Hickman football works towards next milestone: winning a district title

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Ever since head coach Justin Conyers took the reins of his alma mater, the Hickman Kewpies have managed to raise the bar, year-in and year-out.

In his first season at the helm, Coach Conyers led his seniors to their first win on their home turf. Then, he followed that up in his second season by going undefeated at home, including the Kewpies' first win over rival Rock Bridge since 2012. Now, that begs that question: what's the next goal?

"It is a district championship," he said. "The thing I talk about is that is our number one goal every single year is to compete for a district championship and we were so close last year. You know, losing 23-20 to Helias in the district semifinal game, arguably our best football game we played all season long, and just to feel that. Even though we lost, but the feel of our program whenever we left that game was we're right there and we're knocking on the doorstep. So, to be able to give our fans, to give our community, to give our kids and our program the opportunity to compete for that district championship, that's the next step."

As Hickman is in the midst of summer preparations for the 2026 season, which will mark Conyers' third year as the Kewpies' head coach, he said avoiding complacency will be the key to following up 2025's success.

"When you've had a little bit of success, you know what you need to build on and you know what you need to get better at," Conyers said. "Our standard is not deviating. This is our standard and our kids know that. Like, if we're going to be who we were last year and be better, we can't deviate from that standard. It has to be the same every single day, you know? I think the kids are finally starting to buy into that piece of like what it's going to take to be able to get to that next step of competing for the district championship."

Heading into the 2026 campaign, Coach Conyers and company are excited about returning a big senior class, who experienced the growth of this program first-hand. However, there will be a bit of a new look to some aspects of this Kewpie squad. Conyers said that they have some guys taking on new roles, including players who will play on both offense and defense, which is something he's been building towards in his time at Hickman.

But, what's also been building is the culture within the Kewpie program.

"The good thing is when your team starts leading itself. That's culture," Conyers said. "I's not when it comes from me, when it's, you know, top down leadership. It's not really my style anyways. I'm more of a servant-style lever leader and I just like to watch our kids hold each other accountable and watch them help kids in the weight room, watch them walk kids through practice reps of what they're doing right and what they're doing wrong. That's culture and that's where you're seeing our program, right now. That's the big thing that puts the smile on my face about our program and where we are is just those big steps that we needed to take and we're getting there. By no means have we arrived where we want to be, but we're taking the proper steps to get where we need to be and meeting that standard day-in and day-out."

That kind of leadership is a quality that's essential at the quarterback position and Conyers said he's seen major strides from returner Bredun Bursey, who is set to enter his senior season. As Bursey looks to compete to be a three-year starter for the Kewpies, what's impressed his head coach the most this offseason hasn't been his unreal playmaking ability, but how he's interacted with his teammates.

"I will tell you, he did an interview after one of our 7-on-7's down in Jefferson City, and I even told his mother, I said he did an outstanding job, just so well spoken, talks about his teammates and he's one of the kids that I've been talking. I've watched a big growth in him this summer. You know, right now we're competing a little bit, we're throwing some guys in and we're making him have to compete to every single day and it's making him better. He's been one of those guys that I've kind of just sat back and I've watched and in the weight room today, you know, helping a new kid, you know, just simple things like that where that's leadership and that's what I need out of him, those things and for everybody to see that side of him," Conyers said.

Bursey had a breakout season in 2025, as the dual-threat quarterback tore it up against some of his school's biggest rivals. He showed off just how lethal he is through the air and on the ground in Hickman's dominant win over Battle, a cross town foe. In that game, Bursey passed for more than 260 yards and four touchdowns, along with 90 yards on the ground.

However, Bursey doesn't have to do it alone. He's been surrounded with quite a few big playmakers, including Coach Conyers' son: Kason Conyers. The rising senior plays as a hybrid back for the Kewpies, both at tight end and running back, as he's coming off of a breakout junior season, as well.

The 2026 season will mark an emotional one for the Conyers family, though, as it'll be the last that Coach Conyers gets to be with his son on the field.

"I am really going to take the moments and I'm going to soak them in and I'm going to take the time. I have to because I'm always on to the next, it's coach mode all the time and sometimes I forget to really celebrate with him, you know, and the big accomplishments that he's had along the way," Conyers said. "I mean, coming from Class 3 football [at Hallsville] to being a Class 6 in his first year and not because his dad is the coach, but because he earned the right. To be to be a team captain for us, you know, to get scholarship offers right now to go play at the next level. I mean, it's exciting stuff, right? So, I'm really doing a much better job, especially this summer, of taking a step back a little bit, you know, and not always having the coach hat on 24/7 and being more dad and just enjoying these moments and enjoying the recruiting visits together and the trips and the time, because I know in a blink of an eye it's going to be gone and I'm not going to have those times anymore with him being in my locker room with me."

Although the season is still about two months away, Conyers has already highlighted the areas his team needs to grow in, one of them being in the trenches. Up front, both offensively and defensively, Hickman has been working to get some depth. However, that's still a work in progress.

"We have a lot more skill depth. We don't have a ton of big depth," Conyers said. "We're trying to create that right now, especially when you say, hey, we're completely two-platooning and you're only playing offensive line and you're only playing defensive line. You know, we've got to get pretty creative in that piece, so we're trying to find what are our best pieces up front on both sides. So, our guys know that it's not anything that's unspoken in our locker room or in our film rooms. We've addressed it and that's one thing that I love about this group is we're still grinding to try to figure out who those five will be at the offensive line, and who those three to four guys starting for us on Friday nights are going to be on the defensive line, as well."

Hickman will kickoff its season on Aug. 28 against Fort Zumwalt West, as the team will look to grab its first district win since 2012.