John Mustain’s tenure at James Monroe has been successful on all fronts.
He led the girls basketball team to a second consecutive title in the early 2000s and has led the football team to five consecutive playoff berths across two tenures (2015-17, 2021-22).
Last season was arguably his most successful at the helm on the gridiron as the Mavericks took a perfect record to the Class A title game before falling to Williamstown in the final game of the year.
Now in the third year of his second stint, the usually reserved coach is optimistic about where the team is heading into the season.
“I kind of feel like we’re a little bit ahead of where we were last year,” Mavs head coach John Mustain said. “We had a lot of experienced players return last year and we’ve got a lot returning this year. Last year things started clicking pretty quick and so far this year what I’ve seen are positives out of some of the younger ones. We thought they might be possible replacements for the kids that graduated but so far it’s been pretty positive. I’m like any coach where I’ll tell you there are things we’ve got to get better at but it’s been positive and they’re working pretty hard.”
With a load of returners, the goal for many in the program is to make a return run to Wheeling.
“I think they’re aiming high,” Mustain said. “The bottom line that we have to remember is the question is what have you done for me lately? When I look at what we did as a school last year with volleyball, soccer, boys and girls basketball, football and softball and baseball and a state champion in the 400-meter – it was probably the best overall year James Monroe’s ever had. So there’s going to be a lot of that coming into this year. What do you do for an encore? I think the pieces are there for us in particular to make another run but like I tell the boys all the time it’s good to set season goals but ultimately it comes down to weekly goals because unlike other sports, weren’t guaranteed the postseason in football. Obviously you have to have the necessary points just to participate. You have to look at it like you have to win every game.”
Among the returning starters are all-staters Brady Baker, Cooper Ridgeway and Layton Dowdy.
Dowdy, the QB, comes into his junior season after tossing 27 touchdown passes for a program that’s always relied on running the ball. He’ll be without his top receiver Eli Allen along with Nick Pitzer as both graduated. The key now is seeing how he handles the offense without his top pass catchers.
“One of the things we’re trying to find out right now is how the pieces to the puzzle fit,” Mustain said. “Chazz Boggs had a pretty good year as a receiver last year and running the ball. He’s more of a receiver but he does run some. Some of the younger kids look like they can do the job. We have three of four different kids have receptions in our first scrimmage game. It may or may not be positive for us in the passing game. I think it can be but there again, we did lose two of our better receivers last year and a couple kids coming off the bench. Nick Pitzer had a pretty good year for us last year as a receiver. The pieces are there but it’s a matter of getting out there and being able to perform. Again, I’ve always felt like we’re predominantly a running team despite how well we passed last year. Hopefully it will come on because we all know the rate of success will increase if we’ve got a balance of both.”
Cooper Ridgeway, a first-team all-stater last year, will help Dowdy as a multidimensional weapon after catching nearly 30 passes and rushing for over 1,400 yards.
Ridgeway split time time in the backfield with Braydie Carr and Boggs but will likely shoulder most of the load this season. Mustain still plans to keep him fresh but knows he can excel with an expanded role.
“I think he’s ready for it,” Mustian said. “It’s hard to talk about Cooper in the offseason because he plays basketball and baseball. It’s hard to say he has an offseason but he worked continuously in the weight room after football last year. Coach Kelly Mann would open the weight room for any boys who wanted to come in the mornings. I had the evening shift but Cooper worked really hard this offseason. I think he’s going to be more prepared for that this season than he has been in the past. But there again we feel like we’ve got some other kids that can help carry the load too. You don’t really want to be in the situation where you put the load on the shoulders of one kid. But he’s played a ton as a freshman and he’s basically a four-year starter. He’s been through it and I think he realizes there will be more on his shoulders but also knows we have some kids that will be able to help him as well.”
Blocking for Cooper will be an experienced line that Mustain believes will anchor both sides of the ball. Baker highlights the unit but has several other talented pieces around him.
“I feel really good about both of our lines,” Mustain said. “The anchors there are Ashton Evans, Jacob Hall, Brady Baker and Jackson Phipps and I feel like there are some other kids that will step up there. Gavin French and Cole Ballengee are a couple I’m looking forward to seeing. I feel really good about the front line and Justin Feamster is another one who will come in and help us too. Defensively I’m a little concerned at linebacker. We have some kids that got some experience there last year because of injuries and of course in the secondary I have one starter back. I feel like we have the kids that can do a good job but you don’t really know until you get in the heat of the battle. Once you get in the heat of it we’ll see what happens but I feel like we have the kids that can fill those slots.”
The undefeated mark heading into the title game was an impressive one but the likelihood of replicating that feat is small. The Mavs beefed up their schedule again as teams dropped them. The replacements are Wheeling Central, the team James Monroe beat in the semis last year, and Bluefield, an annual contender in Class AA.
“It’s going to be very difficult,” Mustain said. “I’m not saying we can’t (go undefeated) but it’s going to be a lot more difficult than it was last year. To me there are no gimmes on this schedule. We picked up Narrows, Va. which is about 20 minutes from James Monroe and they’ve had a very successful program the last several years. Nicholas County, we’re going up there again and they’re always tough. Greenbrier West is loaded. I look for Summers County to be a lot better and I thought they were pretty doggone good last year. I look for Midland Trail to be back up there. I think it’s going to take a lot of hard work. It’s a schedule where we could be a very good team and possibly not make the playoffs. That’s how tough this schedule is, but I believe in these boys. Going undefeated is nice but it’s not the most important thing to me. The most important thing is getting in the playoffs and making a run there. I believe these boys have that capability again this year.”
James Monroe will open its season at Wheeling Central on Aug. 25.
