Boot Camp: Dee-Mack with big plans despite small senior class

MACKINAW, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — It won’t take long for Dee-Mack football to have a senior day ceremony this fall.

But the Chiefs hope the season is a lengthy one for those seniors.

There are only six seniors in the 63-player Dee-Mack program this year but one of them is Max Eccles, a valuable running back, receiver and linebacker for the team. That’s great starting point for the Chiefs, who bring back five starters of offense and defense from a 2023 playoff team.

“We’ve been working on a bunch of stuff on the defensive side,” said senior lineman Reece Watson. “Working on how fast we can go, blitzes and that kind of stuff.”

Senior Couri McCall is standout two-way lineman for the Chiefs, who won five games last season before a first-round playoff defeat. Quarterback Chuck Hathaway is another senior who’ll be counted on to lead this team.

Even with a small senior class, coach Cody Myers thinks his team has experience. Many of his juniors have quality varsity experience.

“The guys who have been three-or-four year players are seeing more of that (experience). They’ve had two offseasons, now three with the team,” said Myers. “They are bought into the plan and see it’s a yearlong cycle (to get better).”

Dee-Mack opens the season at home Friday night vs. West Hancock.

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