Here are southwest Missouri's high school football quarterbacks to know heading into 2023

At the most important position in sports, southwest Missouri features a handful of quarterbacks who are capable of leading their teams to conference titles and deep postseason runs.

With the area’s returning talent at the position, it should turn into a few explosive offenses across the area.

Here are the quarterbacks you should know.

Blandy Burall, Reeds Spring

We think Burall is the best-returning quarterback in the area entering the season after he was behind center for the Wolves’ run to the state championship game. Burall’s improvement from his sophomore to his junior year was a sight to behold as he was accurate in his downfield passing, a good thrower on the run and one who could remain calm in the pocket. Burall has his top weapon back in the passing game with James Dowdy still in the fold but he will need to help bring in a few more which he is perfectly capable of accomplishing. Reeds Spring’s success isn’t done quite yet.

Destyn Dowd, McDonald County

Dowd is a standout athlete at McDonald County in multiple sports and he was one of the area’s top passers from last season. He had big shoes to fill but he did so by throwing for 1,604 yards with 13 touchdowns. On the ground, he’s a capable runner after finishing second on the team in rushing with 279 yards and nine scores. He’s a good player in a super tough conference.

Jourdyn Edelstein, Strafford

Edelstein had success as a sophomore last season and saw his name next to a few of the elite passers in the area by the season’s end. He threw for 1,540 yards and 15 touchdowns in an offense that featured some good playmakers on the outside. Edelstein did his job and got the ball to them and gathered some confidence for his two seasons ahead.

Hobbs Gooch, Joplin

After stepping in for one of the best overall athletes from the year before, Gooch led an extremely talented Joplin squad to nearly average 40 points per game. The pocket passer was among the area’s top gunslingers with 1,894 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air. He has an elite weapon in Davin Thomas on the outside with maybe the best tailback in the area in Quin Renfro behind him. Pair that with an elite offensive line that has an Iowa State commit at tackle and a blocking tight end bound for Mizzou. Everything is there for Gooch to be one of the best in the area in 2023.

Chase Hamme, Kickapoo

Hamme will benefit from former teammate Kylan Mabins' move from Kickapoo to Glendale by throwing to arguably the best wide receiver duo in the area. Hamme started a game last season and nearly led the Chiefs to a win over Camdenton in Week 2, which went on to win the Ozark Conference. Hamme is capable of stepping in and making accurate throws even across the middle of the field. He shouldn't be nervous to throw it deep when he has great playmakers all over the field. There's still plenty to be excited about in the Kickapoo offense.

Gavyn Hoover, Seneca

Leading one of the best teams in the area, Hoover will be behind center for what could turn out to be a special season in Seneca. Hoover is a dual-threat quarterback who has one of the better running backs in the Ozarks right next to him. Hoover was the second-leading rusher for Seneca with 728 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. He was also one of the area’s best passers with 1,709 yards and 21 scores through the air. Seneca averaged just under 40 points per game last season and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it improve in 2023.

Quenton Hughes, Neosho

You don’t become one of the top passers in the area by accident. Hughes was second in the area last season in passing yards when he threw for 2,836 yards and 28 touchdowns. Yes, he lost some of the best weapons in the area but Hughes has been in the offense for a couple of years and should be able to handle some turnover. Hughes is smart, he can move around and he can get the ball out quickly to his playmakers down the field. He should put up big numbers again this season.

Gavin Johnston, Mount Vernon

The Mountaineers are going to climb back and be among the best teams in the area before you know it. Johnson could be the one behind center when it happens. The taller pocket-passer is capable of moving around and throwing on the run if needed. In a run-heavy offense, Johnson managed to throw for 1,650 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore. He can read defenses quickly, get the ball out and he has the arm strength to get it down the field. Johnson isn’t anywhere close to his ceiling yet.

Kylan Mabins, Glendale

Making the move from Kickapoo to Glendale, there will be a lot of eyes on Mabins this season. With the Chiefs last season, he was one of the more accurate quarterbacks in the area last season with an exceptional completion percentage that you don’t see too often at the high school level. That growth came from being quick to get the ball out of his hands and his ability to read defenses. He’s one of the more technically sound quarterbacks in the area and is reliable when he needs to make a big play. Learning and excelling in the Glendale offense should turn him into an elite-level player.

Thessen Prenger, Logan-Rogersville

Prenger was a little banged up at the end of last season but he is a good quarterbacking prospect with great arm strength. He finished the year with 1,047 yards and seven touchdowns for a Logan-Rogersville team that was competing for a conference championship late in the season. Coaches have been high on him in the past and there’s no reason to believe that’s changed. Look for him to have the Wildcats playing at a high level.

Carter Pruett, Mountain View

A dual-threat quarterback, Pruett had some of the best numbers in the area last season both through the air and on the ground. He threw for 1,125 yards and 17 scores while also rushing for 1,007 yards and 15 touchdowns on 7.6 yards per carry. Mountain View had one of the best offenses in the state last season at 44.3 points per game and Pruett can lead it to big numbers yet again. He could end up with even bigger stats after Drew Ripko’s graduation.

Russell Roweton, Willard

Willard football has had some struggles in recent years but there has been some offensive improvement. Its quarterback is a big reason why with Roweton being a foundational player to build around as he’s had some great performances behind center. Roweton was among the area’s leading passers from last season with 2,290 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air. The offense needs some help from its defense heading into 2023 and if that gets figured out, the Tigers could find more success.

Gavin Smith, Lebanon

One of the best running quarterbacks in the area, Smith is experienced at the position heading into his senior year. Smith knows how to keep the defense honest when it’s typically loading the box to try and slow down the Yellowjackets’ historic ground game. He can air it out to open receivers and take advantage of timely play calls when defenses begin to sell out. He also adds to the great rushing offense, too, after running for 1,016 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.

Antonio Starks-Fewell, Central

A multi-sport star, Starks-Fewell will enter another year as the Bulldogs' starting quarterback after leading Central to its second seven-win season since 1986. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who threw for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 728 yards and five scores on the ground. Heading into 2023, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him use his legs a little more following the graduation of standout running back Tae’Sean McShane. Starks-Fewell is capable of many “wow” type plays on the field. If Central keeps winning, Starks-Fewell is going to be a big reason for it.

Wyatt Woods, Republic

We might hype Woods more than any other player heading into the season because we think he’s that talented. The dual-threat quarterback for the up-and-coming Tigers is capable of being the area’s biggest star in 2023 because of his big arm and playmaking abilities on the ground. Woods showed both off in 2022 by throwing for 1,046 yards and 15 touchdowns along with 936 yards and 15 scores on the ground. Republic has been a scary outing for much of the Central Ozark Conference over the last two seasons as it heads into its third year under Ryan Cornelsen. With Woods back for another year and solid weapons around him, the Tigers could even challenge for a championship by the end of the season.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Southwest Missouri high school quarterbacks to watch in 2023