<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1Kg0BI_0v13KPuV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Kg0BI_0v13KPuV00" width="477" height="500" ><figcaption>Key members of this year’s Crystal City football team, front row, from left, are Riley Hendrickson, Jacob Loveless, Nolan Eisenbeis, Hayden Westbrook and Matt Nelson. In the back, from left, are Garrett Withers, Gage McPherson, Elias Miller, David Parham and Trent Eisenbeis. Russell Korando photo</figcaption></figure>The Eisenbeis name is synonymous with Crystal City football.Generations of the family have worn the red-and-black uniform, continuing a long tradition of community pride in the Hornets.Senior quarterback Nolan Eisenbeis completes his four-year journey with the team this fall and the program has never needed the family more. His brother, Trent, a sophomore, will be blocking for him as part of a solid offensive line.“It’s an honor to continue that (tradition),” Nolan said. “(Trent) is going to be the last one for a little while. I’m excited to compete.”With 12-15 players attending camps over the summer, new head coach Adam Sims will guide this skeleton crew through at least 10 games, starting with a road trip to Sikeston Aug. 30 to play a Bulldog team three classes above them. Practice began this week at JJ Commerford Stadium.“We’re asking a lot of all 15,” said Sims, who replaced Dan Fox. “We’re installing different things and they’re adapting. They’re hungry and ready to play football. They’re showing up and doing the hard work and hopefully that will all pay off when we go to Sikeston.”Fox took over a program that was on life support and led it to a 16-6 record the past two seasons, culminating in a spot in the Class 1 District 2 championship game against St. Vincent, a 45-14 loss. Sims sees no reason why the Hornets can’t rise to that level.“One of the reasons I was excited about coming here was the history of the school and football team,” he said. “They’ve done some nice things and we hope to carry that into the season.”Much of the Hornets’ recent success resulted from having all-state track and field athletes carrying the football. But long jump state record holder Kanden Bolton and medal-winning hurdler and jumper Camden Mayes graduated, as did leading rusher Caden Raftery (1,135 yards).Just as significant is the loss of senior quarterback Cale Schaumburg, who transferred to Festus. Schaumburg, a talented lefty pitcher in baseball, shared time with Eisenbeis under center last year and was one of the team’s top rushers and tacklers.The run-oriented Hornets traditionally don’t pass much and Eisenbeis completed 13 of 25 passes last season, three for touchdowns. With Bolton (937 yards) and Raftery getting most of the carries, Eisenbeis rushed for 389 yards and five TDs. He also caught a pass for 30 yards. Playing linebacker, he led the team with 70 tackles and had an interception. His top offensive performance was in a 42-8 win over Russellville, throwing for two touchdowns and running for two more.“I look forward to seeing him develop on Friday nights to see what he can do,” Sims said. “We also have one of the strongest lines in the county.”“We’re running a different offense,” Eisenbeis said. “We’re not going to give the ball to Caden Raftery and let him get three yards. We’re going to do more misdirection and do things faster. There’s not a lot of option (scheme, just) fast flow. The sophomores are going to get a lot of playing time since we lost a lot of seniors.”Trent Eisenbeis, Hayden Westbrook, Gage McPherson and Jacob Loveless all return on the offensive line. With few reserves, they’ll also line up on the defensive side of the ball.“We have a good solid foundation on both sides of the line,” Sims said. “They work well together and have been through the ringer and the heat.”Juniors Landon DeRousse and Ricardo Pastrana combined for 30 carries and 200 yards rushing last year and will take on the burden of ground-game production. They’re joined by freshman Skyler Fowler, who could develop into a breakaway threat.“(Pastrana) is fun to watch,” Sims said. “We don’t need 10-, 20-yard runs from him, we need three or four at a time. If he does that four times, it’s a first down and we march down the field and accomplish the things we want.”After visiting Sikeston, the Hornets host Louisiana Sept. 6. The two teams have met three times in the last two years, with Louisiana winning the last two, including a district playoff game in 2022.The Louisiana contest kicks off a three-game homestand, with Bayless/Hancock Sept. 13 and Confluence Prep Academy Sept. 20. As of this week, Crystal has an open date Oct. 4. Sims said he’s trying to find an opponent to fill it.Even during years when the Hornets have fielded 20 or more players, they knew they might be on the field all 48 minutes. It’s become a source of pride among the generations who’ve passed through.“If it’s hot or someone gets hurt, we’re going to have a lot of moving pieces, so we’re telling them to not get settled in one spot you might be starting in,” Sims said.</div></body>

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Eisenbeis returns at QB to lead Hornets

The Eisenbeis name is synonymous with Crystal City football. Generations of the family have worn the red-and-black uniform, continuing a long tradition of community pride in the Hornets. Senior quarterback Nolan Eisenbeis completes his four-year journey with the team this fall and the program has never needed the family more....