Young Deshler team working to carry on tradition

Two years ago, the Deshler Tigers put together an undefeated regular season, a 12-1 third-round campaign and lost over 20 seniors to graduation.

Despite losing so much experience, the Tigers still had a solid 8-4 year in 2023, including a trip to the second round of the state playoffs.

However, according to third-year head coach Patrick Malone, Deshler is still going to be on the younger side in 2024.

That said, many of the younger Tiger players do have considerable playing experience.

“Having young guys starting with a schedule like ours is tough,” he said. “By the time we got to Westminster last season, they had played a whole year. They might be sophomores on paper, but they are as experienced as juniors.

“We look to rely heavily on those guys. We have eight seniors getting into the fold late, and we have to marry those two sets together, but we are excited for the challenge. We return some experience, but we are still going to be young. Some of these guys can barely ride their bikes in the street.”

Deshler averaged almost 42 points a game last year. But they averaged allowing almost 30. In 2022 the Tigers only gave up 24.5 points per game, which proved to be one of the main differences between 12-1 and 8-4.

Deshler has given up 678 points over the last two years, including a season-high 359 in 2023. However, they scored 500 last season and 541 the year before.

“On defense we have to get that cleaned up,” Malone said. “That’s been a goal since the end of last year. We knew when we started five freshmen on defense, we were going to give up some points. We averaged 42 points a game last year and the year before. Sometimes those were one-play drives, and that’s not a problem unless you are sending out a defensive group that is giving up a lot of points. Hopefully we can get things shored up.”

The 2024 schedule remains mostly the same as last year in Class 4A, Region 7, though Deshler now finds itself in a rare nine-team region. That means one more game that matters towards the playoffs on the schedule.

Gone from the region is Rogers, and now joining are Hatton and Danville. Rogers drops to Class 3A, while Hatton and Danville move up to 4A.

Danville has spent time in Class 4A previously, though with mixed success. The Hawks have not won more than five games in a season since 2009.

Hatton has been in Class 2A since 1976. The Hornets move all the way up to 4A likely in part to absorbing some students from the recently closed R.A. Hubbard, which carried with it the last remnants of former 2A powerhouse Hazlewood.

The Hornets went 7-4 and 7-3 the last two seasons, but the jump to 4A, especially Deshler’s region, might prove tough.

The remaining right games are all familiar opponents: Russellville, Wilson, Colbert County, Central, Brooks, West Limestone, East Lawrence and West Morgan.

When Malone came into the program two years ago on the heels of a 3-7 campaign, the goal was to correct Deshler’s course.

Now that he has a record of 20-5 under his belt in Tuscumbia, Malone and the Tigers’ goal is to continue being the kind of team Deshler faithful are used to.

“I am thankful to be at Deshler and thankful to be around a group of guys that understand what it means to put that jersey on,” Malone said. “These guys are looking forward to getting after it.”

As part of the Football in the South Media Days on July 23, players Dayton Sanford, Ayden Noyola, Camden Fuller and Garrett Reid accompanied Malone to represent Deshler.

When asked about living up to the previous seasons, Sanford said, “We have to lock in on our keys and get our team chemistry together.”

“We are going to leave the past behind us and work on the future,” Noyola said. “We have a lot of returning starters, and I feel like our defense is ready to play this year.”

Another question was what it feels like to be part of the rich football tradition at Deshler.

“You got to know what it means to have Deshler written across your chest,” Reid said. “When you are up the hill, you look down and see the whole community out there supporting you. You know you have to play for your brothers and the fans that came out to support you.”

“It’s special,” Fuller said. “You’ve got ‘Thunderstruck’ going on the speakers and all the fans going crazy. Then you run down the hill with all your brothers. It’s really special.”

Deshler opens up regular season play at Russellville on Aug. 23.