Mark Twain tigers

Entering last season, there were a bunch of questions over how everything would go, with a last minute coaching change throwing things into turmoil. Former Head Coach Austin Leake took a position as an assistant coach in the college ranks two weeks before the season, but Head Coach Mark Epperson was familiar with the players and the program, so they were able to pivot without too much stress. Entering the 2023 season, the Mark Twain Tigers will look to rebound and improve their record after a 4-6 finish last season. Even though everyone on the team gave it all they had and worked hard on the field, they just fell short of their goals and couldn’t put it together on the field. According to coach Epperson, “Ending the year at 4-6 was not what we wanted, but the players never quit and put in work each and every week.” Epperson has been a member of the school coaching staff for 20 years as an assistant coach, this year will be his first complete season with the team alongside assistant coach Jared Akright. The team has six starters returning on the offense and defense and will look to establish a strong base to build off of for the new incoming freshmen.

Each coach has a different philosophy over how to teach their players and Epperson’s coaching strategy involves not talking about winning games. He instead spends time with his team discuss-

Class: 2

Conference: EMO

Head Coach: Mark Epperson

Years at school: 20

Record at school: 4-6

Overall record: 4-6

Offensive Starters Returning: 6

Defensive Starters Returning: 6

Total Returning Lettermen: 10

2022 Overall Record: 4-6 ing what it takes to get the outcome that they want on a Friday night in front of the fans. Some of the key points that are discussed include the practice needed to perform well, maintaining mental toughness to keep the team focused no matter what the situation is, overall knowledge and understanding of the game, the body language and emotion shown by everyone and hard work through the offseason to keep the players fit and constantly improving both physically and mentally.

We should expect to see the team play in a multiple offense style, meaning they will use a mixture of both passing and running. Last season, the Tigers averaged 224 rushing yards, 91 passing yards and 27 points per game. There will be a new man under center as junior Nolan Epperson (5-9, 170) is the new starting quarterback for the Tigers and will have three offensive linemen returning including senior Wyatt Evans (6-2, 270), junior Brayden Moss (6-2, 265) and sophomore Micah Daniels (6-0, 275) who will look to keep the backfield humming. Evans was named All-Conference and All-District last year. Behind the offensive line, Epperson will have senior Hunter Miller (6-0, 200) at halfback to hand the ball to and receivers Ayden Waters (5-8, 165) and Coden Miller (5-9, 160) to look out for down field. They all are on the shorter side, but high speed and agility should make up for it. Juniors Jack Dotson (5-8, 160) and Eli Tobin (5-9, 170) will be making their debuts at the halfback position and with a strong and big offensive line, they should be in a great position to find success and as they progress through the season, we should see an increase in both confidence and speed.

Defensively, we should expect to see the team play with multiple fronts, which allows them to adjust to different offenses. The team used this style last season and everyone developed perfectly and with Mark Twain having a high amount of starters returning defensively, they are keeping it and hoping for further development. Some of the returning defensemen include Wyatt Evans and Brayden Moss who will set the defensive line and hope to make a push with their size. Evans earned AllConference and All-District accolades. Ayden Waters, an All-District edge rusher last season will return this season to get past the offensive line and establish the pressure. Hunter Miller is also coming off an All-Conference season at linebacker and will have Jacob

Dotson alongside him. The team’s safety for the season will be Coden Miller along with a completely rebuilt defensive back corps including Jack Dotson, Eli Tobin and Nolan Epperson. It is always said that the heart of a defense is at the line, and with both linemen and an All-District edge rusher returning along with work from the defensive backs and other newcomers, the Tigers should have a sound defense looking to make a strong impact this season.

Going back, the Mark Twain Tigers are in a rebuild offensively with a completely different backfield including a different quarterback and three new halfbacks, who are all on the smaller side for their positions. However, they will still have ten returning lettermen, two returning receivers and a strong offensive line to ease the pressure when needed. The defense appears to be similar with a big and strong defensive line and linebacker corps, with the only change being at cornerback. Mark Epperson is looking to step up and make an impact after being an assistant for twenty years. His time has finally come and while he will have a strong challenge with a new offense, but with a sound defense, everything looks sound and set for an improved season.