2025 Outlook

Coach: Mike Mosier (4th season)

Career record: 7-20

Last Playoff: Class 3A Semifinals, 2018

Best Playoff: Class 3A State Runner-Up, 1998

2024 Record: 4-5

When Mike Mosier was named the new head coach at Herscher ahead of the 2022 season, he and most people close to the program knew that the Tigers had a promising freshmen class coming in.

Now, that group is a bunch of hungry, experienced seniors with their sights set on ending the area’s longest postseason drought, last having reached Week 10 in 2018. After a 4-5 2024 campaign, the Tigers know they’re close, and also remember the feeling of how far away that one game from playoff qualification felt.

“That was a lot of motivation for them to get going,” Mosier said. “They want in [the playoffs] pretty bad.”

Six of their nine returning starters will go both ways for the Tigers, with senior Tanner Jones back at quarterback and safety for his third season. He’s thrown for 2,143 yards and 16 touchdowns so far, and Mosier has seen him take a large leap ahead of his senior year.

“You can see it a lot this year with the way he listens, the board work he’s done, the paying attention he’s done,” Mosier said. “The growth has been really good and he’s making really good reads.”

Senior running back/linebacker Alek Draper is also back for his third year, looking to rely on his unique blend of speed and strength in an advantageous position in the offense of new coordinator Austin Berns.

“He really worked on his explosiveness and his power, and it’s just paid off,” Mosier said. “When we did our joint practices you could really notice it. I can’t wait to see him in Week 0 and Week 1.”

Another senior, Reed Laird, returns as a starting wide receiver while fellow seniors Dale Cloonen and Gavin Nelson and junior Tyler Lundberg will also see action.

Mosier’s most excited about his offensive line, centered around returning seniors Nash Brubaker, Gavin Hull and Brock Crane. Juniors Mason Zirkle and Brayden Crews round out a starting unit that will be coached by iHSFCA Hall-of-Famer and longtime Tigers coach John Wakey.

“It’s the most solid line we’ve had in a while,” Mosier said. “The biggest thing has been getting coach Wakey to come back and coach the line. He’s been awesome.”

Brubaker, Crane and Mavric Strahan are back on the defensive line, where Crews, Zirkle and Tyler Emard will provide depth in the Tigers’ new 4-4 look under new coordinator Kurt Quick. Hull, the Tigers’ lone Daily Journal All-Area pick, will be joined at linebacker by Draper, Laird and Jaxon Sukley, with Jones, Mason Roberts and Gaige Brown all back in the secondary.

“They put in an amazing offseason, even before summer, coming to 6 a.m. workouts during basketball season,” Mosier said. “And this summer has just been one of the best. We’ve definitely come out of it the strongest we’ve been in a while.”