REJOICE CHRISTIAN EAGLES
Coach: BRENT MARLEY
6-5
OFFENSE
Graduation has taken its toll on the Eagles, but head coach Brent Marley is ready to see what this squad can accomplish with several new faces in the starting lineup. “We graduated 12 seniors, in which 11 started, so we will have some new faces. We will have nine seniors on this year’s team. We will have a lot of new guys starting up front on both O and D lines. We also bring up some young freshmen talent from our Junior High team that went 8-0 last year. We will have a lot of new starters and be relatively young. We do have some key veterans returning in a few key positions, which always helps,” said Marley. One returning player is Cale Marley (5-9, 170, Sr.) who can help the offense in multiple ways. Marley has 44 TDs with over 2,500 all-purpose yards in his career. He is averaging 11 yards per carry. We could see Marley at quarterback or in other skill positions. Ben Nichols (5-11, 185, Sr.) heads up a trio of talented wide receivers. That group also includes Neil Leber (5-9, 160, Jr.) and Blake Witten (6-0, 165, Sr.). All three are capable of big plays in the spread, no-huddle offense the Eagles will run. Having time to make those throws is credited to the offensive line and guys like Jett McCain (6-0, 230, Sr.) and Caleb Marley (6-2, 230, Sr.). There are a couple of spots to fill, but they have a great foundation in McCain and Marley.
DEFENSE
Cale Marley returns to the defensive side of the ball at outside linebacker/safety. Last season Marley recorded 140 tackles and six INTs. His efforts have caught the attention of several DI schools including Tulsa, Air Force, Army, Navy, Vanderbilt, Stanford and others. Marley is joined at linebacker by Noah Schnakenburg (5-7, 205, Sr.) who accounted for 91 tackles last season. Add Luke Shaffer (5-11, 155, Jr.) and Nichols to that mix and you have the four LBs in the 3-4 scheme. All four guys will fly around the field and make plays. Nichols is explosive at LB and according to coach Marley, has enjoyed a tremendous off-season. McCain gets the nod at tackle with Karsten Lohse (5-10, 190, Sr.) at end. McCain and Lohse will bring the pressure up front and give opposing lines all they handle. One exciting player to watch is freshman Kamieon Nero. Look for Nero to play safety on defense and wide receiver on offense. Other players to watch include Carter Acree (Sr.) who coach Marley feels is poised for a breakout season. Duncan Andris is the X-factor on special teams and one of the top kickers in the class, if not the state. Also look for Cody Smith (Sr.) who is a team leader for the Eagles. The coaching staff includes Casey Willis (OC/WR), Matt Eakle (DC/ILB), Brandon Johnson (SC/DB), Aaron Warren (DL/Asst. OL), Chance Riley (OL/Asst. DL), and Jace Sanchez (RB).
8-30 – vs. NOAH
9-6 – at Cascia Hall
9-20 – vs. Christian Heritage
9-27 – at Haskell
10-4 – vs. Pocola
10-11 – at Panama
10-17 – vs. Hartshorne
10-25 – at Chouteau
11-1 – vs. Hulbert
11-8 – vs. Warner
