How Valley Center community helped rekindle Dai’Mont Mucker’s high school football love
Recovering from an injury and buried on the depth chart on a talented Kansas City-area team, Dai’Mont Mucker was beginning to lose his love for football.
His uncle, Pete, believed a fresh start could help and suggested his nephew could live in his home in the Wichita area and attend Valley Center High School. It proved prophetic.
Mucker, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound junior running back who formerly played for Staley High in the KC area, has capitalized on new beginnings with three 300-yard rushing games, including one last week, to ignite a dramatic turnaround at Valley Center, which is off to a 6-1 start to the season and climbing the top-10 rankings in Class 5A.
All of this coming after a 2-7 record last season.
“I love the community here and getting some attention,” said Mucker, who has already 1,275 yards rushing this season with 14 touchdowns. “Kansas City is a real big city, so you either got it or you don’t. I really like the small-town community feel and how everyone loves Valley Center football here.”
After three solid, but unspectacular games to open the season, Mucker began to turn heads with his Week 4 performance against Campus when he rushed for 318 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries in a 38-20 victory.
After evaluating the talent of Mucker in the summer, Valley Center coach Scott L’Ecuyer figured it was only a matter of time before a breakout occurred.
“We knew right away that he was going to be a special kid,” L’Ecuyer said. “He’s got the size, the athleticism and the thing that stands out the most is he’s got a ton of fight. It takes a lot to bring him down. We don’t track yards after contact, but if we did his numbers would be pretty crazy.”
The next week Mucker was even better, turning 37 carries into 340 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a 43-36 win over Salina Central.
In last week’s 31-21 win over Arkansas City, Mucker turned 26 carries into a season-high 343 yards and four touchdowns.
So what changed?
“I stopped dancing so much,” Mucker said. “I watched my film and I was just dancing too much in the backfield. When I really put my shoulder down and abuse the defenders, they get tired of hitting me and they wear down. So I’ve just been focused on putting my shoulder down and not worrying so much about making a move.”
Mucker also gave credit to the push from the offensive line, which is anchored by senior Kaden Lampe and also includes Avry Lewis, Dakota Deshazer and Derek Truman. Tight ends Tate Tyler and Trace Emig have also helped clear lanes for Mucker.
The run-first formula with Mucker has the Hornets positioned to host a first-round playoff game entering Friday’s regular-season finale at Andover Central with AV-CTL Div. II league title implications.
But that’s not all Mucker, who is beginning to receive in-state Division I interest, and the Hornets want to accomplish this season.
“We want to win some playoff games around here,” Mucker said. “That’s all we talk about. We can’t have a good season and then have a first-round exit ticket. We want to go deep in the playoffs and we want this Valley Center team to be remembered.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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