The more things change for Carterville High School, the more they stay the same.

The 2013 Lions featured Michael Aschemann as quarterback and Phillip Frangello as running back, who combined more than 4,000 yards en route to a 10-1 season. Those players are gone, but their replacements are proving they’re up for the challenge after being thrust into new roles.

Senior running back Brayden Bisaillon spent his junior year as an offensive lineman blocking for Aschemann and Frangello, who are both freshmen on the SIU football team.

Junior quarterback Blake Hicks sat out his sophomore year with a broken hand.

Bisaillon and Hicks have led Carterville to a 5-0 start in explosive fashion this season. The Lions have scored more than 40 points in three of their first five games.

Bisaillon ran for 308 yards in 63 attempts with 8 touchdowns. Hicks carried the ball 74 times for 560 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is also 9-20 in the air for 124 yards.

Bisaillon and Hicks are on pace to gain more than half as many yards as Aschemann and Frangello did in 2013. Comparisons to their predecessors do not faze Bisaillon or Hicks.

“I just have to be my own person,” Bisaillon said. “I’m not Frangello. I’m Bisaillon, and I’ve got to do whatever I have to do for my team.”

Carterville head coach Dennis Drust said Bisaillon worked hard over the summer to make the transition from offensive line to running back. While the transition has been affective, it has not been seamless for Bisaillon.

Early in the season, Bisaillon wanted to cut and juke past defenders, but Drust convinced him to lower his shoulders and run over defenders rather than around them.

“There are still phases of the game that he doesn’t understand, “Drust said. “He’s got to learn to be a power runner for us, and I think he’s developing as a back.”

Drust said his uncertainty with starting underclassman necessitated Bisaillon’s move to running back. Bisaillon dropped 30 pounds for the move to running back. But at 6 feet tall and 204 pounds he is built like the teenaged version of a Ford F-350. Bisaillon still outweighs 15 of Carterville’s linemen.

Aschemann said Bisaillon’s speed and ability to pull around the edge as a blocker gave him confidence when running.

“That was probably the biggest thing that shocked me, was his speed,” Aschemann said. “We had a play that was an outside run and he beat me to the edge every time.”

Bisaillon plans to join the Marine Corps after graduation.

Drust said moving a two-year starter away from guard would slow down the offensive line, but the Lions’ front five has improved week by week.

Hicks started 2014 with the advantage of being unknown, he never started a varsity game before. He quickly erased that advantage by scoring 6 touchdowns against Benton in his first start replacing Aschemann, a two-time All-State quarterback.

“It was nice to make people believe in me,” Hicks said. “He was All-State two years in a row, so there’s some big shoes to fill.”

Hicks ran wild over opponents at the start of the season, but teams have taken notice. Du Quoin shut down Hicks and kept the Lions out of the end zone in a game Carterville won 9-8.

“Unfortunately for Hicks, he’s a marked man now,” Drust said. “You’ve got to give Du Quoin some credit. They took him out of the game plan and forced us to stick with our power game.”

With its 55-21 win over Anna-Jonesboro Friday, the Lions are one win away from guaranteeing their 19th playoff appearance in 20 years. Carterville will put its perfect record on the line against undefeated Nashville Community High School Friday night.

Bisaillon and Hicks believe they can bring Carterville its first state championship since 1996.