Ted LePage is entering his 12th year as head coach of the Jefferson City Jays, extending on his lead for the second-longest tenure in school history.
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LePage gearing up for 12th year,
but what does the future hold?
Aug. 6, 2017
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. --- It's been this way since the dawn of football.
The coach at Jefferson City High School has had his pick of public school talent ... and it's certainly been a deep, large pool of talent. Some years, really deep.
That will change in a few years with the opening of the new high school. Overall, that's a good thing for our youth.
But what about for this once dynastic program that set the standard for high school football excellence in Missouri for more than four decades?
Not so much.
It will never be the same. Period. Although many contend it hasn't been the same since Pete Adkins retired. And when you look at the numbers, they're right.
The new high school, however, is of no concern for Ted LePage.
"To be honest, I haven't given it much thought at all," the Jays head coach said. "I can't say what it holds, that's not in my pay grade. The future is right now for us.
"I just know that we're the Jeff City Jays getting ready for this season, and we have a bunch of kids who want to play football for Jeff City High School. I don't mean for that to sound like coach-speak, but that's the way I feel.
"I'm just worried about 2017."
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SO WHAT ABOUT 2017? You won't have guys like Gunnar See, Rashaun Woods and Dennis Barnes to lean on anymore.
Where have all the playmakers gone?
"We're going to be a lot younger than we've been in a few years," LePage said. "Our senior class has never been a really big class ... I think there were 20 when they were freshmen and there are 16 now. But they've got a chip on their shoulder.
"They know they haven't been very good, they're working their tails off, and they like playing together. Then our junior class, it's got some talented kids in it and our seniors are doing a good job of leading them."
With seven starters back, the defense should be the better unit this season --- at least early.
The line is basically back intact, and you can expect big things from 6-5, 235-pound junior Corey Suttle at defensive end. Then there's senior Elijah Jackson, who's a force at linebacker --- a force, even though he's only 5-8.
Rest assured, you won't see many 5-8 linebackers in Class 6 football. But then, it's not the size of the dog in the fight ...
"He's not real big," LePage said, "but he's so quick and he's as strong as an ox. He's a ball of muscle. And he's probably the best locker room guy we've had in a long time, and that's saying something. He has a way of talking to and motivating the other players in a very unique way."
The biggest changes come on offense, as junior Devin Roberson looks to replace See, who was a fixture at quarterback. Roberson won't be See, but at 6-3, 215 pounds, Roberson can do something See couldn't --- run over you.
"He can run the rock," LePage said. "I've been watching him since he was in the sixth grade and he's extremely talented. He just turned 16, he's young and he's going to make some mistakes. But he's a horse ... he's like Cam Newton or Russell Wilson.
"We'll probably do more old-school things with him."
Meaning, look for the Jays to run the ball a lot more than they did with See. Which is not so say Roberson can't throw it, as "he has a rocket" for an arm, as evidenced by his second-place state finish in the discus this spring.
Maleek Jackson, a 190-pound junior, will look to fill the sizable shoes of the graduated Woods at running back. Jackson is actually faster than Woods, who could outrun the majority of defenses.
"He can fly," LePage said of Jackson. "He's young and he hasn't played running back a bunch, but we want to see where he can go with it.
"I've told everybody that if we get hot, we can be a really, really good team and we can give people some trouble. But if we don't get hot, we could be 2-8."
A young team certainly doesn't need to start 0-3 --- and the Jays are on the road the first three games --- but could reap some serious benefits with a 3-0 or 2-1 start.
One of those three games, however, is at defending state champion Kirkwood, so you have to figure that will be the one.
"We've had a great offseason and we've got great chemistry, but it would be really important if we have some success early," LePage said. "I think that would just accelerate what we've been telling them.
"We're going to be a work in progress, it's not something that's going to happen overnight. We're going to earn it. Whether they can play at this level, we'll see. But they sure pass the eye test.
"We've had a motto all offseason, 'It Can Be Us.' And why not?"
Why not, indeed.
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THIS WILL BE LEPAGE'S 12TH SEASON as head coach of the Jays, extending his lead as the second-longest tenure in school history ... trailing only you-know-who.
But will this season be his last, whether it's by his choice or not? Some think it will be the former, since this will be the senior year for his youngest child, Tori.
Well, if this is his last with the Jays, it won't be by choice.
"I plan on being a Jeff City Jay for as long as they'll have me," said LePage, who directed the Jays to the semifinals in two of his first three seasons (2006, 2008), but not past the quarterfinals since. "I like my job, I like being around the players, I like the community ... I really enjoy Jefferson City.
"I can't control what happens in the future, but I can tell you that my plans aren't any different than they were my first year here. I want to win, but even more, I want these kids to win and help the young men become better men.
"All I know is that I'm excited and proud to be the coach of the Jeff City Jays, and we're going to play our butts off this season."