Pigskin Preview 2008 Issue

Transcription

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1
18-3A.................................. . . 3 8 - 4 2
Table of Contents
Li ga m e n t I n j u r ies of the Knee ......... 4
20-3A.................................. . . 4 4 - 4 6
TA P P S.. . . . . . . . . . . .......................... 6-8
TK Gorman, Grace Community School, All Saints, Brook Hill
M o r e T h a n a C oach ...................... 10
11 - 5 A.. . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... 11-14
17-2A.. ................................ . . 5 3 - 5 5
Hallsville, Longview, Pine Tree, Marshall,
Mount Pleasant, Sulphur Springs,
Texas High
Henderson, Jacksonville, Kilgore, Lindale,
Nacogdoches, Whitehouse
14 - 3 A.. . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... 25-28
Arp, Elkhart, Frankston, Garrison, West Rusk, Troup
17-1A.................................. . . 6 2 - 6 4
Canton, Eustace, Kemp, Mineola, Van,
Wills Point
16 - 3 A.. . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... 29-31
Harmony, New Diana, Harleton, Winona,
Union Grove, Sabine, White Oak, Elysian Fields
19-2A.................................. . . 5 9 - 6 1
St r e n g t h T ra i n i ng with Athletes...... 24
Daingerfield, Hughes Springs, Jefferson, Linden-Kildare, Ore City, Queen City,
18-2A.................................. . . 5 6 - 5 8
14 - 4 A.. . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... 20-22
Alba-Golden, Caddo Mills, Como-Pickton,
Cooper, Grand Saline, Lone Oak, Quitman, Winnsboro,
The Landscape May Change Bu t
The Memor ies Last A Lifetime .. . . 5 1 - 5 2
John Tyler, Robert E Lee, DeSoto,
Mesquite Schools
13 - 4 A.. . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... 16-19
Athens, Brownsboro, Crockett, Fairfield, Palestine, Westwood,
13-2a .................................. . . 4 7 - 5 1
H e a d I n j u r i e s i n Spor ts .................. 9
Carthage, Center, Diboll, Huntington, Jasper, Rusk
Big Sandy, Detroit, Hawkins, Maud, James Bowie, Union Hill
19-1A.................................. . . 6 5 - 6 8
Mt . Vernon, Pleasant Grove, Liberty-Eylau,
Pittsburg, New Boston, Atlanta
Si m p l e Te s t C a n Save Your Life....... 32
Beckville, Joaquin, Mount Enterprise,
West Sabine, Tenaha, Timpson, Waskom,
17 - 3 A.. . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... 35-37
20-1A.................................. . . 6 9 - 7 2
Bullard, Chapel Hill, Gilmer, Gladewater,
Spring Hill, Tatum
2
Alto, Carlisle, Cayuga, Cross Roads, Cushing, Grapeland, Overton
3
Ligament Injuries of the Knee
William R. Hobbs, MD
Trinity Mother Frances Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine
femur (thigh bone) to the tip of the fibula, the smaller bone of the lower leg.
It works with the popliteal tendon to prevent varus (outward) bending and
external rotation of the knee. It is rarely injured in isolation, but rather is seen
with high energy, multiple ligament injuries. A “pop” may be felt and swelling
is usually minimal. This ligament almost always has to be addressed surgically.
If it is found early, within three weeks, it can often be repaired. However, if the
injury is discovered later, the ligament usually has to be rebuilt using another
ligament/tendon. Return to sports may take six months or more.
Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are the most common
season-ending knee injury. They can occur in contact and non-contact sports.
Mechanism of injury is a rotation or forced anterior (forward) pivot of the
tibia (shin bone) on the femur, often with the foot planted. It may occur with
a direct blow or with a quick change of direction while running. Another
common method of injury is landing wrong on the knee after jumping. The
athlete will usually feel a “pop” with a rapid, large amount of swelling. There
may be a sense of instability and difficulty putting full weight on the affected
leg. The ACL does not heal on its own and cannot be repaired. It requires
surgical reconstruction using a graft from the athletes own tendon or donor
tissue placed in tunnels drilled through bone. Reconstruction is recommended
for any younger athlete or any one wishing to return to a pivoting sport. Some
athletes may return to lower-velocity sports wearing only a brace, but they do
run the risk of cartilage damage to the knee from repetitive micro-translation.
No brace has been able to completely replicate the protective function of the
ACL on the knee. Surgery is usually delayed until all swelling has resolved and
full range of motion has returned. Physical therapy is a crucial element of the
recovery process and the athlete may require six to nine months before returning
to their sport after reconstruction. Return to play is determined by recovery
of muscle strength in the operative leg to protect the new graft and healing of
that graft to the bone tunnels. When the MCL is injured along with the ACL,
surgery is usually delayed for four to six weeks to allow the MCL to heal before
reconstructing the ACL. Early reconstruction is performed if an associated LCL
injury is present.
The posterior cruciate ligament prevents posterior (backward) translation
of the tibia on the femur. Mechanism of injury is usually a direct blow on
the front of the knee with the foot planted, but may also be from a pivot. A
“pop” and swelling are also present. This injury is not as common as an ACL
tear. It also is graded from 1-3 and an athlete can frequently return to their
sport with a brace and no surgery after four to six weeks for Grade 1 and some
Grade 2 injuries, once swelling has resolved and motion has returned. Surgical
reconstruction is similar to that of the ACL and requires six to nine months to
return to athletics.
The ligaments of the knee form an elaborate support structure. Early
evaluation after an injury is crucial to allow safe, effective return to competitive
athletics. For more information about athletic knee injuries, visit our website at
tmfhs.org/orthosportsmed or call (903) 510-8840.
The knee is one of the more commonly
injured joints during athletic activities. It
is the primary source of pivoting, flexion
and extension of the lower extremity with
running, jumping and squatting. There are
two types of cartilage that act as the padding
for shock absorption—hyaline cartilage
lining the bony surfaces and the menisci
which sit between the thigh and shin bones
of the knee. The joint itself is basically a
hinge joint with enough freedom of motion
to allow pivoting. The ligaments of the
knee help to hold the knee together during
normal daily activities, while the muscles of
the leg initiate movement and also help to act as secondary restraints, known
as dynamic stabilization. Four ligaments make up the support structures of the
knee. The medial and lateral collateral ligaments run along the inner and outer
aspects of the knee respectively and help to prevent side-to-side translation of
the knee. The cruciate ligaments of the knee, anterior and posterior, “cross” in
the center of the knee and prevent anterior/posterior translation of the knee,
as well as guard against excessive rotation. Each of these ligaments may be
injured in isolation or in association with other ligaments and cartilage. The
mechanism of injury, presence of swelling, amount of force involved, feeling of
a “pop” and sense of instability all help to determine the exact ligament injury.
Early physical exam after an injury is also helpful in identifying the extent and
type of ligament tear. An MRI has become critical in evaluating the soft tissues
around the knee and identifying the exact location and extent of the tear, which
is necessary in planning surgical repair of these ligaments.
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is made up of deep and superficial
fibers with some attachment to the meniscus along its inner edge. Its injury is
the most common etiology of knee “sprains” seen in contact sports. It prevents
valgus (inward) bending of the knee. The most common mechanism of injury is
a direct blow along the outer portion of the knee while the foot is firmly planted
on the ground, causing the knee to bend in. A pop may be felt, but there is
rarely any joint swelling because the ligament is outside the joint itself. Pain is
along the inner knee and is often worse with bending. The severity of the injury
is graded from 1-3 and is based on the amount of joint space opening felt when
stressing the ligament. Almost all of these injuries will heal without surgical
repair. A hinged knee brace helps to protect the ligament from further injury
while it is healing and may prevent the injury primarily if worn during contact
sports. Grade 1 injuries (stretch) may allow immediate return to athletics with
a brace for protection. Grade 2 injuries (partial tear) usually require four to
six weeks to return and Grade 3 injuries (complete tear) can require 6 weeks or
more to return.
The lateral collateral ligament (LCL) runs from the outer edge of the
4
5
TAPPS District
New O f fense, New At titude, New Hopes for TK Gorman Crusader s
Clint Yeatts - KLTV 7 News
Things didn’t turn out the way new head coach Reggie
Wilson had hoped in his first year at the helm at TKG.
The Crusaders finished the year with a disappointing
1-9 record. But Coach Wilson says he has a lot to
build on for 2008.
Meeting the likes of Canton and Mineola to start the
year took its toll on the Crusaders. “It was a rough
season,” said coach Wilson, “we had a tough nondistrict schedule that resulted in a ton of injuries. At
one point we had 14 starters injured at the same time.
It’s tough to build week to week with so many kids hurt.
But the guys played hard all year long and I think we
are ready for a new season.”
Wilson will be changing up the offense for the ‘08
campaign. Coach says if you’ve heard of it chances
are you’ll see it when the Crusaders have the ball.
The Pro-Set from last year will still be a part of the
offense but so will the Spread, Wishbone and WingT. Wilson says the kids are excited about the new
offense and the transition during spring ball was easier
than he expected.
Wilson will get back some experienced players. Only
six seniors will be lost to graduation. Back again in
‘08 will be standout RB Kevin Navetta. As a junior
Kevin rushed for more than 1000 yards and racked
up another 800 yards on returns. “99% of our offense
went through Kevin last year,” says Wilson, “He will be
our leader on offense again this year.”
Wilson will need Navetta’s leadership while he
searches for a new quarterback since last year’s
starter, Drew Russell, graduated. When two-a-days
start in August, two juniors will be competing for the
starting job. Hunter Matzke got some playing time last
year and he and Alex Fergerson will be going head to
head for the QB job. Right now coach Wilson is not
hinting at who is ahead on the depth chart.
In addition to Navetta, Wilson will also be looking for
leadership from senior TE Nick Brunson. “Nick was
a big player last year. If we needed a first down Nick
was a go to guy,” says Wilson.
It was the defense that kept the Crusaders alive in most
games last year. And it will be the defense again this
year that Coach Wilson will call on to help carry this
team. Second team all-district junior linebacker Ricky
Hand will be expected to lead the charge. Ricky had
more than 80 tackles last season and will be looked on
to do the same again this year. Senior Justin Harris
will again guide the TKG secondary. He was a key
part of the Crusaders defense last season.
The Crusaders have been competing in TAPPS
competition football for a number of years. Joining
them for the first time in district play will be cross town
private school rival Grace Community School. Their
meeting on October 24th will be the first between the
schools football programs at the varsity level. Wilson
looks forward to building a friendly rivalry in what
should be a huge turnout.
For the second year in a row the Cougars finished
their season on a seven game winning streak ending
2007 with an 8-2 record. “We met and exceeded
our expectations,” says third year head coach Mike
Maddox.
Much of the success last season fell squarely on the
shoulders of then senior quarterback Tucker Glaske.
“Tucker played better as the season went on,” says
Maddox, “he was just a great athlete and left some
big shoes to fill.” In all, Maddox loses 12 seniors from
Grace
Alex Vander Vorste
Riley Floyd
Hunter Sullivan
Max Cogdil
Luis Fernandez
Jack Ryder
Michael Mueller
Hunter Matzke
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Junior
Senior
Junior
Mascot:
Student Enrollment: Principal:
Head Coach:
Assistant Coaches:
Schmidt, Jimmy Wade
WR
WR
OL
OL
DB
DB
OL
QB
Crusaders
212
Jim Franz
Reggie Wilson
Larry Kemp, Jarrod Bitter, Mitch
Schedule
Continued
While the QB job is in question, the even bigger “holes”
to fill may be on defense. The Cougars graduated
their starting inside and outside linebackers and
Maddox is still looking for a leader(s) to take over what
may be the most important jobs on the defensive side
of the ball. “We’ve got Kyle and Ben and that should
keep our secondary solid but we will be real young at
linebacker. We had some great potential rise up in
spring drills but we will be young,” says Maddox.
With three years under their belt the Cougars will enter
TAPPS competitive play for the very first time in the
football programs history. Last season the Cougars
did play Parish Episcopal, who they’ll meet as a district
foe this season. Grace beat Parish in a wild one 48-41.
Parish went on to go two rounds deep in the TAPPS
playoffs. “It was a good measuring stick for us,” says
Maddox, “to see how we would compete at that level.
We are looking forward to competitive play. There is a
lot more motivation with an opportunity to advance.”
As for the district race Wilson thinks Dallas Christian
and Dallas Episcopal will be the teams to beat for
a district crown this season. And he believes his
Crusaders may sneak up on some folks this year.
8/29
Big Sandy
@All-Saints
TBA
9/5
West Rusk
Home
7:30
9/12
Union Grove
Home
7:30
“We have a new team attitude. Everyone is on the
same page which is something we never really
accomplished last year,” says Wilson. “If we can carry
that into September and avoid injuries we are looking
forward to a great season.”
9/19
Lovelady
Away
7:30
9/26
Open
The Cougars will also have their first opportunity to
play cross town private school rival TK Gorman in
district play. “The kids from both schools know each
other so well,” says Maddox, “we’ve always had great
competition with them in other sports. We have a lot
of respect for the folks at Gorman and look forward to
playing them in October.”
10/3
Cedar Hill*
Away
7:30
Grace has beefed up its non-district schedule this
season. They begin the year with a match-up against
10/10
Prestonwood*
Home
7:30
Players to Watch
10/17
Parish Episcopal*
Away
7:30
10/24
Grace Community* Home
7:30
10/31
First Baptist* Away
7:30
Home
7:30
Kevin Navetta Nick Brunson Ricky Hand Justin Harris Alex Fergerson
Senior Senior Junior
Senior
Junior
RB
TE
LB
SS
QB
11/7
Dallas Christian*
*denotes district games
Grace Jumps Into New Era W ith Some Big Shoes To Fill
Grace Community football has come a long way in just
three years. 2008 should be another big year for the
young Cougar program. Along with entering TAPPS
play for the very first time, Grace is scheduled to move
into a new stadium by the time district play starts. But
perhaps the biggest change for the 2008 campaign
will be all the new faces on the field come the last
week of August.
TAPPS District
last year’s squad. All of them filled starting positions
on offense, defense or both. Maddox says it is a
big number to replace for a school the size of Grace
Community.
of a pocket type offense. We are going to have to give
our younger QBs the chance to see the field better.
We are talking 5’8” or 5’9” between the two of them so
we will have to sprint out or bootleg more.”
With Glaske’s graduation, Maddox has the difficult job
of choosing a new field general from a slate of very
young potentials. Junior Grant Ingram got some
playing time in almost every game last season and
may be the front runner for the job. The other prime
candidate is sophomore Taylor Stanley, who Maddox
says throws the ball well. Mattox says he’ll wait until
two-a-days to make a final decision but he has already
decided the offense will be a little different regardless
of who gets the starting job.
Compounding the loss of so many seniors from last
year is the small numbers coming from the new senior
class. “We are going to have a lot of youth,” says
Maddox, “our seniors are small by numbers but we
have some good quality kids especially in our skilled
positions and our linemen.”
“We are not going to change our offense,” says
Maddox, “ but we will adjust our offensive philosophy.
Our quarterbacks will be much smaller than last year
so we’ll be more of a sprint out or bootleg team instead
6
Leading the senior class will be Kyle Childress and
Ben Pinkston. Both will see a lot of time on the offense
and defense sides of the ball. They’ll split duty as
inside receivers on offense and secondary starters on
defense. Maddox says he did get a pleasant surprise
in spring drills from senior Nathan Woodward who will
join Childress and Pinkston in the Cougar secondary.
Continued
Eustace, a 3-A public school. Maddox says that game
will give the Cougars a real good indication of how far
his team has come and how far they still have to go.
Make no mistake the Cougars have their sites set
on a district championship but this will truly be a new
era for Grace football. “There is so much for our kids
to rise up to compete at the level they will play this
season,” says Maddox. “You just want to see a certain
amount of improvement each week. Just play sound
fundamental football and bring our very best each
week.”
Players to Watch
Kyle Childress
Senior
Nathan Woodward Senior
Ben Pinkston Senior Eddie Starks Senior
Thomas Getz
Senior
Tyson Gleitz Senior
Daniel Jordan Senior
Preston Steele Senior
Andrew Schubert Senior
Josh Jones Senior
Cameron Broderhausen Soph
Micah Clark Soph WR/DB
WR/DB
WR/DB
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/DL
WR
RB/LB
OL/DL
RB/LB
OL/LB
5’10
5’10
6’0 5’10
6’0
5’10
5’10
6’4
5’10
5’9
5’11
5’10
145
150
150
240
240
210
240
200
150
160
160
170
Mascot:
Cougars
Enrollment:
245
Headmaster:
Jay Ferguson
Head Coach:
Mike Maddox – 3rd year
Assistant Coaches: Danny Dobbs, Coby Gipson,
Mickey Akin, Kevin Stanley, Bob Gillham
S ch e d u l e
8/28
Eustace
@ All Saints
TBA
9/5
Grapeland
Away
7:30
9/12
Malakoff
Away
7:30
9/19 Brook Hill
Away
7:30
9/26 Parish*
Home
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10 FBA*
Away
7:30
10/17 Dallas Christian*
Home
7:30
10/24 TKG*
Away
7:30
10/31 Trinity Cedar Hill*
Home
7:30
11/7 Prestonwood*
Away
7:30
A ll Saints Looks For Leader s As The Trojans Move Into TA PP S Play
For the last three years, Mark Ackerman’s job has
been to build a program from the ground up at Tyler’s
All Saints. This fall he’ll see just how far his Trojans
have come. In the second season of play in 2007
the Trojans accomplished a couple of things. They
completed their first 10 game schedule, they moved
into their brand new home stadium, Mewbourne Field
and they began to build some excitement about football
at All Saints. “Our biggest issue since we started has
been numbers,” says head coach Mark Ackerman.
“So many of our kids have never played football it was
hard to get the older kids to come out.”
The Trojans, with just 24 players from the entire
high school, finished with a 3-7 record in 2007. But
Ackerman believes that he is starting to see signs of
experience in his young team.
“This will be the first year to have some guys who
have played at least for a year or two and that is a
little bit exciting,” says Ackerman. “We’ve got some
guys who have spent some time in the weight room
for a year or two so I think we are just beginning to
turn the corner.”
The biggest question mark for this team is quarterback.
In the past two seasons Ackerman has started two
different quarterbacks. This year his leading candidate
has never played football before.
Senior Ben Wallace has been a stand out tennis
player for All Saints and showed some promise in
spring drills. “He made some young guy mistakes,”
says Ackerman, “but he is such a good athlete and has
a great arm. I think he has some potential and could
fill the starting job.”
The “bulk” of the senior leadership on this team will
be on the line and that is something Ackerman has
never had before. Seniors Christian Klouda, Josh
Dixon and Cal Easley will anchor the offensive line.
With a couple of years of experience and off season
training under their belts, Ackerman is expecting the
big guys to lead the way. “Our offensive line has been
a hindrance for us in the past. These guys have been
in the weight room a couple of years, they are strong
and we need them to lead this team,” says Ackerman.
Of the new private school programs to emerge in
the past three years, Brook Hill certainly was the first
to make a mark in TAPPS play. Unlike GraceThe
Trojans should be better at skilled positions too.
Running backs Hunter Carr and Blake Jones along
with receivers Bryson Hancock and Clayton Anderson
should give the Trojans more options on offense.
Coach Ackerman says he’ll need that while he trains
a quarterback.
On defense, the names remain the same. A lot of
these same guys will be pulling double duty playing
both offense and defense. Coach says he did get a
great spring practice from junior Harrison Jenkins at
7
defensive end. He’ll be expected to contribute more
on a defense that will focus on going after the ball
rather than read and react.
The Trojans move into TAPPS competition for the first
time this season. They’ve been put in a Division 3
district that has a bunch of new teams. One of those
will be Smith County private school rival Brook Hill
who moves up a division. Dallas Shelton and Dallas
Lutheran move down a division into the new district.
While Ackerman will not rule out the hope of a district
crown he says he tries to be “optimistic and realistic.”
“It is always more fun to play for something, to be able
to win something.” says Ackerman. “We may be a few
years away from a championship but I think we can
make the playoffs. Four teams from our district will
make the playoffs and I think we have a shot at one of
those spots. That is a great incentive and would be a
great thing for our program.”
At the end of the day, the biggest hurdle for this young
program will be numbers. Ackerman hopes to add
to the 30 players that turned out for spring drills. If
he can add another 5 - 10 players and avoid injuries,
Ackerman believes the Trojans have an opportunity
to begin building a winning tradition for this young
football program.
Continued
TAPPS District
TAPPS District
All Saints
Enrollment: Head Coach:
Assistant Coaches:
Playe r s t o Wa t ch
Christian Klouda Bryson Hancock
Clayton Anderson
Mascot:
Headmaster:
Senior Senior Senior OL/DL
WR/LB
WR/DB
Trojans
Art Burke
199
Mark Ackerman
Johnny Speake, Charmyst Amie
Schedule
9/26
Ft. Worth Temple
Away
7:30
10/3
Fruitvale
Away
7:30
10/10
Dallas Lutheran*
Home
7:30
10/17
Brook Hill*
Away
7:30
10/24
Coram Deo*
Home
7:30
8/29
Buffalo
10/31
Dallas Shelton*
Away
7:30
9/5
OPEN
11/7
Garland Christian*
Away
7:30
9/12
Timpson
Home
7:30
9/19
Prince of Peace
Home
7:30
Home
7:30
Brook Hill Sets Goal for a St ate Title in 2008
Of the new private school programs to emerge in
the past three years, Brook Hill certainly was the
first to make a mark in TAPPS play. Unlike Grace
and All Saints who started programs at the same
time, Brook Hill dove right into TAPPS play two years
ago. Last season the Guard won their second district
championship.
“I was pleased with last season,” says 2nd year head
coach Jim Klaczak. “We won district the year before
but we only had to beat two teams. This year we
played a full district schedule, we were undefeated
in district and moved into the playoffs.” The Guard
lost in the first round of the playoffs to Colleyville. A
team that would eventually go on to the state semifinal
round.
The Guard finished the year with a 7-4 record. Klaczak
believes a tough non-district scheduled helped his
young team prepare for district. Brook Hill suited up
only four seniors in 2007 and only two of those were
starters. That gives Klaczak one thing he has never
had before, experience.
“I’ve got 8 offensive starters and 6 defensive starters
coming back. We’ve got to get our young kids some
experience early. For the first time because we have
depth we can practice harder. When you can go game
speed in practice it makes it easier to adjust. You can
practice longer and harder,” coach says.
All eyes will be on one of Brook Hill’s youngest starters,
Julius Johnson. Johnson was tabbed Newcomer of
the Year by the Tyler Paper in 2007. As a freshman,
Johnson rushed for 2399 yards and 26 touchdowns.
And he did all that in just seven games.
“He is a great cut back runner,” says coach Klaczak.
“He is a Barry Sanders type runner. He is so quick.”
Johnson got his chance to shine when the season
began when the starting running back went down with
an injury and hasn’t looked back. Make no doubt the
Guard offense in 2008 will center around their young
running back.
Despite the experience on this team, there will be a
lot of youth in the backfield. Johnson will be joined
by sophomore Tyler Baker who will take over as
quarterback. Two of Klaczak’s older potential QBs
have left Brook Hill leaving Baker to step up in 2008.
“Tyler was an all state cornerback last year as a
freshman. He is an outstanding athlete and should be
able to take over as quarterback,” says Klacak.
The young QB should have plenty of protection. The
entire offensive line is back including senior guard
Luke Baker. And we did ask, they are not related. The
only real piece to replace on offense is full back Cody
Franklin who contributed 900 yards on the ground last
year.
The defense should be just as strong with a ton of
returning starters. Jacob Johnson will be back at
defensive end after an all state season last year.
Austin Pile will be at the other end spot. “Everybody
plays the spread these days,” says coach, “these guys
have a great pass rush and play hard every play.”
Coach is also excited about transfer Luke Molidor.
Molidor is moving over from TK Gorman and is
expected to make an immediate contribution at
linebacker.
The bar is being set pretty high at Brook Hill. Coach
says this team is ready to go “deep” into the playoffs.
“Deep” being defined as all the way to state. The
Guard is moving up in classification to TAPPS Division
3. A classification and district assignment that will
include cross county private school rival All Saints.
But the move up in classification doesn’t seem to
bother Coach Klaczak.
“That’s why we are playing such a tough pre-season
schedule,” says coach Klaczak. “We are starting
to understand this is a team sport. All 45 players
have to contribute. That idea of unity is starting to
catch on here. This group here…we want to make
a run. We are going for a state title. They know
what to expect and they want more…they are really
gung-ho about this season. Anything less would be a
disappointment.” says coach.
P l aye rs to Watch
Tyler Baker
Julius Johnson Luke Baker Jacob Johnson Austin Pile
Kip Picarella Chris Dawson Sophomore
Sophomore Senior Senior Senior Senior Junior 8
QB/CB
RB
OL
DL
DL
OL
OL
Heath Dickey Bo Seamonds
Junior Senior OL
OL
Mascot: The Guard
Enrollment: 148
Headmaster: Rod Fletcher
Head Coach: Jim Klaczak
Assistant Coaches:
Bobby Stroupe, Shawn Warren, Jon Rutherford, Rodney Miller, Tim Moore, Vince Veazey
Schedule
8/30
Hawkins
9/5
OPEN
9/12
9
2
/
4
3
I
(
"//43s7%34%2.7%!2
(!43s!##%33/2)%3
-! + % I 4 / 2
6AST3ELECTIONs.AME"RANDS
&IRST1UALITYs,OW0RICES
" % I4
4YLERs7EST37,OOPs
/PEN-ONn3ATAMnPM3UN.OONnPM
@All Saints
2:00
St. Augustine
Home
7:30
9/19
Grace Community
Home
7:30
9/26
Big Sandy
Home
7:30
10/3
Dallas Home School
Home
7:30
10/10
Garland Christian*
Home
7:30
Cathy Fieseler, MD
10/17
All Saints*
Home
7:30
10/24
Dallas Shelton*
Away
7:30
Trinity Mother Frances Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine
10/31
Dallas Lutheran*
Home
7:30
11/7
Coram Deo Academy
Away
7:30
Head Injuries in Sports
The parent of the athlete that has suffered from a concussion should keep a
close watch until the child feels normal. If the parent notices any neck stiffness,
severe headache, difficulty walking or speaking, frequent vomiting, seizures
or unusual fatigue, he/she should contact the physician for a more in-depth
evaluation. The symptoms may go away fairly quickly or may persist for weeks
or months and it is important that an athlete not return to sports until the
symptoms have resolved. There is a risk of Second Impact Syndrome, a rare but
uniformly fatal brain swelling caused by a second concussion.
Even mild concussions cause damage to the brain and cumulative
concussions can cause permanent damage. This can happen even with as few as
two concussions. Concussions are more likely to occur once an athlete has had
a concussion and the long-term repercussions may be extremely serious. This is
especially a problem in growing athletes whose brain is still developing.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Trinity Mother
Frances Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine physician, call (903) 510-8840 or
visit tmfhs.org/orthosportsmed.
A concussion is an injury to the brain,
ranging from mild to severe. Concussions
are usually caused by a blow to the head,
but may occur due to severe jarring and
are typically not associated with any loss
of consciousness. The injured athlete may
come off the field saying they feel like they
got their “bell rung.” They might feel dazed
or stunned and may complain of headaches,
nausea, vomiting, blurred vision or loss of
balance. The athlete should be evaluated by
an athletic trainer or physician to determine
the severity and should be transported to the nearest emergency room if the
injury is severe. If approved by a physician, the athlete may take acetaminophen
(Tylenol) for headache.
9
But, I will never forget that day, May 19th, 1992,
when I checked the old Associated Press wire...
and while weeding through all the various stories,
news, and weather alerts...one headline jumped
out at me, “San Antonio Football Coach Killed in
Accident.” I wasn’t even paying attention until I
read where it was Bob Mickler and his wife, and
I sat there stunned...in silence for what seemed
like hours, and I couldn’t breath.
More Than a Coach
David Smoak - KTBB Radio Sports Director
Owner-Smoaky.com • smoaky@smoaky.com
The high school football season is around the corner and players, coaches and
fans are dreaming of a possible run at a state championship.
Most of those hopes and dreams will end too early, but it won’t be for a
lack of effort or time spent at practice, watching film or traveling to scout an
opponent.
And I thought it would be a good time to share my personal story about my last
high school football coach, and perhaps this will allow some fans who will, at
some point this season, will question a play call or become disenchanted with
the coach of their favorite program.
Maybe you’ll understand the importance of “coach.”
My story involves the late-great Bob Mickler, who is still among the Top 15 in
all-time winning percentage in Texas HS Football history, if not higher.
I loved that man, but our relationship didn’t start very well.
Other than my father---Coach Mickler is among a small group of men I consider
my heroes or role models, the rest of the list includes former Nebraska football
coach Dr. Tom Osborne and Redskins Hall of Fame head coach, Joe Gibbs.
Coach Mickler was the long-time and incredibly successful head football coach
at Universal City Randolph.
When our family was transferred from Yokota AFB in Japan to San Antonio, I
went to visit the Randolph coaching staff. The first time I met Coach Mickler
and told him I was enrolling, he told me “you won’t be able to play for us.”
Well, Randolph had a great tradition and the 1976 team was state-ranked in the
various pre-season polls.
I knew about Randolph’s tradition because we’d lived in San Antonio prior
to moving to Japan, but my two older brothers had attended San Antonio
Roosevelt, which wasn’t too far away.
Since my father was given on-base officer housing---I decided to attend
Randolph for convenience, plus a couple of former classmates/teammates at
Yokota were at Randolph.
I had pretty long hair (Peter Frampton style) and I’d lettered in four varsity
sports at Yokota (football, basketball, baseball and wrestling), so I wasn’t too
worried about Coach Mickler’s initial opinion.
In fact, it motivated me.
Well, by our second scrimmage, I was starting both ways, at right guard and
defensive end.
Our team didn’t live up to the pre-season hype and even worse, we were the
first team not to beat our hated rival, the Army brats themselves, San Antonio
Cole (we tied 0-0).
To this day, I don’t know if Coach Mickler ever forgave us for not beating Cole
that season.
As the season continued, Coach Mickler and I became very close, and I
only wish I’d been there during the off-season so I would’ve felt a little more
comfortable in saying what I felt (as if that’s ever been a problem of mine)
during the season.
Well, I graduated the next spring and Coach Mickler and others on staff stayed
in touch all of the time, even after I went off to college...and into my professional
career.
Finally, a fellow employee asked if I was okay
and snapped me out of my state of shock.
About an hour later, I remember trying to tell my
radio audience what just happened, and it was
one of the toughest things I’ve ever done live on the radio.
I remember earlier that day not knowing exactly what main topic we’d have--it was summertime, so not much going on, but when I spilled my guts about
Coach Mickler, it gave many other former high school players a chance to talk
about their coach, and it was awesome hearing about the role coaches play
in our society.
My former teammate at Randolph, Pete Wesp, has been the head coach at
Randolph for quite some time and the “Ro-Hawks” had just finished an unbeaten
regular season…and honestly, I have checked their score every single Friday
night since my first year in college.
But no one will ever replace Coach Mickler and I know Pete Wesp knows that.
Coach Mickler was intimidating and he loved to call me or anyone else a
“moron” when we screwed up (which of course with me “never” happened).
He rode me hard, I guess unlike what you’re allowed to do in coaching these
days...I wanted my coach to grind on me and even yell at me. I always thought
if he wasn’t on me, something was wrong.
And I’ll never forget after my last game, a pretty bad loss to Hays Consolidated,
when Coach Mickler walked around the locker room and talked to each player.
I was the last locker (remember I came in right before the season started)...
and I just knew he was going to say something smart-***, but he leaned down
towards me and said, “Smoaky, I don’t know where we would’ve been this
season without you, son---you were a God-send.”
Needless to say, I balled my eyes out, and I didn’t want to take off my shoulder
pads...but that time finally came.
I have always remembered what he said to me on my last night of football.
Randolph went on another nice run right after my senior season, quarterfinals
in ‘77 (lost to Van Vleck and a stud named Eric Martin), semifinals in ‘78 (lost
to Sealy and some kid named Eric Dickerson!) and 3-rounds deep during my
youngest brother Philip’s senior season in 1980.
I know some of you may not relate to this story, but if you ever experienced
getting to know a coach of any sport at any level…you know where I’m coming
from…and hopefully those who are trying to beat the drum to run a coach out
of your favorite school will understand the importance a coach can have on a
young persons life.
In my opinion, too many parents and even some administrators are trying
to run an athletic department and my philosophy will never change, “let the
teachers teach, and the let the coaches coach.”
I hope if you’re someone who seems to always want a new coach, you’ll stop
for a second and realize the hours-upon-hours of dedication those coaches
give back to their program and even your son or daughter.
Although my father will always be my hero and role model, Coach Mickler was
a close second. I loved that man...he made me a better person and had a lot to
do with my competitive desire.
10
District 11-5A
JT Looks to Return W inning Tradition in 2008
Maya Golden - KLTV Sports Director
There were some growing pains for the John Tyler Lions
in 2007. After two consecutive playoff appearances in
the previous seasons, the Lions lost several marquee
players. The Lions went 1-9 in their first season under
new head coach Dereck Rush.
Despite just one win, the Lions had a final chance
to clinch the last playoff spot in District 12-5A with a
victory over North Mesquite in their last regular season
game. The Lions fell to the Stallions 35-28 late in the
fourth quarter, ending their season.
Heading into the 2008 season, the Lions have again
lost several top players. John Tyler graduated alldistrict running back Ramonte Hamption, all-district
linebackers Derrick Choice and Chris Ratcliff, alldistrict defensive lineman Adren Dorsey and all-district
defensive back Jeremy Johnson.
Entering his second year as head coach, Dereck Rush
looks to his younger players to help fill their shoes and
begin a true development of his program. While there
were many new faces on last year’s squad, those
young faces got playing experience. As they continue
to mature, you can expect the Lions’ game to do the
same as rookies become veterans and the “new guys”
become polished skill players.
During the Lions’ spring game, junior Jeremy Johnson
led the Lion offense at quarterback. Johnson is set
to be the starting quarterback this season. In the
Blue & White game, Johnson was 15 of 20 for two
touchdowns and 158 yards. The young quarterback is
showing promise with a strong passing game.
“I think he’s done really well for us,” Rush said. “He’s
getting the system down.”
Starting a junior quarterback is becoming a trait for the
Lions’ program. Last year’s starting quarterback Billy
Thomkins was also a junior. But this year as a senior,
Thomkins will be relied on to carry the ball rather than
pass. In the spring, Rush moved Thomkins from the
QB spot to RB.
With junior Ky’Ordrick Black expected to get quite a
bit of playing time at running back too, Rush feels his
offense has quite the punch this season. “Along with
Charlie Jackson (RB) and De’Trich Morgan (WR),
those guys should have a great season,” Rush said.
The entire offensive line is back for the 2008 season.
Their experience will be another key advantage for the
Lions.
“I think our strengths are going to be our offensive
line. We’ve got all of those guys coming back,” Rush
explained. “So we’re going to depend on those guys
for a while until we get the defense rolling.”
Defensively the Lions have just four returning starters.
But many of the team’s younger players saw some
limited playing time in 2007, giving them the game
experience they will need to excel in 2008.
6’1”, 190 pound defensive end Ricky Marshall will be a
strong presence on the field, along with defensive end
Cornelius Burns, defensive back Lakendrick Wilkerson,
lineman Reginald Carroll and safety JaCorryn Wilson.
The five are expected to be some of class 5A’s top
East Texas prospects in 2009.
De’Trich Morgan
Ashton Dorsey
Ricky Marshall
Correy Wilson
Alvin Arps
Senior
Junior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Mascot: Student Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: WR
DT
LB/DE
DB
LB
Lions
2,200
Dr. Randy Reid
Dereck Rush
Assistant Coaches: Sam Parker (OC),
Barry Anderson (DC), Mike Bickham (OL/Asst. Head Coach),
Michael Johnson (WR), Paul Fryer (DE), Buddy Blair (DT),
Ricklan Holmes (Sec), Sam Padgitt (RB),
Phillip LaFontaine (WR), Duke Atterbery (Sec)
S ch e d u l e
8/30
Texas High
Home
7:30
9/5
Lufkin
Away
7:30
9/12
Arlington Lamar
Home
7:30
Also, for a second year, the Lions have a pretty tough
pre-district schedule. JT opens the season with their
annual match-up with Texas High, followed by a
meeting on the road with 5A juggernaut Lufkin.
9/19
Wichita Falls Rider
Home
7:30
9/26
Lewisville
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Mesquite Horn*
Home
7:30
Players to Watch
10/17
Mesquite*
Home
7:30
10/24
North Mesquite*
Away
7:30
10/31
Tyler Lee* Away
7:30
11/7
DeSoto*
Away
7:30
Ky’Ordrick Black Jeremy Johnson
Billy Thomkins
Charlie Jackson
Junior
Junior Senior
Senior
RB
QB
RB
RB
FREE SPORTS INJURY CLINIC
Saturday MorningS
AM.OONs!UGUST.OVEMBER
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11
District 11-5A
The Red Raider s W ill Depend On Their Defense
For A nother Shot at the Playof f s
District District 11-5A
11-5A Loses One Favorite But A dds A nother
With an overall 2007 season record of 5-6, it was not
exactly the breakout year the Red Raiders had hoped
for. The Robert E. Lee Red Raiders achieved every
team’s basic goal in 2007 by making the playoffs. Their
post season run ended in a first round exit after a 2810 loss to Skyline in the bi-district playoffs. Still, their
playoff berth allowed for a handful of younger players
to get the experience they need to make another run
at the post-season in 2008. “We’re better defensively so I think we are a better
football team than we were last year,” said head Coach
Mike Owens. Owens enters his 13th season with Lee.
With five starters returning on defense it will definitely
be the Red Raider D that carries them in 2008. During
the spring game, it was the defense that kept the Red
and White game scoreless, with several players coming
up with big interceptions throughout the game.
“Defensively is where we are hanging our hat,” Owens
said. “We’ve got eight or nine guys that played a bunch
last year. They’re not just great talent kids, they’ve got
experience playing. So, they read jump routes and
blitz and all kinds of things way better than they did
last year. They were pretty good last year and I really
think we’re going to be as good as we’ve ever been
on defense.”
While the defense is the sure bet for the Red Raiders,
the offense is “under construction.” The Red Raiders
have only one returning starter in tailback Da Da
Brown.
Brown is a good starter to have back. In 2007 as a
sophomore, Brown had 156 carries for 942 yards and
five touchdowns. Plus, 12 catches for 96 yards. He
was the district 12-5A newcomer of the year.
“Offensively right now, if I had to guess, we’re about
the same. We need to work on a lot of things. Our
offensive line, we’ve got 10 guys that had not taken a
snap on Friday. But when Da Da Brown is on the field,
our offensive line is going to look a lot better.”
“We lost two pretty good kickers, although we had
some great ones last year. We found a couple of kids
that are good kickers so I think our kicking game will
end up about the same.”
Junior Chase Wiley and Anthony Nelson are also
expected to carry the ball this fall for REL.
At quarterback , Luke Wagner will replace last year’s
starter Brandon Rogers. During the spring the Red
Raider defense had given the new QB quite a run.
“Luke’s got to get his timing back. His timing is off
now because during the spring he’s been rushed so
much by the defense that his timing is just off. So, I’m
hoping 7-on-7 will get him back on four second throw.
But that’s what he needs to do. He needs to throw on
time.”
On defense this fall, fans should also keep an eye on
three year starter Hunter Hogan and defensive ends
Reggie Taylor and Simmon Baylock. Taylor is said to
have great speed and quickness while Blaylock is a
natural defensive player.
The Aubrey Twins are also back for their senior year.
Josh Aubrey had 46 tackles and two interceptions last
season as a safety, earning him an all-state honorable
mention nod. Jordan was one of the Red Raider’s
leading tacklers in 2007.
As for the Red Raider’s district, most of last year’s
opponents are back in what is now 11-5A. But there
is one major player missing: the Longview Lobos. The
Lobos dropped down to Class 4A when realignment
hit. Longview moved out and De Soto moved in.
