Boonville pirates

In 2022, the Boonville Pirates claimed the Tri-County District Championship, the school’s first in eleven years. The Pirates capped off their season with an 8-5 record and a season that saw its fair share of challenges, including a shootout road win against the Hallsville Indians in week three. Under Head Coach Greg Hough, the team enjoyed an explosive offense, as they far surpassed national averages for yards per game at 382. But, with the loss of many of their top producers, the Pirates will need both newcomers and returners to step up in order to repeat their success.

Boonville returns nine offensive starters this upcoming season. The team will need production from some of their experienced starters, as they lose AllState QB Colby Caton and All-State WR Jackson Johns to graduation. But, for coach Hough and the Pirates, its experienced players are well-equipped for the challenge. Of the returning starters, the multi-positional Dakota Troost (5’11, 175) provides some hope for even higher offensive production. Troost, now entering his senior season, missed much of 2022 due to a knee injury. Hough noted how his return makes an impact, “Troost was a key piece to our offense last year, doing a variety of things – RB/WR/QB,” he said. “[Troost being] limited and eventually sidelined for the season still leaves his potential untapped.” Another promising feature for Boonville is the return of

Class: Class 3

Conference: Tri-County

Head Coach: Greg Hough Years at School: 5

Record at School: 36-20

Overall Record: 97-92

Offensive Starters Returning: 9

Defensive Starters Returning: 8

Total Returning Lettermen: 18

2022 Overall Record: 8-5

Boonville Pirates Schedule four starters on the offensive line. These starters include senior OL Drake Cottrell (5’9, 170), senior OL Jake Pickens (5’11, 180), junior OL Rylee West (5’10, 255) and sophomore OL Braylon Ellison (6’5, 265). Both Cottrell and Pickens are three-year starters, with Pickens returning to the lineup after an ACL injury in 2022. Ellison also returns from injury, coming off a recent shoulder surgery. They will be joined by senior OL Kennedy Griffy (5’10, 265), who saw brief action last season. Although Boonville lost several key skill players, the team returns four experienced starters looking to make a bigger impact. The Pirates return two senior RBs: Rhodes Leonard (5’10, 190) and Eli Stock (5’8, 175). Boonville received most of its rushing game from QB Colby Caton; Leonard and Stock will likely get more opportunities with his loss. The Pirates aim to move their offense forward with junior QB Evan Bishop (6’4, 185) leading the charge. Bishop sporadically saw the field in 2022, with 68 pass attempts in six games played. Hough recognized his competitiveness, particularly in his experience with Boonville’s basketball and baseball programs. The Pirates’ receiving corps lost its top receiver, Jackson Johns, but will return two key starters – junior WR Rhad Leathers (5’10, 185) and senior WR Blake Griffin (5’10, 175). Griffin is a three-year starter and will look to take on a bigger role this season. They will be joined by WR Dakota Williams (6’3, 185), who enters his senior season having never played high school football.

The Boonville offense found success in 2022 behind explosive All-State players like Caton and Johns. The team averaged 26 points per game and scored over 40 points in two wins last season. The Pirates offense, which operates from a gun spread formation, will look to bolster those totals with its variety of returning starters. With an offensive line that returns almost every starter, the trenches will be important in giving space for skill players to flourish. On the other side of the ball, Boonville sees the return of eight defensive starters. Up front, two starting defensive linemen return, Rylee West and Braylon Ellison. They will be joined by junior DL Sean Volrath (5’9, 265), who saw some action last season. Boonville also returns four senior linebackers; these include LB Isaiah Escamilla (5’9, 165), LB Abram Taylor (5’10, 190), LB Eli Stock and LB Rhodes Leonard. Taylor is a three-year starter who has previ- ously played both LB and DL; Leonard also joins the linebackers after playing in the secondary in previous seasons. Escamilla returns to the lineup after going down with an ACL injury in week two of last year. Additionally, the team returns two valuable members of its secondary: DB Dakota Troost and DB Cooper Pfeiffer (5’9, 165).

Boonville’s defense experienced many ups and downs in their 2022 season. They allowed 26 points per game. The defense fluctuated throughout the season, allowing less than two touchdowns in five games, and allowing over 40 points in four games. Nevertheless, their defense provided enough stops to propel the Pirates to a district championship. With many experienced starters returning, coach Hough and the Pirates will look to tighten the defense up even more in 2023.

Fresh off one of their best seasons in recent memory, the Boonville Pirates enter 2023 with confidence. Coach Hough, going into his sixth season with Boonville, recognizes that the team must remain sharp in order to repeat their success. “When adversity comes, we must be able to adapt,” he said. “Our schedule will challenge us each week and we must bring our best to compete.”