Hickman football avoids complacency, looks to make even bigger strides in 2025
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Summer workouts are in full swing around the state of Missouri, as the 2025 high school football season is right around the corner. Out at Hickman High School, the Kewpies are in a vastly different position than they were just one season ago when summer practices hit, as they are set to enter year two under head coach Justin Conyers.
In just one season at the helm, Conyers made significant strides in turning around his alma mater’s program. The Kewpies went from zero wins in 2023 to four in Conyers’ inaugural season, in 2024. He not only gave the underclassmen a glimpse at what this program could be, but also led the seniors to their first home win in the purple and gold. However, despite those improvements, this team is far from satisfied.
“You wanted more,” Conyers said. “I felt like we left a lot out there last year. You know, yes, we won four games, but not satisfied with that by any means. I thought we were a six or seven win team last year. I thought we could have won those games and we just didn't, you know? So, we have really worked hard on how to finish, you know, and how to battle through adversity. We just left a meeting talking about leadership and what it means to be a leader and really trying to develop that more within our program, too.”
Conyers said the strides his team made last season gave his underclassmen motivation to keep improving in 2025. He said a big thing he’s been emphasizing with his group this summer is not getting complacent. He said you have to coach that mindset and make sure your guys want more. He noted that Hickman football has not had a winning season since 2012. That is a one thing that remains near the top of their to-do list.
One major sign of encouragement for the culture that Coach Conyers is building is the numbers he’s seen through summer practices. At this time last year, his team was hovering around the 80-player mark during the summer. However, ahead of the 2025 campaign, he’s seeing more than 100 guys take the field to put in work.
“I think one of the big talks right now for us is, you know, we only had 12 freshmen in our program total last year, so we were unable to have a freshman team. Right now, we're over 50 kids in our freshman team. So we're going to be able to have a freshman program this fall, which I think is going to be huge moving forward for our program,” Conyers said. “It's huge because if [there’s no freshman team], then those kids are trying to fight for reps to play JV on Mondays, you know, and there's only four quarters of football. Yes, you want to be competitive, but yes, you also want to develop talent, right. You want to see these young kids get reps. Well, now that gives those guys four quarters of football to play on a Monday, as well.”
Hickman only graduated 10 players after the 2024 season, but two of those graduates made a massive impact on this team: tight end Brock Camp and wide receiver Carter Holliday. Conyers said replacing that production will be difficult, but his young guys are chomping at the bit to get an opportunity on Friday nights.
One key member of the 2024 roster is returning, however: quarterback Bredun Bursey. Coach Conyers said he was impressed with the young man’s play as just a sophomore last season and only expects to see his potential grow from here.
“I mean, some of the plays he made, some of the freelance stuff that he can do, what he can do with his arm, what he can do with his legs — he’s very, very good with those things. Now, the things we're working on is staying within the program of what we're doing so that we can be better for you,” Conyers said. “You know, we can protect you better and you don't have to go out and make all those crazy plays that you're showing highlights up on Friday nights. I love those things, you know, but sometimes those things are way harder for that young man than what they needed to be. Getting him to trust that our offensive line, our playmakers around him are here for him and they're here to make him be the best he can be.”
The Kewpies have not only made strides on the gridiron, but in the weight room, as well. Conyers said weight room culture is a big part of any program he builds and now his team is beginning to look the part of a Class 6 school.
However, the culture Coach Conyers has built reaches far beyond the weight room. A fact that is evident by the participation he’s seeing this summer.
“The thing is is that you want our kids to recruit kids. You don't want to have to be the guy all the time that's in the hallways, trying to get kids to come out. When you build something that people are excited about, they want to be a part of, they feel wanted, they feel needed, it obviously just self-recruits and that's what our kids have done,” Conyers said. “They've done a tremendous job of recruiting their peers. You know, we're having several kids come back out that didn't play football before or played and then quit, you know, and so just having those relationships with those kids that have been in the program and trusting them to go get the right kids to be a part of what we're doing, I mean, that is where we want to be.”
Hickman will continue to work for the rest of the summer and into August, ahead of kickoff. The Kewpies will start the season at home against Marquette on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.