“We hate to lose Longview because they’ve been
around forever,” Owens said. “But we are still playing
them in pre-district. With De Soto coming in, that
would put us in Division II if we are lucky enough to get
into the playoffs. De Soto is bigger than we are and
Mesquite High is bigger than we are so, it will be the
first time in a while, if we are fortunate enough to get
there, that we will go Division II.”
Junior
Senior Senior Junior Senior Senior Schedule
Lufkin
9/5
9/12
Mesquite and North Mesquite are also expected to have something to say about the playoff picture when the dust settles from district play.
DeSoto Eagles
The DeSoto Eagles are the lone new team in this
district and coming off a 9-3 district championship in
8-5A. The team returns three starters on offense and
four on defense. First year coach Claude Mathis says
every week will be a new experience for his team.
“We have to prepare for them and scout them just like
every other team,” Mathis said. “We have to do our film
work, we can’t take any team lightly.”
9/4
Plano
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Richardson Berkner
Home
7:30 p.m.
P l aye r s t o Wa t ch
Luke Halpin
Marcus Trice
Brad Baledez
Oshae Hamilton
Midland Away
TBA
Duncanville
Home
7:30 p.m.
Flower Mound
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
OPEN
10/9
North Mesquite *
Memorial
7:30 p.m.
The Eagles return some solid skill position players as
well as strong linemen, including Jeff Clermond and
Chris Atchison.
10/17
Tyler Lee *
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Mesquite *
Hamby
7:30 p.m.
“Clermond is going to play big for us this year,” Mathis
said. “He’s got offers, and so does Atchison. He’s
probably got about five offers on the table right now.”
10/31
Mesquite Horn *
Hamby
7:30 p.m.
11/7
John Tyler *
Home
7:30 p.m.
Away
7:30
Dallas Kimball
Home
7:30
9/19
Abilene
Away
7:30
9/26
Flower Mound Marcus
Home
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Mesquite*
Away
7:30
“He’s doing a great job leading this team.”
10/17
De Soto*
Away
7:30
10/24
Mesquite Horn*
Home
7:30
His top target will be Darius Terrell, a receiver Mathis
said is “One of the best I’ve ever had as a coach.”
10/31
John Tyler*
Home
7:30
Home
7:30
Sophomore Ryan Polite will take the snaps for
DeSoto.
The defense will be led by senior outside linebacker
Brandon Johnson, and senior defensive back Adrian
White.
“He’ll probably be one of the best defensive backs in
the country,” Mathis said.
Chris Atchison Brandon Johnson
Marcus Murphy
Jeff Clermond
Ryan Polite
Adrian White
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Senior
Senior
Junior
Senior
Sophomore
Senior Eagles
2719
Lloyd Treadwell
Claude Mathis
OL
LB
RB
OL
QB
DB
The cornerback and wide receiver is recognized in
the top 20 in the state for his speed. Defensively he
finished his junior season with 60 tackles, 7 sacks and
14 break-ups. Trice is being recruited by Wisconsin,
Baylor, Iowa, Tulsa and SMU.
Many predictions put the Skeeters as second place
finishers in the district. Mesquite’s last district title was
claimed in 2001.
8/29
9/26
Longview
Smoaky.com, without question the authority
and voice of East Texas High School Football
S ch e d u l e
9/19
7:30
11/7
North Mesquite*
Assistant Coaches: Bill Cummings, Todd Grimes, Trey
Vanderhule, Brian Stansberry, Charles Meumeyer, Donald
Miller, Ronald Wagner, Ben Dotson, Paul Beattie, Todd
Peterman, Donald Hatcher
Mathis is in his first year as head coach of the Eagles
after three years in the state capital as head coach of
Austin LBJ. The Eagles sent Cyrus Gray to Texas A&M
and Adrian Bushell to Florida last season, but still think
their skill positions will be their strong suit.
Home
The Red Raiders will continue to face the Mesquite
schools in the North Mesquite Stallions, the Mesquite
Horn Jaguars and the Mesquite Skeeters.
12
TB/DB
TE
DE
LB
LB
DT
Mascot: Red Raiders
Student Enrollment: 2652
Superintendent: Dr. Randy Reid
Head Coach: Mike Owens (13th Season)
Assistant Coaches:
Jay Law (Asst. Head Coach/LB),
Randy Huffstickler (DC, Secondary), Dow Wynn (Co-OC/WR),
Gary Fleet (Co-OC /OL), Willie Williams (Special Teams, CoSecondary), Elgin Johnson (OL/TE/S), David Howard (RB/S)
8/29
Reid Kerr - KLTV Sports
With the departure of Longview from the 5-A ranks, this district lost one of its perennial powerhouse programs. But as the Lobos leave for 4-A,
DeSoto moves over to this East Texas district, and according to coaches, will be the favorite to take the district crown.
Players to Watch
Da Da Brown Simmon Blaylock Reggie Taylor Blake Roberts Matt Monigold Hunter Hogan •
*Denotes District Games
Mesquite Skeeter s
The 2007-2008 school year ended with the Mesquite
Skeeters’ football program in the headlines not for
what took place on the field, but for what former coach
Steve Halpin did off the field. The Skeeters look to put
the negative press behind them and make headlines
with the actions on the turf.
Longtime assistant coach Robbie Robinson moved
into the role of head coach. Robinson has been at
Mesquite high school since 1989 and served as
assistant head coach to Halpin. At times Robinson
also served as the defensive line coach.
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Lake Highlands
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Lewisville Hebron
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Naaman Forest
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Southlake Carroll
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
9/27
Lufkin
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Tyler Lee*
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
10/17
John Tyler*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/24
DeSoto*
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
10/31
North Mesquite*
Memorial
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Mesquite Horn*
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
Expect the Skeeters to have speed and most of their
strength at the skill position.
13
QB
WR/DB
K
LB
Mascot: Skeeters
Student Enrollment: 2,684
Superintendent: Dr. Linda Henrie
Head Coach: Robbie Robinson
Assistant Coaches: David Norris (DC), Jason Lavender
(OC), Ryan Porter, Nathan Richberg, Scott Smithey, Donnie
Pruitt, John Hill, Stu Johnson
The Skeeters finished the 2007 season with a 7-5
record. They lost to Plano in the area playoffs. It was
the fourth straight year the Skeeters had seen the post
season.
Quarterback Luke Halpin returns for his senior season.
Halpin threw for 875 yards and 3 touchdowns in ’07.
Halpin’s throwing ability is complemented offensively
by the play-making skills of Marcus Trice.
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
District 11-5A
Nor th Mesquite
St allions
The North Mesquite Stallions finished 2007 at 4-7, but
made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Head
coach Mike Robinson said getting back into the playoffs
was a major step for his team.
“Getting into the playoffs was the first step towards
rebuilding the tradition here,” Robinson said. “You go
back to the 80’s and 90’s and North Mesquite was a
perennial power.”
“Last season just laid the cornerstone.”
The Stallions return four starters on each side of the
ball, including a pair of powerful linemen.
Up front, the Stallions will run behind Josh Aladnowye,
who stands 6’6” and 320 pounds, and honorable
mention All-Stater Lamarcus Jones.
“Josh is big and physical,” Robinson said. “He’s got great
feet for his size. He’s one of the best I’ve ever worked with
in my career. He had almost every school in the nation
after him and he committed to Oklahoma last week.”
“Lamarcus looks and plays like Nate Newton, he’s a
bruising blocker.”
At the receiver positions, the Stallions return a pair of
experienced juniors. Michael Wheeler started every
game last year and he’ll be joined by Ricky Herod.
Wheeler led the team with nineteen receptions in
2007. Herod started seven games as a sophomore
free safety, but is being moved to the offensive side
of the ball.
“He has the potential,” Robinson said, “to be one of the
best receivers in the state.”
On defense, the Stallions return six starters including
junior Nate Douglas, who started all eleven games last
season as a sophomore defensive back. Robinson
said Douglas has good size, speed and experience.
“Nate is what you look for in a cornerback,” Robinson
said. “In this day and age of the spread offense, he’s
6’1” and physical. He started last year and every week
he got better and better. He’s learned to understand
the game more. He always had the athleticism but his
awareness of the game has increased.
The team will also get a lift from the return of linebacker
J.D. Dotson. The junior was injured in the first game of
the 2007 season.
“J.D. was injured in our first game last year,” Robinson
said. “In that one half of play, he had nine tackles,
two sacks and a caused fumble. He’s really got the
potential to be a big-time, D-1 player. He’s come back
off his injury in the off-season with no signs of being
hesitant with that injured leg.”
Josh Aladwnoye
Chris Royal
Emmanuel O’Quinn
Darrien McKinney
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
OL
LB
FS
LB
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Assistant Coaches: Tyler Harrison, Joe Cheney, Eddie
Mellado, Jeff Stone, Vincent Green, Scott Hulsey, Dan St.
Leger, Bill Draughn
Schedule
8/29
Rowlett
Home
9/5
North Garland
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Duncanville
Away
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Away
7:00 p.m.
9/18
Irving-MacArthur
9/26
OPEN
10/2
South Garland
Away
7:00 p.m.
10/9
DeSoto *
Home
7:00 p.m.
10/17
Mesquite Horn *
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/24
John Tyler * Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Mesquite *
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Lee *
Away
7:30 p.m.
Mesquite Horn
Jaguar s
It’s a new day for the Mesquite Horn Jaguars.
After going 3-7 last season, the team is under new
management. Rodney Webb has taken over the team
after spending five years at Royce City, and said the
challenge of building a playoff team was what brought
him to Horn.
“I never paid a lot of attention to school size,” Webb
said, “but the challenge of playing in 5A was an
opportunity I felt I couldn’t pass up. I saw a very similar
situation to what I had at Royce City back in 2003,
there was a lot of potential there.”
Under Webb, Royce City was 11-1 last year and
enjoyed their fourth straight playoff season. For Horn
to experience similar results, Webb says it all starts
with the lower classifications. “We have to instill a
winning attitude to win not just on Friday night, but on
Thursdays as well.”
The Jaguars have two players returning as starters
on offense, but one is wide receiver Tayler Gabriel.
“He’s just an outstanding football player,” Webb says
of his senior. “As a receiver, he can pretty much do
it all. He’s a vertical threat, he’s great in space. If it’s
thrown to him, he can catch it, and he’s a good screen
receiver. He’s the prototype receiver, especially for our
offense.”
Running back Travis Brewster also returns and Webb
is high on his junior. “The sky is the limit for Travis.
He’s got a great combination of good size and sprinter
speed. He really fits the offense well. Our running
backs are three parts, runner, blocker and receiver,
and he can really do all three of those.”
14
Trinity Clinic is pleased to announce the implementation of an electronic
medical record system for our patients. This new technology converts patient
records to an electronic system, taking patient care to a new level of quality.
The defense returns five starters, including senior free
safety Terrence Brady
Stallions
2450
Dr. Linda Henrie
Mike Robinson
“He’s really our team leader,” Webb said. “He’s a really
hard hitting guy. He’s a free safety, but he plays it more
like a strong safety, he’s very physical.”
• Instantaneous, paperless access to patient records, allowing quick
collaboration between primary care physicians and specialists
• Potential for errors reduced
The Jaguars will also get senior Jared Armstrong back
at inside linebacker. “He’s coming off a knee injury,”
Webb said. “He’s rehabbed it all spring, and got ready
for spring ball. He’s been working really hard. He’s a fiery
competitor, he brings us a lot of emotion onto the field.”
For Horn to make a first-ever appearance in the
playoffs, Webb said his Jaguars need to change the
way they approach the season. “We’re not going to
sell our kids short, but at some point along the way
we’ve got to get our kids a boost of confidence. We
have to beat somebody we weren’t supposed to beat.
I think once our kids believe they can win, it’ll start to
turn around.”
Players to Watch
Tayler Gabriel Travis Brewster
Terrence Brady
Jared Armstrong
Senior
Junior
Senior
Senior
WR
RB
FS
LB
• Quality and efficiency enhanced
• Privacy protected
• Coordinated care you can trust—
from our team of more than 200 providers
representing 35 specialties
What are three
Words for improved
patient care?
0)
(80
5
97
35-
Mascot: Jaguars
Enrollment:
2196
Superintendent: Dr. Linda Henrie
Head Coach: Rodney Webb
Assistant Coaches: Cody Moore, Byron Bennett, Larry
Wheeler, Larry Sherman, John Broom, Sammy Lawanson,
Bill Wade, Brad Frantz, Greg Chatham, Wiley Vonner
Schedule
8/29
Arlington Martin
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
9/4
Lake Highlands
9/12
Wylie
Wildcat-Ram 7:00 p.m.
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Ennis
Away 7:30 p.m.
9/26
Open
10/2
Lewisville
Hanby
7:00 p.m.
10/10
John Tyler*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
North Mesquite *
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Tyler Lee *
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Desoto *
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Mesquite*
Hanby
7:30 p.m.
E
N
ZO
RED
11-5A Preseas o n
Coaches’ Po l l
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Desoto
Mesquite
Tyler Lee
North Mesquite
John Tyler
Mesquite Horn
FRIDAY NIGHTS
15
99
District 13-4A
A Ma jor Shakeup in 13- 4 A Renew s Ri valries and Creates
Powerhouse District
District 13-4A
L ong v iew
In 2008, the Lobos look to continue their reign, making
it five straight district titles. However, Coach John King
admits this time around it will be much tougher.
It was the lead story on the evening news. The Longview Lobos, one of East Texas 5A titans, are now a 4A school.
Realignment brought several major shakeups across the state, but in East Texas there was arguably none bigger than the Lobos move from 5A
to 4A. It was a move that the Lobo athletic department had long prepared for. When preliminary numbers surfaced that Longview’s enrollment
was just a few students over 2,000, Coach John King said he would be surprised if Longview remained at 5A.
The other story in District 13-4A is the tale of some historic rivalries. Longview and Marshall had long been opponents in the Highway 80
showdown. The two teams were once district opponents in 12-5A in 2001. Just like the Lobos, Marshall became a 4A school but the two
continued to play each other in non-district competition.
When the two teams meet on October 17th, it will be their 98th meeting. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football recognized Longview versus Marshall
as the number one football rivalry in the state. Maxim Magazine also recognized the match-up
in 2007.
Realignment also renewed one of the few cross town rivalries in East Texas: Pine Tree versus Longview. Separated by just three miles, Pine
Tree and Longview have not been in the same class or the same district since the late 1980’s. The first district meeting between the Pirates and
Lobos in 20 years will take place on Halloween night.
Texas High and Longview, were also district mates years ago. The two football powers will battle it out in district for another season.
“I think we are rekindling old rivalries and that’s good for high school football,” Longview head coach John King said. “That is what it’s about. We
are back in a district with three teams that we played district games against for years. A lot of the old timers that were around at that time are
going to be excited.”
Hallsville, Pine Tree and Marshall remain district opponents. The three schools were members of the previous 12-4A district. Sulphur Springs,
Mount Pleasant and Texas High were also district opponents in what used to be district 11-4A.
Hallsv ille Bobcats
The Bobcats were 3-7 in 2007 and understandably
disappointed with how their season ended. The
Bobcats made it their mission to prevent the same fate
in 2008.
“We knew we couldn’t wait to change what happened
last year,” head coach David Plunk said. “So we didn’t
wait. It started in January. We had a good off-season,
we had a good spring and now we hope to have a good
summer and have that carry into the new season.”
“We were young last year and at the level we play, you
take a lot of hard licks,” Plunk said. “But we do have
a lot of talented kids. A.J. Jones (RB/LB) finished the
last game of the season with 200 yards rushing. We
really feel like he’s going to help us on both sides of
the ball. He will be our primary runner.”
Tom Lee Hutchinson makes the transition from junior
quarterback to senior quarterback. Plunk said he
believes Hutchinson’s experience will be a factor in
stepping up his game in 2008.
As for the overall team, Plunk is depending on their
experience. “We have a good solid offensive line. We
have three kids coming back. That’s where we feel
comfortable. Our defensive line has experience, but
what we really need to do is get some depth. There
are some younger kids that really came through in the
spring. “
Schedule
8/29
Tatum
Home
7:30
Coach Plunk said the hype around District 13-4A this
year only increases the level of intensity his players
must meet. “(Our district) is always the talk, but I’m
not sure it’s been the talk like this. These are the best
teams in the state in this district.”
9/5
Kilgore
Home
7:30
9/12
Jacksonville
Away
7:30
9/19
Henderson
Away
7:30
For that reason, Plunk and his players had a few areas
of focus this off-season to remain competitive.
9/16
Mount Pleasant
Home
7:30
10/3
Marshall*
Away
7:30
10/10
OPEN
10/17
Pine Tree*
Home
7:30
10/24
Longview*
Away
7:30
10/31
Texas High*
Home
7:30
Away
7:30
“We feel like we have to get more physical up front,” he
said. “That comes with maturity and we’re getting there.
We focused on controlling turnovers and becoming
faster to be able to compete with our district.”
Players to Watch
AJ Jones
Brandon Pyle
Tom Lee Hutchinson
Mascot: Student Superintendent: Head Coach: Senior
Senior
Senior RB/LB
FB/DT
QB
Bobcats
Enrollment: 1,280
Greg Wright
David Plunk
Assistant Coaches: Rodney Barthelmess (OC, Asst.
Head Coach), Chris Cochran (DC), Pat Rippee (OL), Jack
Walton (WR), Scott Highsmith (RB), Mike Burks (Sec)
16
11/7
Sulphur Springs*
“Our hands are going to be full with the 2008 schedule,”
King said. Our district is one of the toughest in the
state whether it’s 4A or 5A. Sulphur Springs, Marshall
and Texas High have some of the most outstanding
and highly regarded athletes in the nation.
This spring, King said most of his team’s starting
jobs were not set in stone, including the starting
quarterback job.
Longview and Marshall are district rivals once again.
Plunk also looks to Eric Mitchell, Kevin Smith and
Adrian Johnson in the secondary as the core kids to
build around.
Continued
Long v iew Lobos
The Lobos claimed their fourth straight district title in
2007, once again going undefeated in district play.
New year, new class, new district.
The Lobos move to class 4A just one season after
making their longest playoff run under Coach John
King. The Lobos fought to the state quarterfinals,
ultimately falling to Pflugerville.
Continued
Mascot: Lobos
Student Enrollment:
2005
Superintendent: Dr. James Wilcox
Head Coach: John King
Assistant Coaches:
Oscar Wilson (Assistant Head
Coach), John Berry (Associate Head Coach), Jerrod Baugh
(OC), Casey Pearce (DC), Brett Smith (OL), Barry Lindsey (TE),
Steve Brown (WR), Mark Peters (DL), Robert Cooley (Sec)
The Pirates also have a good amount of depth at their
skill positions.
S ch e d u l e
As for the game that everyone in Longview is
anticipating, Coach Russell understands the
community’s excitement. But when the Pirates meet
the Longview Lobos on October 31, Russell said
his coaching staff and players see it as just another
game.
8/29
Allen
Away
7:30
9/5
Lee
Home
7:30
“It’s an ongoing process of finding the best 11 on
the offense and best 11 on defense,” King said. “Our
kids understand that it’s going to be a new year and
a new team. We’ve got a whole lot of new faces on
the field.”
9/12
Barbers Hill
@ SFA
7:30
9/19
Lufkin
Home
7:30
9/26
Texas High*
Home
7:30
10/3
Sulphur Springs*
Away
7:30
While the Lobos have just three total starters returning,
do not be fooled about the team’s experience. The
Lobos have 11 returning lettermen.
10/10
Mount Pleasant*
Home
7:30
10/17
Marshall*
Away
7:30
10/24
Hallsville*
Home
7:30
10/31
Pine Tree*
Away
7:30
“I think the whole key to our football program is that
we have the ability to not have to play our kids up in a
hurry. Being able to have the numbers that we have in
the program and the ability to develop depth enables
us to do that.”
The front runner for the quarterback job was 6’0”
junior Aaron Johnson. In the spring of 2007, Coach
King expressed how impressed he was with the JV
quarterback. Backing up Damion Lewis, Johnson saw
limited play but did take snaps during a varsity game.
Another player King hopes will be a key contributor on
offense is running back Jonathon Oliver. As a junior
in 2007, Oliver finished the season with 47 carries for
272 yards and two touchdowns.
Offensively and defensively, the Lobos have weapons
in tackle Jazz Reeves and defensive end Chris
Knighton. Considered two of the Lobos’ top college
prospects, Reeves completed the last season with 35
tackles and three sacks. Knighton has experience as
a two year starter on offense. Reeves and Knighton
will have new roles.
“We worked Chris on the defensive side of the ball this
spring,” King said. “We are also working Jazz on the
different side of the ball. Both will have to play both
ways in certain situations.”
Aaron Johnson
Jonathon Oliver
Alex Easley Cody Taylor Aaron Hollins
Chris Knighton
Jazz Reeves
Lamarcus Howard
Joseph Patillo
Junior
Senior Senior Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
QB
RB
RB
TE
WR
DE
DT
SS
FS
11/7
OPEN
Running back Ray Horton will be back, one season
after he lead the Pirates in rushing yards and
touchdowns.
By the end of spring drills, Coach Russell was still
evaluating his quarterback position. Last year’s
starting quarterback and wide receiver graduated.
“For us to get to the playoffs, the Longview game
is just another game,” Russell said. “Everybody in
the community will be there. We look forward to it.
We realize it’s going to be a tough game because
(Longview) has been a dominant team in 5A and
we’re trying to get over the hump in 4A. But it’s going
to be packed.”
Pine Tree Pirates
LaRoyce Johnson Ray Horton
Ryan Kulak
Tyler Kids
After four seasons as head coach with the Pirates,
Tim Russell credits the turnaround to his players
knowledge and understanding of his coaching system
and style.
Pirates
Mascot: Student Enrollment: 1430
Superintendent: Lynn Whitaker
Head Coach: Tim Russell
Assistant Coaches: Terry Pirtle (QB, OC), Mark
Randolph (DB, DC), Robby Grandgeorge (OL), Brian Mank
(OLB), Steve Marrs (WR), Brian Griffin (DT), Kenneth Morris
(RB), Greg Brown (DE), Seth Drennan (TE), Jim West (LB)
Since 2003, the Pine Tree Pirates have posted a
number of single and two win seasons. In 2007, the
Pirates showed true potential, breaking even with a
5-5 record and fighting for big victories against teams
that have typically dominated the Pirates.
“We were very excited after last year,” Russell said.
“When we came in, we had a new system, not just in
our offense and defense but also in our off-season
program. Our off-season was really the key to our
improvement.”
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
OL/DL
RB/DB
WR/DB
FS/QB/WR
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Pleasant Grove
Home
7:30
9/5
Paris
Away
7:30
9/12
Lindale
Away
7:30
9/19
North Lamar
Home
7:30
9/26
Sulphur Springs*
Home
7:30
10/3
Mount Pleasant*
Away
7:30
“We’re excited about how we ended the season and
we expect big things this year,” Russell added.
10/10
Marshall*
Home
7:30
10/17
Hallsville*
Away
7:30
It is the players that have been with Coach Russell
since his start at Pine Tree that he is expecting the
most from: the seniors.
10/24
OPEN
10/31
Longview*
Home
7:30
11/7
Texas High*
Away
7:30
“Going into the season, we were picked to finish
last in the district by everybody but we ended up
tied for fourth place. We got some big wins against
Nacogdoches and Jacksonville near the end of the
season and those were huge because they usually
beat us.”
“We have a very talented senior class and we have a
strong junior class,” he explained. “Our junior class
is a little bit more inclined to be more hard-nosed and
tough kids. But we feel like our senior class has kids
that can play at the next level.”
17
District 13-4A
District 13-4A
Mar shall Mavericks
When the Marshall Mavericks played their last game
of the 2007 season, it was a freezing cold, rainy affair
that ended just as coldly, with a 21-14 defeat by
McKinney Boyd. The Mavericks finished 2007 with a
7-5 record, fighting their way to the Class 4A Division I
regional semifinals.
The Mavericks aim to finish their season in winter
weather again in 2008, but this time with a seasonending victory much closer to the Christmas holiday.
Like their district mates the Sulphur Springs Wildcats,
the Mavericks are armed with one of the best athletes
in the state of Texas and arguably the nation: Darius
Jones. Jones is the Mavericks quarterback, but has
also excelled as a wide receiver, kick returner and
cornerback. In 2007, Darius rushed for 632 yards
and five touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards a carry. He
threw for 633 yards with six touchdowns and three
interceptions. Darius is being recruited by a number of
Big XII suitors, including Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas
Tech, Baylor and OSU as well as LSU, Arkansas,
Mississippi State, Houston, Tulsa and Louisiana Tech.
“He’s very athletic,” Coach Thedrick Harris said. “He’s
explosive on both sides of the ball.”
The Mavericks have more than just Jones’ athletic
ability to hang their hat on this season. They have
the always important word of “experience” working
for them as well. Six starters are back on the offense,
including wide receiver Dameon Smith and offensive
lineman Matt Sheppard.
Smith had 413 receiving yards with three touchdowns
in 2007 and 64 rushing yards with one touchdown.
Like Jones, Smith has caught the eye of Baylor, OSU,
Oklahoma and Texas A&M and the duo are hailed as
one of the most talented combinations in Texas high
school football.
Matt Sheppard was named first team offense for district
12-4A in 2007 and the 6’3” 281 pound offensive lineman
is being recruited by Houston and Texas Tech.
The Mavericks are equally solid on defense. Coach
Harris says the amount of experience on both the
offensive and defensive lines are the strong points
for Marshall. Defensive end Eric McCowan is again
expected to be a standout.
“He’s a mobile pass rusher that is effective versus the
run,” Coach Harris said.
Pl aye r s t o Wa t ch
Darius Jones
Matt Sheppard
Eric McCowan
Dameon Smith
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Mascot: Student Enrollment: Superintendent: Mavericks
1640
Kenn Franklin
QB/WR/KR/CB
OL
DE
WR
Head Coach: Thedrick Harris
Assistant Coaches: Corey Parham (OC), Steven Grant
(DC), Alex Richters (Special Teams)
Schedule
8/29
Jacksonville
Away
7:30
9/5
Huntington
Home
7:30
9/12
Kilgore
Home
7:30
9/19
OPEN
9/26
Monroe Neville
Home
7:30
10/3
Hallsville*
Home
7:30
10/10
Pine Tree*
Away
7:30
10/17
Longview*
Home
7:30
10/24
Texas High*
Away
7:30
10/31
Sulphur Springs*
Home
7:30
11/7
Mount Pleasant*
Away
7:30
Mount Pleasant
Tiger s
For Jimmy Thompson and his coaching staff, the task
in 2008 is turning a good team into a great team.
The Tigers finished 2007 with a 6-5 record, making
a first round playoff exit after a heartbreaking 17-14
bi-district loss to Kilgore.
“I look back at last season with mixed emotions,”
Coach Jimmy Thompson said. “I thought we had a
good year that could have been a great year if we had
won a couple of those close games.”
“I don’t want to say that we were happy with a 6-5
record, but there were areas that we were happy
about.” More specifically, those areas are Thompson’s
skill players. “We feel like offensively we are going to
be able to create some problems for people because
we’ve got some good skill players.”
Tevin Elliot is back at linebacker and running back. At
6’3’’ 210 pounds, Tevin played much more defense
than offense last season. He finished with 67 tackles,
4 tackles for a loss, two sacks and an interception.
“Tevin was newcomer of the year as a sophomore in
our district and first team all-district as a junior,” Coach
Thompson said. “We hope this year he turns into a bit
time player for us. One that wins ball games for us.”
Tevin’s brother, Tramaine will be back at defensive
end and fullback. Tramaine was only able to play in
two games last year due to a torn ACL. But in just
those two games, he had 19 tackles and two sacks.
At quarterback, Terrell Howard is expected to be the
play-maker on offense. Terrell finished 2007 with 872
yards rushing, 13 rushing touchdowns and 753 yards
passing. He threw for 10 touchdowns.
18
Complementing Terrell at QB will be the RB/DB Corey
Brannon.
“Corey is a 4.4 kid,” Coach Thompson said. “On
defense he had 44 tackles, one interception for a
touchdown. He’s got great speed. He’s kind of a lock
at corner for us because he plays basketball and runs
track. Again, great speed.”
One area where the Tigers will need some work with
be the offensive line. “We’re going to be completely
new up front,” Thompson said. “We also have a new
line coach.”
As for realignment and the tough teams the Tigers
will face in district in 2008, Thompson knows it will
be a battle.
“I can’t say I’m happy about it,” he said. “It’s kind of
like the weather. I have no control over it. We are not
going to be sad about it though. We are going to go
out and play. We’re probably in the best 4A district in
the state.”
Players to Watch
Tevin Elliot Senior
Tarmaine Elliot
Terrell Howard
Corey Brannon
LB/RB
DE/FB
QB
RB/DB
Sulphur Springs
W ildcats
After a 9-1 regular season record and zero district
losses, the 2007 season ended much earlier than
the Wildcats would have liked. Sulphur Springs was
defeated by Whitehouse in the bi-district playoffs 3330. The early exit created a hunger in the Wildcats to
prevent the same upset in 2008.
“We want another try at it,” head coach Greg Owens
said. “We’ve been thrown in a juggernaut district.
Competition has to be great every week. We’ve got to
raise our expectations.”
Already helping to raise expectations for the Wildcats
is the anticipation of a stellar senior season from one
of the nation’s top recruits, quarterback Tyrik Rollison.
Rivals.com ranked Rollison at the number two spot in
the nation at the quarterback position.
In May of 2008, Rollison had received seven offers
from colleges, including an offer from TCU.
A deal is in the works to broadcast the September 11
game against W.F. Rider on ESPN, in part to allow the
rest of the country witness the skills of Rollison.
In 2007, Rollison’s junior season, he rushed for 554
yards and seven touchdowns. He threw for 3,691
yards and 37 touchdown.
Mascot: Tigers
Student Enrollment: 1,400
Superintendent:
Terry Myers
Head Coach: Jimmy Thompson
Assistant Coaches: Mike Waldie (DC), Mart Graham
(OL), Shawn Hairgrove (Special Teams, DL) Alton Hawkins
(Outside Linebackers), Ruston Ramsey (RB), Robert Carr
(LB/QB)
Coach Greg Owens said the attention from recruiters
and curious football fans across the country has been
great for the program.
Schedule
“I like it when those guys come by,” Owens said. “It
changes our players’ attitudes and the atmosphere
during practices. Each one of my guys wants to
impress a scout or get their shot to shine. It actually
helps us play better.”
8/29
Nacogdoches
Away
7:30
9/5
Liberty Eylau
Away
7:30
9/12
Henderson
Home
7:30
9/19
Royse City
Away
7:30
9/26
Hallsville*
Away
7:30
10/3
Pine Tree*
Home
7:30
10/10
Longview*
Away
7:30
10/ 17
Texas High*
Home
7:30
10/ 24
Sulphur Springs*
Away
7:30
10/31
OPEN
11/7 Marshall*
Home
7:30
“At one time, we did not have a lot of big time
(colleges) come through,” Owens said. “Now with
recruiters and scouts coming in, it’s giving a lot of our
other players the chance to get looks from colleges.
Like our defensive end Colton Nash. He got an offer
from Colorado.”
Experience will be the other factor sparking better play
for the Wildcats in 2008. The Wildcats are bringing
back their entire offensive line. Four players started on
the line last year as sophomores.
With the return of Rollison at quarterback and Jace
Jackson as receiver, Owens believes offense is their
greatest strength.
Defensively, the Wildcat secondary will be their
greatest asset. Owens said his team still had to fill in
some defensive back and linebacker spots.
“Overall though,” Owens said. “We’ve got a pretty
good balance and a lot of depth.”
Tyrik Rollison Colton Nash
Johnny McSheffery
Jace Jackson
Jake Rusell
Ryan Young
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
QB
OL/DL
DB
WR
OL/DL
RB
Mascot: Wildcats
Student Enrollment: Superintendent: Patsy Bolton
Head Coach: Greg Owens
Assistant Coaches: Jeff Riordan (OC), Matt Young
(DC), Martin Bryant, David Carrillo, Bruce Silman, Colby
Peek, Triston Abron, Derek Smith, Kurt McCain, Rodney
Flowers
standout Ryan Mallett. Now as a junior, Sorenson has the
experience not only in his own game but in the players
around him to make bigger plays. Sorenson was named
the district 11-4A district newcomer of the year.
Senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton is another Tiger
weapon on offense. Hamilton is listed at 6’3” 190
pounds and has caught the eye of recruiters from
Baylor, Houston, Kansas State, Missouri, Louisiana
Tech and Tulsa. Hamilton had 726 receiving yards and
seven touchdowns in 2007.
Raymundrick Brown Jacoby Thomas Gary Williams Cobi Hamilton
LeRoy Jones
Nathan Sorenson
LB
DE
DT
WR
RB
QB
Home
7:30
Whitehouse
Away
7:30
W.F. Rider
Home
8:00
9/19
Mesquite Poteet
Home
7:30
Mascot: Tigers
Enrollment: 1,700
Superintendent: James Henry Russell
Head Coach: Barry Norton
Assistant Coaches: Matt McClure (DC),
Kyle Preston (OC), Craig Fant (OL/Asst. Head Coach), Jeff
Harrell (OL/Asst. Athletic Director), Matt Graves (S), Darren
Preston (LB), John McClure (RB), Brad Britton (CB), Chris
Birdwell (DE), Kevin Hamilton (WR), Ernie Rhone (DT)
9/26
Pine Tree*
Away
7:30
S ch e d u l e
10/3
Longview*
Home
7:30
10/10
Texas High*
Away
7:30
10/17
OPEN
10/24
Mount Pleasant*
Home
7:30
10/31
Marshall*
Away
7:30
11/7
Hallsville*
Home
7:30
8/30
9/5
9/12
9/19
9/26
10/3
10/10
10/17
10/24
10/31
11/7
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Paris
9/5
9/11
Texas High Tiger s
The Tigers did not have the bulldozer 2007 season
some had predicted. After winning district in 2006 and
making it to the state quarterfinals, in 2007 Texas High
suffered a four point loss to Marshall in the bi-district
playoffs, completing a 6-4-1 season.
The Tigers were an extremely talented but young team
in 2007. One year later, those same Tigers hope their
experience at a number of positions will help to fuel
better success in 2008. Seven starters make a return
on offense with another seven returning on defense.
Defensive end Raymundrick Brown, defensive lineman
Vonderick Allen, kicker A.J. Gibson, wide receiver Cobi
Hamilton and running back LeRoy Jones are some of
the state’s top prospects. Jacoby Thomas was the
11-4A defensive lineman of the year as a junior last
season and is back for his senior year of play.
Nathan Sorenson stepped in at quarterback as a
sophomore in 2007. Sorenson replaced three year
19
John Tyler
Lake Hamilton
Arkansas High
Open
Longview*
Open
Sulphur Springs*
Mount Pleasant*
Marshall*
Hallsville*
Pine Tree*
Away
Away
Home
7:30
7:00
8:00
Away
7:30
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
13 4-A Preseason
C o a ch e s ’ Po l l
1. Longview
2. Texas High
3. Sulphur Springs
4. Hallsville
5. Marshall
6. Mount Pleasant
7. Pine Tree
District 14-4A
District 14-4A
Familiar Faces W ill Meet A gain in the New 14 - 4 A
Jacksonv ille
District 14-4A is much like an old family with a new member that married in. Henderson, Jacksonville, Kilgore, Nacogdoches and Whitehouse
were all members of what used to be District 12-4A. After realignment, the new cousin will be the Lindale Eagles.
Lindale moves into 14-4A from 11-4A where the Eagles played Mount Pleasant, Paris, North Lamar, Sulphur Springs and Texas High.
Logistically, 14-4A allows for more rivalries for the Eagles and continues old district rivalries for the other schools.
“To tell you the truth I’m excited by it,” Lindale head coach Mike Meador said. “Our travel time is cut in half. We can have some real rivalries. We
already have a pretty good rivalry with Whitehouse. Henderson and Kilgore are not too far away.”
Mascot: Student Superintendent: Head Coach: looking forward to Steven leading us at the QB spot.
He showed real promise last season.”
Continued
Indians
Enrollment: 1132
Stuart Bird
Steve Wells
Senior defensive end Dominique Jones has not only
the attention of Bulldog fans but that of one marquee
university. Jones has verbally committed to University
of Texas. Offensive lineman Vincent Cano has also
received offers from SMU, Rice and McNeese State.
S ch e d u l e
“We feel like the strength of the team is up front with
our offensive line,” Coach Vallery said. “We’ve got all
the starters back from tight end to quick tackle and
all our defensive backs are back. But we are really
going have to have some kids in the secondary and
our linebackers step up.”
88/29
Marshall
Home
7:30
“Really,” Meador continued. “I don’t know if our new district is any harder or any easier.” For many of the other teams, it will be a relief to play
fewer teams in district.
9/5
Corsicana
Away
7:30
9/12
Hallsville
Home
7:30
“We moved from an eight team district, to a six team district,” Henderson Coach Dickey Meeks said. “I like it a lot better because you get to play
more non-district games to get ready for district play.”
9/19
Palestine
Away
7:30
9/26
Carthage
Away
7:30
Hender son Lions
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Whitehouse*
Home
7:30
10/17
Nacogdoches*
Away
7:30
Dominique Jones
Vincent Cano
Frank Reddic
Trevor Moon
10/24
Henderson*
Home
7:30
10/31
Kilgore*
Home
7:30
Away
7:30
Progress.
That’s exactly what the Henderson Lions made in
2007.
In 2006, the Lions were 1-9. It was their first season
with Dickey Meeks as head coach. After his players
became acclimated to Meeks’ system, in 2007 the
Lions were 4-6. Again, that’s progress.
With six returning starters on offense and seven on
defense, the Lions look to break the .500 mark with the
goal of bringing Henderson’s first district title home.
“We really did make a lot of progress last year,” Coach
Meeks said. “We had one one-point loss, two threepoint losses and one four-point loss. You win those and
it’s a total turnaround. The kids really understand now,
what we are trying to do. Now we just want to get over
the last hump.”
The Lions graduated a good share of seniors from
their offensive and defensive line, two areas Meeks
said will need some work.
my first year here. We’re very experienced at the skill
positions on offense and defense. Our skill players
should be much improved.”
Players to Watch
Telvin Fryman
Daniel Prior
Toby Washington
Senior Senior
Senior
RB
LB
SS
Mascot: Lions
Superintendent: Bobby Brown
Head Coach: Dickey Meeks
Assistant Coaches: Craig Watson (OC), J.J. Fernandez
(DC), Craig Barker (WR), Terry Everitt (OL), Keith Tanner
(RB), Jeremy Burleson (LB), Darren Hylander (OLB),
Sonny Simmons (DL)
Schedule
8/28
Navasota
Lufkin
7:30
9/5
Carthage
Away
7:30
9/12
Mt. Pleasant
Away
7:30
9/19
Hallsville
Home
7:30
9/26
Atlanta
Home
7:30
Linebacker Daniel Prior is this year’s star at linebacker.
Daniel finished last year with over 100 total tackles.
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Nacogdoches*
Home
7:30
“He’s kind of a football player of the new day that plays
like the old guys,” Meeks said of Prior. “He’s physical
and he’s got the speed and the size. He’s fun to watch
play and fun to coach.” Prior has received offers from
Division I colleges including Iowa State, Rice, SMU
and Utah.”
10/17
Kilgore*
Home
7:30
10/24
Jacksonville*
Away
7:30
10/31
Lindale*
Home
7:30
Away
7:30
Coach Meeks will turn to running back Telvin Fryman
to continue to spark the Lion offense. Last season,
Fryman had more than 1,200 yards rushing.
“He’s an outstanding player,” Meeks said. “He’s as
good of a running back as I’ve coached in 31 years.”
On the defensive side of the ball, strong safety Toby
Washington is a threat for any 14-4A quarterback.
Washington finished the season with four interceptions
and over 50 tackles.
“Our defense will probably be faster than it’s been in
Henderson in a long time,” Meeks said. “Almost all
of the kids that are seniors on defense started for me
11/7
Whitehouse*
Jacksonv ille Indians
A new coach begins a new era in Jacksonville Indians
athletics.
