Mark Twain’s Evans putting knowledge, commitment to use as leader for young squad

CENTER, Mo. — Entering his fourth season as a starter and one of only three seniors on the roster, Wyatt Evans sees himself as a de facto coach on the field for the Mark Twain football team.

“I want everybody to be able to run our playbook right,” he said. “It’s not just a running back hitting the right hole but getting other offensive and defensive linemen to be physical, to step correctly, to learn the terminology and schemes, teaching them to use their hands and feet.

“I know what’s going on, so I’m sort of a coach for the younger guys. I feel like I’m good at adapting to situations, so I want to help the younger kids adapt. I want to help make us a better team.”

His teammates listen because they have watched Evans’ work ethic on the field and in the weight room. The 6-foot-2, 280-pound offensive tackle and defensive end earned all-conference and all-district honors on both sides of the ball a year ago and his play has caught the attention of college coaches.

He remains a strong proponent of the program installed by former strength and conditioning coach Dalton Hill, who left Mark Twain earlier this year to take the same role at Palmyra, then later was named that school’s head football coach.

Evans has been a fixture in the weight room since last season ended in November, as have many of his teammates. He routinely lifted weights four or five times each week and ran sprints at least three times per week to improve his speed and agility. He worked out on weekends and throughout the summer to better himself.

“It’s a process I have become addicted to,” he said of the workout program Hill tailored from his playing days at Northwest Missouri State. “I’ve always had an it-all-begins-in-the-weight room mentality, but you’re not going to get anywhere being just a big bodybuilder-type blocker. So, I’ve been working a lot on my speed this summer.

“I think to perform at the highest level you have to put in the extra work. It makes you feel good when you feel yourself getting more athletic, running faster, moving quicker, getting stronger.”

His work has not gone unnoticed.

“He puts in so much extra time,” Mark Twain coach Mark Epperson said. “In the weight room, he’s a monster. He will be working on his footwork after school or after practice. Wyatt is an exceptional player who understands the game and works at it.

“On top of that, he’s a great leader and a good kid. He already has several offers to play college football.”

Mark Twain, which recorded 10 victories and reached the district championship game in 2021, is coming off a 4-6 season in which it failed to win consecutive games. The Tigers were held to a lone touchdown four times as injuries stripped them of some of the explosiveness displayed the year before.

Fast forward to this season, and several skill position players on offense are either underclassmen or new to their roles. One of the team’s strengths is the offensive line, where Evans will be joined by two returnees, junior Brayden Moss (6-foot-2, 265) and sophomore Micah Daniels (6-foot, 265).

That unit’s play will go a long way in determining how Mark Twain fares in the Eastern Missouri Conference and beyond.

“A majority of our starters are juniors, and only three or four have played varsity before,” Evans said. “We have an extremely solid line up front and we’re going to use that to our strengths. We have to establish our run offense and play at a high level.

“Last season didn’t turn out as we hoped, but what happened, happened. We will build on it. We’re excited for the season. A 4-6 team is not what we want to be. I would love to win every game.”

Mark Twain will be tested immediately as it hosts Monroe City in its opener. The Panthers beat the Tigers in the district championship game in 2021 and posted a 48-8 victory in last season’s opener en route to their second straight appearance in the Class 1 semifinals.

“We’ve had pretty rough encounters with them the last two years,” Evans said. “We want to change the tide. We don’t want somebody to walk all over us. We have home-field advantage. We play on grass and they play on turf. Hopefully, that will give us some advantage.”

Regardless of how the season plays out, Evans plans to continue his playing career beyond high school. Central Missouri State, Truman State and Quincy University have all expressed an interest in him as an offensive lineman. Other schools could join the mix this fall.

“Honestly, it’s surreal that it is my last season in high school,” said Evans, who stood 5-foot-10 and weighed 235 pounds as a freshman. “I have no regrets. I feel like I have put in all the work I could have and become the best player I can be. I feel as though I have done the things to put myself in the position to play college ball.

“I can’t fathom this will be my last season playing football.”