Highland Football Ready to Compete with Fresh Identity
Lewistown, Mo. – For years, the Highland Cougar football program has battled more than just opponents on Friday nights — they’ve been fighting a reputation. In the last 20 seasons, Highland has managed only one winning year, and after going 0-10 in 2024, fourth-year head coach Caleb Arnsman and his senior leaders are determined to change that narrative.
Their new team motto — “Fight on, do better” — captures both the mindset and the mission.
“That’s our whole thing,” Arnsman said. “Basically, it means you’re going to run into adversity, and how you meet those challenges says a lot about your character. Our job as coaches is to instill that mindset, and it’s the players’ job to carry it forward to their teammates and the fans.”
Senior leadership has embraced that role. Offensive and defensive lineman Tyson Voth said he’s focused on leaving a foundation for the next wave of Cougars.
“Hopefully we can change the culture at Highland and make it better for the young guys,” Voth said. “We want to work as one unit and show how much this program can mean.”
Senior Chris Gaus echoed the emphasis on toughness.
“A lot of people give up too easily,” Gause said. “We want to build a stronger mentality — keep pushing even when it’s tough. I’m excited to see if we can turn things around this year, and I hope the guys who come after us keep building on it.”
The Cougars put together a strong summer, finishing second at the Putnam County 7-on-7 tournament. They’ll get their first live reps at the Hannibal Football Jamboree on August 22 before opening the season August 29 at Mark Twain in Center, Missouri, with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The Tigers defeated Highland 32-14 last year.
Arnsman and his seniors already have a few matchups circled.
“I’m definitely excited to play Mark Twain — they’re always a fun team,” Arnsman said. “Homecoming against Palmyra will be another big one. I know their new coach from my playing days at Culver-Stockton. And then at the end of the season, a lot of the kids are ready to go against Clark County. We had a lot of back-and-forths this summer in 7-on-7’s, so that’s one we’re looking forward to.”
The players are just as eager.
“One of them is gonna be Mark Twain,” Voth said. “I got kind of a chip on my shoulder from last year. And then Clark County on senior night — I think it’s gonna be whoever puts four quarters together, and this Highland team can definitely do that.”
Gaus added, “Palmyra for sure — it’s homecoming, you do fun events all day, might as well end it with a win. Clark County too. We’ve seen them all summer, gonna see them in the jamboree. It’s senior night, it’s personal, and I think it’s gonna be a big game.”
For Arnsman, the biggest step forward may not show up in the win-loss column right away, but in the way his players approach each day.
“We don’t have any negativity on the team right now. It’s a very positive vibe,” Arnsman said. “Players are picking each other up, if someone makes a mistake they’re helping them out. They’re doing extra things that we haven’t seen a lot of players do in a long time. They’re bought into changing the culture and they want this season to be different than last year.
“With small numbers, big things are gonna happen.”