In April, Steve Wells joined the Indians as the new
20
athletic director and head football coach. Wells replaced
Randy Copeland who took on an administrative job
with Arp ISD. Copeland spent five seasons as the
Indians head coach.
Wells officially began his duties as AD a little over one
month before the 2007-2008 school year ended. The
coach had little time to work with players and begin
developing a coaching staff. Wells was focused on
getting to know his players on an individual level
before the summer break began.
“Getting them up here this summer will be a big key for
our seniors to have a good year,” Wells said. “We are
still getting our coaching staff together. I am looking
for experienced coaches. We are bringing in ‘we’
coaches, not ‘me’ coaches. People who will benefit
the total program.”
Wells already had a detailed plan in mind to develop a
deep level of talent for the Indians’ program.
“We’re trying to work on getting some weights for
our seventh and eighth graders to get the program
developed. Once you get your program in place from
the junior high on up, that gives you depth. That’s our
number one project. Give us the opportunity to actually
get the full meal deal.”
As for what Indian fans can expect on the football field,
Wells said to win you have to have a great defense.
“Hopefully we’ve got the speed to be good on defense,“
he said. “We are also taking care of our special teams,
which is also big for success. We have a pro style
offense, based out of two back sets. We also have an
‘I’ offense, one back and some three back sets. They’ll
see a variety offensively.”
“We try to stay balanced,” Wells added. “If we feel like
we can pound the ball then we do. If we feel like we
need to open it up, then we will too. But the important
thing is to always play good defense.”
With limited time together in spring, Wells said two-adays and his Indian Camp workouts will be the bases
for the Indians success.
“Those things,” Wells said, “will help the total
program.”
Continued
11/7
Lindale*
K ilgore Bulldogs
Coach Mike Vallery no longer needs to worry about
reporters bombarding him with questions during twoa-days about the playoffs.
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
DE
OL
RB
RB
Mascot: Bulldogs
Superintendent: Jody Clements
Head Coach: Mike Vallery
Assistant Coaches: Chris Vallery (OC), Mike Wood
(DC), Jay Drew (RB), Keith Meyers (OL), Andy Robinson
(WR), John McGiluney (TE), Les Loper (ILB), Charles Presley
(Sec), Mark Roskos, (OLB)
S ch e d u l e
Home
7:30
9/5
Hallsville
Away
7:30
9/12
Marshall
Away
7:30
“I thought our football team had a great year,” Coach
Vallery said. “Anytime you are in that eight team
district that we were in, when you win the district it’s
great. We weren’t picked to win it but the kids didn’t
play like that.”
9/19
Gilmer
Home
7:30
9/26
Palestine
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Lindale*
Home
7:30
10/17
Henderson*
Away
7:30
10/24
Whitehouse*
Home
7:30
10/31
Jacksonville*
Away
7:30
Home
7:30
An injury last season prevented quarterback Steven
McBryde from having the breakout season the
Bulldogs had hoped for behind last year’s starter Eric
King.
“He broke his arm and we were looking for him to have
a good year last year,” Coach Vallery said. “But we are
First team all-district wide receiver Logan Lawrence
is back to play on both sides of the ball. Logan was
the Eagles leading receiver in 2007 with 49 catches
for eight touchdowns. He will also play at outside
linebacker where he has been a two year starter.
Coach Mike Meador said Logan will serve as one of
the team captains this season.
“As far as our strengths, I’d say with us having a
returning quarterback that is one thing that helps.
We have good receivers, a quality tailback and our
secondary has depth.”
P l aye r s To Wa t ch
Carthage
“We’ve got a lot of returners,” Coach Vallery said, “But
our biggest weakness is that we do not have a lot of
depth. We’re going to have to stay healthy.”
“Early on, Nathan made some decisions that were
from inexperience,” Coach Meador said. “He also
played through a toe and foot injury. He made some
great plays and now he has a year under his belt.”
“He’s fast,” Meador said. “With Nathan and Matt we
hope to have a one-two punch at quarterback.”
8/29
There will be a number of recognizable names in the
loop for the Bulldogs this season. Offensively, eight
starters are back.
What will make things easier for the Eagles is the
return of Nathan Simmons at quarterback. Nathan
completed his first year as starting quarterback in
2007. It was a transition period for the Eagle offense
and their leader.
Someone to help Nathan this season will be junior
Matt Broussard.
After missing the post season for the first time in more
than a decade in 2006, the Bulldogs rebounded in
2007 by not only making the post season but winning
the co-district title with Whitehouse. Kilgore finished
the season with a 9-3 record.
“We won the first playoff game and then went up
against the number one ranked team in the state in
Highland Park. We didn’t play very well but we thought
our kids had a great year. Going in to a new, six team
district this year, we feel good about it.”
Then we started playing better and things really came
together. Then we hit some huge road bumps with
Sulphur Springs and Texas High. Two teams that are
tough for anyone to play.”
11/7
Nacogdoches*
Lindale Eagles
That’s exactly what the Henderson Lions made inFor a
second straight season, the Lindale Eagles just missed a
playoff appearance. Also for a second straight year, their
post-season hopes hinged on the final regular season
meeting with Mount Pleasant. The Eagles came up short
in the game to finish the 2007 season with a 5-5 record.
“It was a learning year for us,” head coach Mike
Meador said. “We got a new quarterback and had
to fill some big holes at a few positions. The first two
games we were disappointed with how we came out.
21
Logan Lawrence Traevon Ray
Nathan Simmons
Jacob Merriman
Senior Senior
Senior
Junior
WR/OLB
RB
QB
LB
Mascot: Eagles
Superintendent: Stan Surratt
Head Coach: Mike Meador
Assistant Coaches: Derek Tyson (OC), Mark Spann
(DC), Joe Ryzman (DL), Kevin Simmons (OLB), Jason
Lawless (WR), Russell Bower (ILB), Thad Black (OL)
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Spring Hill
@Gladewater
7:30
9/5 Wills Point
Away
7:30
9/12
Pine Tree
Home
7:30
9/19
Paris
Away
7:30
9/26
Pittsburg
Home
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Kilgore*
Away
7:30
10/17
Whitehouse*
Away
7:30
10/24
Nacogdoches*
Home
7:30
10/31
Henderson*
Away
7:30
11/7
Jacksonville*
Home
7:30
District 14-4A
Nacogdoches
Dragons
Schedule
8/29
Mount Pleasant
Home
7:30
9/5
Center
Home
7:30
9/12
Lufkin
Away
7:30
“Disappointment,” Coach Harper said. “We started
district play with four wins and then slowly things
began to fall apart. We had some injuries and that
really hurt us. We had a real shot at winning the district
and we let it slip away.”
9/19
Carthage
Home
7:30
9/26
OPEN
10/3
Diboll
Away
7:30
10/10
Henderson*
Away
7:30
It all came down to the Whitehouse game for the the
Dragons. A win and Nacogdoches earned the final
district playoff spot. The Dragons’ season ended that
night at 5-5.
10/17
Jacksonville*
Home
7:30
10/24
Lindale*
Away
7:30
10/31
Whitehouse*
Home
7:30
“I really believe if we had had our starters that were
hurt in that game, we would have won,” Harper said.
11/7
Kilgore*
Away
7:30
When Coach Bill Harper reflects on the Dragons 2007
season, one word quickly comes to mind.
“We’ve got to get beyond mediocre,” he said. “My three
years here we were 6-4, 6-5 (even though that was a
playoff year) and we were 5-5. That is mediocre.”
The Dragons faced the tough challenge this spring
of replacing quarterback Justin McAninch. During the
spring, the starting QB job was up for grabs.
Junior Courtney Patton and senior Chase Wallace
were both contenders for the job.
“Chase and Courtney had great springs,” Coach
Harper said. “It’s still a very close race. It’s going to
come down to who actually works the hardest over the
summer and who has the best pre-season over the
next falls. It’s one of those good problems to have.”
The Dragons lost 32 seniors and needed to fill several
spots.
“The defensive line is the strongest point, but we only
have one defensive back that was a starter last year,”
Harper said.
“We lost a great running back in Waylon Murray. We’re
going to have to work on everything. But we do have a
lot of players coming back from last year’s football team
who played a lot and that’s going to give us an edge.”
Senior Jamar Roberts is the only returning starter in the
Dragons secondary. “I think he’ll be one of the best in
the district this year at cornerback,” Harper said.
Pl aye r s To Wa t ch
Ben Perkins
David Leonard
Chase Wallace
Jamar Roberts
Senior
RB/LB,
DE
QB
CB
Mascot: Dragons
Superintendent: Dr. Rodney Hutto
Head Coach: Bill Harper
Assistant Coaches: Clarence McMichael (DC/LB),
Matt Gregory (OC/QB), Sid Harper (DE, K), Craig Brown (OL),
Stan Miller (DT), Todd Sparks (WR), Marlon Byrdsong (S),
Brandon Boyd (FB, TE), Richard Steubing(CB)
W hitehouse
W ildcats
The Whitehouse Wildcats continued to make their
case in 2007 as one of Class 4A’s best in East Texas.
Along with Kilgore, the Wildcats won the co-district
championship.
The Wildcats were defeated by West Mesquite in the
area playoffs. Despite the success of making it to the
post season, Coach Randy McFarlin said a loss two
rounds deep in the playoffs was a surprise let down
for his team.
“We were just disappointed in the end that we didn’t go
further in the playoffs” McFarlin said. “We had some
injuries and in particular we lost our leading tackler.
So, we had mixed feelings. It was another 10 win
season that proved our program was established.”
The focus this season will be on several of the
Wildcat seniors, hailed as some of the best in the
state. Brady Attaway returns for his senior season at
quarterback. In his career at Whitehouse, Attaway has
432 completions for 5,195 yards and 55 touchdowns.
In 2007, he was 248 of 391, for 39 touchdowns and
3,127 yards.
Wide receiver Asher Williams will also be a senior.
Asher completed his junior year with 76 receptions,
829 yards and seven touchdowns.
On defense, Seth Cashion (OLB) is another star. In 12
games in 2007, Seth had 60 tackles, one interception,
three sacks, seven pass break-ups, five caused
fumbles and one fumble recovery.
“Several colleges have come by and looked at Brady,
Seth and Asher,” Coach McFarlin said. “They’re being
heavily recruited. Brady is very interested in SMU and
we also just got a call from BYU.”
“It’s just a great group of seniors,” McFarlin continued.
“Not just those three. We have Matt Strubble (OL),
Heath Mayo (WR), Phillip Traylor (OL) and Ryan Bell
(WR). Those kids are all vital to our success. We have
a strong nucleus of good kids.”
22
With the caliber of players on the Wildcat roster, it is
pretty obvious their strength lies with their offense.
“With the power of our offense coming back, that is a
big strength,” McFarlin said. “Defensively we are going
to be real young. Seth Cashion is the only returning
starter that is staying in the same position. Quincy
Aldridge was moved to safety even though he’s a
returning starter.”
Players to Watch
Brady Attaway
Seth Cashion
Asher Williams
Chad Lewis
Quincy Aldridge
Trey Metoyer
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Sophomore
Sophomore
QB
OLB
WR
RB/OLB
DB
WR
Mascot: Wildcats
Superintendent: Dennis Miller
Head Coach: Randy McFarlin
Assistant Coaches:
Reno Moore (Assistant Head
Coach/OC), Sam Shields (DC), Robert Qualls (RB), Adam
Cook (QB), Andrew Dolon (WR), Scott McFadden (DE), Keith
Ellis (OLB), Jason Shuck (DB)
Schedule
8/29
Naaman Forest
Home
7:30
9/5
Sulphur Springs
Home
7:30
9/12
Corsicana
Away
7:30
9/19
Red Oak
Home
7:30
9/26
Celina
Home
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Jacksonville*
Away
7:30
10/17
Lindale*
Home
7:30
10/24
Kilgore*
Away
7:30
10/31
Nacogdoches*
Away
7:30
11/7
Henderson*
Home
7:30
14-4A Pre Seas o n
Coaches’ Pol l
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tmfneuroscience.com
23
Strength Training with Athletes
By: Bobby Stroupe CSCS, PES, POSE
Strength training has become the standard to
improve athletic performance in all power sports.
Athletes of all ages, both male and female, spend
time in the weight room every week and some
everyday. Strength training can be divided into three
categories: general, functional and specific. General
strength can be demonstrated through basic motions
with isolated muscle groups. Examples of lifts that
produce general strength would be a bench press,
incline, squat, leg curl, etc. Functional strength
can be demonstrated through movements that are
closely related to game situations or are applicable
to the strength needed to perform in a given sport.
An example of an exercise that produces functional
strength for a lineman in football would be a power
clean. Specific strength can be demonstrated by
“game strength” and can only be trained through
very acute movement specific to position. For
example, a quarterback can work on his rotator cuff
through different band exercises. These exercises
combined with appropriate balance of scapula
work and flexibility will increase the quarterback’s
throwing velocity and distance. A bench press will
certainly not help throwing velocity or distance.
To have a productive training regimen it is critical
that an athlete keep a correct balance of general,
functional and specific strength exercises.
Most young athletes are focusing solely on general
strength and creating huge imbalances and
inflexibility within the body. Allow me to explain this
point by going over the most popular lifts with our
athletes: bench and squat.
Keep in mind that bench press is producing
isolated upper body strength through one plane of
movement. This is something that is specific to one
sport: POWERLIFTING. You will never use upper
body strength in a sport without the support of your
lower body and core. That is why so many of our
workouts focus on kinetic linking which teaches the
body to neurologically integrate power produced
from lower body to upper body. In athletics, your
upper body is utilized to give and slow down impact
to yourself or another athlete. In almost every sport,
an athlete will be forced to produce upper body
strength at difficult angles for the wrist, elbows and
shoulders. All of these angles can be limited by
inflexibility caused by the overuse of bench press.
Bench press can create upper-cross syndrome
which is a frontal tilt of the shoulders that very
common to people with shoulder problems. Uppercross syndrome directly affects your running speed
and throwing velocity. The benefits of bench press
include building mass (shoulder, chest, and triceps)
and stability of the upper body skeletal system.
Working the lower body requires more energy and
is a natural way to produce a rise in testosterone
levels. These muscles are large in size and
play a large roll in speed and power through
multiple directions. The “full squat” is designed
to maximally load the muscles of the lower body
and produce power throughout any vertical or
linear movement. The “full squat” movement can
cause inflexibility that limits lateral movements.
Full squats (if overused or done incorrectly) can
also cause damage to the knees, back and hips.
Most athletes of any level squat incorrectly. The “full
squat” is a difficult angle for the knees especially
when combined with a heavy load. At APEC we
work the lower body through multiple angles that
are functional for power production in an athletic
setting. Almost every athletic movement starts from
the same athletic position...and it is not a 90 degree
squat. All of the muscles worked by the “full squat”
can be accounted for through other movements
that produce multi-directional power, flexibility
and speed. If “full squats” are your only way to
lower body power then your journey will end
with injury.
Understand that I am not asking athletes to
forsake bench and squat. Both of these lifts can
be productive and counterproductive. At APEC we
have been able to help athletes increase their bench
by over 50 lbs in just a few weeks. Last year we had
a 200 lb defensive back go from 18 reps (225) to
31 reps (225) in just 2 months. We may do bench
once a week. The body is a system of balance
and cannot reach potential without it. By restoring
balance and unlocking neurological pathways an
athlete can gain unprecedented levels of power to
multiple directions. Many programs involve what
coaches call “supersets”. A “superset” is a series
of strength training exercises that are meant to be
done consecutively without rest. These “supersets”
can be very effective to increase anaerobic power
endurance and muscle hypertrophy. The problem is
within the mode of the “superset”. Are you working
primary-corrective-stabilization? Are you working
primary-primary-primary? Athletes can over-train.
Athletes can seriously hurt themselves in the weight
room if lifting incorrectly. What are your goals? How
is your program helping you reach them? These
are the questions an athlete must ask themselves.
While athletes have reached new heights of
performance, so have the number of injuries in
our young athletes. Injuries among high school
athletes are increasing due to improper training.
There is a football program in east Texas that has
several knee injuries year after year. This program
focuses mainly on heavy lifting without building any
stabilization in the knee. That same football program
has had numerous spine injuries in the weight
room. Two that I know of were career ending. It’s
not a coincidence that this is happening at this East
Texas program. The focus in this program seems to
be on the amount of weight these athletes are lifting.
You cannot build a house without a foundation and
you cannot demand the body to support heavy
loads without creating strength throughout the
body. You should never lift more than your core
can support. Without building the lower back they
are demanding heavy loads on the body. The
knee should be stable in all movement not just in
a vertical movement. The other emphasis seems
to be putting on weight. Gaining weight correctly is
24
an adaptation to training and diet. If you tell a high
school athlete to gain weight, he/she is liable to
become obese therefore making their performance
sloppy and increasing chance of injury. A lineman
might think any weight is good weight but that is
not the case. The Denver Broncos consistently
have one of the smallest and best offensive lines
in the NFL. Despite the fact that most weigh around
290, they move with ferocious power and speed.
If a linemen forces unmerited weight gain, his
movement and stability are severely limited.
As an athletic enhancement specialist, my job is to
link strength training (any training) with sport specific
power. Athletic enhancement training has often
been confused with body building, power lifting and
other philosophies that are geared toward other
goals. Let us just talk basic athleticism. Even though
body builders and power lifters look impressive,
their bodies are not designed for movement and
especially not for change of direction. You can
never associate size with power. Example: Bruce
Lee. In most circumstances a bodybuilder or powerlifter could not last one athletic endeavor workout
without completely caving in or hurting something.
Power-lifters are working on lifting more weight. If
all you’re working on is bench, squat and power
clean...you fit into this category. From an athletic
standpoint, that could lead to several injuries and
an actual decrease in power output. Power lifting
also limits your flexibility and can greatly affect your
speed. Athletes should work on getting better in
their sport, not lifting more weight. Increased power
production is extremely important to all athletes.
Getting your max up is not necessarily the way
to do that. In an explosive lift or exercise, athletes
should concentrate on power production (power =
force x speed²). In order to produce and increase
power, the athlete must have perfect technique and
maximum velocity through the movement.
Understand the difference between strength and
power. Just because an athlete has strength does
not necessarily mean they possess power. One
way to increase performance is to translate an
athlete’s strength into sport specific power. Bridge
the gap between strength training and your sport/
sports power needs.
To get specific athletic enhancement can be very
subjective to the athlete’s sport, position and body
type. Should a lineman train the same as a speed
receiver? Not unless you want them to play the
same.
At APEC our training is for performance. What
athletes need is something that can give them
power and speed while also growing their body to
its potential, injury free. APEC has been formed for
this very purpose
Bobby Stroupe is the Director of Performance Training for
Accelerate Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) in
Tyler, TX.
apecgo.com or call (903) 939-APEC
District 14-3A
Randal Brewer- Sports Editor/ Van Zandt Newspapers
Lots of “New ” Leaves Lots of Questions in 14 -3A
The 2008 version of District 14-3A has more question marks than the Riddler’s pajamas. Every season comes with some unknowns, but for this
new lineup of district opponents, the unknowns might outnumber the knowns.
In addition to new head coaches at two of the schools - Wills Point and Mineola - there won’t be a lot of familiarity between the programs. Kemp
and Eustace were district opponents for the past two seasons, as were Van and Canton, but beyond that, other than non-district meetings between
Kemp and Van, these teams have not played against one another in recent years.
Van and Canton will enjoy moving out of a district that included Chapel Hill, Brownsboro, Athens and last year’s surprise team, Bullard, but
they move on without some offensive firepower. Vandals fans will experience life after Jermie Calhoun, who will ply his trade for the Oklahoma
Sooners this fall, and Canton will have to replace district Co-Offensive MVP, quarterback Casey Bell.
Wills Point graduated a talented senior class and the replacements will not only be young, they will have to learn new systems. Mineola is an
unknown commodity to the other schools in 14-3A, especially now that they have a new head coach.
Canton Eagles
The Canton Eagles reached the playoffs for the third
consecutive season in 2007 and that extended the
school record set the year before. The chances are good
that the record will be broken again this season, but the
pervasive notion that his Eagles are tops in the district
puts a question mark over head coach Lance Angel’s
head.
“We’re going to be starting a lot of guys that have never
played on Friday night,” said Angel, who enters his third
season as Canton’s head coach. The first two have
resulted in a total of five playoff games.
The Eagle offense will return eight starters to the offense,
but none of them will be Casey Bell or tight end Keavon
Milton. Both have moved on to play at the next level and
have taken a chunk of the Eagles’ offense with them.
Particularly Bell, a two-year starter who accounted for
4,000 yards of offense as a senior.
A quick look at the players who do return to the Eagle
offense would suggest a possible emphasis on the
running game. Two-year starter Zack Cummings returns
for his senior year at running back after a knee injury
shortened his junior campaign. Fellow senior Alex
Williams took over for Cummings last year and had some
success down the stretch. Both will play this season.
Up front, the Eagles return guards Taylor Hutcherson and
Dylan Downey, and tackle Anthony Gomez. Senji Lajqi
has been pegged as a probable starter as a freshman.
Three play-makers also return to the receiving corp of
the Eagles spread offense. Senior Grant Franklin, a firstteam All-District selection in 2007, was the go-to guy
for Bell early in the season but as defenses adjusted,
Trent Termin starting as a freshman, and Devon Talley
picked up the slack. All three will be back, but the biggest
question for the 2008 season will be, who’s going to
throw it to them.
“We’re going into two-a-days with three sophomores
competing at the quarterback position,” said Angel.
“We’re not going to be in a hurry to pick one. If one clearly
rises above the other, then we’ll go with him, but if we
get through the scrimmages and two guys are still pretty
equal, we’ll play both of them until that changes.”
S ch e d u l e
Defensively, the Eagles will want to improve against
the rush, but the defensive front is one of those places
where new faces will have to learn on the go. Senior
Destry Hesskew will be a three-year starter at defensive
end. He was first-team All-District as a junior and a likely
candidate to be playing somewhere after high school, but
he is the only experience on the defensive line.
8/29 Commerce
Away 7:30
9/5
Edgewood
Away 7:30
9/12 Kaufman
Home 7:30
9/19 Waco Reicher 9/26 Quinlan Ford
Similarly in the secondary, only Chance Wallace returns
to the lineup and the three other spots are represented
with question marks until two-a-days. The strength of the
defense will be in the middle where junior Jacob Harris,
sophomore Nick Garrison, and senior Carey Bell all
return for a second season.
10/3 Open
10/10 10/17 “Two-a-days are going to be interesting because we will
have a lot of guys competing for positions,” said Angel.
“Many of those positions will not be decided until after
the scrimmages. The talent level is the same at a lot of
positions. It will come down to who works the hardest
this summer, who is coachable and who can make plays
when the pads are on.”
Zack Cummings
Alex Williams
Destry Hesskew
Grant Franklin
Devon Talley
Mascot: Student Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Senior Senior
Senior
Senior Senior RB
RB
DL
WR
WR
Eagles
555
Dr. Jerome Stewart
Lance Angel
Assistant Coaches: Jim Yankie (LB CO-DC),
Danny Yarbrough (DB CO-DC), Aaron Slider (RB CO-OC),
Wes Rhoten (REC CO-OC), Stanton Reaves (OL), Jeff Priest
(OLB), Howard Bell (REC), John Sullivan (DL)
25
Away 7:30
Home 7:30
Wills Point*
Home 7:30
Eustace*
Away 7:30
10/24 Mineola *
Home 7:30
10/31 Van*
Home 7:30
11/7 Kemp*
Away 7:30
Eust ace Bulldogs
The Eustace Bulldogs took their first hit of the 2008
season when realignments were released and the
school was two students over the cutoff between 2A
and 3A. Second year coach Doug Wendel, however,
plans for the hits to be going the other way when the
real season begins.
“Class 3A is where we want to be. It’s where we started
and we can be competitive.” Wendel said. “We’re not
going to have as many athletes as some other schools
in our district, so we’re going to have to get it done with
hard work, team unity and leadership.”
The good news for Wendel’s flex-bone triple option
offense is that some of needed leadership will come
from up front with two senior guards returning to the
starting lineup. “Ryan Compton and Josh Lopez will
be a key to our success this year.” Wendel said of the
middle of his line.
Continued
Eust ace
District 14-3A
District 14-3A
10/3 Open
More good news comes in the return of quarterback
Chris Compton, Newcomer of the Year in District 9-3A
and first-team All-District selection, Trevan Johnson at
running back. Both started as sophomores.
10/10 Mineola*
Away 7:30
10/17 Canton*
Home 7:30
10/24 Kemp*
Away 7:30
“We’re going to have two good fullbacks,” Wendel
added about his backfield. “Shawn Baldwin and Justin
Calhoun should both play and help us there.” The
Bulldogs averaged 300 yards rushing in 2007, and will
hope to improve on that in order to ball control games.
Wendel sees that as a possibility. “We’re going to be
as good or better at every position.” he said.
10/31 Wills Point*
Home 7:30
11/7 Van*
Away 7:30
Continued
Changes are in the plans on the defensive side
of the ball where the Bulldogs will be young. Of six
starters returning on defense, only two will be seniors.
Compton will do double duty on the defensive line, and
Zach Keeling will be in the secondary. The Bulldogs
will also make the switch from 3-5-3 alignment to four
down linemen. “Depth in the defensive line is going to
be a challenge,” Wendel said. “We’re going to have
three really good defensive linemen, but we need six
or eight.”
Wendel anticipates suiting up 25 players, so depth
could be a challenge at every position. A key to their
season could be remaining healthy during district play.
In order to make the playoffs, the Bulldogs (4-6 in
2007, 2-3 in district) will need to squeeze at least one
more win out of the district schedule and that win will
probably have to come over one of the schools that
was never in danger of playing in class 2A next fall. All
hands on deck.
Chris Compton
Trevan Johnson
Ryan Compton
Josh Lopez
Zach Keeling
Junior
Junior
Senior
Senior
Senior
QB
RB
OL
OL
WR
Grace Community
Away 7:00
9/5
Dallas Life
Away 7:30
9/12 Edgewood
Home 7:30
9/19 Quitman
Home 7:30
9/26 Ferris
Away 7:30
Home 7:30
Parish Episcopal
Home 7:30
9/12 Mabank
Away 7:30
9/19 Emory Rains
Home 7:30
9/26 Palmer
Away 7:30
Open
Van*
Away 7:30
In head coach Greg Anderson’s second season at
Kemp, the Yellowjackets will try to turn the misfortunes
of 2007 into strengths in 2008.
10/17 Wills Point*
Away 7:30
10/24 Eustace*
Home 7:30
10/31 Mineola*
Away 7:30
A number of freshmen and sophomores were forced
into action due to injuries during last season’s 1-9
campaign, and they will be among the fifteen starters
that return to the playing field this year.
11/7 Canton*
Home 7:30
Kemp Yellowjackets
Senior Josh Carr returns to the Yellowjacket backfield.
Carr was the first 1,000 yard rusher in Kemp since
2002 and a first-team All-District selection. He will be
joined by another senior, Korey Henderson, in Kemp’s
multiple offense.
Some of this team’s big questions center around an
offensive line that will return three starters that are
all underclassmen as well as a new quarterback.
Junior Terrance Sistrunk will be joined by a pair of
sophomores as the experienced players coming back
up front. Quarterback Jeremy Quick saw some action
as a sophomore, but is unproven as the full-time leader
of the offense. He matches his last name though, and
will add some speed to the backfield. James Trim and
Wesley Kerr will both provide some play-making ability
on the outside.
Players To Watch
8/28 Brownsboro
9/5
10/10 Josh Carr
Korey Henderson
Jeremy Quick
Terrance Sistrunk
Sch e d u l e
8/29 10/3 Kemp averaged 26 points per game in 2007 but the
defense gave up a few more in a number of close losses.
The defense was hit hardest by graduation, and depth
at defensive line and linebacker will be a challenge.
Only three seniors will return to the defensive side
of the ball - John Kilgore at linebacker, and Joseph
Weeks and Zach Allison in the secondary.
Mascot: Bulldogs
Superintendent: Dr. Coy Holcombe
Head Coach: Doug Wendel
Assistant Coaches: Clint Guinn (OC), Chris Choat
(DC/LB), Kenneth Henderson (RB), Chris Powers (RCV),
Lloyd Langston (OL), Phillip Smith (DT), Jeremy Bullard
(DE), Clint Farrell (DB)
Schedule
Senior Senior Junior Junior
RB
RB
QB
OL
Mascot: Yellowjackets
Superintendent: Dr. Peter Running
Head Coach: Greg Anderson
Assistant Coaches: Cord Wood (DC), Kris Jones,
Cody Ross, Matt Langer, Terrance McCloud
26
Mineola
Yellowjackets
Mineola is the mystery team of District 14-3A, having
played a schedule that kept them north and east of
familiarity to their new opposing coaches. They are
headed in a new direction in more ways than one, as
Joe Drennon was hired to replace Steve Wells as head
coach and athletic director.
The direction the Yellowjackets would like to keep intact is
the upward trend toward the playoffs. The Yellowjackets
were 6-4 in 2007, including a 3-2 district mark that qualified
them for the playoffs. They fell in a 34-25 first round shootout
to Pleasant Grove.
Drennon was on the job for every bit of three weeks
when he was attempting to assess his new team, but
a couple of things were easy to identify - most of a big
strong offensive was lost to graduation as was 2,000yard rusher Corey Jones. Both positions will have to
be replenished for Drennon’s I-formation veer attack to
work like it did for his district champion Corsicana Mildred
team last year.
The two players that do return to the offensive line are
senior center Taylor Sneed and junior lineman Montana
Duncan. As for running back, a competition will take
place between Jacoby Sinches and Eric Hughes, who
played wide receiver last year. Both have been clocked
in the neighborhood of a 4.5 forty. Converted tight end
Casey Lindley will also be in the backfield mix. C.J.
Rivera returns to the fullback position.
A three-way competition will take place at quarterback.
Mineola used two in 2007 and both Colt Bickerstaff and
Nic Wadkins return for 2008, but Drennon brought a third
quarterback with him to compete for running the option
attack - son Tyler Drennon. Steven Hughes will provide
the primary threat in the play-action passing game.
Continued
Mineola
Continued
The defense has fewer spots to fill than the offense with
seven starters returning to the lineup led by Steven and
Eric Hughes in the secondary, Nic Wadkins at defensive
end, and Sneed and Lindley at linebacker. “These are all
real good kids that want to win and they’re working hard
to get it done,” Drennon said after the first few weeks
of off-season workouts. “They are expecting great things
and I have no reason not to believe in them.”
Casey Lindley
C.J. Rivera
Taylor Sneed
Eric Hughes
Jacoby Sinches
Montana Duncan
Senior Junior Senior
Junior Junior Junior
RB/LB
FB/ILB
C/ILB
RB/DB
RB
OL
Yellowjackets
Mascot:
Superintendent: Mary Lookadoo
Head Coach: Joe Drennon
Assistant Coaches: Greg Casey (OC), Heath Ragle
(REC), Richard Pride (RB), John Talley (OL), Anthony
Valladares (TE), Robert Dudley (DC), Mark Barefield (OLB),
Luke Blackwell (OLB), Cody Grace (MS), Carlos (MS)
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Quinlan Ford
Away 7:30
9/5
Quitman
Away 7:30
9/12
Grand Saline
Home 7:30
9/19
Edgewood
Away 7:30
9/26
Mt. Vernon
Home 7:30
10/3
Open
10/10
Eustace*
Home 7:30
10/17
Van*
Home 7:30
10/24
Canton*
Away 7:30
10/31
Kemp*
Home 7:30
Away 7:30
11/7
Wills Point*
Van Vandals
The question for the Vandals is – What does a team
have to do to get into the playoffs? For the past three
seasons, the Vandals have missed out on advancing
the last week of the season. In 2007 they came within
10 seconds.
“Canton scored a touchdown to beat Bullard with
10 seconds left,” explained head coach Brady
Pennington. “If Bullard wins, we were the outright
district champions. As it worked out, we wound up in
a four-way tie and stayed home due to tie-breakers.
That’s high school football.”
At the same time Canton was winning against Bullard,
Van was putting the finishing touches on a 56-34 win
over Chapel Hill, but it was Chapel Hill celebrating
a playoff berth at the final gun, not the Vandals. “It’s
frustrating,” Pennington said. “But the good news for
us is we went out with such a great win. We played
our last three games missing four defensive starters
because of injuries, but we played our best game of
the season in the last game. There has been a positive
carry-over from that.”
The carry-over will continue with 18 lettermen returning,
but as everyone in the state knows, one piece will be
missing. “We’re going to be competitive even without
Jermie Calhoun.” Pennington said. “We have some
good backs, good team speed and great leadership
in the offensive line.” The Vandals return four starters
to the line led by seniors Cameron McMinn, Chase
Monroe and Luke Seider. Only the center position will
need to be replaced.
Van will continue to mix the Power I with the spread
formation, and will try to get the ball into a lot of
different hands, including those belonging to half of the
state-qualifying sprint relay team, Blake Pennington
and Michael Terry. Pennington was a first-team AllDistrict performer on both sides of the ball, including
wide receiver. He also split time at quarterback with
Calhoun, but the Vandals coaches would like to leave
him on the outside and have junior Tyler Sharpe take
over at quarterback. Sophomore Terry will be one of
the options in the backfield and fullback Chase Rabe
will be back after earning a second-team All-District
nod as a sophomore.
The Vandals defense was decimated by injuries last
season and it showed in critical losses to Athens and
Canton. Van gave up a total of 860 yards, and 80 points
in those two games. “We’re going to be improved on
defense,” said Pennington, who enters his seventh
season in Van. “We’ll have good speed and a lot of
experience with eight starters coming back.”
Clayton Kendrick is a first-team All-District performer
that will return to linebacker and he’ll be joined by
Justin Dalme. In addition to Pennington, Damon
Hightower will return to the secondary as three-year
starter and Colt Oliver will be back after being named
second-team All-District as a defensive back. Chris
Leiser and Matthew Broadbent are two of the five
returning defensive linemen.
“This is a special senior class with a lot of great
leadership,” Pennington said. “I think we’ll have a lot of
success.
Blake Pennington Clayton Kendrick Cameron McMinn Damon Hightower Colt Oliver
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
27
WR/DB
LB
DL
DB
DB
Mascot: Vandals
Superintendent: Joddie Witte
Head Coach: Brady Pennington
Assistant Coaches: Joshua Potter (DC/ILB/OL),
Sammy Burnett (QB/DE), Brian Thompson (RB/OLB), Jerami
Hawkins (REC/OLB), Jason Johnson (REC/DB), Robbie
Parrish (DB/9th), Mike Cassell (9th), Jeremy Peterson (MS),
Erin Bryant (MS), Chad Carter (MS), Todd Pennington (DT)
S ch e d u l e
8/29
9/5
9/12
9/19
9/26
10/3
10/10
10/17
10/24
10/31
11/7
Grand Saline
Rusk
Palestine
Mabank
Spring Hill
Open
Kemp*
Mineola*
Wills Point*
Canton*
Eustace*
*Denotes district games
Away Away Home Home Away 7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
Home Away Home Away Home 7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
W ills Point Tiger s
After thirteen years under the leadership of Mark
Bachtel, Wills Point has opened a new chapter
with the hiring of Kevin Garvin as head coach and
athletic director. There will be new faces on the
staff, new systems on the field and new faces to
learn those systems as the Tigers graduated 17
seniors from last season’s 7-4 squad. It is a mixed
bag for the staff that comes. They will be blessed
with a talented class of sophomores but some of
that talent will need to come to the Friday-night
forefront quickly to replace a talented senior class.
The early good news is that the Tigers are returning
eight starters to a defense that was among the
area’s best. Through the regular season in 2007,
Wills Point yielded an average of 262 total yards
per game (119 rushing, 143 passing) and 18 points
per game. Three seniors that either started or
saw a lot of playing time are returning to the line
- Marshall Etheridge, Spencer Jennings and Bobby
Faulkner. Bryan Schaubroeck, Chris Ross and Alex
Anderson all saw playing time as sophomores and
will see more as juniors.
Juniors Cyle Henderson, Garrett Kinney and Kirk
Morrell will need to go from sophomores that
helped at linebacker, to the starters that will replace
the likes of three-year starters Chris Pruitt and
Cody Henderson, although Cyle may be spending
much of his time at quarterback. Anderson may
make the switch from defensive end to linebacker.
Continued
District 16-3A
Lots of Playof f Potential in the New 16 -3A
Jamie Lent - KTBB Sports
“This district is just so good, you better be ready to play every Friday, or you are going to be in for a long night.” Those are the words of
Pittsburg Head Coach Robert Manley and the thoughts that are echoed by many coaches involved in district 16-3A.
After all, of the six teams in the district, one took the state championship in 2003 (Atlanta), another won it all in 2006 (Liberty-Eylau), four were
playoff teams a year ago and two of those advanced all the way to the regional finals.
Pleasant Grove is the defending champ after going undefeated in 16-3A play a year ago. The Hawks return six starters on both sides of the ball
and look to build on the success that saw them go three rounds deep in the post-season in 2007.
Liberty-Eylau was the district’s Division I playoff rep last year and was knocked out in the first round by state runner-up Gilmer. The Leopards
bring back 11 starters from last year and look to lean on an offense that is blessed with numerous play-makers.
Pittsburg loses do it all athlete Kendall Wright but still possesses a stable of athletes that the Pirates have always been known for. Look for the
Pirates to rely on one of the larger sized offensive lines in the district.
Coach Charles Swann believes his Mt. Vernon team is ready to take the next step and challenge for a playoff spot. The Tigers
have the luxury of returning their signal caller in Christian Butler. The senior is one of the top quarterback prospects in the
East Texas area.
Ronnie Melton takes over as Head Coach at Atlanta after serving as the team’s defensive coordinator the past 14 years. He replaces legendary
coach Ben Sharnberg who lead the Rabbits the past 20 seasons.
And the newcomer in 16-3A this year is New Boston. The Lions were a playoff team in 2A a year ago and Coach Rick Barker believes they can
do it again this year in 3A.
Needless to say, there should be plenty of great Friday night battles this year in this district. Coach Rick Barker of New Boston agrees. “Every
Friday night in this district will be a war. There are six very good teams in this district.” Without a doubt, there will be no gimme wins when
district play begins in 16-3A.
District 14-3A
Mt . Vernon Tiger s
W ills Point
Continued
The secondary will surely miss last season’s
Defensive MVP in District 10-3A, Austen Brewer,
but juniors Tyler Wicks and Steven Cunigan return
to man the corners.
The Tigers of 2007 did not produce points the way
Wills Point teams had in past seasons, and the
offense was hit the hardest by graduation. Virtually
all of the skill players have graduated, including
quarterback Pruitt, four-year big-play phenom
Revio Hickmon, Brewer and anyone that lined up
at running back.
What is coming back is a nucleus of senior lineman
in Spencer Jennings, Garrett Jones and Blaine
Wooten. Cunigan and Wicks did see significant
time at the wideouts and are likely starters in 2008.
Other options coming in to supply some speed and
play-making ability are senior Lewis Battles, junior
Marquis Burch, and sophomores Brett Bradshaw,
Will Girdley, C.J. Wilson and Brandon Morris.
Garvin has said he will run a multiple offense, but
the exact look of it probably won’t be decided until
an interesting three-way battle for quarterback
between senior Trevor Sharp, junior Cyle Henderson
and sophomore Trent Jurica is decided.
Garvin has seen his players for less than a month
but says he is “very excited about the student
athletes at Wills Point and I’m looking forward to
the upcoming year.”
