Football preview: Schaefer back to lead Scott City offense

Scott City coach Jim May plans to use senior running back Garett Schaefer a little less this season.

Maybe.

"I'm a firm believer if we're doing something and we're having a lot of success, I'm not going to stop doing it," May said. "So if we're running Garett Schaefer and Garett Schaefer is having a real good night, we're probably not going to stop giving it to Garett Schaefer. But last year we ran into situations where the other team were keying and focused completely on him and we didn't have a lot of other answers. We're going to have other answers for them. We're going to have more things for them to get prepared for this year."

Schaefer returns to lead the Rams offense after rushing for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns on 187 carries. May said he wants to decrease the load on his running back to help keep him fresh.

"We've got several good running backs we feel like this year," May said. "We've got a whole stable of backfield people and we're going to rotate them in and out. Hopefully he won't have to carry quite as much of the load, but he can produce more by not having to."

Scott City's Austin Atchley tries to barrel through two Perryville defenders during Friday's jamboree at St. Vincent High School in Perryville, Mo. (Laura Simon)

Schaefer admits he wore down during last season and hopes to use periodic breathers to his advantage.

"It's really good sometimes to have a break so I'm not getting the ball every other play or every three plays," he said. "When I get a break, it will give me the energy I need to break a one long."

Schaefer said the offensive line has bulked up, which should help create more holes for him.

"The key to success is going to be picking up our blocks," Rams senior lineman Zach Baker said. "If we can pick up our blocks, we'll be off to the races."

The Rams also return quarterback Jamie Scholz, who threw for 449 yards and six scores last season.

Schaefer (Garett)

"We have a really good running back in Garett Schaefer," Scholz said. "He carried a lot for us in the running game. But I think if they start keying on Garett, it's going to open some holes to throw the ball. Hopefully if he has another year like he did last year, we'll be able to throw more."

One of Scholz's favorite targets last season, Alex Eichhorn, will be back. He caught 10 balls for 96 yards and added 67 rushes for 378 yards.

"We feel like we have five backs who can tote the mail," May said. "We have Jamie back at quarterback and can throw the ball. And with Austin Atchley and Corey Rogers at receiver, we feel like we've got some weapons also. ... We feel like we have some pretty good athletes there and we're pretty well covered. We're going to mix it up."

May said he's tweaked the defensive scheme to help his players, and he likes the results so far.

"I actually think right now we're better defensively than we are offensively," he said. "We've simplified our schemes and we went back to tackling and playing gap-sound defense, a bend-but-don't-break style. We're not going to give up big plays. We're going to make you drive it down the field if you can. If you can't, that will be good for us."

Scott City's Travis Phillips tackles Perryville's Ryan Kassinger as more Rams defenders close in during Friday's jamboree.

May said the defense will challenge teams to string together lengthy drives to find the end zone. He won't allow his players to get beat deep.

"It's not gambling," May said. "It's saying we're not going to give it up and we're not going to get beat deep. We've worked really hard with our defensive backs that they aren't going to get behind you. If they are going to get behind you then you can't play. If you want to throw it in the flat for 3 or 4 yards, most high school kids can't do that all the way down the field."

Schaefer said the simplified defense will help the Rams avoid surrendering the big play.

"We don't have as complex play calls and have simpler defenses to get into," he said. "But I think in the long run it will provide a lot better coverage for us."

The Rams went 2-8 in May's first season at his alma mater. Now that his players know what to expect, he's raised his expectations for this year's team.

"Just like with anything else, if you're unsure of what you're doing, you're not going to go as hard as you can just because you're unsure," he said. "When they know what they're doing, they're going to play harder, go harder and we're going to have better practices."

The players said the harder practices should translate to more wins.

"He's always pushed us since the first day he got here," Scholz said of May. "He's pushed us as hard as he can to bring Scott City back to the way it used to be when Scott City won a lot of football games. That's our main goal."