14 seniors returning for A-J football team

The high school football season didn’t finish that long ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was played in early spring.

The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School football team started practice last week for the fall 2021 season and will have some experience back from that shortened six game season.

A-J head football coach Brett Detering said that 14 seniors are returning for the Wildcats. 

“Seven to eight of them started on both sides of the ball,” Detering said. “I hope we’re able to draw off that experience.” He added that “a lot of them started as sophomores.”

Six juniors, 11 sophomores and 14 freshmen make up the rest of the squad this season.

Senior Gavin Osman will be at quarterback for the Wildcats. Because of an injury to the quarterback during  his sophomore season, Osman played six games and has been quarterbacking since then.

Sophomore Payton Denny will be the backup quarterback.

Receiving candidates Osman will be looking for down field are seniors Matthew Wright, Camden Hodges, Brylen Sudds and Dylan Ahlberg.

Top back field candidates are seniors Jake Stokes, Josh Davis and Wright, junior Jude Smith and sophomore Tyler Cunningham.

Four starters return to bolster the offensive line in seniors Keagan Keller, Brad Glasco and Andrew Detering, who were all starters as sophomores, and junior Liam Schroeder, who started most of the season earlier this year.

On defense, Landon Cleghorn, Pecord, Wright, Johnson and senior Byron Lang return, as well as Osman and senior Zack Stokes.

 “A lot of our guys start  on both sides of the ball,” Detering said. 

“This season, we could run into problems with depth and injuries,” he cautioned.

The Wildcats are scheduled to open their fall season Friday, Aug. 27, on the road against West Frankfort.