9/19 Brownsboro
9/26 Open
10/3 Kaufman
Players To Watch
10/10 10/17 10/24 Van*
10/31 Eustace*
11/7 Mineola*
Steven Cunigan
Cyle Henderson
Jennings
Alex Anderson
Junior
Junior
Senior
Junior
WR/DB
QB/LB Spencer
O/L
TE/LB Mascot: Tigers
Superintendent: Joe Oliver
Head Coach: Kevin Garvin
Assistant Coaches: Phil Leone (Asst. Head), Jacob
Sproel (DC), Sam Skidmore (OC/OL), Rob Shipley (OC/QB),
Justin Lovvorn (REC), Ed Lumpkin (DL), Dane Morgan (REC),
Jeff Timmons (DB), Len Turner (REC), Tim Taylor (VIDEO)
Schedule
8/29 Athens
Away 7:30
9/5
Lindale
Home 7:30
Farmerville
Home 7:30
9/12 28
Away 7:30
Home 7:30
Canton*
Away 7:30
Kemp*
Home 7:30
Away 7:30
Away 7:30
Home 7:30
14-3A Preseas o n
Coaches’ Po l l
1. Canton
2. Wills Point
3. Van
4. Mineola
5. Eustace
6. Kemp
Experience may be the key for the 2008 Mount Vernon
Tigers. Coach Charles Swann’s team finished a
disappointing (3-7) (0-4) last season but gained valuable
experience that should help this year.
The Tigers roster will include 29 seniors when they
begin their campaign at home September 5th against
Gladewater. Included in that bunch are seven offensive
and six defensive returning starters. The large number of
veterans leads third year head man Swann to believe his
team will surprise many. “We’ve seen so much progress
between two years ago and last and we’ve continued
to improve this past off season. We know the odds are
against us, but that will make it that much more rewarding
when we knock some people off.”
Leading the charge offensively this year will be returning
starting QB Christian Butler. The senior threw for over
1100 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, despite playing
in only six games. Butler’s top returning target will be
fellow senior Frank Hall who pulled in 43 catches last
year, seven of which went for scores.
The defense plans on being more aggressive this year
and it appears the strength will be in the secondary. The
Tigers bring back senior Jordan Mays, who racked up 70
tackles last season, as well as Kellen Carrell who picked
off four passes last year as a sophomore.
After advancing to the playoffs nine of ten years from
1996-2005, the Tigers have missed the post-season the
past two years. Still, Swann believes this year’s team is
determined to get back to playing games when it really
counts. “The day after last season ended, our guys
started working towards this year. I have never had to
question how hard these guys work or practice. We just
have to step it up on game night and make plays at big
times.”
10/ 3
Rains
Home
7:30
10/10
New Boston
Away
7:30
10/17
Liberty-Eylau
Home
7:30
10/24
Pleasant Grove
Away
7:30
10/31
Pittsburg
Away
7:30
11/7
Atlanta
Home
7:30
Frank Hall
Kellen Carrell
Neal Blevins
Christian Butler
Jordan Mays
Taylor Mays
Senior
Junior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
WR/DB
WR/DB
C/DT
QB/DB
WR/DB
WR/DB
Mascot: Tigers
Superintendent: Rick Flanagan
Head Coach: Charles Swann (3rd Year)
Assistant Coaches: Jim Solomon, Karl Whitehurst,
Rony Alsup, Steven Weddle, `Stephen Ladd, Billy Wilson,
Andy Player, Ronnie Stoker, Bill Brasher
S ch e d u l e
9/5 Gladewater
Home
7:30
9/12
Cooper
Away
7:30
9/19
Winnsboro
Home
7:30
9/ 26
Mineola
Away
7:30
Pleasant Grove
Haw ks
The Pleasant Grove Hawks were the hands down
champs of District 16-3A last season and are looking
for more of the same this year. Not only did Coach
Kevin Davis and his club end a two year playoff
drought, but the team won twice in the post season,
advanced all the way to the Class 3A Div II Regional
Semi-finals and won 10 games for the first time in
the history of the program. Coach Davis hopes that
success can transfer from 07 to 08. “Playing 13 games
last year and winning 10 of them gives our young kids
a lot of confidence and shows them they can play at
a high level.”
The Hawks lose much of their bulk and size from last
year’s club, but do bring back all star C.J. Broades.
The senior grabbed 39 balls as a receiver last year
while adding 119 tackles and All-State honors as a
continued
29
Pleasant Grove
District 16-3A
District 16-3A
Continued
defensive back. Davis is glad to have the two way
starter on his side. “C.J. is a great athlete who really
makes us better. I truly feel he has a great opportunity
to play football next year at the Division I level.”
Others to look for on the defensive side of the ball are
linebacker Shane Anderson, who pulled down 114 ball
carriers last year, and defensive end Hayden Rybiski.
The 6’0”, 200 pound Rubiski lead last year’s squad
with eight sacks.
The Hawks will break in a new QB this season after
loosing Jake Rogers to graduation. Three players are
battling for that spot under center. Whoever ends
up taking the job will have plenty of returning targets
to choose from. Besides Broades and his 39 grabs,
Damien Watts and Jon Phillips are both back after
each had 25 plus catches last year.
When it is all said and done, head man Davis believes
his guys will be in the mix near the top of 16-3A.
However, his first goal is just getting into the postseason. “We lost 21 seniors and a lot of leadership
from last year. I believe we can fight for a district title,
but as tough as this district is, we just hope we can
finish in the top three and get into the playoffs.”
C.J. Broades
Hayden Rybiski
Shane Anderson
Damien Watts
Jon Phillips
Logan Ashby
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Junior
Senior
FS/WR
DE
LB
WR
WR
SS/WR
Mascot: Hawks
Head Coach: Kevin Davis (3rd Year)
Assistant Coaches: Todd Elliott, Craig Jones,
Steve Morris, Whitney Keeling, Justin Watson, Andy Allen,
Blake Worley
Margaret Davis
Superintendent: Sch e d u l e
8/29
9/5
9/12
9/19
9/26
10/3
10/3
10/3
10/3
10/3
Pine Tree
Hooks
Ashdown, Ark
Gladewater
North Lamar
Open
Liberty-Eylau
Atlanta
Mt. Vernon
New Boston Away
Home
Away
Away
Away
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
Home
Away
Home
Away
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
11/37
Pittsburg
Home
7:30
Liber t y-E ylau
Leopards
Two years removed from a Class 3A state title, LibertyEylau will be looking to return to championship form
in 2008. The Leopards finished second in 16-3A last
season with a three and one district mark and five and
six overall.
The main task for third year Head Coach Pat Brady
will be trying to replace star running back LaMichael
James. The Oregon bound back set a school record
with 2,043 yards rushing last year while also setting
the Liberty-Eylau career mark with 4,273 yards.
Brady knows filling his shoes will not be easy. “You
don’t just replace guys like LaMichael James or Will
Middlebrooks the year before, you have to figure out
what you can do and just focus on that.”
What the Leopards do have back is a team with great
speed on both sides of the ball. The offense brings
back six starters from last year and includes plenty
of play-makers. Juniors Marques Clark and Josh
Webster are expected to play major roles this year
while Sophomore Tra Carlson could also make a big
impact. Brady also expects to throw much more this
year with both Alex Watts and Daniel Thompson taking
snaps under center.
Up front, Charles Rigsby and Malcolm Edmond will be
expected to add size and skill to both the offensive and
defensive lines. The defense as a whole brings back
five starters from last year’s group that allowed less
than ten points per game in district play.
Brady believes the team that wins this district will be
the one that can get their young players to step in and
contribute. With that being said he likes his squad’s
chances. “Anything can happen, you just have to wait
and see how these guys react on Friday nights. But
looking at things on paper, I feel like we can be one of
the top teams.”
Players To Watch
Charles Rigsby
Marques Clark
Tra Carlson
Malcolm Edmond
Josh Webster
Senior
Junior Sophomore
Junior
Junior
OL/DL
DB/WR
RB/LB
OL/DL
RB/LB
Mascot: Leopards
Superintendent: Micah Lewis
Head Coach: Pat Brady (3rd Year)
Assistant Coaches: Brian Brown, Jason Hooker,
Robert Denton, Robert Cochran, Alex Harris, Casey Caulley,
Stephen Barber, Willie Allen, David Daniels, Tom
Middlebrooks, Drew Norwood
30
Pit t sburg
Schedule
8/29
North Lamar
Away
7:30
9/5
Mt. Pleasant
Home
7:30
9/12
Gilmer
Away
7:30
9/19
Nashville
Away
7:30
9/26
Paris
Home
7:30
10/3
Open
10/10
Pleasant Grove
Away
7:30
10/17
Mt. Vernon
Away
7:30
10/24
Pittsburg
Home
7:30
10/31
Atlanta
Away
7:30
10/7
New Boston
Home
7:30
Pit tsburg Pirates
All Pittsburg Coach Robert Manley is asked to do in
2008 is replace three of the most exciting players
in the East Texas area from 2007. Kendall Wright
(Baylor), Carlos Brown (Southern Arkansas) and Mark
Farmer (Southern Arkansas) are all on their way to the
college ranks, leaving the Pirates searching for young
guys to step in and step up. “You can’t replace guys
like those three” said Manley. “We will just try to take
two or three young kids at each of those positions and
hope together they can do some of the things those
great players did.”
It was a very successful first season for Coach Manley
at Pittsburg. The Pirates finished third in 16-3A and
seemed to save their best for last advancing to the
Class 3A Div II Regional Semi-finals. From that 07
squad, the team returns four starters on both sides of
the ball while plenty of others come back after seeing
significant time last year.
Junior Ted Burns is the leading returning ground
gainer after rushing for 585 yards and 8 touchdowns
last season. Chris Brown is also back after putting
up 285 yards and four scores receiving and at 6’2”,
280, Matt Kirkland is the top veteran lineman on what
should be a solid offensive line.
The defense was really hit hard by graduation last
year, which Manley says poses a big challenge, “We
lost nine guys that played a major role on defense last
year. Some of these young kids are going to need to
pull up their big boy britches for us and help out in
a hurry.” One player that does return is linebacker
Greg Attaway. The 6’0”, 195 pounder looks to improve
on an impressive 110 tackle season last year as a
sophomore.
Players To Watch
Ted Burns
Greg Attaway
Chris Brown
Mitch Manley
Matt Kirkland
Junior
Junior
Junior
Sophomore
Senior
TB
LB
WR
QB
OL/DL
Continued
The Lions do have the lowest enrollment numbers
in the district but don’t feel like that will hinder their
chances of making the post season. Coach Barker
believes his team has a great shot a making it three
straight playoff appearances and also challenging for
a district title, “We have as good a shot as anybody.
I truly believe we can compete with anyone in this
district”.
Continued
Ted Burns
Greg Attaway
Chris Brown
Mitch Manley
Matt Kirkland
Junior
Junior
Junior
Sophomore
Senior
TB
LB
WR
QB
OL/DL
Cedric Wade
Janson Carr
Jacob Simmons
Kion Stewart
Terrance Rowden
Mascot:
Pirates
Student Enrollment:
685
Superintendent:
Judy Pollan
Head Coach:
Robert Manley (2nd Year)
Assistant Coaches:
Dan Johnson, Alex Guerra,
Jerry Brannon, Garrett Patterson, Jake Melton,
Tim Ender, Dexter Patrick.
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Jefferson
Home
7:30
9/5
Winnsboro
Away
7:30
9/12
Princeton
Home
7:30
9/19
Queen City
Home
7:30
9/26
Lindale
Away
7:30
10/3
Open
10/10
Atlanta
Away
7:30
10/17
New Boston
Home
7:30
10/24
Liberty-Eylau
Away
7:30
10/31
Mt. Vernon
Home
7:30
11/7
Pleasant Grove
Away
7:30
New Boston Lions
The New Boston Lions make the big jump up from
Class 2A to join District 16-3A. However, don’t feel
bad for Coach Rick Barker and his team. The Lions
return 17 starters from last year’s playoff squad and
Barker says he expects his guys will fit right in with
the tough competition of this district. “We’ve been in
tough districts before, so this is nothing new for us.
Yes, there are some good teams in the district, but that
won’t bother us.”
Leading the charge offensively for New Boston is a
very experienced backfield. All three starters return in
the backfield paced by quarterback Janson Carr and
running back Cedric Wade. The two helped to lead a
Lion offense last season that averaged over 18 points
a game and scored more than 40 twice.
The defense returns seven starters from a team that
gave up 14 or fewer points in six of ten games last
season. Defensive tackle Kion Stewart and safeties
Jacob Simmons and Terrance Rowden are the key
returning starters according to Coach Barker.
Senior
Junior
Senior
Senior
Junior
RB
QB
FS
DT
SS
S ch e d u l e
Dekalb
9/5
Open
9/12. Away
7:30
Queen City
Away
7:30
9/19
Ashdown
Home
7:30
9/26
Linden-Kildare
Away
7:30
10/3
Hughes Springs
Home
7:30
10/10
Mt. Vernon
Home
7:30
10/17
Pittsburg
Away
7:30
10/24
Atlanta
Home
7:30
10/31
Pleasant Grove
Home
7:30
11/7
Liberty-Eylau
Away
7:30
Atlant a Rabbits
The Atlanta Rabbits enter a new era this year as long
time assistant Ronnie Melton takes over for former
Head Coach Ben Scharnberg. Melton worked with
Sharnberg the past 27 years, so only expect a few
subtle changes from the Atlanta football style of the
past.
There is plenty to feel good about as the Rabbits have a
ton of kids back this season. That is definitely the case
at the offensive skill positions with running back Demon
Haire and quarterback Carlos Ibarra. Melton really likes
what he has in the backfield. “We have quarterbacks
who can throw and run, running backs who can run and
receivers that can make plays too. We think they will
really be able to make some big plays for us.”
Defensively, nose tackle Titus Webster is expected to
handle the middle of the front line while D.D Lockhart and
31
The Rabbits went just two and eight overall last year
and won only one of four games in district play. Coach
Melton knows playing in 16-3A is tough, but he thinks
it will make his team better in the long run.
“We look at it as a challenge. Playing good people
raises our level of play and our level of expectations.
We just need to step up and see if we can get to that
high level.”
Mascot: Lions
High School Enrollment: 430
Superintendent: Gary VanDeaver
Head Coach; Rick Barker (4th Year)
Assistant Coaches: Steve James, Lonnie Henry, Tim Denton,
Michael Hill, Gary Miller, Brian Bobbitt
8/29
Will Britton are both play-makers on defense as well.
Titus Webster
Demon Haire
D.D. Lockhart
Carlos Ibarra
Demond Horsley
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Senior
Mascot: Student Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Assistant Coaches: OL/DL
RB/LB
RB/DB
QB
QB/DB
5’11
5’9
Rabbits
543
Roger Hailey
Ronnie Melton
Lance Bernard, Joel Morris,
Randy Raley, Jarron Boston
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Daingerfield
Home
7:30
9/5
Royce City
Away
7:30
9/12
Carthage
Away
7:30
9/19
Tatum
Home
7:30
9/26
Henderson Away
7:30
10/3
Open
10/10
Pittsburg
Home
7:30
10/17
Pleasant Grove
Home
7:30
10/24
New Boston
Away
7:30
10/31
Liberty-Eylau
Home
7:30
11/7
Mt. Vernon
Away
7:30
16-3A Preseason
1. Liberty-Eylau 2. Pleasant Grove
3. Pittsburg
4. New Boston
5. Atlanta
6. Mt. Vernon
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2008 Tiger Football Schedule
DATE
OPPONENT
LOCATION
TIME
Sept. 6 .............. St. John’s .............................Collegeville, Minn. ........................ 11:00 a.m.
Sept. 13 ............ OPEN .................................(--) ........................................................... (--)
Sept. 20 ............ *Sul Ross State ....................ETBU/Ornelas Stadium ................ 11:00 a.m.
Simple Test Can Save Your Life
Todd Smith, MD, FACS
Trinity Mother Frances Vascular Institute
Sept. 27 ............ *Texas Lutheran ................... Seguin, Texas ................................ 6:00 p.m.
Oct. 4 ................ *McMurry .............................ETBU/Ornelas Stadium ................ 11:00 a.m.
Oct. 11 .............. *Hardin-Simmons ................. Abilene, Texas ................................ 2:00 p.m.
Oct. 18 .............. ◊*Louisiana College ............ ETBU/Ornelas Stadium ................. 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 25 .............. *Mississippi College ............. Clinton, MS .................................... 2:00 p.m.
Nov. 1 ................ *Mary Hardin-Baylor ............. ETBU/Ornelas Stadium .................. 1:00 p.m.
Stroke is currently one of the
most common causes of death in
the United States and is predicted
to be the leading cause of death
by 2030. Up to one-third of
strokes are caused by plaque build
up in the main arteries of the
neck called the carotid arteries.
Arteries are normally smooth
on the inside, but as people age
plaque can build up in the walls
of arteries. Plaque is made up of
cholesterol, calcium and fibrous
tissue. As more plaque builds
up, arteries narrow and become
stiffer. This process is called
atherosclerosis or hardening of
the arteries. When enough plaque builds up to significantly narrow the artery,
carotid artery disease develops, a major risk factor for stroke.
Risk factors for carotid artery disease include a history of smoking, high
blood pressure and high cholesterol. Other factors include diabetes mellitus and
a family history of atherosclerosis.
Unfortunately, for many patients the first symptom of carotid artery disease
is a stroke which may lead to disabling symptoms or even death. Others may
experience temporary symptoms called a transient ischemic attack (TIA) that
may last for minutes to several hours. These symptoms can include: slurring
of the speech, loss of vision in one eye or numbness/weakness on one side of
the body. Most patients, however, never have any symptoms and their carotid
artery disease is identified on routine physical exam or through carotid artery
screening programs.
Carotid artery screening involves performing a carotid duplex ultrasound
scan to identify any plaque build-up within the artery. In this rapid and painless
test, a vascular technologist uses an ultrasound probe to visualize the carotid
artery and measure the speed of the blood flow through the artery. Based on
this information, an estimate of the amount of blockage within the carotid
artery can be obtained.
Results of the screening test are typically reported as normal or mild,
moderate or severe blockage. These results are available immediately and can be
sent to the patient’s primary care physician if desired. In general, patients with
mild to moderate blockage are treated with medications and undergo repeat
ultrasound scans in 6 months to one year. Patients with more severe degrees
of blockage typically see a vascular specialist and may require additional image
studies or even surgery.
Patients with carotid artery disease should modify their lifestyle to lessen
their chances of complications from this disease. This includes quitting
smoking, losing weight, exercising regularly and eating a diet low in saturated
fats.
Whether you have any of the above risk factors or symptoms, you may have
significant carotid artery disease putting you at increased risk for a stroke. A
simple, painless test called a carotid duplex ultrasound can identify carotid
artery disease and lead to treatment that can decrease your risk of stroke.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a vascular
specialist, call (903) 525-1400.
32
Nov. 8 ................ Azusa Pacific .......................Azusa, Calif. ........................... 8:00 p.m. CST
Nov. 15 .............. *Howard Payne .................... Brownwood, Texas ........................ 1:00 p.m.
*American Southwest Conference game
◊ Homecoming
For ticket information call 903•923•2188
33
District 17-3A
District 17-3A May Be a Coach’s Nightmare But A
High School Football Fan’s Dream
With the UIL realignment, two state finalists were brought together as district foes: The Gilmer Buckeyes and Tatum Eagles.
For the past two seasons, the Buckeyes and Eagles have played a non-district matchup at TMF Rose Stadium in Tyler,
attracting a crowd of more than 10,000. Now these two will clash for district supremacy.
The newly aligned district includes five teams with a recent history of making or strongly contending for a spot in the playoffs: Bullard, Chapel
Hill, Gilmer, Spring Hill and Tatum.
“You’ve got some tremendous playoff teams in this district,” Gilmer Coach Jeff Traylor said. “Bullard was picked as the favorite to win their old
district, now they are in our district. It’s going to be tough week after week.”
Bullard Panther s
The Bullard Panthers had not won a district
championship or made a playoff appearance since
1993. But in their 2007 season, the first season with
head coach Jim Taylor at the helm, the Panthers
narrowly missed winning the district title as well as
making a playoff appearance. Bullard finished the
season 6-4, one year after posting a 4-6 record.
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For m
“Our goal is the same every year,” Coach Taylor
explained. “First of all, you have to find a way to get
into the playoffs. Once you get there you want to keep
the team playing together for as long as possible. I
felt very good about our kids last year,” Taylor said,
“especially about their efforts. We are certainly going
to miss a lot of good seniors this year. But we’ve got a
lot of kids that are coming back for their second year
of varsity play.”
Last year’s offensive MVP for district 14-3A returns
as a senior for the Panthers at quarterback. Charlie
Moore threw for 15 Panther touchdowns. “It is very
valuable having Charlie back,” Coach Taylor said. “We
hope to see him step in and be a notch above where
he was last year.”
“Being our first year together and learning the system,
we now have a solid foundation with not only Charlie
but all our kids,” Coach Taylor said. “We have a solid
understanding of all or schemes and what we run.
Charlie is a big part of that playing both ways. He’s
our safety too.”
Wide receiver and Cornerback Lance Anding was
the 2007 District 14-3A newcomer of the year as a
sophomore. Anding had 22 receptions for 389 yards.
Heading into their second year with Coach Taylor, the
Panthers find themselves in tough company in district
17-3A. Taylor said with last year’s success under their
belt, his kids are ready to go.
“I think there wouldn’t be many people to disagree that
we are in one of the best 3A districts in the state of
Texas,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for our kids
to perform and see what they can do. Our kids are
excited and I think our community and the school
district is also.”
Charlie Moore Lance Anding 34
Senior Junior QB/FS
WR/CB
Daniel Howard Blain Faulk Junior Senior WR/CB
OL/DL
Mascot: Panthers
Superintendent: Jim Wright
Head Coach: Jim Taylor
Assistant Coaches: Joe Brannen (OC), Shane Nobles
(DC), Dennis Beavers, (LB, WR), Ricky Day (OL/DL), Billy
Holcomb (QB/Sec), Ronnie Dent (RB/DL)
S ch e d u l e
9/5
Westwood
Home
7:30
9/12
Athens
Home
7:30
9/19
Troup
Away
7:30
9/26
Rusk
Away
7:30
10/3
Center
Home
7:30
10/10
Gilmer*
Away
7:30
10/17
Tatum*
Home
7:00
10/24
Gladewater*
Away
7:30
10/31
Chapel Hill*
Away
7:30
11/7
Spring Hill*
Home
7:30
Chapel Hill Bulldogs
The Chapel Hill Bulldogs proved they were a team
with heart and courage in 2007. After the tragic loss
of teammate Derek Timms just three weeks before
the regular season opener, the Bulldogs responded
by dedicating the season to their fallen teammate and
winning a share of the district title.
The Bulldogs then made a two round playoff run,
ultimately falling to Pleasant Grove.
“It was a tough year for us,” Coach Phil Castles said. “We
overcame a lot of adversity early and I thought it was a
real testament to the team and how well they did.”
“We won the co-district championship last year and
we talked about how that is something we want to
continue,” Castles said. “Obviously with the new
district we are in, it will be hard to do that now. But
our kids have worked hard all spring long and they’re
35
looking forward to the new challenge.”
Working to the Bulldogs advantage in 2008 is the
experience on their roster. The Bulldogs are a senior
loaded team. “For most of these kids this will be their
third year to start on varsity,” Castles explained. “They
had the benefit of being in two rounds of the playoffs
the last two years. They have played in big games
and understand what it will take to get to the playoffs.
That with the character of these kids, will pay big
dividends.”
One of those seniors returning is starting running back
Matthew Tucker. Matthew was honorable mention allstate and had more than 2,000 yards rushing in the
regular season. “One of the things about Matthew, he’ll
be the first one to tell you that the fact that the line was
very good helped him. Plus, the fact that the team itself
was good.”
While most of the line will return for 2008, there is a
question offensively as to who they will protect. Coach
Castles said during the spring, he was evaluating
several players for the role of starting quarterback.
“That verdict may not be in until after the two
scrimmages,” Castles said.
Dee Cooper
Matthew Tucker KaDarius Reeder LaDedrick Calico Jake Martin Kenson Tave Kendrick Robinson Chaise McNeal Dillon Rushing Ben Krebs
Senior
Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior Senior
DB
RB
NG
DE
OT
DE
OT/DT
WR
LB
WR
Mascot: Bulldogs
Superintendent: Joe Stubblefield
Head Coach: Phil Castles
Assistant Coaches: Brian Dunn (Co-DC), Brad Langley
(Co-DC), Matt Langley (OC), Keith Touchstone (DL), Richard
O’Bannon (OLB), Stuart Proctor (OL), David Bentzen (OL)
Continued
Chapel Hill
District 17-3A
District 17-3A
Continued
Sch e d u l e
8/29
Palestine Westwood
Home
7:30
9/5
Kaufman
Away
7:30
9/12
Center
Home
7:30
9/19
Quinlan Ford
Home
7:30
9/26
Athens
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Spring Hill*
Away
7:30
10/17
Gilmer*
Home
7:30
10/24
Tatum*
Away
7:30
10/31
Bullard*
Home
7:30
11/7
Gladewater*
Away
7:30
Gilmer Buckeyes
We hear the phrase “unfinished business” in the
sports world about as much as the phrases “giving
110 percent” or “we have a lot of respect for the other
guys.” But when you say the Gilmer Buckeyes have
some unfinished business, it is no cliché.
The Buckeyes finished the 2007 season as state
runners-up, falling in the championship game to Liberty
Hill. The Buckeyes finished 2007 with a 14-1 record.
In 2008, Gilmer looks to continue their dominance
despite changes to the district alignment. Realignment
however has had little impact on the Buckeyes in
this decade. Gilmer has won seven straight district
championships and has not lost a district game since
October of 2000. Gilmer lost key impact players when
Army All-American running back Justin Johnson, wide
receiver Lamar Harris and Army All-American lineman
David Snow graduated. Johnson and Harris are now
Oklahoma Sooners. Snow is a Texas Longhorn.
However, graduating top talent is nothing new for
Coach Jeff Traylor who is in his eighth year as Buckeye
head coach. Once again, another high profile group of
athletes is set to step up in 2008. That includes junior
quarterback Darian “Stump” Godfrey. Godfrey received
honorable mention in the Associated Press and Texas
Sports Writers Association’s all-state selections. In
Darian’s first full season at quarterback (2007), he
passed for 2,727 passing yards and 38 touchdowns
and ran for 617 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“I think Stump will be the first one to tell he played
with 10 talented seniors last year,” Coach Traylor said.
“What will change for Stump is that he will be the only
returning starter on offense, so this will be different for
him. We expect him to take on the same role, being a
leader, just like last year.”
As if the quarterback’s nickname of “Stump” was not
an indicator, offensively Coach Traylor said his team is
normal in size but quick.
“We lost five linemen that started for four years, so
we’re going to be extremely young,” Traylor said. “Our
center and our offensive line will be a normal size. We
don’t have as many 300 pounders on the line as we
had in the past. We’re smaller. Our line is more athletic
but our receivers are small.”
Defensively, Traylor thinks his team will be better than his
defensive squads of years past. “We will be a lot better.
We had about four or five sophomores that played last
year and we’ll be better.”
Players to Watch
Darian Godfrey Devane Clark Jonathan Rockwell Dakota Hagler Junior Senior Senior Senior QB
WR/CB
NG
OL/DT
Mascot: Buckeye
Superintendent: Rick Albritton
Head Coach: Jeff Traylor
Assistant Coaches: Matt Turner (OC), Todd Barr (DC),
Kurt Traylor (OL), Ray Pate (WR), Alan Metzel (QB), Keith
Tate (RB), Wayne Coleman (S), Tommy Edwards (DT), Joey
Heaton (OLB), Phil Pate (CB)
Schedule
That brings us better together as a unit to win football
games.”
Besides a comfortable fit with Callaway’s style of
coaching, the Bears think their line on both sides of
the ball will be their greatest asset. “We’re expecting
a lot out of our offensive and defensive linemen. That
will be our key to our success,” Callaway said. “Being
strong upfront.”
Callaway admits that realignment did make their task
much tougher this year. Gilmer and Spring Hill were
the only two programs in the Bears last district. Now
with the addition of Tatum, Chapel Hill and Bullard,
Callaway sees it as a weekly challenge for his kids.
“It definitely shakes things up,” Callaway said. “I think
it’s made it a little more difficult for all of us to get into
one of the three (playoff) spots . Every week will have
a bearing on who makes the playoffs in week 11. But
we want to be one of the elite programs in the state
and that’s what we are striving to be.”
Players to Watch
Cameron Price Cardavian Christian Quinton Thomas Cordarian Lewis Senior Senior Junior
Senior RB
LB
LB
LB/RB
Spring Hill Panther s
The Spring Hill Panthers continued their playoff roll
in 2007. The Panthers made the playoffs for the sixth
time in seven years.
The Panthers were unbeaten in district play and had a
share of the district lead until their meeting with Gilmer
Buckeyes on the final regular season game of the
season. The Panthers would finish in second place in
district 15-3A with an 8-3 record. Their season ended
one week later to the Pittsburg Pirates in the bi-district
playoffs.
Many of the talented Panthers from last year’s squad
are back for another season. Tailback Jake Fudge is a
four year starter and last season rushed for more than
1,000 yards. Jake was named first team all-district
running back/kick return. Logan Skinner returns to his
job at linebacker. Skinner led the Panthers in tackles in
2007 and like Fudge, was also first team all-district.
Tyler Leath is in for another year in the Panthers
uniform at quarterback, cornerback and wide receiver.
According to head coach Robert Bero, Tyler will “play
all over the field. He has great quickness.” Tyler was
second team all-district.
Defensively, the Panthers had some holes to fill. Only
three starters are returning defensively.
Mascot: Bears
Superintendent: Mike Morrison
Head Coach: Scott Callaway
Assistant Coaches: Kelly Cook (OC),
Larry Minter (DC), Kyle Little (OL),
Daniel Shipman (WR), Curtis Armstrong (RB),
Josh Chase (OLB), Mike Rounsaville (DL),
Gus Harmon (ILB), Wesley Dorsett (Sec)
Jake Fudge Logan Skinner Adrian Tarpley Tyler Leath Zane Kirkpatrick Nico Moran Kyle Akin Dillon Huffman 8/28 Jasper
@ Tyler
7:30
9/05
Rains
Home
7:30
9/12
Liberty-Eylau
Home
7:30
9/19
Kilgore
Away
7:30
9/26
Daingerfield
Away
7:30
10/03
OPEN
10/10
Bullard*
Home
7:30
10/17
Chapel Hill*
Away
7:30
Schedule
10/24
Spring Hill*
Home
7:30
8/28
Center
Home
7:00
Mt. Vernon
Away
7:30
10/31
Gladewater*
Home
7:30
11/07
Tatum*
Away
7:30
9/12
Rusk
Home
7:30
9/19
Pleasant Grove
Home
7:30
Gladewater Bear s
9/26
10/3
Commerce
OPEN
Away
7:30
10/10
Tatum*
Home
7:30
10/17
Spring Hill*
Away
7:30
S ch e d u l e
10/24
Bullard*
Home
7:30
8/29
Lindale
10/31
Gilmer*
Away
7:30
9/5
Home
7:30
“We’ve had two off-seasons with our kids now,”
Callaway said. “I feel like they feel comfortable with
us now and our system. As a coaching staff, we know
the kids better now as well. We know their strengths
and they know our philosophy as a coaching staff.
36
11/7
Chapel Hill*
Van
10/3
OPEN
Home
7:30
10/10
Chapel Hill*
Home
7:30
10/17
Gladewater*
Home
7:30
10/24
Gilmer*
Away
7:30
10/31
Tatum*
Home
7:30
11/7
Bullard*
Away
7:30
Tatum Eagles
The Tatum Eagles won a state title in Class 3A once
before and have every intention of doing it again.
After spending two seasons in Class 2A, the Eagles
are back in the 3A ranks. In 2005, Tatum won the Class
3A, Division II state title. In 2006, Tatum won the Class
2A, Division I state title. In 2007, the Eagles came up
just short of a historic third straight championship.
The Eagles fell to Farmersville in overtime, 27-24 in
the state championship game. The Eagles went 13-2
claiming their fourth straight district title.
White Oak
Home
7:30
9/12
Brownsboro
Away
7:30
9/19
Center
Away
7:30
Senior
Senior Senior Junior Junior Senior Senior Junior DE
DE
LB
QB
OL
OL
WR
NG
Mascot: Eagles
Superintendent: Dee Hart
Head Coach: Andy Evans
Assistant Coaches: Tom Sheppard (DC), Randy Whitley
(OC), Joe Evans (Sec/TE), Danny Mitchell (Sec),
J.B. Haggerty (DE/ST), Allen Koch (DL), Lance Dale (OL),
David Depriest (WR)
S ch e d ul e
Hallsville
Away
7:30
9/5
Jefferson
Home
7:30
9/12
Troup
Home
7:30
9/19
Atlanta
Away
7:30
“It’s just really hard to replace them, but it was hard to
replace the guys that graduated the three years before
them,” Coach Andy Evans said. “That’s part of where
we hope our program takes over. We’ve really tried for
the last four years to keep our lower levels together so
that they could play together and we hope that takes
over some.”
9/26
Arp
Home
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Gladewater*
Away
7:30
10/17
Bullard*
Away
7:30
10/24
Chapel Hill*
Home
7:30
10/31
Spring Hill*
Away
7:30
11/7
Gilmer*
Home
7:30
were not real, real deep last year,” Evans said.
“A lot of our kids played both ways. But we had to rest
our starters and a bunch of our kids got to step up.
They’ve all been in our system now for four years.
They’ve played two years together as freshman and
sophomores. That is the key. Going to the playoffs for
three years, we got to practice them six weeks longer
and the younger kids got to experience that and be a
part of it.”
7:30
Matt Brown Stedmon Coleman Nick Loyd Nathan Matter Chris Kammer Blair O’Neal Dee Palmer Otis Chatham 8/29
“We
@ Gladewater
Now a new generation of Tatum Eagles looks to
continue Tatum’s dominance. The Eagles lost some
key players in three year starting quarterback Cashas
Pollard, running back Bryce Beall and tackle Tristan
Miller. Pollard signed with Northwestern State, Beall
with Houston, and Miller with Kilgore College.
The latest version of the Eagles includes a good list
of players that saw game action last season. In all,
five starters are back for Tatum. Coach Evans said
their experience and the depth of his team’s roster are
definitely the Eagle’s strengths in 2008.
Mascot: Panthers
Superintendent: Wes Jones
Head Coach: Robert Bero
Assistant Coaches: Mark Comfort (DC, LB), Terry
Waldrep (OC, OL), Mike Lee (Sec), Steve Lamore (WR),
Dennis Hedrick (RB, QB), Donnie Denman (DL)
9/5
The 2007 season was another tough year for the
Gladewater Bears. The team went 3-7. Now the Bears
enter their third year with Scott Callaway as head
coach. With two seasons under his belt in Gladewater,
Callaway believes one of his team’s strengths is a
basic understanding of his system.
TB
LB
OT
QB/CB/WR
WR
WR
OL
OL
9/26
As for who will replace Cashas Pollard at quarterback,
the position still had a question mark next to it during
the spring. Evans was looking to junior Nathan Matter
and sophomore Desmond Fite to battle it out for the
starting varsity job.
37
17 3-A Preseason
1. Gilmer
2. Tatum
3. Spring Hil
4. Chapel Hill
5. Bullard
6. Gladewater
District 18-3A
A Change of Bulldogs In District 18-3A
GO WITH THE FLOW
Screen Today For A Healthy Tomorrow
Most of the teams in district 18-3A are pretty familiar with each other. The new district is composed of the old district 20-3A, with one
modification. The Crockett Bulldogs move out, while the Jasper Bulldogs come in.
“It’s still a rough district,” Diboll coach Gary Martel laughed, “It’s another exciting bulldog, just a different colored uniform.”
For Jasper, the new district brings new faces and unfamiliar game plans.
“This is my second stint here in Jasper,” head coach Thomas Brooks said, “and I’ve never played against any of these teams. Our kids don’t
have a district rival anymore, we have to get up for every game.”
On paper, the district appears strong again. Last season, the Carthage Bulldogs were knocked out by eventual state champion Liberty Hill. Diboll
and Jasper are also returning playoff teams.
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“It’s a tough district,” Carthage coach Scott Surratt said, “and we have to travel a bunch.”
As the northernmost team in the district, Carthage is an hour or more away from four of their district foes.
“Me being from Texarkana, I’m used to that,” Surratt said, “but the kids really dealt with it well last year. You just have to learn to play on the road.”
Car thage Bulldogs
The Carthage Bulldogs rolled back into the playoffs
last year, their first under head coach Scott Surratt.
Carthage went 9-3 and claimed the district title.
The Bulldogs return two players on defense, but seven
on offense including one wild card. Carthage brings
back senior quarterback Si’Darius Blackshire, the
district’s MVP last season. Blackshire accounted for
2,600 yards as a junior, including 32 touchdowns.
One of the Bulldogs most versatile weapons is Jarvin
Robinson. Surratt describes Robinson as having “great
hands and speed,” and used him both at running back
and wide receiver last season. Robinson led the team
in rushing.
Joe Jones will start at wide receiver and free safety.
Up front, the Bulldogs return All District first teamer
Casey O’Bryan on the line.
Defensively, newcomer of the year Deshaun Williams
and All District end Dale Jones both return.
“We’ve got most of our offensive line back,” Surratt
said. “If you’re struggling somewhere else with backs
or receivers, you can really hang your hat on the line.
They’ll be able to protect and move people.”
“You don’t have to have everything clicking at the
beginning of the season, that buys you some time.”
Even with four Bulldogs from the class of 2008
playing college football, including Rodney Chadwick
at Baylor, Surratt expects things in his second year to
go smoother.
“We lost a lot of good players, but we’re better this year
scheme wise. Our staff and I are more comfortable
working together, I think it’ll be a lot better.”
Si’Darius Blackshire
Senior
QB
Jarvin Robinson
Casey O’Bryan
Senior
Senior
WR/RB
OL
Mascot: Bulldogs
Enrollment: 794
Superintendent: Dr. Glenn Hambrick
Head Coach: Scott Surratt
Assistant Coaches: Garrett Morgan, Chris Smith,
Dennis McLaughlin, Chris Cloninger, Wendell Welch, Cory
Roberts, Mike Morgan, Eric Robinson, Ryan Marion
Schedule
8/29
Kilgore
Away
7:30
9/5
Henderson
Home
7:30
9/12
Atlanta
Home
7:30
9/19
Nacogdoches
Away
7:30
9/26
Jacksonville
Home
7:30
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Center*
10/17
Rusk*
Away
7:30
10/24
Jasper*
Home
7:30
10/31
Diboll*
Away
7:30
10/7
Huntington*
Home
7:30
Center Roughrider s
The Center Roughriders have hit a snag, going 2-8 in
their last two seasons under head coach Ron Callahan.
It’s been four years since the Roughriders made the
playoffs, but this year’s team comes in with some
advantages. With six returning starters on offense and
eight on defense, Center could gel early.
38
“It should be a lot of fun,” Callahan said. “We have
eight kids that went both ways for most of the year
last year, and five of them were sophomores. It’ll be
awesome having kids with that kind of experience.”
Callahan said last year injuries forced the Roughriders
into a numbers game, with most of his players starting
both ways.
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“We played a lot of good football, but we wore down,”
he admits. “This year, we’ll have more kids and we
won’t have to start them on both sides of the ball.”
The Roughriders start the season on a Thursday night,
beginning 2008 in the Gladewater Kickoff Classic
against the hosts.
“I’ve always heard about these kickoff classics,”
Callahan said. “I’ve always been interested in playing
that date. It kind of gets your season started off in an
exciting fashion.”
“It also helps us scout the rest of our opponents on
Friday.”
After losing lineman Austin Gray and split end Eddie
Edwards to graduation and ETBU and Howard Payne,
respectively, the Roughriders will rely on Trentin Patton
in the backfield. After earning district Newcomer of the
Year honors two years ago, Patton rushed for over two
thousand yards last season.
“He’ll be a senior,” Callahan said. “He’s a tough
kid, he’s played both ways, he even played with a
separated shoulder for nine games. He just wouldn’t
come off the field.”
“It limited us to what we could do on offense because
we were trying to save him for district. He’s just a fine
young man and there are a lot of schools that have
called and are interested in him.”
Jordan Ford will line up at fullback to clear holes for
Patton, and also start at defensive end. Alex Cloudy
will take the snaps at quarterback for Center.
the
RED ZONE
friday nights
Continued
39
District 18-3A
APEC training is for
Center
Continued
“Jordan’s one of our strongest kids,” Callahan said.
