Perryville football coach Brent Roth had two words to describe his team’s 2025 season.
“I think pretty good is probably the answer,” Roth said. “We didn’t necessarily accomplish the goals that we had set out going into the year — we didn’t get a conference championship, and we weren’t able to get back to that district championship game — but all in all, we won seven games and had a lot of personal or individual success along the way. I think the biggest thing is this senior class and the impact that they made on the program the last two years, winning 17 games over the last two years. That’s really put our program on the map and showing signs of improvement, even though we’re still not where I want to be.”
Roth, a Perryville native who’s watched, played for, and now coaches Perryville, has a definite idea of where he wants to lead the Pirates in the future.
“I want to be a champion, and I want to bring us some trophies home,” Roth said. “We haven’t been able to do that thus far, but I do feel like we’re moving in the right direction and that’s a big credit to the work that these seniors put in and their ability over the last two or three years.”
The Pirates certainly made an effort. Senior quarterback Kayd Luckey completed 97-of-181 passing attempts for 1,508 yards and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for 392 yards and 5 more touchdowns on 59 carries. Senior running back Barrett Wheeler, inarguably the team’s top ground-based attacker, rushed for 1,477 yards on 193 carries and scored a team-high 26 touchdowns. Sophomore Xzyavier Wilson led the team’s receiving corps with 29 catches for 522 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Senior Drew Leuckel had good numbers in multiple categories, rushing for 180 yards, catching 24 passes for 420 yards and 5 touchdowns, and finishing the season with 99 total tackles and 3 sacks from his middle linebacker position.
Roth had praise for all his seniors, calling them out for their leadership and the good example they set for the underclassmen away from the field in the weight room and the classroom.
“They’re guys that lead by example,” Roth said. “I think it starts at the O-line. We had four seniors up there, and they all started last year as juniors, and a couple of them played as sophomores.
Those guys have been holding us down on the O-line for the last three years, and we’re definitely gonna miss them, and they’re going to be hard to replace. And then you move to the backfield with Drew Leuckel, Barrett Wheeler, and Kayd Luckey. Our offense definitely ran through those three guys, and we’re definitely going to have some big shoes to fill.
“That’s the nature of high school football. You’ve got to rebuild and keep preparing your younger guys and have them ready to step into those roles.”
Roth said his current crop of juniors is in good shape to do just that, but he wishes there were more of them.
“There are definitely guys that hit the weight room hard and guys that put the work in in the off-season,” Roth said. ”We’re happy with our leadership with that crew. Obviously, I wish I had 20 of them instead of nine of them, but we’ll take the guys we got and work with them.”
To do that, Roth admitted he’d have to accomplish another long-term goal.
“I’ve always wanted to reach 100 kids in the program and try to get 25 guys per class,” Roth said. “I know that’s a lofty goal, but realistically, a school of our size should be able to get 20 football players per class. We have that at our freshman level.”
Roth pointed out the inherent problem with that plan. With so many players, many won’t get playing time, which leads to a loss of interest. Still, he said he hopes to build that level of interest.
“We’re at an exciting time in the program,” Roth said. “We’re to the point where I’m sitting here talking about being a little disappointed about winning seven football games, and I think, five years ago, we would have done anything to win seven football games. We’re to the point now where we’re talking about trying to win championships, and that’s where I want to be.
“Now it’s time to go out and do it and not talk about it.”
