT/T/G

Jack Lapeyrouse 6-1 255 OL/DL

Michael Smith 6-0 195 OL/DL

John (JD) Sullivan (C) 6-2 260 OT/DT

Slater Trier (C) 5-11 140 QB/SS

Mason West 5-9 125 NA

Juniors

Kael Alexander 5-10 215 OL/DL

Deaiden Arnold (C) 5-11 195 RB/FS

Jack Butler 5-10 160 WR/DB

Benjamin Capitosti 5-8 150 CB/WR

Braden Clafelter 5-8 130 WR/DB/K

Payton Ethington 5-10 220 OL/DL

Jordan Eveland 5-6 115 WR/DB

Ean Freeman 5-10 175 RB/LB

Sam Gerkin 5-10 210 OL/DL

Hayden Gordon 5-11 150 WR

Evan Gregg 6-0 200 NA

Kayden Harminson 6-0 155 WR/CB

Blaine Howell 5-10 195 OL/LB

Cale Kimbro (C) 6-2 200 ILB/SE

Layken Maulding 5-8 150 SB

Logan Samuelson 6-2 190 TE/DL

Trysten Sewell 5-8 170 RB

Kaleb Wright 5-8 150 WR/DB

Sophomores

Elliott Burrell N/A N/A

Logan Eithington 6-0 220 T/DE

Shayden Neff 5-10 160 NA

Cooper Spencer 6-0 140 QB/WR

Kamden Tinsman 5-10 175 TE/LB

NA-not available

2023 Schedule 

(last year’s scores in parentheses; game time is 7 p.m. unless noted)

Friday at Troy Triad (L, 41-22)

Sept. 1 OLNEY

Sept. 8 at Highland

Sept. 15 EFFINGHAM*# (L, 34-0)

Sept. 22 at Mt. Zion* (L, 21-42)

Sept. 29 at Eastern Illinois University vs. Charleston* (L, 35-14)

Oct. 6 at Taylorville* (W, 17-14)

Oct. 13 MAHOMET-SEYMOUR* (L, 47-14)

Oct. 20 MARION & (L, 42-20)

&-Senior Night; *-Apollo Conference game; #-Homecoming

2022 Stats

PASSING

Trier: 77-for-168, 994 yards, 6 TDs, 12 INTs

Kimbro 11-31, 113 yards, 0 TDs 2 INTs

RUSHING

Name rushes total yards TDs

Arnold 79-370 yards, 3 TDs

Kimbro 55-155 yards, 3 IDs

Sewell 7-35, 1 TD

Trier 18-63, 2 CDs

RECEIVING

Hawkins 38 receptions, 510 yds, 3 TDs

Branson 9-102, 0 TDs

DEFENSE

Kimbro 30-61 for 91 overall tackles

Blackburn 36-42 for 78 tackles