“He can help us in the I-offense, but he can also catch
the ball pretty well. He’s one of our leaders, in summer
conditioning he’s the first one here.”
“Alex is another leader,” Callahan said, “in both football
and basketball. What those guys give, we couldn’t do
anything without them.”
The Roughriders hope that their increased numbers
will help his players concentrate on one side of the
ball.
“We’re not so young that you can’t put a lot on them,”
Callahan said. “This year, you can coach them in
different ways because they don’t have to play both
sides of the line.”
Alex Cloudy
Trenton Patton
Jordan Ford
Senior
Senior
Senior
QB/FS
RB
DE/FB
Mascot: Roughriders
Enrollment: 650
Superintendent: James Hockenberry
Head Coach: Ron Callahan
Assistant Coaches: Hiram Harrison, Alden Reeves,
Jonathan Vick, Earl Morris, Tracy Bolton, Jeremy Parker,
Lester Belrose, Jeryl Wheeler
Sch e d u l e
After sending five players to college rosters last
season, Diboll returns six starters on each side of
the ball for 2008. Offensively, All District quarterback
Jacolby Spencer will be the centerpiece.
“There’s no doubt that Jacolby Spencer is going to
come through,” Martel said. “He had 1700 yards for us
last year, and he got bigger and faster in the spring.”
Spencer also ran track, where he covered the 200
meter run in 21.8 seconds.
“We feel we can be as good or better next year if a
running back steps up,” Martel said. “Kendal Jackson,
Cornelius Polk and Kamran McCollum are very
capable, but they’ll have to grow up fast.”
Up front, Diboll brings back returning starters Carlos
Palomo, Eric Phipps and Johnathan Coleman.
“We’ve got good size and quickness returning in both
lines,” Martel said. “I look for Justin Havard to grow up
and become a big-time player.”
Defensively the Lumberjacks should be solid and
experienced. Last year’s district newcomer of the year
Antonio Johnson returns at end, along with all-district
linebackers Ralpheal Villaneuva and Adrian Vasquez.
The secondary is also solid, with Deantrey Loche and
Alex Castillo coming back.
Senior Junior
Mascot: Lumberjacks
Enrollment:
475
Superintendent: Jake Sherman (interim)
Head Coach: Gary Martel
Assistant Coaches: Bruce Bolden. T.J. Johnson,
Randy Prescott, Jaosn Pitts, Dustin Nessel, Rodney Burkes,
Jeff Stifle, Brian Kruk, Edd Trotter, Jimmy Davis
Gladewater
Away
7:00
9/5
Nacogdoches
Away
7:30
9/12
Chapel Hill
Away
7:30
9/19
Spring Hill
Home
7:30
9/26
OPEN
10/3
Bullard
Away
7:30
8/29
Kirbyville
Away
7:30
10/10
Carthage*
Home
7:30
9/5
Silsbee
Away
7:30
10/17
Diboll*
Away
7:30
9/12
Newton
Home
7:30
10/24
Rusk*
Home
7:30
9/19
Coldspring
Away
7:30
10/31
Huntington*
Away
7:30
9/26
OPEN
11/7
Jasper*
Home
7:30
10/3
Diboll Lumberjacks
In his third year as head coach at Diboll, Gary Martel
once again led his team into the playoffs, only to
finally find a team that could run with them. They fell
to Palestine Westwood in a 65-59 game that fittingly
began basketball season with a basketball score.
Schedule
Nacogdoches
Home
7:30
10/10
Jasper*
Home
7:30
10/17
Center*
Home
7:30
10/24
Huntington*
Away
7:30
10/31
Carthage*
Home
7:30
11/7
Rusk*
Away
7:30
“We’ve got a good senior group coming back,”
Day said. “They’ve been starting since they were
sophomores and they dominated the team last year
as juniors.”
Training at Accelerate Performance Center allows each individual athlete to focus on
achieving optimal success in his or her respective athletic performances while avoiding
distractions that are sometimes present in a “typical” gym training atmosphere.
Bobby,Thanksforhelping
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The Red Devils return nine defensive starters and eight
on offense, including senior Scott Rodgers.
“He’s our play-maker,” Day said. “He’s the fastest kid
on our team. Pretty much any long touchdown we had
last year, it was him.”
willcontinuetouseAccelerate
throughoutmycareerin
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“He may be our starting quarterback, or he may play a
little bit of everything.”
2003NationalChampion
Wherever he lines up, Rodgers will be surrounded by
seniors. Running backs Michael Martinez and Justin
Terry are returning, as well as wide receiver Hayden
Smith. Up front, seniors Carson Walker and Austin
Harvey will help clear the way.
Accelerate took me from running a 5.09
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Davey Walton was an All-District linebacker last year,
he’ll be joined by Dalton Murray, an outside linebacker
who led the team in tackles last year.
QB
DE
8/28
The Huntington Red Devils improved in Tommy Day’s
first season as head coach, but not to the level he had
hoped. The team went 2-8 after going 1-9 in 2007 but
Day wants to keep the team pushing forward.
performance.
Defensively, Huntington also returns some players
who logged quite a few downs last season.
Players to Watch
Jacolby Spencer
Antonio Johnson Huntington Red
Dev ils
Free safety Bryan Newman also returns after leading
the team in interceptions in 2007.
Players to Watch
Scott Rodgers
Michael Martinez
Justin Terry
Hayden Smith
Davey Walton
Bryan Neyman
Dalton Murray
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
QB
RB
RB
WR
FB/LB
FS
LB
feaTUreS
• Personalizedtrainingspecifictoyoursport
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At Accelerate we know that not everyone
will be an elite athlete so we focus on
developing confidence and work ethic
that will translate to all aspects of life.
Mascot: Red Devils
Enrollment: 529
Superintendent: Eric Wright
Head Coach: Tommy Day
Assistant Coaches: Dean Fitzner, Ryan Soderquist,
Chris Litton, Todd Ricks, Mark Kreid, Wade Fitzgerald
Continued
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40
”
41
District 18-3A
Huntington
“He’s almost 6’3”, 260,” Patton said. “He’s a pretty
dominating defensive lineman, he makes a lot of
plays.”
Players to Watch
Continued
Sch e d u l e
Dominique Bailey
Cliff Mitchell
Cornelius Gillis
A.J. Bronson
Sophomore
Senior
Senior
Senior
QB
OL
DE
LB
“We gave up too many points last year,” Patton
continued. “Defense is going to be the emphasis this
year. We believe that to be successful, we’ve got to be
able to stop people.”
8/29
Tarkington
Home
7:30
9/5
Elkhart
Away
7:30
9/12
Cleveland
Away
7:30
9/19
Shelbyville
Home
7:30
9/26
New Waverly
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Rusk*
Home
7:30
10/17
Jasper*
Away
7:30
Schedule
10/24
Diboll*
Home
7:30
8/28
Gilmer (Thursday)
Tyler
7:30
10/31
Center*
Home
7:30
9/5
Kirbyville
Home
7:30
11/7
Carthage*
Away
7:30
9/12
OPEN
9/19
West Orange Stark
Away
7:30
9/26
Hampshire-Fannett
Home
7:30
10/3
Silsbee
Away
7:30
Schedule
The Jasper Bulldogs are the lone new team in the
district coming off a 7-5 playoff season last year. They
return five starters on offense and eight on defense,
and head coach Thomas Brooks is especially excited
by what he sees on defense.
10/10
Diboll*
Away
7:30
8/29
Palestine
Home
7:30
10/17
Huntington*
Home
7:30
9/5
Van
Home
7:30
10/24
Carthage*
Away
7:30
9/12
Gladewater
Away
7:30
“We have some guys with experience on offense too,
but I think the defense is going to be huge for us,”
Brooks said.
10/31
Rusk*
Home
7:30
9/19
Fairfield
Away
7:30
11/7
Center*
Away
7:30
9/26
Bullard
Home
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Huntington*
Away
7:30
10/17
Carthage*
Home
7:30
10/24
Center*
Away
7:30
10/31
Jasper*
Away
7:30
11/7
Diboll*
Home
7:30
Jasper Bulldogs
The Bulldogs return linemen Cornelius Gillis, Carlos
Carter, and Dominique Good, and linebackers A.J.
Bronson, Dante Rollins and Kadarroe Rawls. With
secondary players Tim Cauley and Ryan Bronson,
Jasper’s defense is loaded for 2008.
“It makes you feel good,” Brooks said. “They talk a
lot about how the fans come to watch offense, but we
know that the defense wins games. It’s great to have
that experience back.”
On the offensive side, Brooks returns a mix of players
with experience.
“We have a lot of skill guys and some nice sized
linemen coming back, also.”
Up front, the Bulldogs will have tackle Cliff Mitchell and
guard Kimpton Lewis anchoring the left side of the line.
Dominique Bailey will take the snaps with William Ellis
joining him in the backfield. Bailey’s main targets will
be returning receivers Darren Beavers and Kwame
Spikes.
“We have a lot of returners with experience,” Brooks
said. “Some of them weren’t starters but they played
a lot last year.”
Mascot: Bulldogs
Enrollment: 800
Superintendent: Open
Head Coach: Thomas Brooks
Assistant Coaches:
Ty Quick, Tracy Adair, Kevin
Jackson, Chris Coates, Brandon Hargess, Troy Carpenter,
Jason Hicks, `David Ford, David Burt
Rusk Eagles
The Rusk Eagles finished 2007 at 2-8 but new head
coach Ted Patton hopes to turn things around quickly.
Patton comes to the Eagles from perennial playoff
power Elysian Fields, who played for a 2A state
championship last season.
“Mostly it’s about changing the attitude,” Patton said.
“You have to instill the attitude that you’re there to win
every Friday night.”
Patton said their 2008 season started when he arrived
and the off-season workouts began.
“It’s critical to have a chance to see the kids work and
assess how they’re progressing.”
Rusk brings back five starters on each side. Offensively,
they’ll have to replace graduated running back Horace
Lewis.
“It’s all really open,” Patton said. “I have a general idea
who’s going to be there, but there’s still plenty of room
for kids to step up.”
On defense, the team will be looking to lineman
Quinn Anthony to set the tone. Anthony, an explosive
player who’s hard to block, should be a leader for the
Eagles.
“You can teach kids offense, but defense is instinctive,
aggressive. We feel like we can teach our system to
them and get them rolling quickly.”
Player to Watch
Quinn Anthony
Senior
DL
Mascot: Eagles
Enrollment: 540
Superintendent: James Largent
Head Coach: Ted Patton
Assistant Coaches: Sam Wells, Robbie May, Jay
Brashear, George Banda, David Wilbanks, Tracy Kincade,
Jason Barnes, Thomas Guidry, George Blackmon
Single-game Rushing Yards
599 yards - Rudy Rudison, Houston Marian, 1978
Single-season Rushing Yards
4,045 yards - Kenneth Hall, Sugar Land, 1953
Career Rushing Yards
11,232 yards - Kenneth Hall, Sugar Land, 1950-53
Single-game Receptions
22 catches - Sammy Taylor, Dublin, 1980
Career Touchdown Passes
167 passes - Graham Harrell, Ennis, 2000-03
Single-game Passing Yards
595 yards - Alvaro Garcia, Laredo United, 2006
Career Passing Yards
12,532 yards - Graham Harrell, Ennis, 2000-03
Single-game Receiving Yards
357 yards - Randy Boone, Chillicothe, 1984
Single-season Receiving Yards
2,427 yards - Cody Cardwell, Stephenville, 1998
Career Receiving Yards
5,424 yards - Jordan Shipley, Burnet, 2000-03
Most Yards Per Game / Season
697.9 yards - Sugar Land, 1953
Largest Attendance / Single Game
49,953 - Plano vs. Port Neches-Groves, 1977
Consecutive 100-Yard Games
38 games - Billy Sims, Hooks, 1972-1974
Most Wins / Coach
408 wins - Coach G. A. Moore, 1962-2004
Most Consecutive Wins
68 wins - Celina, 1998-2002
Single-game Interceptions
7 - Donald Moore, Splendora, 1977
Single-season Interceptions
35 - Jim Linnstaeder, Brenham, 1956
Most Points Scored / Single Game
186 pts. - Spur, 1930
Most Points Scored / Season
824 pts. - Big Sandy, 1975
Most Playoff Appearances
48 - Highland Park, 1922-present
Distr ict 18-3A Pre s e a s o n
Coaches’ Po l l
1. Carthage
2. Jasper
3. Diboll
4. Center
5. Rusk
6. Huntington
Blizzard, DQ and the ellipse shaped logo are trademarks of Am. D.Q. Corp., Mpls. MN
® Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off. Tx. D.Q. Coun., © 2008.
42
43
District 20-3A
New Ri vals and Old Foes In 20 -3A
District 20-3A
Brow nsboro
The new 20-3A is a good mix of new rivalries and old foes. Numerically speaking, only Crockett remains from last year’s district. The Bulldogs
are joined by Athens and Brownsboro from 14-3A, and Palestine, Westwood and Fairfield from 19-3A
8/29
Kemp
Away
7:30
9/5
Frankston
Home
7:30
9/12
Spring Hill
Home
7:30
9/19
Wills Point
Home
7:30
9/26
Rains
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Westwood*
Away
7:30
10/17
Fairfield*
Home
7:30
10/24
Palestine*
Away
7:30
“Our offense should be our strength,” Settle said. The
Bears will return junior quarterback Zack Bailey and
one of his favorite targets.
10/31
Crockett*
Home
7:30
11/7
Athens*
Away
7:30
“Zack started for me last year as a sophomore and he
had 2,400 yards in his first year at that position.”
Crocket t Bulldogs
“It’s completely different,” Brownsboro coach John Settle explains. “We’re not even in the same region anymore. It’s really kind of unfortunate
because we don’t have anybody we consider a rival.”
“We’ve got to figure out between here and there who we want to hate the most,” he added with a laugh.
The district contains three playoff teams from last season, with Athens and Westwood making monumental leaps into the post-season.
Combined with the rich playoff traditions of Palestine and the recent success of Brownsboro, this six team district could go anywhere once the
season starts.
Athens Hornets
The Athens Hornets finished the season at 5-6 in 2007,
a monumental step into the playoffs for a team without a
post-season appearance since 1996.
“It was huge,” Athens head coach Jim Wommack said.
“The week of the playoffs when we were practicing and
getting ready, we’re trying to keep it normal. We were
trying to keep things level, because we’re playing with
15, 16, 17 year old kids who don’t ever remember having
a playoff team.”
“The kids did a great job of handling it. The community
poured out in terms of support, and showing up for
games and practice. To see the kids achieve a goal
they had set and get there it was nice.”
Now, the Athens Hornets will try and go back to the
post-season in the new 20-3A with two offensive and
seven defensive starters.
Athens returns senior Phillip Griffin, a defensive
end and quarterback coming off of a knee injury last
season.
Players to Watch
Stephen Blakemore
Anthony Crayton
Deliance Moore
Phillip Griffin
Derrick Rhodes
Joseph Lagrone Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior RB/LB
WR/LB
RB/DB
QB/DE
OL/DL
OL/LB
Mascot: Hornets
Enrollment: 906
Superintendent: Dr. Fred Hayes
Head Coach: Jim Wommack
Assistant Coaches: Randy Smith, Andy Smith,
Dewey Estill, Zach Vassar, Ryan Priem, John Miller,
Brandon Gilbert.
Up front, the Bears return Jordan Spurger, Chance
Parks and Colton Crowley.
Wills Point Home
7:30
9/5
Mabank
Home
7:30
9/12
Bullard
Away
7:30
9/19
Mexia
Away
7:30
9/26
Chapel Hill
Home
7:30
Griffin tallied 35 tackles and two sacks in his eight
games in 2007.
10/3
OPEN
1010
Crockett*
Away
7:30
Wommack said Taylor Jackson will probably play
quarterback this season. Jackson started at defensive
back last year and had two picks. Up front, the Hornets will
have seniors Derrick Rhodes and Joseph LaGrone back.
10/17
Westwood*
Home
7:30
10/24
Fairfield*
Away
7:30
10/31
Palestine*
Away
7:30
On defense, the Hornets are as strong as they’ve been
in quite a while.
11/7
Brownsboro*
Home
7:30
“Our linebackers are probably the strongest part of our
team,” Wommack said. “With Stephen Blakemore and
Anthony Crayton back there, I feel they’re as good as
we’ve had at this school since I got here.”
The Hornets also have returning All-District defensive
tackle Folander Brown back.
“We’re also going to count on some younger kids,”
Wommack said. “Randall Gamble is a junior; he
started two games for us last year at cornerback. He’ll
start this year and also be our deep threat at wide
receiver.”
Wide receiver Keith Johnson is back for his senior
year after setting a school record with 38 catches last
year, he’ll team with Keith Johnson as the wide-outs.
“Cameron blew out his ACL in the second game,”
Settle said. “We really missed him.”
8/28
“He’s one of the big guys coming back,” Wommack
said. “This’ll be his third year on varsity and he’ll be
all over the field for us. He’s one of those guys we’re
going to have to get the ball to.”
Even after losing Ryan Epperson to SFA, Brownsboro
still returns 8 offensive and 7 defensive starters.
Junior tailback Cameron Warren is also back and
healthy.
Schedule
On defense, Brownsboro brings back Jared Bray
and Dustin Edgar on the line, linebacker Will Jones,
and defensive backs Seth Martin, Tyler Rogers and
Tristain Warren.
“I’m expecting a great season out of Tristain,” Settle
said. “He’s going to be big.”
Players to Watch
Brow nsboro Bear s
For the Brownsboro Bears, 2007 saw injuries catch up
with them. After going 10-4 as 2006 district champions,
they dropped to 5-5 and missed the playoffs.
“We lost 18 starters off of that team,” Bears head
coach John Settle said. “Going into last year you try to
avoid the train wreck, and I think we did that. We had
a lot of injuries though and that cost us the chance to
be really good.”
44
S ch e d u l e
Continued
Tristain Warren
Keith Johnson
Cameron Warren
Zack Bailey
Senior
Senior
Junior
Junior
WR/DB
WR
RB
QB
Mascot: Bears
Enrollment: 820
Superintendent: Elton Caldwell
Head Coach: John Settle
Assistant Coaches: Ty Thomison, George Losack,
Lance Wineinger, Brad Baca, Kent Bradley, Alec Wofford,
James Croley
Continued
The Crockett Bulldogs were an 8-4 playoff team
last season in their first year under head coach
Paul Parsons. Now with a brand new district, they’ll
be gunning for their third straight post-season
appearance.
The Bulldogs return eight starters on offense and five
on defense. The focus of the offense will be senior
running back Tyler Tabor.
“Tabor is a returning two year starter for us,” Parsons
said. “He’s run for over 2,600 yards in his career. He’s
a phenomenal athlete; big, strong and fast.”
Tabor will be counted on to carry the load for the
Bulldogs while they shore up the quarterback position.
Last year’s starter is out with an injury from baseball
season, so Crockett will be counting on Tabor and the
line to stay stable while the new quarterback gets his
bearings.
“Our offensive line is doubly critical for us,” Parsons
said. “They’re a little bit older, bigger and faster. I think
we have the potential to have a devastating running
game if they come through.”
Parsons describes center David Cochran as the
“general of our offensive line,” and compliments his
line for losing weight and gaining strength in the offseason.
On defense, Parsons said they’re ready for the year
with returners such as Mark Leediker and Naquan
Lee. Returning All-State safety Jagared Davis is also
back and the Bulldogs will use the athletic ability and
4.4 speed of Napoleon Dennis as well.
Willie Carter
Tyler Tabor
Jagared Davis
Mark Leediker
Naquan Lee
Senior
Sophomore
Junior
Junior
Sophomore
WR
RB
S
LB
DL
“Running back is kind of up in the air right now,” Piske
said. “We’ve got room for kids to step up and earn
playing time.”
Mascot: Bulldogs
Enrollment: 442
Superintendent: Dr. Bill Like
Head Coach: Paul Parsons
Assistant Coaches: Craig Earp, Gary Porter,
Bryan Larned, Bill Miller, Cody Cory, Aaron Marsh,
David Lucian
“Once we get into two-a-days and get into pads, we’ll
see what happens. We’ve been trying to let them
know, we won’t care what happened last year. We’re
just looking to compete every day and get better.
LaDarius Brackens has really worked hard.”
Jessie Peine returns to anchor both sides of a line not
big on size but quick in the gaps.
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Coldspring Away
7:30
9/5
Corrigan – Camden
Away
7:30
9/12
Mexia Home
7:30
9/19
Madisonville Home
7:30
9/26
Waco LaVega
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Athens*
Home
7:30
10/17
Palestine* Home
7:30
10/24
Westwood* Away
7:30
10/31
Brownsboro*
Away
7:30
Home
7:30
11/7
Fairfield* *denotes district games
Fair field Eagles
After two years at 1-9, the Fairfield Eagles made a
change at the top. After five years at Valley Mills, new
Fairfield coach Darrell Piske takes over the reigns on a
team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2004.
“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Piske said. “The main
thing we did with the kids is talk about the hard work it
takes to get it turned around.”
Piske said the 2008 season started before the 2007
school year ended.
“We’re not going to be huge up front,” Piske admits,
“but we’ll be able to run.”
Piske hopes the turnaround has already started for his
Eagles in his first off-season.
“We just have to get to know each other. You have to
get them believing we’re going to win, and visualizing
it. I’ve been really proud of the kids in the spring.”
Andrea Gilley
Josh Lynch
Dalton Piske
Jessie Peine
Senior
Senior
Senior Senior
TE/OLB
WR/DB
QB/FS
OL/DL
Mascot: Eagles
Enrollment: 541
Superintendent: Tony Prize
Head Coach: Darrell Piske
Assistant Coaches: Kevin Childers, John Bachtel,
Dan Roberson, Joey Worley, Bill Crawford, Wilbert Hunter,
Kevin Chase
S ch e d ul e
8/29
China Spring
Away
7:30
“We talked a lot about the weight room and working
out over the summer. Really, it’s just trying to introduce
them to the attitude that if you work hard good things
will happen to you.”
9/5
Ferris
Home
7:30
9/12
Gatesville
Home
7:30
9/19
Rusk
Home
7:30
The Eagles have good experience, returning seven
starters on offense and eight on defense. Piske feels
the skill positions will be strong this year, including
senior quarterback Dalton Piske.
9/26
Crandall
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Palestine*
Away
7:30
“He’s actually really a better receiver,” Piske said of his
middle son, “but we’ll use him where we need him.”
10/17
Brownsboro*
Away
7:30
10/24
Athens*
Home
7:30
Piske will have weapons to throw to, including tight
end Andrea Gilley and wide receiver Josh Lynch.
10/31
Westwood*
Home
7:30
“Gilley is really physical,” Piske said. “He looked good
on film, and has been really strong in the weight room.
He runs good routes, and has great hands. He and
Lynch can open things up.”
11/7
Crockett*
Away
7:30
As for the rest of the backfield, the Eagles aren’t set
yet.
45
Continued
District 20-3A
District 13-2A
Realignment Creates A New 13-2 A Full O f Heav y Hit ter s
Palestine W ildcats
The numbers finally caught up with the Palestine
Wildcats last season. After graduating twenty-five
seniors in 2006, the Wildcats wound up 5-5 in 2007
and missed the playoffs for the first time in five years.
New coach Booker T. Bowie wants to turn that back
around.
Bowie is new to Palestine as a head coach but a
familiar face for the Wildcats. After spending five
years as defensive coordinator, Bowie retired last
season and wound up an administrator for Palestine
ISD. When the head coaching job came open, Bowie
returned to his team.
“I’m excited about it,” Bowie admits, “I was retired from
coaching and teaching and all of a sudden they called
me back and I’m glad they did.”
The Wildcats will again be counting on younger players
to mature in a hurry, with only four starters on offense
returning, and three on defense.
Superintendent: Dr. Thomas A. Wallis
Head Coach: Booker T. Bowie
Assistant Coaches: Jamie Driskell,
Steven Cooksey, Scott Lane, Michael Dear, Jamie Palmer,
Craig Wilson
Schedule
8/29
Rusk
Away
7:30
9/5
Navasota
Away
7:30
9/12
Van
Away
7:30
9/19
Jacksonville
Home
7:30
9/26
Kilgore
Home
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Fairfield*
10/17
10/24
Home
7:30
Crockett*
Away
7:30
Brownsboro*
Home
7:30
10/31
Athens*
Home
7:30
“It’s a great opportunity for our kids,” Bowie said. “When
I took over, we increased our off-season program. We
had really good numbers coming out for a 3A program,
and the kids are motivated. They’re working hard, and
looking forward to the season.”
11/7
Westwood*
Away
7:30
The Wildcats will be led by senior linebacker Daniel
Hinson, and junior quarterback Olin Terry.
“Daniel is a good leader for us,” Bowie said. “I always
feel like the linebackers should be the leader of your
defense, and they should set the tone for your team.
He’s a returning starter and one of those kids that’s
got great determination. I think the players look up to
him.”
Terry brings needed experience to the Wildcats in the
backfield.
“Terry started last year as a sophomore,” Bowie said,
“and he got bigger and faster and better in the offseason program. He’s ready for the job full-time.”
Another junior coming off a solid sophomore season
is wide receiver and cornerback Earnest Spurlock, a
hard-worker with a family name familiar to Wildcats
fans.
The Wildcats will be young and Bowie said the summer
will be the key to setting the tone for next season.
“It’s really important for kids to work out together,”
Bowie explained. “That’s where it all starts. Our young
athletes need to encourage each other and grow
together, and that’ll pay off in the fall.”
Daniel Hinson
Olin Terry
Mascot: Enrollment: Senior
Junior
Wildcats
941
LB
QB
Up front, a pair of All-District linemen returns in Sam
Dunnam and Bud Brown.
“We’ve got three kids we feel like have had a lot of
playing time. That makes us feel good to start things
off for the season.”
Players to Watch
D.J. Morrow
Seth Gilkey
Sam Dunnam
Bud Brown
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
RB/LB
DL/WR
DE/OL
OL/DL
Mascot:
Panthers
Enrollment: 478
Superintendent: Dr. Ed Lyman
Head Coach: Kevin Anderson
Assistant Coaches: Roger Mays, David Reed,
Steven Skinner, Scott Nettles, Gary Holt, T.J. Turner
Schedule
Away
7:30
9/5
Bullard
Away
7:30
It was a monumental season for the Palestine
Westwood Panthers in 2007. They finished
7-5, claiming their first playoff win in the history of
Westwood football.
9/12
Madisonville
Home
7:30
9/19
Arp
Away
7:30
9/26
Groesbeck
Home
7:30
“You would have thought we won the Super Bowl,”
head coach Kevin Anderson said. “It was a very big
occasion for us.”
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Brownsboro*
10/17
10/24
10/31
11/7
The Panthers will have to replace graduated seniors
like quarterback Gralyn Crawford, who signed with
SFA, and Cale Brooks, who went to Blinn. However,
with a large senior class and six starters returning on
each side of the ball, Westwood has set their sights on
their first-ever return trip to the playoffs.
The Panthers will have to replace quarterbacks, but
D.J. Morrow returns to the backfield as the main threat.
Morrow rushed for 1,650 yards last season.
Home
7:30
Athens*
Away
7:30
Crockett*
Home
7:30
Fairfield*
Away
7:30
Palestine*
Home 7:30
Distr ict 20-3A Pre s e a s o n
Coaches’ Po l l
1. Crockett
“He brings a lot to the team,” Anderson said. “He’s a
great leader, has been since he was a sophomore. I’m
not sure if I’ve ever had a kid in ten years practice as
hard as he does.”
2. Palestine
“He’s a natural leader; he works and practices as hard
as he plays the game.”
5. Athens
Morrow may slide over in the backfield and take the
snaps to replace the departed Crawford.
“I don’t think you replace somebody like Gralyn,”
Anderson said, “But DJ’s been throwing the ball pretty
well. We might use him there, too.”
46
3. Westwood
4. Brownsboro
6. Fairfield
With playoffs teams in Caddo Mills, Lone Oak, Quitman, Winnsboro and Grand Saline, along with Cooper, Como-Pickton and Alba-Golden, fans
should see some great football starting in late September.
“It will be a real district,” one coach said. “Sometimes you will have a district where there are two-or-three good ones at the top and some
decent teams at the bottom. There are some teams in this district that are traditional football towns where it is important. It will be a great
district for the fans with packed stadiums and a great atmosphere. It will be the kind of district that will give head coaches gray hairs because
it will be a deal where somebody can lose to anybody any given week. We think Caddo Mills and Winnsboro will be the pick of the district and
even Quitman, Grand Saline and Cooper we think will be pretty tough.”
This will be the first time in two years Lone Oak and Caddo Mills have been in a district with Quitman, Grand Saline, Alba-Golden, Como-Pickton
and Grand Saline. The last time these teams played against each other, Winnsboro was a member of Class 3A and Cooper was in a different 2A
district.
Chapel Hill
Westwood claimed just their third playoff appearance
ever. “Our goal is to once again make the playoffs,”
Anderson said, “and build on what we did last year. We
always want to go further.”
The road to the District 13-2A football title will be one of the most competitive battles in recent memory as five of the eight teams are returning
from playoff seasons in 2007.
Four of the eight teams finished last season with winning records as Caddo Mills led the way with a 12-1 record. Lone Oak was the runner-up to
Caddo Mills at 9-3, while Winnsboro went 9-2, Quitman finished at 8-3 and Grand Saline reached a playoff berth with a 4-6 record. Cooper went
2-8 in their Lamar County 2A district, while Alba-Golden was 4-6 and Como-Pickton rounded out their regular season at 3-7 overall.
8/29
West wood Panther s
Joseph Elerson - Sulphur Springs News-Telegram Sports Writer
A lba - Golden
Panther s
After losing their head coach and top running back
to different schools in the off-season, first year head
coach and four-year veteran Billy Stone is ready for
the challenge of replacing Paul Frye, who is now the
defensive line coach at John Tyler High School and
Ryan Young, who is now a member of the Sulphur
Springs Wildcats.
“Our thing is we had some young kids behind Ryan
that did not get to play last season and now we are
ready to push them forward and let them carry the
load,” Stone said. “Coach Frye started a good program
while he was here. I was the defensive coordinator last
year and the kids know me and we are getting a lot out
of them. I really think we can accomplish some things
and we are working hard. It does hurt to lose someone
like that but we are trying to fill those positions.”
Even with the loss of 4,000-yard rusher Young to
Sulphur Springs, Stone said the Panthers bring back
plenty of experience after a 4-6 season one year ago.
“Right now, I will have nine seniors and 15 juniors
coming back for next season. I am loaded with
upperclassman and I am very excited about that,” he
said. “I think they will do a great job and record wise
we are going to take it one game at a time. I think
we are going to fight in there and see what we can
do. Last year, it was a battle between us and Grand
Saline and I think this season it will be a little different
for us.”
Stone said he sees big things coming out of four players
in junior tailback Mac George – who will replace Young
in the backfield, while senior All-State wide receiver
Austin Woodrum and juniors Matt Reeves and Rustin
Haas will be players to watch. Defensively, Stone
will look for improvement as his defense allowed an
average of 32 points per game during the regular
season but the Panthers were able to cut that in half
during district with a 16.1 ppg. average.
10/10
Lone Oak*
Away
7:30
10/17
Winnsboro*
Away
7:30
10/24
Cooper*
Home
7:30
“Honestly, I see our program getting better and over
the past couple of years we have steadily improved,”
he said. “I know the district is a little different this
year and it is going to be a little more challenging but
I believe our kids are ready for it. We have worked
hard in the off-season and we have a lot of our starters
returning this year. I am really looking forward to this
season.”
10/31
Grand Saline*
Away
7:30
11/7
Como-Pickton*
Home
7:30
Mac George
Rustin Haas
Matt Reeves
Austin Woodrum
Junior RB/LB
Junior
Junior
Senior WR/ S Mascot: Panthers
Superintendent: Dwayne Ellis
Head Coach: Billy Stone (1st Year)
Randy Duke, James Hazzard,
Assistant Coaches: Bill Thomas, Scotty Stevens, Kevin Wright
CA DDO MILL S FOX ES
If any team in District 13-2A has a target on their backs
heading into the season, it would be coach Steve
Sumrow and the Caddo Mills Foxes.
After a 12-1 season last year and going two rounds
deep in the playoffs, the Foxes will be looking to replace
quarterback Eric Jeffery and talented wide receiver
Desmond Brigham. Brigham (6’2, 105-13 TD) signed to
play college football with the University of North Texas
this fall.
“It is always tough to lose that kind of talent but we have
some players that will fill in those spots,” Sumrow said.
“We have Ryan Calender taking over at quarterback and
Chris Mercer will take over on the outside for Desmond
Brigham. We also have Nathan Jeffery returning
after he rushed for 2,300 yards and 41 touchdowns
last year.”
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Rivercrest
Home
7:30
9/5
Big Sandy
Away
7:30
9/12
James Bowie
Home
7:30
9/19
Open
9/26
Caddo Mills*
Away
7:30
10/3
Quitman*
Home
7:30
47
Offensively, Calender will step into the starting lineup
after he went 3-for-6 for 53 yards and two touchdowns
last season. He got those few snaps filling in for signal
caller Eric Jeffery (108-of-168, 1,881 yards and 16
touchdowns) who graduated in the spring. Sumrow is
Continued
CA DDO MILL S
District 13-2A
District 13-2A
Continued
also hoping for big things out of tailback Axel Pelt, who
had 627 yards of offense during the 2007 season. He
should be one of the main targets along with Nathan
Jeffery this year.
Defensively, Sumrow said the same players that will
make an impact on the offensive side of the ball should
also be players to watch on the defensive side of the
ball. “Defensively, we have a lot of those kids I have
already mentioned coming back on that side of the ball
so we should be ready to play next season,” the coach
said. “We expect a lot out of our younger kids and we
know we have some good ones coming up that will be
ready to play.”
With the last three weeks of the district season against
2007 playoff teams Winnsboro, Quitman and Lone
Oak, the Caddo Mills coaching staff knows it will be a
tough ride to another district title. “We know a lot about
the other teams in the district but we were not sure
about Cooper,” the coach said. “This will be a tough
district as we see Winnsboro at the top of the district
and they will probably be ranked in the Top 5 when the
season starts. With our non-district schedule, we set it
up with some good quality opponents that will get us
ready for the district season.”
Cole Woodard
Nathan Jeffery
Chris Mercer
Ryan Calender
Axel Pelt
Foxes
387
Vicki Payne
Steve Sumrow
Sch e d u l e
8/29
Gunter
Away
7:30
9/5
Community
Away
7:30
9/12
Quinlan Ford
Home
7:30
9/19
Open
9/26
Alba-Golden*
Home
7:30
10/3
Cooper*
Away
7:30
10/10
Grand Saline*
Home
7:30
10/17
Como-Pickton*
Away
7:30
10/24
Winnsboro*
Home
7:30
10/31
Quitman*
Home
7:30
11/7
Lone Oak*
Away
7:30
*denotes district play
Coming off a 3-7 year in coach Paul Tullis’ first year
at the helm, the Como-Pickton Eagles are looking for
redemption this season.
The Eagles will be led by the strong arm and running
of senior quarterback Austin Darby. Darby threw for
483 yards and two touchdowns last season as a junior
and has many of his targets back from last year.
Offensively, the Eagles have junior running back James
Carter (158-881, 5 TD) and senior fullback Brandt
Steele returning. Steele suffered a dislocated shoulder
that forced him out of action last year and is expected
to be the aggressive runner again this season. CPHS
also has senior wide receivers Phillip Cox and Ryan
Carpenter returning, who will be taking over for Juan
Batista and Aaron Kramer. Carpenter was the team’s
leading receiver in 2007 with 11 catches for 222 yards
and one touchdown, while Cox had six catches for 146
yards and two touchdowns last season.
“Aaron was probably one of the smartest players we
had on the team last year,” Coach Paul Tullis said. “He
was a good receiver that ran good routes but this year
I think Ryan and Phillip will do well for us at receiver.”
“We feel good about the upcoming season since
the kids have had a year to get adjusted to the new
system. When we have Austin Darby leading the way
for us this year we feel like it will be a major benefit for
us,” the coach said. “We will also have the entire line
back so the protection will be there for Brandt, James
and Austin during the season.”
Players To Watch
Austin Darby
Phillip Cox
Ryan Carpenter
Lance Tate
James Carter
Brandt Steele
Senior Senior Senior Senior Junior Junior Cooper
Schedule
One of the bright spots for the Eagles this season is
having most of the offensive and defensive line back
from last year under the direction of assistant coach
Kent Richie and the emergence of senior Lance Tate,
who will be joining the team this season. One of the
big losses on the line was senior Wade Arnold, who
graduated last year and played both sides of the line
for the Eagles.
Mascot: Student Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: COMO -PICK TON
E AGLES
QB/LB
WR/DB
WR/DB
OL/DL
RB/CB
RB/CB
Mascot: Eagles
Superintendent: Sandy Billodeau
Head Coach: Paul Tullis (2nd Year)
Assistant Coaches: Kent Richie, Ryan Aguirre,
Roy Moody, Dustin Carr, Travis Woods
8/29
Cumby
Away
7:30
9/5
Ore City
Home
7:30
9/12
Leonard
Away
7:30
9/19
Open
9/26
Cooper
Home
7:30
10/3
Grand Saline
Away
7:30
10/10
Winnsboro
Home
7:30
10/17
Caddo Mills
Home
7:30
10/24
Quitman
Away
7:30
10/31
Lone Oak
Home
7:30
11/7
Alba-Golden
Away
7:30
Cooper Bulldogs
Gaylon Bacy
PeeWee Jeffery
Jacob Archer
William Tubbs
Adrian Migura
Senior Senior Senior Junior Senior RB/DE
RB/CB
OL/DE
OL/DL
QB/SS Mascot: Bulldogs
Superintendent: Jason Marshall
Ronnie Green (2nd Year)
Head Coach: Assistant Coaches: Patrick Barron, Phil Dicketts,
Sam Falls, Darren Johnson, Clay Pirtle, Jesse Seigler.
Larry Stowers
S ch e d u l e
The Bulldogs come into the upcoming season with
a renewed excitement as they have been building a
brand new football stadium and second-year coach
Ronnie Green returns following a 2-8 season one year
ago.
“We are excited about the kids we have coming back
this year,” Green said. “We have a lot of young kids
and this will be a young team it looks like. It will be a
pretty tough district and there are some good teams in
there. We have had a good off-season and it has been
our whole focus during the off-season to get back into
the playoffs. We have gotten stronger and faster and
are doing the things we need to do to carry it over to
our summer camp. We will have another year under us
as far as the offense goes and we are going to have a
good core of lineman and some good running backs.
We feel like we are going to be better this year than
what we were.”
The Bulldogs will return senior tailback Gaylon Bacy
and senior running back and cornerback PeeWee
Jeffery as Green said having those two players back
gives him confidence. “We are going to have senior
Gaylon Bacy back who is going to be one of our
running backs. We will also have senior PeeWee
Jeffery at running back and starting cornerback.” The
offensive line will also have leadership along the line
as senior center Jacob Archer returns to the lineup
along with junior lineman William Tubbs.
Defensively, Green said the Bulldogs will work on
cutting down on the number of points they allowed
during the season as they gave up a season high 342
points and a district high 183 points during the 2007
season.
With the new stadium nearing completion, the Bulldogs
will open the facility Aug. 29 when they host Honey
Grove. “It is going to be a real big thing and something
we have always wanted for the community,” the coach
said. “Where we have been has not been really nice
and this will give our kids some place that is really nice
to play and to give the community something to be
really proud of.”
Continued
48
Continued
8/29
Honey Grove
Home
7:30
9/5
Whitewright
Away
7:30
9/12
Mount Vernon
Home
7:30
9/19
Open
9/26
Como-Pickton*
Away
7:30
10/3
Caddo Mills*
Home
7:30
10/10
Quitman*
Away
7:30
10/17
Lone Oak*
Home
7:30
10/24
Alba-Golden*
Away
7:30
10/31
Winnsboro*
Away
7:30
11/7
Grand Saline*
Home
7:30
Grand Saline Indians
After a playoff berth in 2007, head coach Kenny Phelps
knows his second year at the helm will be a tough one,
but he expects his Indians to come ready to fight every
game this season.
