Energized Cutter Morning Star program leaping back into 11-man football

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

Perhaps no one has been more excited for the official start of high school football practice this week than Cutter Morning Star’s program.

The Eagles, whose roster has increased from 7 to 42 in three seasons, are making the move from unsanctioned 8-man club football back to 11-man AAA sanctioned football and will be in the Class 4-3A Conference.

It is the third season for Cutter Morning star head coach Nick Finley, whose team will appear on Fearless Friday’s TV Game of the Week on Thursday, Sept. 19 when it hosts Fountain Lake.

“When I arrived at Cutter Morning Star…summer practices, seven players,” Finley said. “School started and we ended up with 10. We went 0-7 first season there.

“But then we hit the off season, got some other guys out and next season ended up having 35 players out, which ended up being the highest number of football players on a team in the school’s history.

“We had to buy some equipment and thanks to our school district, we were able to buy more uniforms and everything else to outfit these kids,” Finley said.

Those reinforcements allowed Cutter Morning Star to thrive in the 2023 season, going 6-3 with a season-ending 58-6 loss to Mountain View in the semifinals.

“Being in 8-man football, numbers are a thing,” Finley said. “We came in there with 35 guys, it made for a great season, went 6-3 and made the semifinals of the unsanctioned club division in 8-man.

“We had a lot of success, a lot of comeback wins and a couple of games where you could call it a miracle. But at the same time, our guys work hard and they deserve every bit of success that they get.”

So off that 6-3 season, the Eagles return quarterback Peyton Mills among its 6 starters on offense – which put up 54 points per game – as well as 6 on defense.

“We got out of the (three-year AAA classification cycle) and have 42 players on our roster right now and for a 3A level school, I think that is great,” Finley said. “It gives us a lot of depth, but at the same time, there is a lot of a growing process.”

Finley is confident that his squad will be able to compete in a conference that also include tradition-rich Glen Rose, Perryville, Jessieville, Magnet Cove, Danville, Paris and Twin Rivers.

“I had a radio interview the other day and they said ‘you pretty much have every game on your scheduled,’” Finley said. “I said ‘yes, because we have a lot to prove.’

“There are a lot of teams that are circled to me on our schedule, but it is just an opportunity to showcase what we have. I think everybody is just kind of looking at us as coming from 8-man and they are going to be doormat again when they get to 11-man.

“But I am here to tell you that is not going to be the case because we have a lot of good kids with character and our offense is going to be one of toughest to prepare for by the many stuff that we do.”

Finley borrowed a line from former Pulaski Academy and current first-year Sheridan coach Kevin Kelly, who appeared before him at the 65-team Big Miller Media days in Little Rock on July 24-26.

“I was kind of watching this morning and Kevin Kelly said it best ‘we are going to do about a million things and they are going to have to prepare for it.’

“That’s one thing I have carried as a defensive coordinator – what do I not like to see?’ And what I have done is put in what I don’t like to see in our offense to have some success.”

That offense is a high-scoring spread one led by Mills, who passed for 2,433 yards and 32 touchdowns.

He’s got weapons in running back Michael Sexon, tight end Jackson Duncan and wide receivers Brody Spears, Asher Livingston, Devin Simpson and Hunter Sanders.

That offense will be on display in an Aug. 22 home benefit game with Gurdon and then in the season opener Sept. 6 at Poyen.

“It’s been great,” Finley said. “Peyton has seen a lot of success with it. He has 4,600 his sophomore and junior years and he is looking to break 7 or 8,000 this year. There is a huge opportunity in front of is.

“But by any means we are going to have to do work in our conference and I think we have some good preseason games to set us for our season in conference.”

That conference is one that is filled with teams and communities that Cutter Morning Star knows well.

“A lot of familiar faces,” Finley said. “I graduate from Magnet Cove so I am going to get to play my alma mater this year for the first time this year.

“Glen Rose lost a lot, pretty much the senior class that took them deep into the playoffs, but I have huge respect for (former head coach) Steve (Kehner) and (current head) Coach (Matt) Kehner over there.

“But they have a huge tradition and I played against Coach (Billy) Elmore when he was first getting started over there. It has carried out 15 to 20 years of just playing Glen Rose football.

“They are going to be real good, Perryville is going to be real good, real solid. Looking Jessieville is going to be a really good team. Everybody is going to be good.”

There are obviously some changes going from 8-man to 11-man football.

“You are…adding more guys to the field and are having to teach more technique,” Finley said. “We are a little bit behind in areas, but that’s what hard work is for. You have got to work hard to get those guys ready to have success on Friday nights.

“I just am excited about our new direction and how we are going and excited about these guys and the plays they are going to make this year.”

Photo courtesy of Cutter Morning Star