Brothers in the backfield: Augspurg’s lead the Palmyra offense

Published 6:25 pm Thursday, July 30, 2026

PALMYRA, Mo. — Sophomore quarterback Kason Augspurg and senior running back Wyatt Augspurg grew up playing football in the backyard with each other.

Flash forward to today and the Augspurg brothers are key cogs to Palmyra’s offense.

“It will definitely be interesting for one more year,” said Kason Augspurg. “Last year was great switching in and out with him. It’s definitely going to be weird to see him gone because he’s pretty much all I’ve watched growing up. So it will be fun and I’m looking forward to this year.”

The two Augspurg brothers got their first experience playing together in the same backfield last season.

“That was awesome,” said Wyatt Augspurg. “It’s probably one of the best things I’ll ever get to do in my life.”

Kason Augspurg was called into duty as starting quarterback as a freshman for Palmyra after Rylan Compton suffered an injury that kept him out the first two games.

Palmyra went 2-0 in Kason Augspurg’s starts behind center, completing 16-of-28 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns and just one interception.

“It’s definitely weird how that ended up going down,” said Kason Augspurg. “But the first two weeks, I felt pretty calm and laid back, especially after the jamboree. I don’t know if it’s going to carry over to this year because that’s all I’ve done. I think if I go out there and play like I did those two weeks, I should be alright.”

With the graduation of Compton, Kason Augspurg will be Palmyra’s full-time starting quarterback in 2026.

“I learned a lot,” said Kason Augspurg. “The seniors that were here last year really helped me with everything that I went through, from switching positions and having to play defense and running low on guys. It really just helped me prepare for this year. I think that just makes me better for the next three years.”

Wyatt Augspurg was confident that his brother was capable of handling the quarterback job.

“It was great,” said Wyatt Augspurg. “He came in on pretty short notice and performed very well and led us as a team. Since he’s my brother, I’ve got very high expectations for him. We go to training every Sunday and Wednesday. I go for running back and he goes for quarterback. So I know the work that he’s putting in is going to show.”

After Compton returned from injury, Kason Augspurg shifted over to running back and gave his brother a breather.

Kason Augspurg ended up being second in rushing for Palmyra, carrying the ball 113 times for 832 carries and 14 touchdowns.

“(Kason) had a year of growth and a year in our offense,” said Hutchings. “He started playing running back for us when we needed him after J.T. (Thomas) went out. I think him doing that really helped him learn even more. As a quarterback, we can do a lot of different things with him and it’s pretty exciting.”

Palmyra has high hopes for what Kason Augspurg can bring to the team this season at quarterback.

“We’ve seen tons of growth (from Kason), and he’s just an all-around good teammate,” said Snow. “He’s just a good, athletic kid.”

The Palmyra sophomore is confident that he can get the job done.

“I’m definitely ready for the pressure,” said Kason Augspurg. “Last year, I had a lot of it, but I overcame it. I’m ready to be able to throw and run. Mainly just throw, stay calm under pressure and do what I know I can do.”

Wyatt Augspurg is one of the best running backs in the Tri-States area, and is coming off a season where he had 149 carries for 1,340 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was a first team All-Clarence Cannon Conference selection last season.

“I’ve put in a lot of work this offseason,” said Wyatt Augspurg. “If you give me some space, I’m going to get really shifty. So it’s going to be hard to tackle me in open space.”

Look for both of the Augspurg brothers to have big seasons in 2026.

“(Wyatt’s) definitely picked up some looks,” said Kason Augspurg. “It will be fun seeing us in the backfield with each other.”

Palmyra brings back several key receivers, including senior wide receivers Pierce White and Jaxon Gibson and senior tight end Logan Kroeger.

White caught a team-high 30 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown, while rushing 16 times for 185 yards and another score. Kroeger caught 21 passes for 333 yards and five touchdowns, while Gibson caught 13 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns.

“We got Kason at quarterback, Wyatt at running back and Pierce at receiver,” said Hutchings. “Then, we got Jaxon Gibson, who in our first four games, anytime he touched the ball, he scored. We have some very dangerous weapons.”

Kason Augspurg will have plenty of options when he does pass.

“Our wide receiver core should be pretty nice this year,” said Kason Augspurg. “I’m looking to air the ball out whenever I can. So it will definitely be fun with those guys.”

The Panthers return three starters to its offensive line — seniors Ace Harper, Jared Ridout and Henley Snow.

“We’ve got Henley, Ace and Jared coming back,” said Hutchings. “Alex O’Brien is a sophomore this year and he got some minutes in varsity last year when some guys needed a break. He did a really good job filling in. Then, we’re filling the gaps with other guys and kind of figuring things out.”

One big hole is at center with the graduation of first team All-Conference lineman Colby Jones, who is now preparing for his freshman year at Bulter Community College.

“I learned how to be a better teammate and how to support each other from Colby,” said Snow.

Palmyra is just figuring out who will take the final open spot on the line.

“With the O-line, everybody’s gotten bigger with another year under their belt,” said Wyatt Augspurg. “We’ve kept the same people, just a different center. So the line’s going to be pretty strong.”