“I kind of figured it was going to be an eight-team
district,” the coach said. “Some of the teams surprised
me a little bit and I did not expect Cooper to be in the
district. I think it will be a very competitive and tough
district. We know what to expect from Winnsboro
— who won their district last year — along with Caddo
Mills, Lone Oak, Quitman and us who were all playoffs
teams. I have heard some good things about Cooper
and I expect this to be somewhat of a dogfight every
week. I think even the other teams will be good and I
expect Como-Pickton will be much improved from last
year.”
The Indians lost 12 seniors from a 4-6 team in Phelps
first year at the helm. He expects his younger kids to
step up to the challenge of a tough district season in
hopes of returning to the playoffs this season. “We
lost a lot of kids with 12 seniors and we are going to
be young next year. I feel like we have some talent
coming as our JV went 8-2 last year and they won
district,” he said. “We are going to rely heavily on those
young kids and I think in two years we will be really
good. Those kids are going to have to grow up in a
hurry and I like our chances. I think we are going to be
right in the thick of things.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Phelps said he
expects big things out of sophomore quarterback
Taylor Phelps, junior running back Michael Martin,
senior wide receiver Marc Maxfield and junior wideout
Thomas Miller. On defense, the Indians will rely
on senior defensive end Hayden Hawkins, second
team defensive lineman Coltin Curtis, Maxfield, and
linebacker Adam Amaya. The Indians defense allowed
273 points last season and was outscored 136-110 in
district play. Phelps hopes the off-season program will
help the Indians fix that statistic in 2008.
“Our off-season has been good and we have a lot of
kids that are committed to the team and will work hard
in the summer,” says coach Phelps, “we should be
ready when the football season starts and the big key
will be getting the younger kids acclimated to varsity
football.”
Taylor Phelps
Michael Martin
Marc Maxfield
Thomas Miller
Hayden Hawkins
Coltin Curtis
Adam Amaya
Sophomore Junior Senior Junior Senior Junior Sophomore QB
RB/ SEC
WR/CB
WR
TE/DE
DL/ OL
LB
Mascot: Indians
Superintendent: Mark Keahey
Head Coach: Kenny Phelps (2nd Year)
Assistant Coaches: John Garcia, Jeff Tittle,
Michael Ludlow, Brandon Luce, Paul Trent, Bob Stringer,
Dana Roberts
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Van
Home
7:30
9/5
Cayuga
Home
7:30
9/12
Mineola
Away
7:30
9/19
Open
9/26
Winnsboro*
Away
7:30
10/3
Como-Pickton*
Home
7:30
10/10
Caddo Mills*
Away
7:30
10/17
Quitman*
Home
7:30
10/24
Lone Oak*
Away
7:30
10/31
Alba-Golden*
Home
7:30
11/7
Cooper*
Away
7:30
*denotes district play
49
Lone Oak Buf faloes
Fifth-year head coach Randy Jackson knows the 2007
season was a tough one finishing as the runner-up
behind district rival Caddo Mills. Now in 2008 Jackson
finds his Buffaloes in the newly formed District 13-2A
schedule with none other than Caddo Mills along for
the ride.
“It really was a surprise and it has been a long time
since we have been in an eight-team district. It makes
the non-district schedule easier to put together but
all-in-all the percentages of making the playoffs are
tougher,” the coach said. “This eight-team district
is definitely a tough one and there are a lot of good
programs out there. I think we will have our work cut
out for us. This is a traditional place for us to be and
it was fine for us. Our fans are certainly happy with
this district and it is familiar roads and familiar foes.
It is good for the community and it is good anytime
we play any of those schools. Everyone was pretty
excited about the new district but for the coaching staff
it did not take us very long to know how tough it was
going to be.”
For the Buffaloes to have a successful year, Lone
Oak needs strong play from senior quarterback
Brittan Dodwell and sophomore quarterback
and wideout Cooper Jones. The duo split time
at quarterback as Dodwell threw for 1,800
yards in the Buffaloes one-back spread offense
last year.
“We are a one-back spread offense and running back
is one of the positions that is the most wide open
position right now,” the coach said. “We have a couple
of JV kids that have moved up and some kids that
have moved in that will compete at that spot. It could
be by committee or we could have one kid that could
step out and take the position.”
One of the major concerns during the off-season will
be finding protection for Dodwell and Jones along the
line as the Buffaloes lost their entire offensive and
defensive line to graduation.
“It will be a typical Lone Oak team where we will not
have much depth and we will have to be in great shape
with kids playing both sides of the ball and getting after
it,” Jackson said. “If we can stay injury free, then we
will have a great chance of getting in the playoffs and if
we have many injuries then we will be in trouble.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Jackson said he
expects big things out of senior inside linebacker Kyle
Burton and junior lineman Drew Rodaway.
Brittan Dodwell
Kyle Burton
Cooper Jones
Drew Rodaway
Senior Senior Sophomore Junior QB
ILB
QB/WR
OL/DL
Continued
L one Oak
District 13-2A
District 13-2A
Continued
Mascot: Buffaloes
Superintendent: Eddie White
Head Coach: Randy Jackson (5th Year)
Assistant Coaches: Dean Lasseter (DC),
Brad Scribner (OC), Jon Eric Nordin, Randy Scott,
Donald Patrick, Larry Harvey, Chris Mason, Ronnie Daum
Sch e d u l e
8/29
Palmer
Away
7:30
9/5
Clarksville
Home
7:30
9/12
Godley
Away
7:30
9/19
Open
9/26
Quitman*
Away
7:30
10/3
Winnsboro*
Home
7:30
10/10
Alba-Golden*
Home
7:30
10/19
Cooper*
Away
7:30
10/24
Grand Saline*
Home
7:30
10/31
Como-Pickton*
Away
7:30
11/7
Caddo Mills*
Home
7:30
Quitman Bulldogs
For head coach Todd Shackelford, the question during
the off-season has been, ‘Who is going to step up and
fill in those spots this year?’
After losing three-year starting quarterback Colton
Peek and linebacker Blaine Shackelford on the
defensive side of the ball, Shackelford is preparing
for a season that could see the underclassmen play
a major role in how the Bulldogs will fare this year.
With only four weeks before the start of the district
schedule hosting the Lone Oak Buffaloes on Sept.
26, the Bulldogs will need to fill spots at quarterback,
running back and wide receiver.
“We got some key positions that we have got to
replace,” Shackelford said. “We got some good kids
coming back but we also have some key spots that we
have to replace with three-year starters with some new
people. Quarterback is one of the ones that we have got
to replace so we need to find one there. We also need
to find wide receivers since we do not have anybody
coming back. We lost Hayes Peckham, who was a big
target for us and we also lost our leading receiver in
tight end and linebacker Blaine Shackelford.”
If the Bulldogs look to make it into the top three spots
for a playoff berth, they need senior tailback Lance
Evans, lineman Kirby Hayes, sophomore tailback
Devonte McNeal and last year’s district offensive
lineman of the year Alejandro Flores to step up their
play this season.
“Kirby Hayes (6-3, 250) will be a good ballplayer for
us and he played offensive line and defensive end last
year,” the coach said. “We want to move him to tight
end this year if we can find some offensive lineman.
Lance Evans is returning at tailback and he was AllState last year at cornerback. He had 1,200 yards of
offense and 14 touchdowns last year.”
Shackelford said a portion of the off-season will be
used to find someone to replace quarterback Colton
Peek and McNeal could make the switch from tailback
to quarterback this season. McNeal was the District’s
Newcomer of the Year as a freshman last year. “That
is what we are working on with finding a quarterback,”
he said. “We don’t know what direction we are going to
go in yet. We got a couple of kids here that have been
quarterback in the past and might work in there. We
may also go in a whole different direction and move
someone like McNeal into that position”
He said with the limited pre-district schedule and a
very tough district schedule, the team needs to come
into the season ready to go and not take one week off
once the season starts. “It does not give you a whole
lot of time to get ready for district,” Shackelford said of
the pre-district schedule. “We have some pretty good
competition with Mineola, Frankston and Eustace so
we’ve got three games to try and get some kids ready.
We really did not plan Zero week for our open week
so it messed up our schedule a little bit. In the long
run, I think it will help us because we can then get
a third scrimmage in and get some kids some more
playing time. They brought three good programs into
the district with Caddo Mills, Lone Oak and Cooper.
Caddo Mills and Lone Oak have been outstanding
in football the past couple of years while Cooper has
been down, but they have some young kids that are
pretty good. It is going to make it tougher on us and on
everybody to get into the playoffs but I think we will be
ready for the season to start.”
Players To Watch
Devonte McNeal
Lance Evans
Kirby Hayes
Mascot: Student Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Sophomore Senior Senior RB
RB OL/DE Bulldogs
331
Nancy Vaughan
Todd Shackelford
Schedule
8/29
Open
9/5
Mineola
Home
7:30
9/12
Frankston
Away
7:30
9/19
Eustace
Away
7:30
9/26
Lone Oak*
Home
7:30
50
10/3
Alba-Golden*
Away
7:30
10/10
Cooper*
Home
7:30
10/19
Grand Saline*
Away
7:30
10/24
Como-Pickton*
Home
7:30
10/31
Caddo Mills*
Away
7:30
11/7
Winnsboro*
Home
7:30
W innsboro Red
Raider s
Led by last season’s district offensive and defensive
MVP’s in Sean Ditto and Blake Bennett, the Red Raiders
come into the season with a ton of confidence on both
sides of the ball.
With seven or eight players returning on both sides of
the ball this season, head coach Steve Pinnell said the
team could be better than some of his previous teams.
“We are bringing a lot of guys back and we are going
to have a big senior class coming up thisyear,” the
coach said. “They have always been good players and
we have about seven or eight starters coming back
on both sides of the ball. We are losing some good
players and we have three players from last year’s
team that are going to play college ball in the fall. I
think overall, we feel like we will be just as strong if not
stronger than last year because of these other guys
having another year of experience.”
Seniors Josh Thacker and Zach Allen return in the
backfield for the Red Raiders in their wishbone offense
and are once again stacked on the defensive side of
the ball according to Pinnell. “We also have a couple
of our running backs coming back in seniors Josh
Thacker and Zach Allen, who were good ones for us
last year,” he said. “Senior Michael Leaks will also be
returning along with senior Jordan Duffey and junior
Jordan Massey, who will be returning after a great
season last year.”
Winnsboro is preparing for a strong off-season
program with 7-on-7 competition and strength training
in hopes of securing the district title and Pinnell knows
their strength and conditioning program will be the
best place for them to start.
“We are going to have a strength and conditioning
program that we do year round where we are in the
weight room quite a bit,” the coach said. “We also have
a lot of speed training and we have been doing this
for the past nine years so we are not going to change
that. We feel like the program that we have is a good
one that keeps our players fast and strong and we will
work through the summer and hope to have a good
turnout there.”
Continued
W innsboro
Continued
He said the main concern after realignment was trying
to find a non-district schedule that would prepare them
for their competitive district schedule. “We had some
trouble finding games with the new district schedule,”
Pinnell said. “A lot of the teams that we had been
playing came off the schedule due to scheduling
conflicts or just not wanting to play us. We were able
to put together what I think is a really good pre-district
schedule. We are going to face the defending state
champion in Farmersville, who knocked us out in the
second round of the playoffs , right off the bat and then
we will play Pittsburg, who went three rounds deep in
the playoffs in Class 3A last year. We then round out
the schedule with Mount Vernon, who is always a big
rivalry game for us.”
Sean Ditto
Blake Bennett
Josh Thacker
Zach Allen
Senior Senior Senior Senior QB LB RB/ILB
RB Michael Leaks
Jordan Duffey
Jordan Massey
Mascot: Student Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Senior Senior Junior OL/DE
OL/DL
CB 10/24
Caddo Mills*
Away
7:30
10/31
Cooper*
Home
7:30
11/7
Quitman*
Away
7:30
Red Raiders
399
Mark Bosold
Steve Pinnell (9th Year)
13-2A Preseason
1. Winnsboro
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Farmersville
Home
7:30
9/5
Pittsburg
Home
7:30
9/12
Open
9/19
Mount Vernon
Away
7:30
9/26
Grand Saline*
Home
7:30
10/3
Lone Oak*
Away
7:30
10/10
Como-Pickton*
Away
7:30
10/17
Alba-Golden*
Home
7:30
Owner-Smoaky.com • smoaky@smoaky.com
I admit this from the beginning, I’m old school, but as a former military brat I’m
not against change, in fact I like it… I grew up with change, moving every three
or four years. I’d think there was something wrong had my father told us we
“weren’t” moving to another state, and sometimes another country.
But the change at the top, especially in Class 5-A, has changed so much and
it might never be the same. What was an eight-team district that stretched from
Texarkana to Lufkin is now split from north to south, and even now---into Class
5-A and 4-A.
Longview’s drop this year to Class 4-A continued a massive shift of change among
the larger schools in East Texas. First, Texas High and Pine Tree dropped to 4A, and then it was Marshall and Nacogdoches. Lufkin fell south to the Houston
area, and now it’s Longview moving into Class 4-A.
I miss the “Purple People Eaters” from Lufkin, with their passionate fan-base and
head coach, John Outlaw who has done nothing but win since his arrival in the
early 1990’s, including the state championship in 2001. I’m excited the Panthers
will play an “old-school” non-district schedule against Tyler Lee, John Tyler and
Longview this season, but I wish the district remained “old-school.”
Okay, I’m a fuddy-duddy. But has anyone noticed the lack of overall success
from the big-boy schools of late? Sure, Longview made an impressive run into
4. Quitman
5. Grand Saline
6. Cooper
7. Como-Pickton
8. Alba-Golden
I truly believe the week-in, week-out backyard
brawls had a lot to do with the various state
championships won by Marshall in 1990, John
Tyler in 1994, Lufkin in 2001 and Tyler Lee in
2004. And during that time, Longview (1997) and
John Tyler (2000) played in other championship
games.
David Smoak - KTBB Radio Sports Director
Although some of the realignment changes have been exciting, too much…at
least in my opinion has ruined some great traditions and in some cases, rivalries.
Oh sure, there are still some of the long-standing, never-should-end rivalries like
Lufkin-Nacogdoches and Marshall-Longview, among others.
3. Lone Oak
the quarterfinals a year ago, but I wonder if the
lack of head-to-head traditional rivalries has
affected the Lufkins, Lees, and JTs?
The Landscape May
Change But the Memories
Last a Lifetime
But the high school football landscape throughout East Texas has changed so
much in my nearly 30 years in the area. Wait a minute has it really been that
long? Yes, it has, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.
2. Caddo Mills
But---change happens, and I think we’ll see more
and more of it…so let’s enjoy and reminisce
about the past, but look forward to some new
memories being created in the future.
And with the massive split and realignment affecting the Class 5-A programs,
quite frankly---the two Class 4-A districts truly represent the chunk of the East
Texas region.
The two new 4-A districts now reach north to Texarkana, south to Nacogdoches,
east to Hallsville and west to Jacksonville, Lindale and Sulphur Springs.
Let’s discuss District 13-4A for right now. Five of the seven teams made the
playoffs a year ago and Pine Tree had their best record (5-5) since 2002. None
of the coaches in 14-4A will admit this publicly, but I’m sure all were thrilled when
Longview was placed in another district, and not theirs.
Nothing against those programs, but Nacogdoches knows all about the Lobos
after years of beatings in Class 5-A, and although Mike Vallery’s Kilgore Bulldogs
are fearless, and Randy McFarlin has turned Whitehouse into a football school,
when those realignment brackets came out in February, you could almost hear
the sigh of relief from some coaches.
One note---if there was ever a year to sneak up on the Lobos, it might be 2008,
as John King’s team lost a TON of talent and experience to graduation, including
20 of 22 starters and a mind-boggling 47-lettermen. But some programs are
football factories and some young Lobos are waiting to continue their traditionrich ways. I’m sure Coach King will use the “sneak up on” comment to motivate
his team.
Continued next page
51
The Landscape
Continued
I like John King, and he’ll hate this too, he’s really a teddy-bear off the field, but
when that whistle goes around his neck, look out---game on. He’s as intense as
they get, he has a very young team this season, but the Lobos will be just fine,
thank you.
Although most of the changes have affected Class 5-A and Class 4-A, there’s a
constant shift, back-and-forth among the “guts” of East Texas football.
school football website, Smoaky.com, the area won’t be quite as good without
Brian Huckabay’s integrity and professionalism. His successor, long-time assistant
Reggie Kumrow will continue Pewitt’s success---but the coaching profession lost a
good one when Huckabay left in the early spring.
And another dominant player, Garrison’s Gerren Blount & Company, finally gave
that program a much-deserved championship in 2003, after losses in the finals in
1981 and twenty years later in 2001?
District 17-2A
Lots of New Things in Store for 17-2 A
Cody Lillich - KLTV 7 News
Speaking of Garrison of 1981, do you remember that team? Do you remember the
great QB/DB-Domingo Bryant or running back Elmer Mosby and that freezing-cold
day when they were beaten by Pilot Point?
The whole East Texas football world has been turned upside down with the latest realignment, but that is not the only reason why
change is the one word that best fits this district. Four of the six teams in District 17-2A have either promoted or hired new coaches over the
past year making most of the district full of fresh faces to play in the highly-competitive district.
Forget district champs and who beat who last year, this district has completely changed from 2007 thanks to UIL Realignment. All the coaches
in 17-2A seem to be thrilled about the realignment seeing as how it is putting some of the toughest teams in 2A in East Texas in one district.
How about in Texarkana where Texas High isn’t the only championship program,
there’s Liberty-Eylau with two championships in seven years (1999 and 2006).
Despite John Tyler’s Rod Dunn and his historic kickoff return for a game-winning
touchdown (and eventual state championship winning season) in that “CLASSIC”
against Plano East in 1994…Will there ever be a more dramatic finish to a season
than Nic Sanders and Kilgore in 2004? Sanders not only blocked a field goal in
double-overtime, he picks it up and runs it back for a game-winning, excuse me--state championship-winning touchdown.
Jeff Traylor has led his Alma-Mater Gilmer into the elite of East Texas football,
winning the state championship in 2004 in what has to be one of the classic
championship games ever, 49-47 against Jasper. Despite a gut-wrenching loss
in the 2007 final against Liberty Hill, Traylor has compiled an almost silly-record of
63-5 in the last five years.
Game over! What an ending for Mike Vallery’s Bulldogs.
The Tatum football program has almost always been real good, but head coach
Andy Evans has taken the Eagles to another level with three consecutive state
championship game appearances, winning back-to-back in 2005 and 2006, one in
3-A, the other in 2-A.
And will there ever be a more emotional up-and-down end to a championship
season than San Augustine the year before? Lynn Graves and the Wolves get hot
at the right moment, roll to a Class 2-A Division I Championship, and he’s somehow
run out of town a week later?
Talk about raining on your parade…Good Lord, what were they thinking? Well
apparently, they weren’t. Graves came back after a three-year hiatus and will try
and rebuild the lost momentum.
Class 1-A through Class 3 -A
Despite broadcasting Class 5-A games on the radio since 1991, I will always
believe the “nuts and bolts” of East Texas football comes from the championship
pedigree from proud towns like Tatum, Daingerfield, Alto, Gilmer, Groveton and
many others.
I’m lucky enough to take a trip down memory lane watching Union Hill’s great run
in the 70’s and 80’s under Doug Busch and Toney Lowery (now superintendent at
Arp). The Bulldogs won it all in 1978 and again four years later in ’82.
I just missed covering Mal Fowler and Van’s title in 1979, or Pittsburg’s defense-led
championship the next year.
Can you remember…?
Groveton’s three-state titles from 1984-1990, capped off by the great Rodney
Thomas, who still to this day is third all-time among the rushing leaders in Texas
school-boy history.
I was there on the sideline when Jerry Bennett’s Jefferson Bulldogs thumped Cuero
in 1986 at Kyle Field in College Station. Jefferson won the title in late-December,
but they really won the title two weeks earlier when they beat Daingerfield at R.E.
St. John Stadium in Kilgore, in front of a standing room only crowd, in what I still
consider “to this day”, one of the most intense games I’ve ever covered.
I remember Chapel Hill’s Jekyll and Hyde turnaround under Dickey Meeks in
1989…on their way to the 4-A state title, ending with another shutout, 14-0 of A&M
Consolidated.
Who can forget the speed of Atlanta’s state championship run in 2003, and the
mauling of Marlin (34-0) at TMF Rose Stadium? The Rabbits had numerous stars,
but Curtis Burns was a man among boys in the playoffs.
With all due respect to some of the East Texas high school stars who’ve gone onto
to bigger and better things in college or the NFL, I honestly think Tenaha’s Chavis
McCollister might be the most dominating overall player I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a
bunch of great ones. KLTV’s Reid Kerr can confirm this, but McCollister literally led
Tenaha to a state championship with one-hand tied behind his back…seriously, he
did.
Space, and the editor, won’t allow me enough time to continue this trip down
memory lane, but let’s keep going, okay?
Talk about a stud player, how about Eric Foreman leading Corrigan-Camden to
a championship in 2002, the second of their titles that I’ve seen, with the other in
1988?
How about Paul Pewitt overcoming the shock of losing to Goldthwaite in the 1993
Class 2-A championship, only to win it all five years later, beating Brookshire-Royal
in 1998?
Speaking of the Brahmas, although he and I didn’t always agree with my high
There are just a handful of Six-Man programs in East Texas, but none with a better
resumé than Trinidad. The Trojans won a state title in 1998 under head coach Kevin
Ray and he too is back, and the Trojans are too.
I’ve mentioned a lot of championship teams, memories and players and I’m sure
some were left out—but not on purpose. But I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up
the unthinkable run of the Daingerfield Tigers of the 1980’s.
In fact, this is the 25th anniversary of what I think is the greatest, and without
question, THE most DOMINANT team in Texas High School football history, the
1983 Daingerfield Tigers. Dennis Alexander’s team didn’t just beat people. They
pulverized them and then made them like it.
I’ve watched hundreds of high school football games and some incredible
teams, but the ’83 Tigers are unmatched. I know, I know, 1980 Pittsburg was
very close and so were the Alto Yellowjackets in 2005, but Daingerfield—1983
---best ever. Stop it---no argument, I’m the judge, jury, and foreman on this
discussion.
’83 Daingerfield’s offense is always overlooked by their terrifying defense. A
defense that shutout fourteen opponents. And a defense that surrendered a TOTAL
of eight-points all season, over 16-games, including a tough non-district schedule.
I’m sure you’ve heard the horror stories, but the Tigers defense in 1983 completely
obliterated everyone in their path. Sacks, fumbles, interceptions, blocked kicks and
punts. You name it, Daingerfield’s defense did it.
A national record 14 shutouts, six during their playoff run, and the defense alone
scored twelve touchdowns “of their own.” As a team, they outscored sixteen
opponents 632-8. The ’83 Tigers outscored their six playoff-opponents 246-0,
they won the state championship game 42-0 (Sweeny) and their quarterfinal round
victory was 51-0 (Gladewater).
25 years later, and I still giggle when I see those numbers…But they’re real…And
that team was REAL good. Best I’ve ever seen, and when you’re “old-school” like
me, you’ve seen a lot.
But, I know you’ve seen a lot too, so I invite you to e-mail me with your memories,
feedback and opinions, at smoaky@ktbb.com.
I’m David Smoak, and that’s my opinion.
David Smoak’s Sports Talk can be heard every weekday at 4:00 p.m. on
AM600 KTBB, AM1490 ESPN, AM1430 KEES, ktbb.com, and seen on a
television simulcast on MYTX-TV and DirecTV-Channel 19
52
“You just got to take it as it comes. It’s one of those things you can’t control,” said Daingerfield head coach Barry Bowman. “Geographically it’s
great because our furthest game is 40 minutes away.”
These teams are definitely no strangers on the field, playing each other in years past, instead this new district is reigniting some of the most
intense school rivalries East Texas has to offer. Coaches say they are all building their schedules with challenging non-district games to get their
2008 teams ready for the tough 17-2A District play they are expecting.
Dainger field Tiger s
The district champion Daingerfield Tigers will be
entering this new year with a new head coach. Barry
Bowman moved up as head coach this year following
Randall Hugg’s move to Highland Park. Bowman is
no stranger to the program, coaching with the Tigers
for three years now and previously holding coaching
positions at Brownsboro, Pine Tree, Bullard and Van.
The Tigers were untouchable last year in district play
going undefeated at 7-0 and finishing the season with
a 9-3 record.
“We got a lot of kids back from that team and are
looking forward to this year,” said Bowman.
Bowman thinks all the changes in this district will
make for a fun season and tough schedule ahead for
all teams.
“I think it’s extremely competitive. Jefferson’s coming
in, a big rival for us. Hughes Springs is just five miles
up the road, geographically making that a rivalry,” said
Bowman. “New staff at Queen City and Ore City, I’m
looking forward to competing against those guys. It’ll be
a lot of fun.”
Bowman said the Tigers’ non-district schedule is
tough starting out with an old rivalry against Atlanta
and Paul Pewitt. The Tigers also travel to Celina where
that team will want a win after Daingerfield last played
Celina in 2002, snapping their 60+ game winning
streak. The Tigers will also face the powerhouse
Gilmer Buckeyes.
Bowman said it is normal for the Tigers to start the
team off with some tough games.
“One of the things about [our schedule], our kids are
accustomed to playing teams like that and that caliber,”
said Bowman. “But, It’s still a tough schedule.”
Julius Hurndon
Carl Moore
Zavian Gilstrap Chris Jones
Juron Smith
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
LB/RB
LB
OL/DL
WR/DB
WR/DB
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Edwards predicts this district will be very close between
all teams, even coming down to the last game of the
year.
Tigers
379
Pat Adams
Barry Bowman
Assistant Coaches: Jeff Harvey, Jimmy Irvin,
Thomas Hightower, Butch Smith, Stan McGarvey,
Matt Dunn, Augie Berend, Cody Burgin, Curtis Lewis,
Michael Mason, Chris Wells.
S ch e d u l e
08/29
Atlanta
Away
7:30p.m.
09/05
Paul Pewitt
Here
7:30p.m.
09/13
Celina
09/19
Commerce @ Royse City 7:00p.m.
Here
7:30p.m.
09/26
Gilmer
Here
7:30p.m.
10/03
OPEN
10/10
Hughes Springs*
Away
7:30p.m.
10/17
Linden-Kildare*
Away
7:30p.m.
10/24
Jefferson*
Home
7:30p.m.
10/31
Ore City*
Away
7:30p.m.
11/07
Queen City*
Home
7:30p.m.
Hughes Springs
Must angs
Chris Edwards is once again leading the Hughes
Springs Mustangs this year. The coach has been with
the Mustangs for a decade now. Edwards and the
Mustangs are facing a big task this season after losing
a big group to graduation last year.
“Last year we had a good group of 18 seniors who
played well, but we are only returning three starters,”
said Edwards.
The Mustangs finished their 2007 season second in
district play and making it to the second round of the
playoffs before being defeated by Elysian Fields.
53
“Our pre-season schedule is difficult. Every game in
district is a key game, it will come to the last game of
the year for every team,” said Edwards.
“[We have a] tough stretch of six games that will make
men out of us,” said Edwards.
Some of the Mustangs’ key match-ups include New
Diana, West Rusk, DeKalb and New Boston all before
entering district play.
Edwards said with all of the turnover on the team they
have a few leaders on the team he is looking to step up
this season. Senior Jabarri Wesley carried the ball 96
times last year for 823 yards. Edwards said others to
look out for include senior QB/SS Cody Jones, senior
Devorick Terry, junior TE/LB James Dufner and junior
LB Brandon Lindsey
Jabarri Wesley Cody Jones Devorick Terry James Dufner
Brandon Lindsey Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Junior
RB
QB/SS
TE/LB
LB
Mascot: Mustangs
Enrollment: 322
Superintendent: Rick Ogden
Head Coach: Chris Edwards
Assistant Coaches: Stephen Barnes, Lee Bickham,
Phillip Mathis, Ken Miller, Shane Sibley, Jody Aldridge,
Peter Johnston
Continued
Hughes Springs
District 17-2A
District 17-2A
Sch e d u l e
8/29
OPEN
9/5
New Diana
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Dekalb
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
West Rusk
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Troup
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
New Boston
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Daingerfield*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Ore City*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Linden*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Queen City*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Jefferson*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Jef fer son Bulldogs
Newcomer to the district Jefferson comes from the
former District 18-2A but is quite familiar with the teams
in this year’s 17-2A. Scott Hale enters this season with
three years at Jefferson. Jefferson is marked as the
largest school in District 17-2A with an attendance of
385 in the 2007-2008 year.
The Bulldogs come off a season where they lost the
first game, then turned it around and went undefeated
in district play. The team can avenge a key loss
they had last year that ended their season versus
Daingerfield.
Hale said 17-2A is a better fit for his football team
especially, but did prove difficult in scheduling.
“I wish we were in an eight team district because we
had trouble finding games,” said Hale. “This schedule
will be a lot more difficult than last year. We’ll play
Daingerfield, they’ve been a powerhouse and it’ll
renew a rivalry between Daingerfield and Jefferson.”
Hale said he thinks we will know how far the Bulldogs
will go in the season after the team finishes up some
tough games before district. The team opens versus
Pittsburg, a team that handed the Bulldogs their first
loss last year. After that, Jefferson travels to Tatum and
hosts Paul Pewitt the next week and then traveling to
play San Augustine. It is these challenging games
Hale expects to get his team ready for district play.
“Our record may not be as good as it was last year but
I feel we will be battle tested when that time comes
around,” said Hale.
spread the field,” says Bennett, “moving to the spread
we hope to throw the ball a lot.”
Players to Watch
Continued
Clarence Lee
Trevor Murphy
Cordell Roberson
Destin Mosley
Devin Figures
Junior
Junior
Senior Junior
Junior
DE
DT/TE
WR
RB/LB
FS/WR
Gaston and Watson will be asked to lead on defense
as well. Both will fill key roles as linebackers as well
as senior Jesse Ryhne. Coach is expecting big things
too from senior Bud Berry on the d-line.
Experience or lack of it, will be the biggest obstacle
for another playoff run for Linden-Kildare. “Anywhere
around here in 2-A you are in trouble,” says Coach
Bennett. “We’ve got a bunch of young kids. These
kids are going to have to grow up real quick. We’ll also
fight the age old deal of staying away from injuries.
We have to mature quickly and get better every week
to compete in this district.”
Mascot: Bulldog
Enrollment: 385
Superintendent: Dr. Sharon Ross
Head Coach: Scott Hale
Assistant Coaches: Dane Clynch, Willie McCoy,
Brian Malone, Eric King, Brandon Goswick,
Richard Hale
Players to Watch
Schedule
08/29
Pittsburg
Away
7:30
09/05
Tatum
Away
7:30
09/12
Paul Pewitt
Home
7:30
09/19
San Augustine
Home
7:30
09/26
Open
10/03
North Lamar Away
7:30
10/10
Ore City*
Away
7:30
10/17
Queen City*
Home
7:30
11/24
Daingerfield*
Away
7:30
11/31
Linden-Kildare*
Home
7:30
11/07
Hughes Springs*
Away
7:30
Linden -K ildare
Tiger s
Duplicating last year’s 7-4 team in Linden-Kildare
is not going to be an easy task. The Tigers lost 13
seniors to from last year’s squad, including two 1000
yard rushers.
But the Tigers have a lot of experience moving in as
head coach. Former SMU assistant Jerry Bennett is
now head coach. “I’ve had the chance to coach at the
D-1 level, I was also coach at Jefferson for 19 years. I
have a home here and I’m looking forward to coaching
East Texas football again,” says coach Bennett.
One of the first moves by the new coach is moving
QB Greg Gaston to the backfield. “We’ve got a big
hole to fill back there,” says Bennett, “we think Greg
can do the job.”
To fill the QB job, coach is looking at two players.
Senior Derrick Pate and junior Colton Watson will
split time under center. They will also help direct a
new spread offense for the Tigers. “We are going to
54
Greg Gaston
Derrick Pate
Colton Watson
Jesse Ryhne
Bud Berry Senior
Devon Greenleaf
Stanley Moore
Kenny Harrison
Junior
Senior
Junior
Senior
DL
Junior
Senior
Sophomore
RB/LB
QB
QB/LB
LB
5’9
WR/CB
WR/CB
WR/FS
Mascot: Tigers
Enrollment: 241
Superintendent: Clint Coyne
Coach: Jerry Bennett
Assistant Coaches: Stacy Holland, Corey Pate,
Mike Barry, Kyle Abshire, Ottis Hargett, Bill Norwood
Bobby Chadwick picks up the reigns as head coach in
Ore City after a year as an assistant. And a year later
his Rebels are not much more experienced than they
were in 2007.
8/29
Clarksville
Away
7:30
9/5
Harmony
Home
7:30
9/12
Harelton
Away
7:30
9/19
Maud
Home
7:30
9/26
New Boston
Home
7:30
10/3
Open
10/10
Queen City*
Away
7:30
10/17
Daingerfield*
Home
7:30
10/24
Hughes Springs*
Away
7:30
10/31
Jefferson*
Away
7:30
11/7
Ore City*
Here
7:30
Assistant Coaches: Keith McKinley, Michael Green,
Scotty Laymance, Lindy Raney, Jeff Welch,
Duck said he will be changing things up with the Queen
City team both on offense and defense.
S ch e d u l e
“We’ll be throwing the football a lot more than in the
past,” said Duck.
8/29
Overton
Away
7:30
The Rebels finished the year at 1-9. They were young.
Only two seniors started and at any given moment
there were seven freshman or sophomore starters on
the field.
9/5
9/12
Como-Pickton
Away
7:30
Beckville
Home
7:30
9/19
Harleton
Away
7:30
“The good thing is all the kids from last year are back.
The not so good news, we graduated maybe the best
athlete on the team in running back Chase Wesley,”
says coach Chadwick. As for this year, there will be
only four seniors on the roster for the Rebels in 2008.
9/26
Open
10/3
Maud
Home
7:30
10/10
Jefferson*
Home
7:30
10/17
Hughes Springs*
Home
7:30
“We will be better thanks to last year. I’m excited about
the young guys that got some experience but they are
still young,” says coach. The loss of Chase leaves a
big vacuum in the backfield too. “If you ask me right
now, we’ll be filling the tailback job by committee,”
says coach Chadwick. And that is a tough since this
is an offense that depends on a productive tailback.
Junior Brandon Rodgers has a year under his belt and
will return as the Rebels quarterback. Chadwick will
also be relying heavily on two guys who started as
freshmen. Tight end Shaun Nicholson and offensive
lineman Dylan Ivory may only be sophomores but
they’ll be back in the starting lineup.
10/24
Queen City*
Away
7:30
10/31
Daingerfield*
Home
7:30
11/7
Linden-Kildare*
Away
7:30
On defense, the Rebels don’t pick up much seniority
either. Cory Maxwell and Jaret Bozeman started as
a sophomore and freshman respectively last year.
They’ll be leading the defense attack as linebackers
again this year.
Schedule
Ore Cit y Rebels
So how do you coach such a young group of guys?
“You know the story of Job,” says coach Chadwick, you
have to be patient. What I like about these kids is their
excitement. They are easy to coach. Inexperience
hinders them but they love to play the game. It will be
a challenge every week for us, but we are hoping by
the end of the season to have instilled a competitive
tradition here at Ore City.”
Brandon Rodgers
Shaun Nicholson
Dylan Ivory
Cory Maxwell
Jesse Stroman
Taco Maldonado
Cade Smith
Esalul Lopez
Scotty Peebles
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Coach: Junior
QB Soph
TE Soph
OL Junior
LB
Junior
DE
Senior
DL Senior
WR/FS Senior WR/CB Senior DL Rebels
230
Lynn Heflin
Bobby Chadwick
Queen Cit y Bulldogs
Another Bulldog hopes to make their presence known
in this district, starting with the addition of new head
coach Kenny Duck. This is Duck’s first head coach/
athletic director position, but he has held coaching
positions elsewhere in the state including Garland,
North Mesquite, McKinney North and Lubbock
Estacado.
The Bulldogs started off the 2007 strong but finished
with a 4-6 record. Duck agrees with the other teams
that this will be one of the toughest districts in the
region, if not the state.
“I believe it’s one of the toughest around with
Daingerfield and Linden-Kildare,” said Duck. “It’s
going to be a challenge for us.”
He said one key part of his program will be helping
mold the players in to leaders both on and off the
field.
LA Tumblin Devin Johnson
James Tyson
Larry Andrews
Caleb Hawkins
Dakiron Davis
Tilford Garfield Kewone Marshall
Cody Willis
Senior Senior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Soph.
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Bulldogs
340
Rob Barnwell
Kenny Duck
WR/DB
WR/DB
RB/LB
QB/LB
QB/LB
WR/Secondary
OL/DL
OL/DL
OL/DL
S ch e d u l e
08/29
Prosper
Away
7:30p.m.
09/05
DeKalb
Home
7:30p.m.
09/12
New Boston
Home
7:30p.m.
09/19
Pittsburg
Away
7:30p.m.
09/26
West Rusk
Away
7:30p.m.
10/03
OPEN
10/10
Linden-Kildare*
Home
7:30p.m.
With Duck’s statewide coaching experience, he
is taking the team to a challenging week two game
against an almost guaranteed playoff-bound Prosper
team in the metroplex.
10/17
Jefferson*
Away
7:30p.m.
10/24
Ore City*
Home
7:30p.m.
10/31
Hughes Springs*
Home
7:30p.m.
“It’s going to be a good one and a tough one,” said
Duck. “I did that to get us ready for the playoffs.”
11/07
Daingerfield*
Away
7:30p.m.
Duck said this district is going to be a challenge
especially with Daingerfield, which he said has a “big
target on its back.”
The bulldogs lost three seniors to graduation including:
QB Mike Fedrick, WR/DB Calvin Lightsey and RB/
LB Johnny Doden. Duck said he is relying on some
returning players to get his team started off on the right
path. These include: Seniors LA Tumblin and Devin
Johnson, juniors James Tyson, Larry Andrews, Caleb
Hawkins, Dakiron Davis, Tilford Garfield, Kewone
Marshall and sophomore Cody Willis.
“Most of them have varsity experience, we’re really
waiting to see these kids step up and be difference
makers. They have taken ownership of this team now,”
said Duck.
55
17-2A Preseason
1. Daingerfield
2. Jefferson
3. Linden-Kildare
4. Hughes Springs
5. Queen City
6. Ore City
District 18-2A
New Teams , New Coaches Makes a Much More Balanced 18-2 A
Molly Reuter - KLTV 7 News
The Yellow Jackets are making the move to District 18 this year and are coming off a strong 2007 season. They lost to Canadian in the State
Championship game 40-25. White Oak and Sabine are making the move down to class 2A, but both coaches say they don’t expect the season to
be easier. Some other teams to watch in 2008 are New Diana and Harleton. Both are coming off strong seasons making it to the playoffs in ’07.
The Harmony Eagles are looking to make a strong
presence in District 18-2A this year. The Eagles
finished 4-3 last season in district play and 6-4 overall.
Head Coach Shane Wilson says he feels his team will
be tough to beat in 2008, but knows they have some
tough competition with the addition of Sabine, White
Oak and Elysian Fields.
“I believe our district will be tougher in 2008 because it
will be more balanced,” said Wilson. “I don’t think there
is even one team that you could say has no chance to
make the playoffs.” Two teams Wilson says he knows
will be tough to beat are White Oak and Sabine.
He says both will be very motivated to win after making
the move down to AA. Then Wilson says there’s Elysian
Fields who just played for a state championship. Even
with all the tough competition, Wilson expects his team
to finish near the top of the district.
