HANNIBAL, Mo. — Thomas Janes understood his role early in the season, and it had a lot less to do with creating or denying scoring opportunities than keeping the Hannibal boys soccer team on the cap.
Graysen Crabill found himself in the same situation.
The two senior defenders are the only upperclassmen on a roster filled with sophomores and juniors, meaning the leadership responsibilities fall squarely on their shoulders.
“I know the upperclassmen play a key role in keeping the team together and staying focused in practice,” Janes said. “Staying on the same path and working toward the same goal is a big part of what we do. »
This kept the Pirates on the path to success. Hannibal finished the regular season with an 18-4-1 record and a 10-0 mark in the North Central Missouri Conference – the Pirates’ first undefeated streak in the league since 2017. That put them in position to contend for a district championship.
Second-seeded Hannibal will face seventh-seeded Warrenton on Monday at 5 p.m. at Fort Zumwalt South. The remainder of the Class 3 District 4 tournament will be played at Fort Zumwalt East with the championship game scheduled for 7 p.m. on November 3.
The growth of the underclassmen and the leadership of the seniors have been vital to the consistency of the Pirates’ play.
“The underclassmen are the future of our team,” Janes said. “It’s our job to help them get there.”
Janes took the time to chat with Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman to discuss his role, his father’s bacon-wrapped tenderloins and his future in the medical field for this week’s episode of Show Me Spotlight, presented by Sleep Tight.
Q: What did you like about this season?
A: I had the most fun being with this new group of guys. As you know, we lost a lot of seniors last year, but I’ve been playing with this group of guys for several years now and knew a lot of them in high school. So having a lot of fun with them was the best part. The Camdenton tournament was a lot of fun because we always spend the night there and go out to eat as a team. It’s always a good time.
Q: Where did you go to eat at a restaurant?
A: We went to an Italian restaurant and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Q: Did you prefer the Italian or the wings?
A: I’m more of a wings guy myself, but the Italian was good too.
Q: Do you have a favorite wing flavor?
A: I don’t like spicy food very well, so I would say honey barbecue is definitely my favorite.
Q: You love wings, but do you have a favorite food or favorite cuisine?
A: My favorite dish is my dad’s bacon-wrapped tenders. We usually have mac and cheese, dinner rolls, and candy corn on the side. So it’s always my favorite dish on vacation or anytime.
Q: How do you like your filet cooked?
A: Growing up, I was always like a medium rare guy. As I got older, I moved more away from the red and more towards the pink center. So I like my meat cooked.
Q: And I guess Dad’s pretty good at reaching the temperature, right?
A: Oh, yes, he’s a good cook. He loves making barbecues.
Q: There’s nothing better than the smell coming from a grill or smoker.
A: I love eating ribs and pulled pork and stuff like that. It’s the best.
Q: Have you ever had a chance to eat barbecue from Memphis or Kansas City or any of the barbecue hotbeds?
A: The only place that comes to mind that I’ve enjoyed barbecue outside of Hannibal is Rock & Brews in St. Louis. I love their ribs there. These are very good ribs.
Q: Back on the subject of football, what impressed you about this team and the way they played?
A: I was especially impressed by the progress of the junior class. They helped fill the roles left by all the seniors we lost. They make up the majority of our team. I really am Graysen and I have done a very good job as senior leaders. We lost some firepower on the offensive end, but the younger guys did a good job stepping up and putting the ball in the back of the net.
Q: I know Hannibal coach Eric Hill had concerns about depth. With the emergence of young players, has depth become less of an issue?
A: At the start of the season, that was one of our main concerns. As the year progressed, we were able to get some experience from the guys, especially some freshmen like Brody (Wilson) and Quinn (Mastin). They have a lot of minutes and they are good replacements for us. As they got used to the way we played and adjusted to the varsity level, they did a great job of stepping in and subbing where we needed them.
Q: What gives this team confidence going to districts?
A: I know how much this means to everyone. I know Graysen and I don’t want our season to end. We’re gearing up this week in practice, hopefully for several games ahead of us. We hope to go as far as possible.
Q: Everyone thinks this team can do it, right?
A: We 100% believe we can do it. We have a lot of competition and our district is pretty tough. Once you get past the districts, anything can happen from there.
Q: Throughout your career, you have witnessed the transformation of the Veterans Field complex. What is it like to play on a grass field in a special facility?
A: It’s quite surreal, honestly. Playing under these lights at night, seeing the whole field lit up by these LED lights, it creates this exciting feeling. We are fortunate to have such an incredible sports complex today. We love playing on grass, but grass is hard to compare. It’s a pretty awesome area.
Q: The people of Hannibal supported their sport, didn’t they?
A: The athletes I know like it. Playing on a beautiful field elevates their game and allows them to perform better and hopefully succeed at the next level. Having the opportunities that we have is just great for all the student-athletes at Hannibal.
Q: What does it mean to be able to portray Hannibal?
A: I am proud to play for the Hannibal football team and represent Hannibal in general. I’ve lived here my whole life, so I have a connection to the small town. It’s what helped me become who I am today, and it’s why I’m proud of our team and our city.
Q: The upper years lead to graduation and deciding what to do next. Do you know what the next step is?
A: I plan to attend Mizzou for my undergraduate degree. I will be majoring in biology or pre-professional health sciences. After that, I’m trying to figure out if I want to go to medical school or dentistry.
Q: Does Coach Hill, who is a Kansas fan, give you any grief for choosing Mizzou?
A: He hasn’t yet, but I’m waiting for him to text me sometime while I’m over there and Mizzou is playing Kansas. I expect it 100 percent.
Q: What are you looking forward to about your college experience?
A: I am looking forward to taking on new responsibilities and living on my own. Honestly, it’s about continuing my education and getting closer to my career goals and what I aspire to do. I always wanted to be a doctor since I was little. Every year I get closer and closer to this goal, it’s pretty exciting.
Q: Have you thought about where you might want to practice one day?
A: I haven’t thought about it much, because you never know who you might match for residency if you’re going to medical school. So I could end up anywhere. If I were a dentist, I would consider opening my own practice and maybe even returning to Hannibal. But I would also like to explore other regions of our country. I’ve always had an interest in Tennessee, so I think I should visit Tennessee before I settle down somewhere.
Q: Why Tennessee?
A: I like it because it’s still a bit Midwestern. I also like the idea of living near the mountains. There is also the culture of Nashville and Memphis which is intriguing. Living near these big cities seems pretty cool because there are a lot of experiences you can have and a lot of different places to eat.
Q: You play football and basketball, but what do you do outside of sports for fun?
A: My life is mostly focused on school and sports at the moment, but I have a job on the side with my brother. So we work on weekends. I like going out with my friends. We like to go to the YMCA and play pickup games. And I love painting.
Q: Do you like watercolor portraits?
A: I use acrylic most of the time. I also like working with soft pastels.
Q: You mentioned working weekends. What kind of work do you do?
A: We work for one of my father’s cousins. We are working on clearing a bunch of trees and brush. He is working to install a fence around his property. Its perimeter is approximately 1,200 feet. So we cut down trees, move objects and prepare the area for fence construction.
Q: And it’s always good to be outside, isn’t it?
A: That’s good. It’s a challenge, but it’s fun to be outside and do this kind of work. It gives you a feeling of fulfillment
