Excelsior Springs’homecoming opponent Friday night is a throwback — at least where offense is concerned, according to varsity football coach Jake Danneman.

The Tigers are slated to host Chillicothe in Midland Empire Conference (MEC) action. Offensively, the 2026 Hornets remind Danneman of the Chillicothe teams coached by Bob Fairchild and then Phil Willard. Fairchild led the Hornets to Class 3A state titles in 1970, 1972, 1978 and 1991; and the 1985 Class 4A state crown. Willard was 14474 at Chillicothe, per the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, which inducted the school’s football program in 2020.

“They’re a physical, ground-and-pound team,” Danneman said Monday. “They’re going to put unbalanced formations out there with three running backs. They’re the Chillicothe of old.”

Danneman credits that style of offense to Jeff Staton, Chillicothe’s new coach. As was revealed earlier this year during a radio interview, Staton served under both Fairchild and Willard.

Defensively, the Hornets play four…