HS football spotlight: Kickapoo QB Brett Diers

Kickapoo QB Brett Diers

Brett Diers has been around long enough to know better. And now he’s showing it.

Engineering Kickapoo’s spread offense is one thing, but Diers’ performance as the Chiefs quarterback has been a bit of a tightrope act after tailback Coleton Cloud went down with an ankle injury early in the season. While Diers’ passing numbers aren’t the gaudiest, he’s helped Kickapoo to a 1-0 record in Class 5 District 8 after a huge win over Nixa last week. And looking at the statsheet, there is one number that catches everyone’s attention.

Interceptions: 3

The most experienced of Springfield Public Schools quarterbacks, the senior has been under center for the varsity since his sophomore year, when he split time with then-senior Daniel Follis. And last year, when coach Kuper Kreul made him the full-time starter as a junior, his overanxiousness showed.

Diers, who has been pursued by colleges ranging from NAIA to FCS (NCAA Division I-AA), has plenty of arm. But his competitiveness got the best of him as a junior when he was 63-of-154 passing for 880 yards and two TDs — and nine interceptions. A problem exacerbated by 51 dropped passes and passes complete inside the 5-yard line.

But now, he says he’s learned not to squeeze unnecessary throws into tight spaces, understand the playbook and still trust his arm.

“Last year, I had a rough year,” Diers said. “I think I learned from it … I started making smarter decisions, not trying to force things and live for another down.”

Kickapoo (4-3 overall) has been the beneficiary. With the Chiefs forced to alter their run game after Cloud’s injury, Kickapoo has won its only district game, with a road trip to Neosho tonight and home games against Branson and Ozark. Remember, the top two teams from each district advance to the playoffs.

Here in his senior season, Diers is 60-of-103 passing for 538 yards and five TDs. In Kickapoo’s dual-threat system, he has also rushed for 92 yards and two TDs. Plus, his completion percentage against teams like Camdenton, Rolla, Lebanon and Nixa has been 75 percent.

But again, with a lessened margin for error, Diers hasn’t put his team in sticky situations. Why? Because he knows better.

(Editor’s note: Cloud is expected to start tonight at running back for Kickapoo.)