A Rocky Start for Springfield's New Coach
Springfield High School’s football team opened the season with a 40‑0 defeat at the hands of Cahokia, a result that dropped the Senators from early competitiveness to a stark mismatch.
First‑year head coach Trent Quarton, who replaced Jon Hebb, acknowledged that the team’s execution fell far short of expectations, citing a barrage of penalties and a failure to capitalize on a prime scoring opportunity.
The Senators squandered a chance to take the lead early, stopping at the Comanches’ 4‑yard line before a dropped pass and a series of eight infractions that cost 40 yards, leaving them trailing 7‑0.
Junior quarterback Andrew Benning managed only 7‑of‑14 passes for 42 yards before being replaced by sophomore Jacob Scheffler, who took over a shoulder tweak and tried to spark the offense.
Junior captain Jackson Jenkins, after watching his team collapse in the second half, said the squad must "keep going and play hard," emphasizing the need to close out games and improve drive execution.
Overall, Springfield’s offense managed just 138 yards while Cahokia scored both early and late in the first half, a performance that left the coaching staff with plenty to address before the next matchup.