Jayden McCaster – Running Back

Senior running back Jayden McCaster is a recent transfer student from DeSmet Jesuit, a private school in St. Louis. Standing at five feet and eight inches, he joins the Eagles’ team as the newest weapon in Nixa High School’s football arsenal.

“I’m pretty optimistic about the season,” McCaster said. “We’ve been improving more on our discipline side, cutting down the penalties. And I would say overall, our offense has been pretty good. We’re starting to incorporate the pass game more, which was able to balance out our offense more and then the defense.”

Some may point out the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSHA)’s rule, which states that a student is generally ineligible for a year after transferring schools in the sport of football at the varsity level. This limitation could have stopped the transfer of McCaster, but thankfully, there is an exemption to that rule that allows him to continue to play football.

“I decided to make a full family move,” McCaster said. “So, I don’t live in St Louis and I live in Nixa, permanently. So that’s why that was able to go through, because it was a full move. That’s how I was able to be able to stay.”

Generally, a move like this can be disruptive to a student, but McCaster said he has taken the rearrangement well.

“I feel like [I’m] going from one good program to another good program,” McCaster said. “So there are a lot of similarities. I’d say everyone’s work ethic was pretty similar compared to here versus DeSmet… I think they’re a little bit more driven here, because they know what it takes… My first week, I’d say it was a little awkward, but I think the second week, once I knew that I was actually here to stay… everyone was a lot more open, and I feel very welcome in the community.”

Like any new change, there are things to be missed about the old ways, but with lows, there must be highs.

“[I miss] the relationships that I built there,” McCaster said. “I mean, it’s kind of sad, but at the same time, I feel like I’m here for a reason. I don’t regret being here… Honestly, I think it’s great being able to play behind [Jackson Cantwell]. I think it’s pretty cool having [Randy Flint too]… having another playmaker on the other side of the field that I can trust to make plays.”

Randy Flint – Defensive Back

Senior Randy Flint, according to Nixa Football Coach John Perry, is one of the better athletes in Southwest Missouri. Starting the Nixa High School football program in ninth grade, Perry believes NHS is only scratching the surface of how good he can really be.

When Flint came to the football program freshman year his views on how he should train faced some challenges.

“When I was younger, I obviously had athleticism, and I thought that did just take me the whole way,” Flint said. “But when I started growing up, I realized that if you just use that, you’re going to get passed up eventually. So when I got freshman year, I gained 15 pounds just because previously, I didn’t think the weight room would help anything or matter.”

For Flint’s first game back his senior year, he struggled getting back into the swing of things, but pulled it together.

“It’s always knocking off dust, but I stayed sharp, and I was prepared for anything that happened,” Flint said.

Flint currently plays defensive back on the football field, but Perry has recently begun to put him in for more offensive plays.

“We’ve been talking about it a lot, and I’ve been doing a lot of reps offense and defense,” Flint said. “So I think they trust me a lot more than last year to put me in in-game situations.”

Jackson Cantwell – Offensive Lineman

Senior Jackson Cantwell is recognized by mwany as one of the nation’s top high school football players, ranked as the best offensive tackle in the country by Rivals and ESPN. He is Nixa High School’s one and only 5-star offensive lineman.

Cantwell said that with the arrival of Coach Perry in January of 2020, Nixa’s football team has really developed.

“I’m the only player on our team who remembers what it was like to lose to a COC team,” Cantwell said “We haven’t lost [to] a COC team since my freshman year, so it’s been a while, and I’d like to see [us] keep winning games and upholding the standard that our programs have since I first got here.”

Cantwell will be graduating early from Nixa High School next semester to practice with the Miami Hurricanes football team.

“I’ll be at the University of Miami in January, and I’ll be doing spring football practice with them,” Cantwell said. “It won’t count against my eligibility, but I’ll be able to practice with a team and learn the system. The benefit of enrolling early is [that] you get to learn the system and go learn how to be a collegiate athlete before having to do it.”

Over the last few years, Nixa has made investments to further its football program, including the new Apex Activity Center (page 3).

“Ever since coach Perry’s gotten here, they’ve started investing in football a lot better. I think that’s what’s helped us a lot,” Cantwell said. “The school district buy-in for football has been absolutely tremendous in the John Perry era. That’s what a city like Nixa needs to be successful. It just started whenever we first got stadium renovations, the grey turf that was back before I even really played much. But after getting the Apex, that’s the kind of stuff that takes your program from great to elite.”

The 6’8 offensive tackle is not just a football star; coming from shot put Olympian parents, he has set records in both sports.

“I’ve probably been throwing longer than almost anybody else,” Cantwell said. “Both my parents did it, so I knew I was going to do it for a while. And obviously, it was really cool doing high school, and I didn’t figure out football until after my freshman year.”

Cantwell said that in 20 years, he wants to see the name Jackson Cantwell around Nixa and leave a legacy.

“Not only being a great athlete, but leaving a good impact on the community and lifting it up,” Cantwell said.