Michael Henegar’s breakout senior season for Nixa this year was triggered by his fourth position switch in four years.
Henegar has grown accustomed to a change of positions, having lined up at offensive tackle, defensive tackle and tight end over over the course of his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. But he never would have predicted Eagles coaches would have him give defensive end a try this year.
Only a week before Nixa’s season-opener versus Webb City, Henegar was approached with the idea and the allure of playing time at defensive end.
“I was like, ‘Whoa!’ I wasn't expecting it,” Henegar said of his initial reaction to DE. “It was out of nowhere.”
“We moved him around, trying to find a spot for him,” coach John Perry said. “He’s found a home at defensive end.”
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Henegar leads Nixa with four quarterback sacks and three TFLs. He had a sack Thursday against Willard.
It didn’t take him long to take a strong liking to his new role as a hard-charging pass-rusher, while showing off his athleticism much more than he did as a tackle.
“I was excited for a new opportunity and to get to prove myself,” Henegar said. “It's fun. It takes me out of my shell. I get to do a lot more.”
Henegar values the lessons he’s learned from fellow defensive end Jayden Antonelli, a three-year starter at DE and an Army commit
“Jayden has been great,” Henegar said. “I'm thankful to have him. He’s taught me the ropes basically, helping me with everything.”
“We're in pretty good shape,” Perry said of his bookends defensively. “(Henegar) works hard. He's a big kid and naturally may fall into a defensive tackle spot (in college) because of his size. But he's taken to that defensive end spot and done well. I'm proud of him.”
Henegar notes offensive tackle and five-star college prospect Jackson Cantwell also has spurred his progress.
“Going against Cantwell makes me a lot better,” he said. “It’s great to go against a guy like him in practice every day. He's obviously a really good player. I get to grow off of him. He's got good drive-blocks and blast-blocks. He's helped me develop my game.”
The fireworks Henegar has provided in opposing offensive backfields have preceded the post-game fireworks sponsored by his family’s business, United Plumbing, at Nixa home games. His parents, Michael and Katie, have owned the Springfield-based company since 2011.
The United Plumbing logo is emblazoned on the Eagles’ home turf.
“I love seeing that out there and the fireworks are always cool,” Michael Jr. said. “It's a great sense of pride for our family.”
Michael Sr. was born in New York and grew up in Florida, while Katie was born and raised in California. But they obviously have become strong Nixa supporters.
“They both have went all-in,” Michael Jr. said. “They saw an opportunity to support me and my brothers. My younger brothers, one is a freshman and one is a sixth-grader, will be coming through the system, too. We're all big football fans.”
Junior may join his father as a master plumber in the future.
“I'm learning. My Dad has shown me some stuff,” Michael Jr. said of the craft. “I want to play college football and get a business degree and then maybe step in and help out (at the company). It's a nice thing I can fall back on.”
Henegar’s immediate focus is on next week’s showdown at Republic. Nixa (7-0) can clinch at least a share of the COC championship with a win, while Republic (5-1) will be trying to put itself in position for a possible share of the conference title.
“I'm excited for the Republic game,” Henegar said. “They should be the hardest players we’ve played. We’ll have to get after them and hopefully take it to them. I'll be watching a lot of film on them and get to know them.”
