Nixa’s Ethan Cho has grown accustomed to he and his fellow offensive linemen serving their role anonymously, no matter how instrumental they have been in the Eagles' success.
“Our job as a lineman is to ignore the spotlight,” Cho said. “We can't expect to have people look at us from the stands. Our job is to put our hands in the dirt and get work done.”
That said, there’s still compelling stories surrounding offensive linemen. Nixa’s big men up front, for instance, include transplants from Bolivar, Lebanon and Indonesia of all places. There are avid fishermen and golfers among them and, of course, one of the top prep prospects in the country.
Here's a session of Q's and A's with them:
Lane Meltabarger
Position: Tight end
Birthdate: August 7, 2006
Have you lived anywhere else besides Nixa? I moved from Bolivar and went to Ozark fifth grade. Everyone here works harder and it's a better group to be with.
What’s your favorite team? I like the Rams. I never switched up.
What do you like to do with your spare time? I like to fish for bass (at) Table Rock Lake. I was 12 or so and with my grandpa at his lake when I caught a 7-pound catfish. It was a great time.
Clayton Pruitt
Position: Tight end
Birthdate: November 26, 2005
What do you do in your spare time? I like fishing a lot. I don’t have a boat, so I go to ponds and do a lot of bank-fishing (for) bass, crappie and trout.
What’s your favorite movie? My favorite movie since I was a little kid has been 'Cars.; Nothing better than the first one.
What’s your type of music? I listen to a lot of music, country, hip hop and little rock and R & B and soul. Lynard Skynard,
Ethan Cho
Position: OL
Birthdate: November 8, 2005
What do you like about Nixa? From visiting people from other schools, this program provides a sense of security that not a lot of people have. This team is a family, same with the school.
What are your hobbies: Golf is one my biggest things. I really like Rivercut (Golf Course) and Horton Smith is easy and cheap. My PR with my drive is 290 yards. We'll see how that goes after football.
Jacob Lile
Position: OL
Birthdate: December 10, 2006
What do you like to do away from football? I like to read a little bit, go down to the lake and chill out with family and friends.
Oakly White
Position: OL
Birthdate: February 2, 2007
How do you get the name Oakly? My mom is unique. My brother's name is Dayton. Everybody tells me Oakly is a cool name.
Have you lived anywhere besides Nixa? I moved from Lebanon in the third grade. It used to be in Lebanon that you couldn’t play tackle football until you were in the fifth grade. When I moved to Nixa, there were kids younger than me playing tackle and I was in third grade.
How do you spend your free time? I’m a big family person. Anytime I'm with my family, it's fun for me.
What’s your favorite TV show? Outer Banks. I like Sarah Cameron (actress Madelyn Cline).
Peyton Ewing
Position: OL
Birthdate: January 25, 2006
Have you lived anywhere besides Nixa? I’ve been in Nixa my whole life. We're like a family. I've known most of the seniors my whole life.
What do you do away from football? I’m big into golf. My favorite course is Hidden Valley. It’s pretty close to my house. It's always nice out there, lot of trees and shade.
What are your favorite TV shows? I watch a lot of cartoons. I like "Sponge Bob" and "Fairly Odd Parents," all the Nickelodeon shows.
TJ Eckert
Position: OL
Birthdate: May 19, 2005
Have you lived anywhere besides Nixa? I was born in Des Moines, Iowa and grew up in Indonesia.I moved to Indonesia when I was 2. On road trips, (my teammates and I) have had long conversations about it. We would come back and visit family in Iowa. I moved here in 2020.
What is your favorite team? I'm a Sooners fan.
Do you have a favorite TV show? I don’t watch TV, but I do like movies a lot. I like the cinematography. Tenet (a sci-fi thriller) is my favorite movie. I like (filmmaker) Christopher Nolan's work.
What is your go-to music? I like a collage of everything from heavy metal to Irish rock. I like a lot of exotic music.
Jackson Cantwell
Position: Tackle
Birthdate: May 27, 2008
Have you lived anywhere besides Nixa? I was born in Como (Columbia).
What are some of your favorite things to do? I like school and studying. I spend a lot of spare time (studying).
What are your favorite subjects? Chemistry and Math.