“I think there are as many as five of us that could
win the district,” said Wilson. “There is really no
clear cut favorite, but I would say going in that White
Oak, Harleton and Elysian Fields would be the frontrunners.” I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Joe Ross Ryan Wittemore Kolby Hogan Colby Seahorn Colton Bunn Jordan Argabright Abraham Arreola Seth Willeford Johnathon Hanson Greg Keith Erik Hebert
Luke Laminak Senior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Junior
Sophomore
QB
RB/LB
RB/LB
TE/DE
WR/DB
WR/DB
RB/DB
LB
OL
OL/DL
WR/DB
RB/DB
Mascot: Eagles
Enrollment: 314
Superintendent: Jed Whitaker
Head Coach: Shane Wilson
Assistant Coaches: Jimmie McEturff, Brady Ross,
Ronnie McNeel, Tyler Terry, Dennis Green, Brett Cloud,
Tim Bearden, Tommy Vardeman
8/29
Edgewood
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Linden-Kildare
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Prairieland Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
OPEN
9/26
White Oak*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Elysian Fields*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
New Diana*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Sabine*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Union Grove*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Winona*
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Harleton* Away
7:30 p.m.
New Diana Eagles
New Diana has a new head coach this year. The
Eagles welcomed Roger Adams to their football
program and hope he can help their team finish in the
top of the district in 2008.
New Diana finished 5-6 on the season in 2007, with
all of those wins coming in district play. Coach Adams
says his team has skilled kids and expects to do well
in ’08.
“Our weakness would be our offensive and defensive
line as they are inexperienced,” said Adams. Some
players to watch in ’08 are Shay Bradley and Beau
Brewer, two leaders Adams says he hopes will lead his
team to the playoffs once again in 2008.
“I expect our team to play hard and have fun,” said
Adams.
Players To Watch
Shay Bradley
Beam Brewer
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Senior
Sophomore
Eagles
270
Pat Clark
Roger Adams
56
RB
FS
Harleton
Continued
Brett Bolt Conner Lloyd Senior
Junior
DE
WR
Assistant Coaches: Steve Mulkey, John Tiger,
B.J. Brown, Brandt Plasterer, Dana Walters, Dee Lewis,
Marcus Camp, Joe Buck Sears, David Schubert
Mascot: Wildcats
Enrollment: 214
Superintendent: Dr. Craig Coleman
Head Coach: Dennis Alexander
Assistant Coaches: Jackie Lloyd, Charley Delong,
Rocky Hollow, Paul Davis, Justin Kniffen, Chris Grotemay
Schedule
S ch e d u l e
Three teams have new head coaches this year. New Diana is welcoming Roger Clark, Elysian Fields Jack Parker and Sabine Jerry Baker. All three say
they are looking forward to an exciting and competitive season, which is almost a guarantee this year.
Harmony Eagles
Alexander says he hopes these players will lead his
team to the playoffs once again, which would make it
six years in a row for Harleton.
District 18-2A will be a fun one to watch in 2008 with the addition of White Oak, Sabine and Elysian Fields. Most of the coaches agree the
district is now much more balanced and any team as a chance to make in into the playoffs in ’08.
Schedule
District 18-2A
@Pine Tree
7:30 p.m.
Clay Walker
Josh Timmons Junior
Sophomore
LB/RB
DB/RB
Mascot: Wildcats
Enrollment: 273
Superintendent: Wiley Vonner
Head Coach: Mike Sorenson
Assistant Coaches: Billy Dunn, Tim Belk,
John Portwood, Scott Evans, Sam Walker, Gary Thorn
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Waskom
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Malakoff
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Hawkins
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
OPEN
9/26
New Diana*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Sabine*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Union Grove*
Away
7:30 p.m.
8/29
Hooks
Home
7:30 p.m.
8/28
West Rusk 9/5
Hugh Springs
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
OPEN
9/12
West Rusk
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Linden-Kildare
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
White Oak*
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
OPEN
9/19
Ore City
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Harleton*
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Winona*
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Elysian Fields*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Harmony*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Harleton*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
New Diana*
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Elysian Fields*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Harmony*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Sabine*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Elysian Fields*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Union Grove* Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
White Oak*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Winona*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Sabine*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
White Oak*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Union Grove*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Harmony*
Home
7:30 p.m.
W inona W ildcats
Harleton Eagles
The Harleton Wildcats will once again be a tough team
to beat in District 18-2A. The Wildcats are coming off
a 6-1 district record and 9-3 overall. Harleton ended
the 2007 season with a 20-17 loss to Arp. Head Coach
Dennis Alexander says District 18-2A will be tougher this
year with the addition of White Oak, Elysian Fields and
Sabine.
“I also think Roger Adams will make New Diana a
better and stronger team to beat,” said Alexander.
In the last five years, Harleton has a 51-11 record and
since moving to AA they’ve finished 18-5, but once
again the Wildcats have graduated another strong
class in 2007.
“It takes a toll on depth being the smallest AA in District
18,” said Alexander. Two players to watch in ’08 are Brett
Bolt and Conner Lloyd. Bolt, Alexander says had two
outstanding playoff games as a defensive end. Lloyd
also had a great season as wide receiver and cornerback.
Alexander says he’s very quick and has great hands.
Continued
Coming off a 4-6 record in 2007, the Winona Wildcats
are hoping to improve on that this year and finish in
the top three in the district. Assistant Coach John
Portwood says they are excited about the season and
expect to be a tough team to beat.
“We feel speed will be our strength and that our kids
are mentally and physically stronger than before,”
said Portwood. Some players to watch this year are
Seniors Bryan Waters and Bryan Warren. C.J. Petty,
Taylor Murphy and Daniel Beck should also make a
strong presence on the Wildcats this year.
“We have had a great off-season and look forward to
the contributions of some talented younger athletes,”
said Portwood.
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Union Grove Lions
Head Coach Marty Moore says he’s looking forward
to a tough and competitive district this year. With the
addition of White Oak and Sabine, as well as, 2007
State runner-up Elysian Fields, Moore says he knows
there will many improved teams in the district.
“We feel that we will be one of them with the loss of
only four seniors from 2007,” said Moore. It was a
tough season last year with only one win on the year
and no wins in the district. Moore says his team
continued to improve throughout the 2007 season and
hopes to build upon that.
“We also had a good JV season that finished 7-2,” said
Moore. “Some of those players should make an impact.
Our kids are anxious to get things turned around from
last year.” And they will do that through players like
Senior Josh Carnes who had 375 receiving yards in
2007 and three interceptions. Two year starter Senior
Running Back Corey Adkinson will also be a player to
watch. Dalton Melton will have started 17 games at
quarterback going into his junior season. It should be
an exciting 2008 season for the Lions.
Bryan Waters Bryan Warren C.J. Petty Taylor Murphy Daniel Beck Cody Brumfield
LB/RB
DE/OL
DB/RB
DB/RB
LB/OL
DL/OL
Josh Carnes Corey Adkinson Jason Winn Zach Quick Brad Carter Clint Kalinec Dalton Melton Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior Junior 57
CB/RB
RB/OLB
OT/DT
OG/DT
OG/DT
C/OLB
QB/LB
Colton Woodfin Richard Pittman Junior Junior OT/DT
TB/LB
Mascot: Lions
Enrollment: 240
Superintendent: Brian Gray
Head Coach: Marty Moore
Assistant Coaches: Willie Hargett, Scott Sobey,
Kyle Burns, Russell Jarvis, Jeff Baker
S ch e d ul e
8/29 Beckville
9/5 Overton
9/12 TK Gorman
9/19 Away
7:30
Home 7:30
Away 7:30
Open
9/26 Sabine*
10/3 White Oak*
10/10 Winona*
Away
7:30
Home
7:30
Home 7:30
10/17 Harleton*
Away
7:30
10/24 Harmony *
Home
7:30
10/31 Elysian Fields* Away
7:30
11/7 New Diana*
Home
7:30
Sabine Cardinals
Head Coach Jerry Baker is new to Sabine this year
and says he’s looking forward to a fresh start. Sabine
is making the move down to class 2A in 2008, but
Baker says his team will still need to work hard each
Friday night to have a chance to win.
“District 18-2A is a very good district with very talented
players and exceptional high school football coaches,”
said Baker. “Our kids must realize that a simple move
down does not guarantee success.”
The Cardinals are coming off a 1-9 record in class 3A.
Their only win came in district play against White Oak
17-14. It ended a 20 game district losing streak for
Sabine. Baker says much of his team will have to step
it up in 2008.
“We lost most of our starters from last year’s team
to graduation and must fill those spots,” said Baker.
“We do have 14 lettermen returning who give us some
opportunity to be successful. And hopefully, a new
District will mean more wins for the Sabine Cardinals
.P l aye r s
To Wa t ch
Sabine’s new Head Coach Jerry Baker says he feels it
would undermine the growth of his team to suggest he
knows which kids are the ones who will be the players
to watch.
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Cardinals
390
Stacey Bryce
Jerry Baker
Continued
District 18-2A
District 19-2A
W ide Open Possibilities In The New 19 -2 A
Sabine
Continued
Assistant Coaches: Jay Roy Mount,
Andre Williams, Bryan Stagner, Brian Williams, Dale Witcher,
Karl Koelker, Andy Bates, Bobby Keeling
Sch e d u l e
8/29
Redwater Away 7:30 p.m.
9/5
Troup Home 7:30 p.m.
9/12 Open
9/19 Beckville Away 7:30 p.m.
9/26 Union Grove* Home 7:30 p.m.
10/3 Winona* Away 7:30 p.m.
10/10 Harleton* Home 7:30 p.m.
10/17 Harmony* Away 7:30 p.m.
10/24 Elysian Fields* Home 7:30 p.m.
10/31 New Diana* Away 7:30 p.m.
11/7 White Oak* Home 7:30 p.m.
W hite Oak
Roughnecks
White Oak is making the move down to Class 2A
this year but despite the move, Head Coach Tracy
Blankenship says his Roughnecks will have to work
hard to finish at the top of the district in ’08.
“We are very optimistic about ’08,” said Blankenship.
White Oak has eight defensive and eight offensive
starters returning from Class 3A. Orlando Humble was
1st Team All-District in 2007 as a Defensive Tackle, but
Blankenship says Humble is now on the offensive side
of the ball.
“Jackson McCurdy and Junior Hamilton each rushed
for more than 600 yards in 2007,” said Blankenship.
“Also, our offensive line is largely intact from
’07.” Blankenship knows he will need the same
performances out of his players in ‘08 to compete
against teams like Elysian Fields and Harmony.
“Harmony has very good skill kids,” said Blankenship.
Still, Blankenship expects his team to win district this
year.
Orlando Humble
R.J. Hillman Joseph Young
Blake Ware Taylor Tarr Jackson McCurdy Barrett Blankenship Junior Hamilton Senior Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior Junior Senior
Junior FB/DT
TE/DT
WR
WR
OL
RB
OL
RB
Mascot: Roughnecks
Enrollment: 398
Superintendent: Michael Gilbert
Head Coach: Tracy Blankenship
Assistant Coaches: Eddie Shuttlesworth,
Skylar Stagner, Jeff Hampton, Charles Foshee, Scott
Stagner, Jerry Blankenship, Billy Brown, Richard Burks
Schedul e
8/29
Joaquin
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Spring Hill
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Rains
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
OPEN
9/26
Harmony*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Union Grove*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Elysian Fields* Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Winona*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
New Diana*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Harleton*
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/11 Sabine*
Away
7:30 p.m.
Everyone it seems is picking the Yellow Jackets to win
a bunch again this year. Those expectations have put
an even bigger bull’s-eye on the back of Coach Parker
and his team. “It will be a challenge. You want your
kids to go out everyday and think they are winners,
but you have to be a realist too. We have lost a lot
but we have set the bar high again this year. Every
year here the boys want to do better than the year
before. State is our goal. We realize we must start
with getting better in preseason, then win district and
then whatever happens, happens,” says Parker.
Players To Watch
Joe Benefield Kyle Kriegel Dustin Brown Tyler Busby Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: RB
DL
LB
LB
9/5
Waskom
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Hooks
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
OPEN
Parker thinks he has several players with the potential
to lead this team.
6’5” 225lb senior defensive end Kyle Kriegal is one of
them. Kyle already announced his intentions to play
at UT next year. Senior running back Joe Benefield
is getting some D-1 looks too. Those two along with
senior linebackers Dustin Brown and Tyler Busby will
be expected to help fill the leadership void.
58
“I still feel like this is one of the tougher districts in the state,” Frankston coach Les Rhea said. “I think Arp will be ranked in the top ten and all
the way up and down, the playoff history of the teams in this district is pretty solid.”
A rp Tiger s
El ysian Fields
Yellow Jackets
More than just players, the Yellow Jackets will be
looking for leaders when summer camp begins in
August. “I need some leaders to step up,” says Parker,
“when you lose that many seniors, you are going to
have a void in leadership. I need one or two or maybe
a group to step up and take control of this team. To
create unity, dedication and teamwork…all the things
you need to win championships.”
Arp, Garrison, West Rusk and Troup are joined by Frankston and Elkhart in the new district.
“Across the board, you’re going to have a very solid race.”
Troup 19 players were lost to graduation including QB Tim
Curry who will be playing at UTEP this fall.
“I guess you can say we’re probably pleased the way it didn’t stay,” laughed West Rusk head coach John Frazier. “It’s still tough, but now it’s
more even.”
“I think it’ll be very competitive,” Arp coach Dale Irwin said. “It should be a close district in all the sports, really. If you look at it, there’s three or
four really solid teams in there.”
8/30
While it seems there is something in the water that
grows great teams in Elysian Fields, Parker may have
a tough task ahead in 2008.
Gone are Tatum, who played for their third straight state championship last season, and state finalist Elysian Fields. Between those two teams
and Arp, this district played fifteen playoff games last season.
Frankston and Arp were both playoff teams last year, but handicapping this year’s race seems pretty difficult under the new alignment.
Yellow Jackets
291
Bob Browning
Jack Parker
Schedule
“It’s exciting to know you are coaching kids that have
a shot at getting deep in the playoffs,” says Parker, “I
think we do have a good chance at another shot but
we’ve got to get through this district first.”
No coach ever likes to admit they got a favorable draw in the UIL’s biannual redistricting, but the remaining teams in 19-2A have to feel a bit
relieved to see who’s no longer lurking on their schedule.
Last year’s members Timpson and Waskom both moved down to 1A in the realignment.
When you talk about success in high school football
you can’t leave out Elysian Fields. The Yellow Jackets
went all the way to the championship game in 2007.
It is a place they have been three times in the past ten
years. It’s a tradition that has new head coach Jack
Parker excited about the year ahead.
@Gladewater 6:00 p.m.
9/26
Harleton
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Harmony
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/10
White Oak
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
New Diana
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Sabine
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Union Grove
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Winona
Away
7:30 p.m.
18-2A Preseas o n
Coaches’ Pol l
1. Elysian Fields
2. White Oak
3. Harleton
4. Harmony
5. New Diana
6. Sabine
7. Winona
8. Union Grove
The Arp Tigers hit the jackpot last season, going from
7-3 to 10-4 and advancing all the way to the regional
finals where they lost a rematch with former district foe
Elysian Fields.
This year the Tigers return five starters on each side
of the ball, and while replacing All-State players like
receiver Sedrick Johnson and Cody Welch will be
difficult, Irwin said his signal caller is ready to go
again.
“We’re looking for a big season from Will Allen,” Irwin
says of his quarterback. Allen threw for 1300 yards last
year, and he’ll be joined in the backfield by Lavocheya
Cooper.
“He’s been starting since he was a freshman,” Irwin
said of his junior tailback. “He was banged up last
year, but we’ll feature him this season.”
Also seeing time in the backfield will be Dajuan Lee
and Michael Wade. Up front, the Tigers should be
strong again even after losing All-State center Chris
Taliaferro.
“We’ve got three of our five offensive linemen
back,” Irwin said. “Our problem is that we lost most
of the receivers from last year. We lost lots of good
experience there.”
“We like to throw the ball about half the time, so we’ll
need to find somebody to catch it.”
Irwin said at least early on, his team will hang their hat
on the defense and players like returning All-District
defensive ends Richard Bradley and Dajuan Lee.
“We lost six really good players,” he said, “but we’ve
got some kids who played a lot last season. We think
we’ll be as good or better than last year. That should
be our strong point from the beginning.”
Will Allen
Richard Bradley
Dajuan Lee
Lavocheya Cooper
Michael Wade
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Junior QB
DE
RB/DE
RB/FS
RB/OLB
Mascot: Tigers
Enrollment: 283
Superintendent: Toney Lowery
Head Coach: Dale Irwin
Assistant Coaches: Shannon Arrington, Chris Stewart,
Brian Keith, Johny Louvier, George Greer
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Paul Pewitt
Away
7:30
9/5
San Augustine
Away
7:30
9/12
Arp
Home 7:30
9/19
Westwood
Home
7:30
9/26
Tatum
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Garrison*
Away
7:30
10/17
Troup*
Home
7:30
10/24
Frankston*
Away
7:30
10/31
Elkhart*
Away
7:30
11/7
West Rusk*
Home
7:30
59
Elk har t Elks
The Elkhart Elks finished the 2007 season 0-10, their first
winless season in more than three decades. New coach
Tim Lewis comes to the Elks after four years at Weimer
High School. He said that arriving late in the school year
limited what they could do in terms of preparation, but he
was encouraged by what was already taking place.
“We were just trying to get to know the kids a little bit,”
Lewis said, “and let them know what to expect from
me.”
“We changed what they were doing in the weight room
a bit. The kids were already working hard when we got
here, the previous coaches had them in a program.
We just wanted to change the mentality a little bit.”
With his first off-season program at Elkhart still ahead,
Lewis still said the Elks have a strong nucleus to build
around.
“We’re going to have a pretty solid offensive line,” Lewis
said. “We’ll have some experience in the backfield.”
“A lot of players got hurt early in the year last season,
so that set things off badly. They had to move up
some athletes to varsity, so they got some good
experience.”
“We’re bringing back a core of athletes that’ll be pretty
solid.”
Mascot: Enrollment: Superintendent: Head Coach: Assistant Coaches: Geoffrey Bowdoin
Elks
357
Mike Moon
Tim Lewis
John Adair, Ryan Blackman,
Continued
Elk har t Elks
District 19-2A
District 19-2A
Continued
Sch e d u l e
Mascot: Indians
Enrollment: 250
Superintendent: Austin Thacker
Head Coach: Les Rhea
Assistant Coaches: Glen Holmans, Rob Ray,
Jimmy Perkins, Matt Nally, Henry Canady,
Tommy Crammer
Austin Lunsford
Taylor Stokes
Junior
Senior West Rusk
OL/DL
OL/LB
8/29
Malakoff
Home
7:30
9/5
Huntington
Home
7:30
9/12
Buffalo
Away
7:30
9/19
Grapeland
Away
7:30
Schedule
9/26
Centerville
Home
7:30
8/29
Cayuga
Away
7:30
Mascot: Bulldogs
Enrollment: 202
Superintendent: Arnie Kelley
Head Coach: Craten Phillips
Assistant Coaches: Tabor Westbrook, Reid Spivey,
Tanner Kudrna, Justin Nicholson
9/5
Brownsboro
Away
7:30
Schedule
10/3
OPEN
10/10
West Rusk*
Away
7:30
9/12
Quitman
Home
7:30
8/29
Hemphill
Away
7:30
10/17
Garrison*
Home
7:30
9/19
Alto
Away
7:30
9/5
Alto
Away
7:30
10/24
Troup*
Away
7:30
9/26
OPEN
9/12
West Sabine
Home
7:30
10/31
Arp*
Home
7:30
10/3 Hemphill
Home
7:30
9/19
Timpson
Away
7:30
11/7
Frankston*
Away
7:30
10/10
Troup*
Home
7:30
9/26
San Augustine
Away
7:30
10/17
West Rusk*
Away
7:30
10/3
OPEN
Frankston Indians
10/24
Arp*
Home
7:30
10/10
Arp*
Home
7:30
10/31
Garrison*
Away
7:30
10/17
Elkhart*
Away
7:30
11/7
Elkhart*
Home
7:30
10/24
West Rusk*
Home
7:30
10/31
Frankston*
Home
7:30
11/7
Troup*
Away
7:30
In head coach Les Rhea’s second year, the Frankston
Indians went 9-2 and claimed the co-championship of
the district. This year, the landscape has changed with
the new district 19-2A, but Frankston still expects to be
a playoff team.
Garrison Bulldogs
Frankston will return five starters on defense and four
on offense, but one of those holdovers is last year’s
district Most Valuable Player, running back Ketrich
Harmon.
The Garrison Bulldogs were 2-7 last season, but
with a smaller district and good experience returning,
second year head coach Craten Phillips thinks they
can compete again this season.
“I’m expecting big things from Ketrich,” Rhea said.
Harmon was also honorable mention all-state last
season, gaining more than fifteen hundred yards in his
eleven games.
Garrison returns seven starters on offense and five
on defense. The Bulldogs will be led on offense by
returning starter Sam Kruger. The quarterback was the
district’s newcomer of the year last season.
Brian Blackwell will be the quarterback, another
returning All-District player from last season. The
Indians will have a familiar face on the line in Coby
Coleman, but the junior will be moving down.
“Sam will be a senior,” Phillips said. “He’s a really smart
kid that makes good decisions. We run the option, and
he’s the dealer in our option system.”
The West Rusk Raiders went 6-4 last season and
fought for a playoff berth all the way into the last week
of the season before being eliminated. For a team that
hasn’t seen much playoff success, second year head
coach John Frazier said his players played up to the
level of their competition.
“Coby was a tackle,” Rhea said, “but we’re moving him
to tight end. I’m hoping he’ll really help us at that spot,
because we run a lot of sweeps.”
As for the rest of the offensive line, Rhea admits
they’re in a rebuilding phase up front.
“Most of these kids got to play JV last year,” he
explains. “I’ve been watching them for a while, so I’ve
got a pretty good evaluation on what they’re capable
of. We’re going to be a lot smaller, but we’re also going
to be really quick.”
On defense, the Indians will have Coleman on the line
with Harmon and district freshman of the year Dalton
Severn as a linebacker.
Ketrich Harmon
Coby Coleman
Dalton Severn
Senior
Junior
Sophomore
RB/DE
DT
LB
His main partner in the option will be sophomore
running back Dylan Barton.
“Dylan came up as a freshman last year,” Phillips
said, “and did a great job. He’ll also start for us at free
safety.”
On the line, the Bulldogs will build around Austin
Lunsford, a 6’3” 285 pound junior who’ll start on both
sides. Phillips said Lunsford is not only strong, but has
5.0 speed.
“He’s a beast,” Phillips said. “I think he can play at the
next level. He could be a D-I player and make it to the
Big Twelve.”
Another important two-way player will be lineman and
linebacker Taylor Stokes. The senior was the only
player last season to earn all-district honors on both
sides of the ball.
Players To Watch
Sam Kruger
Dylan Barton
Senior
Sophomore
60
QB
RB
West Rusk Raider s
“It was a huge jump, of course,” Frazier said. “The kids
began to realize that they can win some games. We
were in the toughest district in the state, and we held
our own.”
“Now, we want to raise the bar and win a district
championship.”
The Raiders return eight starters on offense and six
on defense, and Frazier said they’ll be experienced
up front.
“We feel really good with our line,” Frazier said.
“Counting the tight ends, we’ll be seven across with
seniors. We feel like that and our tailback will be our
big strengths this season.
Those tight ends, Braylon Williams and Felix Williams
(no relation) set the tone.
“We get some great blocking out of those guys,”
Frazier said, also complementing the work of tackle
Jared Hoover.
Continued
Continued
They’ll be opening holes for running back Daniel
Thompson, but as for who will be getting him the ball,
that question is still up in the air.
“We do have questions about the quarterback position,”
Frazier admits. “It’s a two-man competition and it’s
wide open. We’ll evaluate after the scrimmages, and
we’ll see what happens.”
On defense, West Rusk is also experienced up front
with a Williams on each end and Beau Bower at one
defensive tackle.
“Our front four will be all seniors,” Frazier said, “and
we’ll be experienced. The others will be younger, but
we think playing in a six-team district will help us get
ready for district and get the experience we’ll need.”
Braylon Williams
Daniel Thompson
Jared Hoover
Beau Bower
Felix Williams
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
TE/DE
RB
OL
DL
TE/DE
9/5
Elkhart
Home
7:30
10/17
Frankston
Home
7:30
10/24
Garrison
Away
7:30
10/31
Troup
Home
7:30
11/7
Arp
Away
7:30
The Troup Tigers fell from 10-2 in 2006 to 4-6 in 2007,
falling out of the playoff picture. However, with a new
district and seven returners on each side of the ball,
the Tigers are looking to bounce back.
On offense, the Tigers are unsettled at quarterback but
the idea is to get the ball to Derrikk Thompson, a 4.4
speed burner who’ll probably see time at running back
and wide receiver. Joseph Noyola will also get some
snaps at running back again.
“We graduated so few last year,” Eastman said, “at
one point we were starting seven sophomores on
defense.”
@ Pine Tree
7:30
T.K. Gorman
Away
7:30
9/12
New Diana
Home
7:30
9/19
Hughes Springs
Away
7:30
9/26
Queen City
Away
7:30
Jeremy Richardson is back to anchor the ends of both
lines, at tight end and defensive end. Cody Lepelley,
a starter last season at safety, may spend some time
sliding down to outside linebacker this year. Defensive
back Taylor Beaty was pressed into service early last
year, but excelled under the pressure and earned AllDistrict honors.
Joseph Noyola
Thomas Lammons
Jake Johnson
Senior
Senior
Senior
Mascot: Tigers
Enrollment: 267
Superintendent: Marvin Beaty
Head Coach: John Eastman
Assistant Coaches: David Adams,
Andrew Rohrs, Jake Jackson, Sam Brandt, Bobby Dyess,
Olan Johnson, Pat Davis, Adam Thomas,
Shane Chambless, Brent Smith, Cody Whitworth
S ch e d u l e
Troup Tiger s
Last year the Tigers lost several players to injuries,
but this year Troup returns plenty of experience as a
result.
S ch e d u l e
Harleton OPEN
10/10
On the offensive line, the Tigers return plenty of
experience with Thomas Lammons, Jake Johnson
and Chris Malone.
Mascot: Raiders
Enrollment: 242
Superintendent: Mack King
Head Coach: John Frazier
Assistant Coaches: Justin Hunley, David Lacey,
Russell Gammell, Bill Snider, Travis Snyder, Lee Clark,
David Shepard
8/28
10/3
RB/LB
OL/DL
OL/DL
8/30
Elysian Fields @ Gladewater
TBD
9/5
Sabine
Away
7:30
9/12
Tatum
Away
7:30
9/19
Bullard
Home
7:30
9/26
Hughes Springs
Home
7:30
10/3
OPEN
10/10
Frankston
Away
7:30
10/17
Arp
Away
7:30
10/24
Elkhart
Home
7:30
10/31
West Rusk
Away
7:30
11/7
Garrison
Home
7:30
19-2A Preseason
1. Arp
2. Troup
3. West Rusk
4. Frankston
5. Garrison
6. Elkhart
sports
KLTV
61
District 17-1A
District 17-1A
Look For a “Dog Fight ” E ver y Friday In the New District 17-1 A
Larry Everett - Jarvis Christian College
The “Big Dog” of District 17-1A comes in the form of a cardinal – a Maud Cardinal. After going four-deep into the playoffs last year before loosing
to Bremond, the Cardinals have a huge returning cast of players and are poised to repeat as district champs. Adding to the Maud swagger is the
return of three Division-1 caliber players who have already verbally committed to TCU.
Winning the district won’t be easy with two former Class 2-A teams, Big Sandy and Hawkins, moving down to 1A following UIL Realignment. This
will make 17-1A much more competitive once district play begins.
Don’t count out formidable foes James Bowie, Detroit and Union Hill. All have a group of talented returning players with a year of experience under
their belt. Playoff savvy Union Hill and James Bowie, who both bowed out in the first round last year, hope to make another playoff run this year.
All coaches agree that 17-1A will be a tougher district this year with the balance of teams.
Coach Darold Turner of Big Sandy said, “We are excited about the district. The change that was made created a good balance. There are a lot of
good teams.
Coach Finney of Maud said, “You have to be ready to play in this district because it is turning into a dogfight.”
Big Sand y W ildcats
Inexperience last year was the primary reason for the
Wildcats lackluster season. Coach Darold Turner fielded a
team made up mostly of freshman and sophomores.
With 17 returning lettermen (7 starters on offense and 6 on
defense), along with a year of solid experience, 3rd year
Athletic Director and Head Coach Darold Turner says his
team will be “bigger, stronger and faster.” These factors
alone will make Big Sandy a force to be reckoned with. In
fact, most preseason predictions have them finishing 2nd
in the district.
Leading the way is returning signal caller, senior Josh
Howell, who was voted 2nd Team All-District last year.
“Josh knows the system really well, which is going to be an
advantage for us,” stated Turner. “Our strong points will be
our team speed and our defensive and offensive linemen.
On offense, we will be more multiple, and we plan to have
a more attacking style defense,” added Turner.
An expected force on both sides of the ball will come from
the returning fullback Trent Hodge. Coach Turner says
that, “Hodge is the type of player that makes an impact on
your football team no matter where he plays.” We will use
him wherever we feel he will help us the most.”
Other strong players who will make a difference are
returning seniors Ronnie Chalk, 1st Team All-District
cornerback; Nathan Dunham, cornerback; and Eric Payne,
who will see double duty on the offensive and defensive
side of the line.
Turner and his coaching staff are hoping that some of
the newcomers from the JV will step up and contribute.
This includes the likes of Cameron Hitt, safety and wide
receiver; Jerry Bond, linebacker and lineman; Russ Brown,
linebacker and tight end; and Jaylyn Turner, offensive and
defensive lineman. Coaches are expecting big things from
this group.
Dropping from 2A to 1A due to UIL realignment is going to
be a plus for Big Sandy. Turner stated, “We were probably
the smallest 2A school in the state last year. In football,
numbers make a big difference. We were at the bottom
end of 2A and that is not a good situation to be in. Now, by
moving into Class 1A, we have, all of the sudden, moved
from being at the bottom to being near the top, which will
make things more compatible for us. We will now be
competing in a district with similar schools that are working
with the same kind of numbers.”
The kids at Big Sandy are really excited and thrilled about
moving to District 1A. It is bringing back memories to the
school of those glory years in 1A when Big Sandy made
those great runs and won state championships with
players such as Lovie Smith, Gary Chalk and Lawrence
Harper. Although in a different district, one thing that will
remain the same is the intense rivalry between Big Sandy
and Hawkins.
Although Big Sandy is the overwhelming pick to finish
second, Coach Turner cautions that they are going to have
to be mentally tough as well as play like a more experienced
team to be successful. This is Coach Turner’s second time
around as AD and Head Coach at Big Sandy. He was here
before in the late 1990s to year 2000.
Players To Watch
Ronnie Chalk
Josh Howell
Nathan Dunham
Eric Payne
Jaylyn Turner
Cameron Hitt
Jerry Bond
Senior Senior Senior Senior Sophomore Junior Junior CB
QB
CB
OL/DL
OL/DL
S/WR
LB
Mascot:
Wildcats
Enrollment:
194
Superintendent:
Scott Beene
Athletic Director:
Darold Turner
Head Football Coach: Darold Turner
Assistant Coaches:
Wes Schminkey, George Sellers,
Derrick Floyd, Brian Pullum, Kevin Jackson, Jeff Humphries,
JoEd Bowin
Schedule
8/30
9/5
9/12
9/19
9/26
10/3
10/10
10/17
10/24
10/31
T.K. Gorman
Alba-Golden
Overton
Mt. Enterprise
Brook Hill
Open
James Bowie*
Detroit*
Union Hill*
Hawkins*
Away
Home
Home
Home
Away
TBA
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Away
Home
Away
Away
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Maud*
Home
7:30 p.m.
62
Detroit Eagles
Continued
S ch e d u l e
08/29
09/5
09/12
09/19
09/26
10/3
10/10
10/17
10/24
10/31
11/7
Dallas A+ Academy
Open
Cumby
Blue Ridge
Era
Celeste
Union Hill*
Big Sandy*
Hawkins*
Maud*
James Bowie*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
Away
Home
Away
Home
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Maud dominated the district, and this left Bowie, Union
Hill and Detroit battling it out for second and third places.
“We had a very young team last season that was trying
to learn a new system,” said Coach Bradshaw. “We
made great strides from the beginning to the end. I feel
that we will be more competitive this year. There are 9
starters returning on offense and 8 on defense. We will
be bigger and faster this year after a tough off-season.”
The biggest concern for Detroit is replacing senior QB
Tyler Jones who set the school single season passing
record with 1440 yards.
“Our base defense will be the 4-3 and we will use a
shotgun spread run and gun. Our defense will be
anchored by Michael Elrod at linebacker. He led the
team last season with 78 solo tackles, and sophomore
Jay McKinney was third on defense with 64 solo
tackled. Our offensive line will be led by 1st Team AllDistrict Linemen Vince Davis and Damazio Garmon.
Deon Patt is a key returnee who led the team with 10
touchdowns. Patt finished with 423 yards rushing and
454 yards receiving.
This is Coach Bradshaw’s second season with Detroit.
They finished with a 1-8 record last year.
Eagles
166
Morris Lyon
Mike Barley
Chris Bradshaw
Doug Schindler, Jeff Allensworth,
Continued
Haw k ins Haw ks
A 2-8 record last year does not give an accurate picture
of the Hawkins Hawks season. They started the season
awfully slow because of a learning curve for a very young
team. The team consisted of mostly freshman and
sophomore players. Only 7 seniors were on that team.
Turnovers really hurt the Hawks. Even more troublesome
by mid season, the Hawks lost players to grades and
subsequently 3 more starters were suspended for
disciplinary problems.
Third-year Athletic Director and Head Coach, Keith Cook
said, “As hard as things got, we cannot make excuses.
You simply play with what you have.”
“The good thing is that we are encouraged by this
upcoming season because of the realignment. We were
a 2A team by only 4 students the last time around and we
were just right over the cutoff for 1A. Consequently, we
were playing people twice our size. I think that sort of had
a negative effect and got into our kids’ heads. Now coming
into the next season we will be in District 1-A, so now we
will actually be one of the bigger fish in the pond. This has
kind of changed our outlook and mindset.”
With a very strong senior class this year, the Hawks expect
to make some noise in 17-1A. There are 12 seniors this
year and possibly 10 of the 12 will be starters. The strength
for the Hawks will come on the offensive and defensive line.
They are also looking to improve the kicking game.
Key graduation losses included 1st Team All-District
offensive lineman Dekotah Christian and 2nd Team AllDistrict inside linebacker Vince Goddard.
Key Hawkins players who are returning include: Dion
Carter, 2nd Team All-District WR and DB; Josh Ragsdale,
2nd Team All-District OL; Jacob Wright, WR; Michael
Macaluso, OLB; Jorden Stephens, OLB; Robert Taylor,
DL; Ryan Gattis, DB; and Alex Reyes, DL, were all named
Honorable Mention All-District.
Coach Cook noted that for the Hawks to have a successful
season, they must be sound fundamentally, play good
defense, eliminate turnovers and control the line of
scrimmage.
Robert Taylor
Josh Ragsdale
Alex Reyes
Conner Martens
Dion Carter
Steven Wofford
Jorden Stephens
Ryan Gattis
Jacob Wright
Fernando Guiterrez
Donavon West
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Sophomore Senior
Senior
C/DT
OL
OL
OL
WR/OLB
FS/RB
QB/DE
QB/DB
WR
RB/ILB
TE/ILB
Mascot:
Hawks
Enrollment:
189
Superintendent:
Dan Rose
Head Coach: Keith Cook (3rd year)
Assistant Coaches:
Alan Phillips (OC); Jeremy Whitten
(OL/OLB); Marty Mayfield (R/DB); Derrick Conde (RB/DE);
Mike Craft (R/DB)
S ch e d u l e
According to the Detroit Eagles Head Football Coach,
District 17-1A has gotten much harder with the addition
of Big Sandy and Hawkins. They both were competitive
last season and were fairly young. Maud is still the
district favorite with 17 returning from a team that
advanced to the state semi finals.
Mascot:
Enrollment:
Superintendent: Athletic Director: Head Coach: Assistant Coaches: Mike Barley
Detroit
08/30
09/5
09/12
09/19
09/26
10/3
10/10
10/17
10/24
10/31
Brook Hill
Away
Mt. Enterprise
Home
Winona
Away
Price Carlisle
Home
Fruitvale
Home
Open
Maud*
Away
Simms Bowie*
Home
Detroit*
Away
Big Sandy*
Home
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
11/7 Union Hill*
7:30 p.m.
Away
2:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
the way, but we are ready to step up to that next level.”
By racking up enormous numbers during an outstanding
season, the Cardinals’ stats read like a who’s who list:
Offense - 4,400 yards rushing, 1,250 yards passing,
5,700 total offense
Defense - 33 sacks, 106 tackles for loss, 37 fumbles
caused, 17 fumbles recovered, 12 interceptions, 4
blocked punts
Maud returns every offensive lineman. This will surely
help to increase their ground attack. In fact, most of this
playoff experienced team is still intact. 9 starters return
on defense, and 9 on offense. Because there are so
many players returning, Coach Finney does not expect
to make any significant changes in his offensive and
defensive schemes.
Some big names return at starters for Maud including the
District’s “Newcomer of the Year,” in quarterback Jake
McClain, as well as the “Defensive Player of the District,”
in linebacker Taylor Carlow. Also returning is Bradley
McClain, a 1st Team All-District receiver and defensive
back. With all this talent, Coach Finney says the key to
having a successful season is to stay healthy.
In addressing the UIL Realignment, Finney said, “No
doubt the realignment will have a major impact on
the District simply with the addition of Big Sandy and
Hawkins. All teams in the 17-1A have improved and will
be ready to play. It won’t be easy.”
“It is an exciting year for us right now,” expressed Finney.
“We had a great off season. We were champions in
track and we look forward to transferring all that speed
and strength to the football field.”
Maud Cardinals
John Ceynowa
Stormy Jones
Nathan Hartsell
J. T. Stanley
As a unanimous pick to win District 17-1A, thirdyear Athletic Director and Head Coach Josh Finney
and the Cardinals are not resting on the laurels and
accomplishments of this past season. They had a
successful season in which they won the district and
advanced to the state semifinals in the playoffs before
losing to Bremond.
After a captivating 12-2 season, nearly everyone in
District 17-1A is talking about the dominance that Maud
had and will exhibit again this year. In providing his
overview of the past successful season, Coach Finney
simply said, “It was a fun ride and we’re just looking
forward to repeating some of that success this season.”
A perennial powerhouse, Maud can legitimately walk
with a swagger because approximately 95 percent of
the players from last year’s playoff team are returning.
Although they lost to graduation Carson Jordan, the
“Northeast Texas Tight End of the Year,” and Rob Hill,
the 1st Team All-State Running Back, the Cardinals
can rest at ease with three D-1 caliber players on the
roster ready for action. These players: James Dunbar
– DL/RB; Ray Burns – DL/OL; and Bryant House – DL/
OL, all have made verbal commitments to play at Texas
Christian University (TCU) following graduation.
Coach Finney stated, “We are on a mission. Our goal
this year is to win a state championship. We have a
large senior class of players returning and these kids are
hungry to win and have been playing together for a long
time. We are going to have to catch some breaks along
63
Senior Senior Senior Senior TE/DE
RB/DE
TB/RB/DB
RB/DB
Mascot: Cardinals
Enrollment: 144
Superintendent: Robert Stinnett
Athletic Director/Head Coach: Josh Finney
Assistant Coaches: Michael Skelton, Jeff Callahan,
Chris Dungan, Joel Windham, Clay Meyer
S ch e d u l e
08/28
Tenaha
09/5
Open
09/12
Waskom
Home
7:30 p.m.
Home
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
09/19
Lindale-Kildare
Away
09/26
Cumby
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Ore City
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Hawkins*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Union Hill*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
James Bowie*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Detroit*
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Big Sandy*
Away
7:30 p.m.
District 17-1A
James Bow ie Pirates
The Pirates have only been to the playoffs 8 times in
the school’s history. Two of those have been the past
two seasons. That’s reason enough for 5th year head
coach Jamie Thomas to feel good about the direction
his program is headed. “I’m looking forward to a good
season and I think we are going to have a good year,”
said Thomas.
