HSFT Stop #41: Mooreville
After going 4-6 in its first season back in Class 4A, Mooreville is entering 2026 with confidence that another step forward is within reach. Head coach Jacob Massey says the Troopers are not using their relatively recent move back into the classification as an excuse. Instead, the focus has been on correcting the mistakes that held the team back a year ago while preparing a young roster for the challenges ahead.
“We’ve got to control what we can control,” Massey said. “We had some bad turnovers at times and then had some issues with depth once we got into division play. Those have been the two main things we’ve focused on this spring and summer.”
With only five seniors on the roster—four on defense and just one on offense—developing younger players has become a priority. Massey said the coaching staff has emphasized giving underclassmen meaningful reps throughout the offseason, whether on special teams or as backups, to better prepare them for Friday nights.
“We’re just trying to get as many kids as much experience as we could in the spring game and then in the jamboree,” Massey said.
That developmental mindset is reflected in a team motto the Troopers have embraced: TNT — Takes No Talent. The message emphasizes that effort, consistency, and attention to detail require no special ability.
“It takes no talent to just come up here and get better,” junior quarterback Cameron Cady said. “Showing up is huge. If you’re not here, you’re not going to learn, and if you’re not learning, then you’re not going to play.”
Cady has already experienced plenty of change during his Mooreville career. He arrived as a freshman wide receiver before transitioning to quarterback, and now enters his junior season as the leader of an offense hoping to make a playoff push. For Cady, leadership begins with building relationships.
“It’s just relationships,” he said. “If you’re not a good person, they’re not going to want to come work with you. Our coach has done a great job of showing us what it means to be a leader. You’ve got to learn your guys. Some players respond to tough coaching, while others need a different approach. You’ve just got to know your teammates.”
While Cady directs the offense, senior linebacker Eli Rodgers is helping lead the defense.
“As a senior this year, I’m leading the team by coming in every day and working as hard as we can,” Rodgers said. “It’s about getting everybody together, rallying as a defense, and making sure everybody is in the right spot, both on and off the field.”
Although Mooreville remains one of the younger teams in the classification, Massey believes his squad is much better prepared for its second season in 4A.
“I thought we did some really good things coming back into 4A,” Massey said. “The last time Mooreville was in 4A, they went 0-10. Being able to come in and be competitive at times was really important for us in year one. We’re in a much better place now. I know the kids better, they know me better, and we’ve figured out what we’re good at and what we’re not. We have a much better plan going into my second year than we did my first.”
Mooreville will open the 2026 season on Aug. 28 against Ripley.
