Matthew Herman set for year two at the helm of Battle football
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The difference between the 2023 and 2024 offseason for Battle football coach Matthew Herman is night and day. Less than a year ago, he was taking the reigns of a program just weeks before kickoff. Now, he's in the midst of a building a culture that will last.
In his first season at the helm of Spartan football, Herman led his team to a 3-7 overall record. But, what was more important was the foundation built.
"I think the expectations and standard of Battle High School football, really of what we're about, what we've been about and where we're supposed to be and where we want to be," he said. "For our guys, it's really about day-in and day-out, what we do. We've kind of got a standard, we say some things behind closed doors for us, and they understand that our work ethic and how we do things around here and they've really bought into that. Our weight room numbers have sky-rocketed up, our attendance numbers are up...that's a big piece for us."
As summer workouts wind down and high school teams approach the MSHSAA dead period, Herman is excited about the direction of his team. He said the group is going to get back to the old Battle football.
"We're gonna run the ball, we're gonna take some shots at you and we're going to spread you out and attack you on defense and we're gonna come at you," Herman said. "Those guys right now have bought into that and we're gonna fly around the football pretty well."
A big piece in the Spartan's 2024 strategy will be running back Chris Brown, who is a returning starter from 2023. Herman said he played a lot of defense last year, but is a feature back this season. He added that there are some guy behind him, in that room, that are playing well.
Herman said that Brown has gotten bigger, faster and stronger from the 2023 season. In fact, the running back tied the school's bench record on Tuesday.
There will be a new face at quarterback for the Spartans, though. Alex Fernandez, the 2023 starter, graduated at the end of last year, so his former backup Kendle Wilkerson is taking the reigns of the offense.
"He's a smart kid, plays tough, plays strong and, for us, he's bought into what we're doing," Herman said. "He was the backup last year and got some time in a couple of games and able to transfer that over and has been here all summer."
Battle will open up the season on the road at North Kansas City, before meeting its first CMAC opponent in week two, when Capital City comes to town.
Year-after-year, the conference gets more and more difficult. In 2024, teams will have to contend with a new opponent. Camdenton joined the ranks of the CMAC in the offseason, as the Spartans will meet them for the first time as a conference foe on Sept. 27.
"CMAC is no joke," he said. "You look at who we play year-in and year-out, guys are fighting for district titles, quarterfinals, semifinals, making runs at titles. It's no joke and we play a tough schedule. We got non-conferences and sometimes I wish we had four or five, but all it does is make you better. For us, you get to that playoff time, you've already been through the fire. You've played the toughest of tough teams in the state."
Battle will face North Kansas City, on the road, on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. Fall practices will begin after the MSHAA dead period ends on Aug. 12.
