Sarcoxie Team Preview & Players to Know

The quest to return to playoffs was extended another year, but progress is being made in Sarcoxie. The Southwest Conference school went 6-5 last year and reached the district finals for the first time in 18 years. It was the fifth straight year of a .500 record or greater for the Bears in six years for coach Russell Ellis. Year No. 7 starts with with four of the five starting offensive linemen returning and behind them, two of three running backs and the quarterback. Add in two returning wide receivers, one side of the ball will have a lot of weapons. “With the amount we have returning we should be a year older, stronger, faster and more comfortable with our offense,” said <span class="il">Ellis</span>, who had coached for 15 seasons. “Hopefully this leads to opportunities for us to succeed.” A very young Bears squad last year lost the first three games of the season before bouncing back with winning five of the final six regular season games. That included a win over Class 5 Springfield Central and the only setback came to Class 1 semifinalist Marionville. The season came to a halt with a 53-6 loss to Lamar in the district finals. The Tigers moved on to win another state championship but there was a silver lining as it was the first district final berth in 18 years. “This will be the most athletic team we have had in a while,” <span class="il">Ellis</span> said. “We are looking to put pressure on our team to start and finish games. In years past, we have put ourselves behind the eight-ball with slow starts. We will look to put our athletes in space offensively. Defensively, we want to be extremely physical at the point of attack and tackle well in space.” Here is a quick look at some of the Sarcoxie players to watch this fall… <strong>Class of 2022</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="190948" first="Drake" last="Acheson"], 5-10, 185, LB/RB</strong> The all-area and all-conference pick recorded 135 tackles and added 3 sacks last year, while adding 394 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. Ellis called Acheson probably Sarcoxie’s best overall player. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="190954" first="Terio" last="Asterio"], 5-10, 175, RB/LB</strong> He is the Bears’ top-returning rusher with 745 yards and ran for 10 touchdowns, earning all-conference honors. His speed is evident on the field and on the track — where he was a Class 2 qualifier in the 100- and 200-meter dash. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="190955" first="Tyler" last="Cupp"], 5-10, 185, OL/LB</strong> An all-conference pick at both positions, Cupp helped pave the way for an offense that averaged 285 yards per game on the ground. On defense, was second on the team in tackles (69) and tied for lead in sacks (3). <strong>Class of 2023</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="190957" first="Jaron" last="Malotte"], 5-10, 165, QB/DB</strong> In his first year as a starter, he averaged more than 5.6 yards per carry (104 carries for 585 yards) and nine touchdowns, while throwing for another 545 yards. He added two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 45 tackles. Earned all-conference honors at quarterback. <strong>Class of 2024</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="190959" first="Blake" last="Heckmaster"], 5-9, 165, DB/RB</strong> Earned all-conference honors in the secondary for a defense that allowed 25 points per game. Made 29 tackles and added an INT. &nbsp;