“Our district had only 4 teams last year so we knew
if we could win a few games we would make the
playoffs. I think we had a pretty average team, but
we played well against larger schools. We won 3 nondistrict games, 1 district game and made the playoffs
at 4-7, only to lose to Joaquin for the second straight
year,” said Coach Thomas.
Coach Thomas feels that the Pirates are going to be
much better this year in spite of the district getting
tougher with the additions of former 2A teams Hawkins
and Big Sandy. It is going to be tougher for anyone to
make the playoffs, but experienced James Bowie will
definitely make it more competitive.
The incoming junior class has had two full seasons
under their belt. They got good game time experience
during their freshman and sophomore years. Combine
that with a great senior class it should help the James
Bowie Pirates secure a playoff spot for the third
consecutive year.
The senior class will provide the necessary leadership
with returning RB Nic Pistolis, who rushed for 1502
yards last year and scored 16 touchdowns. Coach
Thomas says that with Pistolis in the backfield, “we
are going to be able to run the ball effectively.”
The JV quarterback, Zach Burk, who can really throw
the ball, will more than likely be pegged as the starter
this year. The combination of Burk and Pistolis will
make a pretty good offense.
Former starter at QB, Justin Arsenault, was probably
the biggest loss to the Pirates on offense. Additionally,
linebacker Wade Johnson was the biggest loss on
defense. Both gone via graduation.
But with the return of 8 starters on offense and 7
on defense, the Pirates’ experience will show up
dramatically on the field. As Coach Thomas puts it,
“We should be in pretty good shape.
The impressive size of some of his players is something
Coach Thomas can boast about. He will feature guys
like 1st Team All-District DT Maison Hudgeons at 6-2,
250lbs.; 3-year starter, TE Corey Smith at 6-1, 175lbs.;
DB Toby Raney, a 3-year starter at 6-2, 185 lbs.; RB/
LB William Decker at 5-10, 175 lbs.; and OG Garrett
Kruse at 6-3, 260 lbs. These are all players to watch.
Coach Thomas will have a large number of players
to select from this year. He expects 60 to 63 kids
to come out for football. Of that number, there will
be 12 seniors returning. Coach Thomas points to
senior leadership, off-season workouts for strength
and experience as the three keys for a place in postseason for the Pirates.
Players To Watch
Maison Hudgeons
Corey Smith
Toby Raney
Garrett Kruse
William Decker
Senior Senior Senior Junior Senior DT
TE
WR/DB
OG/DE
RB/LB
Pirates
Mascot: Enrollment:
186
Superintendent:
Rex Burks
Athletic Director/Head Coach: Jamie Thomas
Assistant Coaches: Jamie Thomas (Offense
Coordinator); Eddy May (Defense Coordinator), Charles
Hudgins (Assistant Coach), Keith Hawkins.
Schedule
8/29
and Blake Sanders, All-District tight end. With a total
of 15 lettermen returning, 5 starters on offense and
5 on defense, experienced players should be able to
step in and fill the voids.
The keys to Union Hill’s success will hinge on how
well and quickly the kids learn a new system under
the new coaching staff. Their strength should lie with
the linebackers.
Coach Blair said, “The team does not have a lot of
great talent, however, if players work hard, execute,
make plays and do things right, they will have a good
season and win a lot of ball games. As I leave the
program, I wish the team good luck and hope the kids
have a good season.”
Players To Watch
Carlisle
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Rivercrest
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Alba Golden
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Cumby
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Open
10/03
Boles
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Big Sandy*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Hawkins*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Maud*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Union Hill*
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/07
Detroit*
Away
7:30 p.m.
Union Hill Bulldogs
After chewing up more than 1,000 yards on the ground
rushing attack, the Union Hill Bulldogs are smarting
over the loss of Maurice Moore to graduation. It’s
going to take a lot to fill the big shoes of this 1st
Team All-District running back. The Bulldogs are also
agonizing over the departure of three key players,
the starting quarterback and an offensive lineman to
Gilmer as well as All-District linebacker Lenny Nash
who withdrew from school. And if that isn’t enough,
Athletic Director and Head Coach Buddy Blair is
leaving after 8 years to jump into the 5A ranks as the
defensive line coach at John Tyler. John Woodard of
Mt. Pleasant will take over the AD and head coach job
at Union Hill this upcoming season.
Being decimated by such tremendous losses, one
would think that Union Hill is destined for a bad season.
Despite the losses, departing head coach Buddy Blair
says the upcoming season’s outlook is still good. After
leading the team to the playoffs last year, before losing
in the first round to Teneha, Blair said the team is more
experienced and if the players work hard they can face
any challenge. “If you look at what we did last year,
you will find that we lost a lot of close games that could
have gone either way. The players should be able to
turn it around this year.”
Union Hill’s outlook is bright and looking better with the
return of LaQuinton Waters, All-District running back
64
Blake Sanders
LaQuinton Waters
Matt Johnson
Josh DeMoss JaQuavion Cummings
Mascot:
Enrollment:
Superintendent:
Head Coach:
Assistant Coaches: Senior Senior Junior Senior Junior LB/TE/FB
LB/DE/RB
OL/DE
C
RB/DB
Bulldogs
92
Sharon Richardson
John Woodard
not named at time of printing
Schedule
8/29
Fruitvale
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Cumby
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Carlise
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Overton
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Quinlan Boles
Away
10/3
Bye
10/10
Detroit*
10/17
District 19-1A
A New 19 -1 A Leaves No Easy Road to Postseason
The landscape of 19-1A football is crowded with giants and playoff teams. Timpson and Waskom move down from 2A to 1A, joining four teams
that made playoff appearances last season.
“I think it’s much stronger with those class 2As coming down,” Beckville head coach Donald Hubbard said. “The district overall got a lot
rougher.”
“It’s going to be a hard-fought district,” Mt. Enterprise coach Louie Johnson said. “It’s good for us to be in with Timpson though, we’re so close
it’s a ready-made rivalry.”
Now with three playoff spots at stake, the four returning 1A teams will try and stake their claims over the larger schools making their first
appearance at the small-school level.
“The rest of us were used to each other,” Joaquin coach Wayne Gandy said, “That makes it more mysterious. I don’t feel they’ve played that
much better talent-wise, but I think it’ll be a big uplift for them coming down to 1A.”
“We hate losing Overton and Carlisle,” Tenaha head coach Scott Tyner said. “We went out of one frying pan and into another, picking up West
Sabine, Timpson and Waskom. All the teams from the old district are playoff teams and you move in four 2A schools.”
“Every week is rough. There’s no doormat, no last place team.”
Beck v ille Bearcats
The Beckville Bearcats parlayed a tough start
last season into a playoff appearance, finishing
6-5 in their second year under head coach
Donald Hubbard.
The Bearcats return five starters on offense and six
on defense, providing enough experience to start
the season, but still plenty of opportunity for younger
players to find their roles. Hubbard says the Bearcats
will lean on that offensive line, especially early in the
season.
Seth Kirkland
Lane Gentry
Senior
Senior
OL/DL
RB/LB
Mascot: Bearcats
Enrollment: 149
Superintendent: Devin Tate
Head Coach: Donald Hubbard
Assistant Coaches: Jason Ballenger, Chris Deason, Vic
Nyvall, Wynn Short, David Fleming
S ch e d u l e
7:30 p.m.
Anchoring the line will be returning all-district player
and captain Seth Kirkland.
8/29
Cushing Away
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
“Seth was our captain last year,” Hubbard said. “He’s
really a leader on this team.”
9/5
Home
9/12
Ore City
Away
7:30 p.m.
Maud*
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Sabine Home
7:30 p.m.
Away 7:30 p.m.
Home
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Big Sandy*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
James Bowie*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Hawkins*
Home
7:30 p.m.
17-1A Preseas o n
Coaches’ Po l l
1. Maud
2. Big Sandy
3. Hawkins
4. James Bowie
5. Detroit
6. Union Hill
The backfield will be new for the Bearcats, with
last year’s leading rusher T.J. Adams taking his 24
touchdowns and 1700 yards to the University of
Central Arkansas, and quarterback Seth Hubbard
electing to play college basketball at the University of
Texas at Tyler.
Hubbard says Lane Gentry will step in to take on the
duties of carrying the ball this season. Senior Cody
Miles will be the Bearcats starting quarterback. One of
his main targets should be J.C. Whitaker, a sophomore
tight end who was the district’s freshman of the year
in 2007.
“We’ll probably be even more run-oriented this
year,” Hubbard said. “Our line should be strong, the
experience of those guys really helps.”
The defense will be led by Gentry, who was also an
all-district linebacker last year. They’ll look to replace
the production of Caleb Ogden, last year’s leading
tackler, who has moved on to play baseball at Panola
College.
Union Grove
9/26
Tenaha* 10/3
OPEN
10/10
Joaquin* Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Timpson* Away
10/24
Waskom* Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
West Sabine* Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Mt. Enterprise*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Joaquin Rams
Under Wayne Gandy, the Joaquin Rams have become
a perennial playoff team. They followed up their 9-3
record in 2006 by going a round farther in 2007,
finishing 10-3 for their best-ever finish. Gandy has led
the Rams to the playoffs all six seasons of his tenure
and he says getting results on the varsity starts long
before his Rams walk through the doors of Joaquin
High School.
65
“We run the same offense and defense from our
pee-wee league all the way through varsity,” Gandy
explains. “When the kids come in, they already know
what it’s supposed to look like. They just have to work
on the technical details.”
The Rams return seven starters on offense and eight
on defense, and Gandy says it all starts up front with
his line.
“The offensive line was impressive last year with some
great running backs behind them,” Gandy said. “This
year it’s an opportunity to come into their own. I’m
really looking for some positive things out of them.”
Gandy points to the experience on his line, with his
seniors having started twenty-five games in the last
two seasons, including Dillon Grafton and Corbin
Obregon.
“He’s been a two-year starter,” Gandy said of Grafton,
“and he’s a team leader. He’ll get after you and really
get up in your face.”
Although Obregon has started at both center
and tackle, Gandy says he’ll be written in ink at
the tackle spot for his senior season. Greg Perry is
also expected to play both sides at guard and outside
linebacker.
The Rams will need that line to hit the ground pushing,
since they’ll be replacing a pair of all-state running
backs in Patrick Gandy and Eric Permenter.
The Rams also have some young award-winning
talent coming up, with last year’s freshman of the year
Tyler McSwain returning.
“He stepped in,” Gandy said, “and followed the
leadership of the older guys. Now it’s his turn to do
that.”
Joaquin also has the district’s sophomore of the year
coming back, Cole Leflett. Leflett was a linebacker last
season, but this year the junior will get his first start at
quarterback.
Continued
Joaquin
District 19-1A
District 19-1A
Continued
One of his main targets will be tight end Brandon
Cockrell, a two-year starter.
“He’s going to grow up and step up,” Gandy said of
Cockrell. “This year, he’s going to really reach his
potential.”
Dillon Grafton
Corban Obregon
Brandon Cockrell
Greg Perry
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
OL/LB
OL
TE/DE
OL/OLB
Mascot: Rams
Enrollment: 186
Superintendent: Phil Worsham
Head Coach: Wayne Gandy
Coaching Staff:
Steven Mccann, Brian Gandy,
Lynn Burlison, Mark Lawrence, Scott Owens
Sch e d u l e
8/28
White Oak
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Shelbyville
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Burkeville
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Cushing
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Mt. Enterprise*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Tenaha*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Beckville*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
OPEN
10/24
Timpson*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Waskom*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
West Sabine*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Mount Enterprise
W ildcats
In Louie Johnson’s first year at Mt. Enterprise, the Wildcats
did a complete 180. His team went from 2-8 to 8-2 and
competed for their first playoff spot in three years.
“My first year we played with a lot of freshmen,”
Johnson said, “and they were sophomores last year.
We grew up in a hurry.”
The Wildcats finish last year was even more
impressive, Johnson said, when you factor in the toll
of the season.
“We had a lot of injuries last year,” Johnson said,
“really, more than I had ever seen in one season. We
had some key injuries and the kids really hung in there
and played well.”
Last year, the Wildcats wound up the season in a tie
for the final playoff spot and missed out on the postseason. This year with seven offensive and eight
defensive starters coming back, they’re stocked with
veterans.
10/11
“We do have a lot of experience coming back this year,”
Johnson said. “They’ve just kind of got a confidence
about them now. They know what it takes, and they
played very well. I’m really proud of them, they never
quit last year.”
10/31
Tenaha*
Home
7:30 p.m.
8/29
Colmesneil
Away
11/7
Beckville*
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Hemphill
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Garrison
Away
7:30 p.m.
The offense starts with quarterback Larry Solomon,
who took the district’s newcomer of the year award as
a sophomore.
“We’re expecting big things,” Johnson said. “Last year
was his first year to start. We’ve seen a real change in
him, how he carries himself. Experience is a wonderful
teacher.”
Solomon will be joined in the backfield by Kevin
Pope.
“He was our starting tailback the last two years,”
Johnson said, “but he broke a foot early in the season
against West Rusk. We really missed him, we wound
up playing seven other tailbacks without him.”
Mike Deveraux, an all-district lineman, returns to anchor
the defense. Junior Don’t’avia Bryant also returns from
a solid sophomore season in the secondary.
Lineman D.J. Yoder is back for his senior year, and
hoping to stay healthy. “He’s had some nagging injury
problems, but we’re hoping for a good season from
him. Hopefully he’ll be able to stay at one hundred
percent.”
Reggie King was a two-way second team all-district
selection last year at running back and linebacker.
Waskom*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
West Sabine*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/24
OPEN
West Sabine Tiger s
After two playoff seasons in 24-A, the West Sabine
Tigers move over to 19-1A in their second year under
coach Todd Stark. He said the new district mates don’t
mean the remaining 1A teams will be fighting for the
scraps.
“That doesn’t bother me,” Stark said, “we’ve been a
2A team also. It is a tougher district, but I think the
toughness is good because I think the top three teams
out of this district will advance quite a ways in the
playoffs.”
The Tigers went 8-4 last season and Stark says their
success this year starts up front.
“Our offensive line is going to be a strong point,” Stark
said. “We’re looking for great things from them.”
The line returns second team All-State center Clayton
Hood in the middle, and also Brien Birdwell and Blake
Edmisten. The line will be counted on to buy time
while new quarterback Devonte Thomas gets used to
running the offense.
“He’s quite an athlete for us,” Johnson said.
“We’ve got a young guy coming in as a quarterback,”
Stark said, “he’s just a sophomore but people are
going to be looking at him. He’s 6’4” and fast, and we’ll
just need him to step in and grow up in a hurry.”
Players to Watch
The Tigers will have running back Chris Parks in the
backfield as well, a junior with good speed.
Larry Solomon
Kevin Pope
Reggie King
Mike Deveraux
Junior
Senior
Senior
Senior
QB
RB
RB/LB
OL/DL
Mascot: Wildcats
Enrollment: 138
Superintendent: Dean Evans
Head Coach: Louie Johnson
Assistant Coaches: Scott Holzhauer,
Justin Keeling, Clint Creel, Jim Thompson
Players to Watch
Clayton Hood
Brien Birdwell
Blake Edmisten
Devonte Thomas
Chris Parks
Schedule
8/29
Cushing
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Hawkins
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Shelbyville
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Big Sandy
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Joaquin*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Timpson*
Away
7:30 p.m.
66
On defense, the Tigers will have a strong linebacking
corps with junior J.T. Jones and Brien Edmiston, twin
brother of Blake. Hood and Birdwell will start on the
defensive line also, and senior defensive back Jacari
Parks will return as well.
Senior
Senior
Senior
Sophomore
Senior
OL
OL
OL
QB
RB
Mascot: Tigers
Enrollment: 176
Superintendent: Travis Edwards
Head Coach: Todd Stark
Assistant Coaches: Jeff Parks, Tom Springs,
James Herron, Matt Hartnett, Will Mcinnis
Continued
West Sabine
Tyner said the Tigers won’t make any major changes
on defense, but will switch some personnel around for
better match-ups.
Continued
S ch e d u l e
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Deweyville
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Timpson*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Waskom*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/10
OPEN
10/17
Mt. Enterprise*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/25
Tenaha* (SAT) Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Beckville*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Joaquin*
Tenaha Tiger s
The Tenaha Tigers posted another playoff appearance
last year, but it’s not just the postseason experience that
has reigning coach of the year Scott Tyner excited.
“We return juniors and seniors for the first time since
I’ve been here,” says the fourth year coach. “It’s really
been a great spring in that you feel that as a head
coach, you used to see yourself managing young kids
and pushing them to work. This year, the veterans
have put it on themselves and taken ownership of the
team. You don’t have to worry about building chemistry,
they’re doing it themselves.”
In addition to bringing back eight starters on each
side of the ball, Tyner’s seniors have played thirtyfive varsity games, with returning two-way All-Stater
Marlon McClure heading up the list.
“Marlon McClure will probably be our starting
quarterback and leading receiver,” Tyner explains.
“That should tell you what kind of athlete he is.”
McClure was district MVP as a junior, and also returns
a backfield full of weapons.
“I’ve got two running backs I don’t have to coach,”
Tyner said. “They’ve run the offense for three years.”
“We’re expecting big things from Cameron Choice,”
Tyner said, “he’ll be a fourth-year tailback. He’s had
3500 yards in his career and really carried us in the
playoffs.”
“We’ve been a spread team,” Tyner said. “We threw
it less and less last year as the season went on. We
strive for about 10-15 passes a game, that probably
won’t change.”
Tyner expects the best from returning all-district
players Jonathan Hurst, Andrew Evans and Charleston
Garner.
“Those guys are really athletic, and they’ve had a lot of
playing time. They know what they’re doing.”
“We’re going to play a lot of opponents with power
running games,” he said. “We’ll switch up to match
that.”
“We’ve got the makings to be a really good class 1A
playoff team,” Tyner laughs. “The bad news is that
everybody else in this district does too.”
Marlon McClure
Cameron Choice
Senior
Senior
QB/DB
RB
Mascot: Tigers
Enrollment: 117
Superintendent: Don Fallin
Head Coach: Scott Tyner
Mike Barner, Terry Ward, Ian
Assistant Coaches: White, Kevin Cates, Chad Ashby
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Maud
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Hull-Daisetta
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Trinity
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Burkeville
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Beckville*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Joaquin*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Timpson* Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Waskom* Away
7:30 p.m.
10/25
West Sabine* (SAT)
Home 7:30 p.m.
10/31
Mt. Enterprise*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
OPEN
Timpson Bear s
The Timpson Bears went 1-9 last season as a 2A
team. In his second year as head coach, Norman
Cobb hopes to push the Bears back to the playoffs
for the first time since they were district champions in
2003.
“Graduation probably helped us,” Cobb said, “those poor
seniors had three football coaches in their four years of
high school. We need stability, and moving down to 1A
where the numbers are more even will help out.”
Cobb says with Timpson’s small enrollment, the last
two years were a struggle to compete with the larger
schools in terms of athletes available.
“I feel good about moving down,” Cobb explains,
“because Elysian Fields and Tatum and Arp, they just
had too many kids. We’d have twenty-five kids come
out and we just couldn’t compete. Hopefully having the
numbers closer will give us a good opportunity.”
The Bears will return three starters on offense and
67
four on defense, including senior quarterback Jeremy
Adams.
“He’s about 6’2”, 206, and he ran a 22 flat in the 200
meters,” Cobb said. “How he goes will be how we go.
He’s got to have a good year for us to have success.”
Adams will have help in the backfield, with sophomore
tailback Laderius Bryan returning. Cobb says Bryan
will be an impact player for him.
“As a freshman last year, he came on like gangbusters.
He’s got great speed, and getting that experience last
year will help.”
Cobb also expects senior wide receiver Dexter Durham
to be an offensive threat for the Bears. He says the
Bears will have speed, and that’s a good thing for a
team lacking in size.
“What we don’t have,” Cobb said, “is big offensive
linemen. We got some little guys up front.”
Cobb says the line will determine what direction
Timpson takes this season.
“We know we can’t line up and knock people off the
line, so we’re going to be using some misdirection,
angle blocks and things like that. We’ll have to rely
on our speed.”
“If we can get them past the line of scrimmage, we’ve
got some guys who can really run.”
On defense, linebackers Bryan and E.J. Goodrum are
returners.
“Across the front, we’re going to have some young
guys,” Cobb said. “E.J. Goodrum is one of those really
intelligent kids and a veteran, he’ll make all of our calls
and try and keep everything in order out there.”
“We think we’re going to be able to run this season,”
Cobb said. “We’re going to work a lot on our return
games, what speed we’ve got, I think we can take
advantage there.”
Jeremy Adams
Dexter Durham
Laderious Bryan
E.J. Goodrum
Senior
Senior
Sophomore
Senior
QB
WR
RB/LB
OL/LB
Mascot: Tigers
Enrollment: 186
Superintendent: Dr. Leland Moore
Head Coach: Norman Cobb
Assistant Coaches: James Spivey, Justin Calvin,
Clayton Sanders, Justin Smith
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Shelbyville
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Burkeville
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Tyler Episcopal
Away
7:30 p.m.
Continued
Timpson
District 19-1A
District 20-1A
Until Someone K nocks Them O f f… A lto Is Still the Favorite in 20 -1 A
athletic ability and determination, he’s a great kid.”
Continued
9/19
Garrison
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
West Sabine*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Mt. Enterprise*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Tenaha*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Beckville*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Joaquin*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
OPEN
11/7
Waskom*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Waskom W ildcats
The Waskom Wildcats have some work to do this
season. The Wildcats are looking for their first playoff
appearance since 1992, and are coming off a 1-9
season. Fourth year coach Nathan Turner said last
year’s record drove this year’s off-season program.
“We’ve had a great turnout,” Turner said. “I think a lot
of that was because of that 1-9 season. The kids made
their mind up that that wasn’t going to happen again
and started working early.”
“Getting out of that district was also a big deal,” Turner
said. “It’ll be nice to play against teams on the same
level, the numbers game at 2A is a tough battle.”
Experience favors Waskom this season, with seven
offensive and eight defensive starters returning. While
last year’s campaign was disappointing, it did give
Waskom’s younger players a chance to claim some
playing time.
Tailback Braylon Tatum will start for the Wildcats, and
Turner says he has great potential.
“He’s a kid that played some last year as a sophomore.
He ran a 4.42, and he’s got a lot of potential. As far as
Tatum will be joined in the backfield by sophomore
Jacolby Johnson, another player coming off an
impressive freshman year on varsity.
“He started the last three games as a fullback,” Turner
said, “he should have a really good year.”
Sophomore A.J. Jackson returns, after leading the
team in receptions last year as a freshman. Up front,
the Wildcats will be led by three returning starters,
juniors Matt Goode and Brandon Weglowski and twoyear starter senior Josh Bumpers.
“It’s great,” Turner said. “I know it’s good to have skill
position players back, but returning linemen is one of
the most important things. They have the experience,
you don’t have to teach them anything.”
Superintendent: Jimmy Cox
Head Coach: Nathan Turner
Waskom Coaches: Brian Lowe, Stephen Westbrook, Richard
Cooper, Nolan Daley, Kerry Lane
Schedule
Winona
Home
7:30 p.m.
Elysian Fields
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Maud
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Redwater
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
OPEN
“It is a very competitive and tough district,” Cross Roads head coach Chancz Johnson said. “You still have Alto, Grapeland and Cayuga and then
you add an Overton and Carlisle. It is one of the toughest district in 1A.”
10/3
West Sabine*
Home
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
If last year’s playoff success of the district teams is any indication, it will be one of the toughest districts in the classification. Along with Alto
winning another state title, Cayuga and Grapeland both went three rounds deep in the Class A, Division II playoff bracket.
Mt. Enterprise *(SAT)
Away
“We had four more guys who got significant playing
time last year, so our line should be strong and deep.”
Tenaha*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Beckville*
Away
7:30 p.m.
Overall, the Wildcats will be a fast team.
10/31
Joaquin*
Home
7:30 p.m.
“We had 30 kids from freshman through juniors in
our off-season program,” Turner said. Twenty of them
were under a five flat.”
11/7
Timpson*
Away
7:30 p.m.
Braylon Tatum
A.J. Jackson
Matt Goode
Josh Bumpers
Jacolby Johnson
Brandon Weglowski
Junior
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Sophomore
Junior
RB/LB
RB/CB
OL/DL
OL/DL
RB/LB
OL/DL
19-1A Presea s o n
Coaches’ Po l l
1. Mt. Enterprise
2. Joaquin
3. Tenaha
4. West Sabine
5. Timpson
6. Beckville
7. Waskom
Mascot: Wildcats
Enrollment: 192
Saturday MorningS
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68
“The district just got a lot tougher,” Cayuga head coach Tommy Allison said. “We have the two-time defending state champions and then add
two quality football teams. There are going to be no nights off because these seven teams can play football.”
9/5
10/11
Players to Watch
There are several familiar faces in District 20-1A — including two-time Class A state champion Alto — after the latest University Interscholastic
League realignment.
8/29
10/17
“Now, we’ve just got to translate that to the football
field.”
Scott Tyler - Palestine Herald-Press
The familiar teams in District 20-1A are Alto, Cayuga, Grapeland, Cross Roads and Cushing and the new teams on the block are Carlisle and
Overton.
“The district is going to be tough and Alto, Cayuga and Grapeland, to me, look to be the top teams,” one district coach said. “I am hoping the
rest of us can find a way in. Every team has potential and it is going to be very competitive.”
Not only does the new District 20-1A have strong teams but also return quality athletes. The district has five returning Associated Press Class
A All-State players — first-team running back Traylon Shead of Cayuga, second-team running back Marcus Gasaway of Alto and Grapeland’s
Henry Faulk and Ta’Coyus Walker, who both were named as honorable mention defensive picks.
“There is definitely a boost of caliber athletes that will be seen week after week,” Alto head coach Keith Gardner.
A lto Yellowjackets
The Alto Yellowjackets enter the 2008 season as the
premier team in Class A.
The Yellowjackets not only have won back-to-back
state championships, but they have been perfect in
doing it. Alto has won 28 straight games on its way
to two state titles and last year, the Yellowjackets
outscored their opponents 622-80 in 14 games.
“They are the very best in the state,” Cayuga head
coach Tommy Allison said of Alto. “They are going to
be the preseason No. 1 ranked team and they are a
measuring stick of where our program is.”
Alto lost some key players from last season including
Tarlandus Mitchell, Lance Low and Clayton Scott,
but the Yellowjackets still hope to be going for a third
straight title. “We look to be real competitive again this
year,” Alto head coach Keith Gardner said.
The run to the state title last year also may benefit
Alto this year because of the experience gained by the
younger players who will be filling those open spots.
“Those kids have been there before and understand
what it takes,” Gardner said. “It also gave them several
extra practices to improve for next year.”
Alto has seven returning starters on offense including
senior running back Marcus Gasaway, who was named
to the Associated Press Class A All-State second team
as a junior. Gasaway rushed for over 1,000 yards and
20 touchdowns. DeMarcus Griffin will join Gasaway
in the backfield.
For the third straight year, Alto will be handing the
reins of the offense to a new starting quarterback. After
Julian Willis and Mitchell led their teams to state titles,
this year the quarterback duties will go to sophomore
DeSonte Jones. Jones had playing time as a wide
receiver in 2007.
The Yellowjackets have six returning starters on
defense, led by junior Makio Houston, who moves
from outside to inside linebacker. Gasaway and Griffin
also will be at linebacker spots and Jared Moore will
roam deep as a defensive back.
P l aye r s t o Wa t ch :
Marcus Gasaway Makio Houston DeMarcus Griffin Jared Moore Senior Senior
Senior Senior RB/LB
LB
RB/LB
DB
Mascot: Yellowjackets
Enrollment: 170
Superintendent: Dr. Ray DeSpain
Head Coach: Keith Gardner
Assistant Coaches: Jim Dallard, Paul Gould, Augustus
Moore, John Dixon, Jay Witt, Chuck Gresham, Clint Gardner.
S ch e d u l e
8/29
San Augustine
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Garrison
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Arp
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Frankston
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Grapeland*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Carlisle*
Away
7:30 p. m.
10/10
Overton*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Cross Roads*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Cushing*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Cayuga*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Open
69
Carlisle Indians
The Carlisle Indians enter a new district with a young
squad but that does not deter head coach Rocky Baker.
“We lost a lot of athletes from last year and we are
going to play a lot of kids that were on JV,” Baker said.
“This is an unbelievable district that is very top-heavy,
but we feel we can compete in it.”
The Indians have only five starters returning on the
offensive and defensive sides of the ball. One of the
biggest losses from last year is fullback Riley Seider, who
was one of the better backs in East Texas in Class A play.
“You can’t replace someone like Riley,” Baker said. “We
are going to need a committee of guys at that position
and we are looking at them all to fill that role.”
While Carlisle lost six starters on offense, the Indians
return four-year quarterback Cannon Coleman.
“Cannon is very tough and smart,” Baker said. “He
takes care of the huddle, runs the offense well and
knows what to expect.”
The Indians also have three returning starters on the
offense line — Juan Alfaro at guard, Clayton Barnett at
center and Brent Jordan, a two-year starter at guard.
Braden Pace also will be a starter on the offensive
and defensive lines as he has made an impression on
the Carlisle coaches during the off-season. “Braden
should be a two-way starter for us as he has worked
harder than anyone else in this program,” Baker said.
The Carlisle head coach said the key on offense for
his squad is to have a ball-control team that will eat
up clock. “We have to keep some of the high-powered
offenses in our district off the field,” Baker said. “We
also have to get some breaks and make some breaks
for ourselves.”
Continued
Carlisle
District 20-1A
District 20-1A
Continued
Along with playing on the offensive line, Jordan will
move to middle linebacker and become the center of
the Indian defense. A pair of junior varsity players from
last year, Colen Stokes and Josh Simmons, will help
secure the line as defensive ends for the Indians.
Cannon Coleman Juan Alfaro
Brent Jordan Braden Pace Senior Senior Senior
Senior
QB
OL
OL/LB
OL/DL
Mascot: Indians
Enrollment: 171
Superintendent: Michael R. Payne
Head Coach: Rocky Baker
Assistant Coaches: Henry Pace, Tony Bowles, Keith
Walton, Welsey Colley, James Mansinger, Donny Hoag
Sch e d u l e
8/29
Simms Bowie
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Colmesneil
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Gilmer Union Hill
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Hawkins
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Cayuga*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Alto*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Grapeland*
10/17
Open
10/24
Overton*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Cross Roads*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Cushing*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Cay uga W ildcats
The Cayuga Wildcats not only have the most starters
returning than any other team in the district, but the
Wildcats also may have the best player coming back
in Traylon Shead.
Shead, a returning first-team All-State running back, is
one of 10 returning starters on a Cayuga offense that
averaged over 35 points and 383 yards of offense last
season in leading the Wildcats to their second straight
playoff experience.
“We have the opportunity to have a really good
season,” Cayuga head coach Tommy Allison said.
“The key for us is that we need to stay healthy.”
Shead, a junior, is becoming a household name in
East Texas after he rushed for 2,810 yards and 33
touchdowns as a sophomore. Shead, who averaged
over 11 yards a carry, rushed for over 200 yards eight
times and 300 yards three times. “We fully expect
Traylon to be one of the leaders of our offense,” Allison
said. “We expect to see him as a stronger runner that
will be able to not only run around people but break
tackles and run through people.”
Along with a potent running attack, the Wildcats last
year showed the ability to throw the ball and share the
wealth as three receivers had more than 20 catches.
Leading the passing game for the second year will
be senior quarterback Broc January, who threw for
1,371 yards and 18 touchdowns. “Broc needs to be
the leader of our offense,” Allison said. “He needs to
be able to get the ball to different people because we
have four quality receivers on the field.”
Cayuga returns three starting wide receivers including
Malcome Kennedy, who had 34 catches, and Caleb
Summerville, who caught six touchdowns.
The Wildcats also return an All-State player on
defense in Kyle Wiseman, who was an honorable
mention selection at defensive tackle. “Kyle is going
to be an impact player for our defense,” Allison said.
“He is going to draw a lot of attention and either he is
going to make plays himself or open it up for others to
make plays.”
Players to Watch
Traylon Shead Kyle Wiseman Caleb Summerville Malcome Kennedy Junior Senior Junior Junior RB
DL
WR
WR/DB
Mascot: Wildcats
Enrollment: 168
Superintendent: Dr, Rick Webb
Head Coach: Tommy Allison
Assistant Coaches: Josh Hubik, Greg Jenkins, Greg
Branch, Kevin January, Don Sharp
Cross Roads Bobcats
The Cross Roads Bobcats have the highest enrollment
in District 20-A but head coach Chancz Johnson still
is playing some form of the numbers game. Heading
into the summer, Johnson is hoping everyone who can
play football will be on the field by the time two-a-day
practices start in August. “If we can get all the kids to
come out, we will be competitive,” Johnson said. “We
have some talented kids at certain positions but we
need them to come out.”
Cross Roads strength this season will start on the
offensive line where the Bobcats have four returning
players including Shane Harris, Eric Van Dusen and
Andrew Giles. “They should have a big year,” Johnson
said of his offensive line.
The offensive line will most likely be protecting
sophomore Craig Lansley, who is slated as the Cross
Roads’ starting quarterback. Even if he is not taking
the snaps, Lansley will get time at running back.
Stephen Murph will be a wild card for Cross Roads
on offense and defense. He will play multiple positions
on offense including running back and quarterback
and be an outside linebacker on defense. “Stephen is
going to have to know every position,” Johnson said.
“He is going to start somewhere.”
The leader of the Cross Roads’ defense will be inside
linebacker Justin Cantrell. Giles and Harris also will be
on defense as the bookends for the Bobcats’ line.
Johnson said he has seen his team get faster and
stronger for this season. “We still don’t have that
breakaway guy like Alto or Cayuga has, but we have
improved a ton,” the Cross Roads head coach said.
Johnson enters his third season as head coach at
Cross Roads and he has been on the Bobcat staff for
eight years, which has brought some stability to the
football program. “The one thing they can count on
is that Coach Johnson will be here,” the Cross Roads
coach said.
Players to Watch
Schedule
8/29
Frankston
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Grand Saline
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Dawson
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Kerens
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Carlisle*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Overton*
Away
7:30 p. m.
10/10
Cross Roads*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Cushing*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Open
10/31
Alto*
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Grapeland*
Away
7:30 p.m.
70
Shane Harris Eric Van Dusen Andrew Giles Justin Cantrell Senior Senior Senior Senior OL/DE
OL
OL/DE
ILB
Mascot: Bobcats
Enrollment: 183.5
Superintendent: Clay Tompkins
Head Coach: Chancz Johnson
Assistant Coaches: Robert Hughes, Clint Thompson,
Eddie Ervin, Keith O’Brien
Continued
Cross Roads
Taylor Weitzel Trapper Kissinger Continued
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Scurry-Rosser
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Dawson
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Rice
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Fruitvale
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Open
10/3
Cushing*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Cayuga*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Alto*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Grapeland*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Carlisle*
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Overton*
Away
7:30 p.m.
Cushing Bearkats
After losing several seniors from last year’s team,
Cushing head coach Cory Spivey called the 2008
season a rebuilding one. “We will be in rebuilding
mode,” Spivey said. “We hope to be competitive but
we will have to do it with a lot of young faces. We are
going to find where everyone needs to be, but it is
going to take time.”
The Bearkats have five returning starters on offense
but none of those will be in the backfield as Cushing
has to replace both its starting quarterback and
running backs.
“Our entire backfield is lacking in the experience
department,” Spivey said. “They are going to get a lot
of work in the scrimmages and early games and our
goal is to have them ready by the time district starts.”
Cushing will have experience coming back on the
offensive line with three seniors — Thomas Simmons,
Taylor Weitzel and Josh Williams. “We are going
to expect big things from our three seniors on the
offensive line,” Spivey said. “Hopefully they will help
our young backs.”
Also returning for the Bearkats is senior wide receiver/
defensive back Jordy Gaddis, who can be a gamechanger on offense and defense for Cushing. “Jordy
is one of our major players and we are going to have
high hopes with him.” Spivey said.
The Cushing defense returns four starters including
junior linebacker Trapper Kissinger.
“Trapper started as a sophomore and we are hoping
for big things from him on defense,” Spivey said.
Helping Gaddis in the secondary will be senior safety
Jake Hunter.
Jordy Gaddis Thomas Simmons Senior Senior WR/DB
OL
Senior Junior OL
LB
Mascot: Bearkats
Enrollment: 155
Superintendent: Bob Caster
Head Coach: Cory Spivey
Assistant Coaches: Ron Cheek, Welf Jentsch, Conner
Roten, Justin Nicholson, Frank Brister
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Mount Enterprise
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Beckville
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Colmesneil
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Joaquin
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Overton*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Away
7:30 p.m.
Home
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Cross Roads*
10/10
Open
10/17
Cayuga*
10/24
Alto*
Away
10/31
Grapeland*
Home
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Carlisle*
Away
7:30 p.m.
Grapeland Sandies
Championships are won with defense.
That is what Grapeland is hoping as the Sandies return
seven starters from a defense that allowed less than
200 yards a game last season. “Last year defense
was a big point of emphasis and hopefully we can get
better this year,” Grapeland head coach Curt Faigle
said. “If we can be better in that phase of the game, it
sets the mentality for the whole team.”
Grapeland lost a key leader on defense in Tony Taylor,
but the Sandies return two Associated Press AllState Class A honorable mention selections — senior
linebacker Henry Faulk and junior defensive back
Ta’Coyus Walker.
Faulk led the team last season with 120 tackles, 15
for loss and had four sacks. Walker led the team
with seven interceptions. “Hopefully they (Faulk and
Walker) can bring leadership and work ethic to the
team,” Faigle said. “Last year Tony was our leader and
we need a guy to fill that role and take this team in the
right direction.”
Kendrick Davis also returns to the defense as a
linebacker after having 94 tackles and one sack last
season. Davis may get playing time as well on offense
at running back.
The offense returns six players including senior
quarterback Jared Murray, who threw for 1,473 yards
and 14 touchdowns last season. “Jared needs to be
71
able to show the young guys how things are done,”
Faigle said. “Jared is going to be that guy and we are
already seeing it during the spring in baseball.”
Murray’s top targets in the passing game includes
Walker, who led the team last year with 24 receptions
and Drew DeCuir, who had two touchdown catches.
In the running game, Brandon Walker will take the
starting job this season after being a back-up. Walker
was second on the team with 194 rushing yards.
“Brandon is a smaller runner but he is very strong,”
Faigle said. “He is going to get a lot of carries early on
to get some experience.”
Grapeland also will look to put a speedster in the
backfield in sophomore JaVontae McCoy, who played
on junior varsity last year and ran in the Class A state
100-meter dash in Austin in May. “JaVontae is going
to bring us an element that we have not had in the
backfield in a while,” Faigle said, eluding to McCoy’s
speed.
Henry Faulk Ta’Coyus Walker Jared Murray Kendrick Davis Senior Senior Senior Senior LB
DB/WR
QB
LB/RB
Mascot: Sandies
Enrollment: 161
Superintendent: E.D. Sumrall
Head Coach: Curt Faigle
Assistant Coaches: Jerry Richards, William Roberts, Paul
Veirs, Wes Padgett
S ch e d u l e
8/29
Centerville
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Grace Community Home
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Lovelady
Away
9/19
Elkhart
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Alto*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/3
Open
10/10
Carlisle*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Overton*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Cross Roads*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/31
Cushing*
Away
7:30 p.m.
11/7
Cayuga*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Trinity Clinic is pleased to announce the implementation of an electronic
medical record system for our patients. This new technology converts patient
records to an electronic system, taking patient care to a new level of quality.
• Instantaneous, paperless access to patient records, allowing quick
collaboration between primary care physicians and specialists
• Potential for errors reduced
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• Coordinated care you can trust—
from our team of more than 200 providers
representing 35 specialties
AVERAGE TIME TO COMPLETE SUDOKU PUZZLE: 35 minutes
AVERAGE TIME TO RETRIEVE A MEDICAL RECORD AT
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ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS
FASTER•SAFER•BETTER
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(80
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97
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District 20-1A
O ver ton Must angs
The Overton Mustangs will be wearing green on
Friday nights. Heading into the 2008 season, that also
may be the best way to describe what is going to be a
young Mustang squad.
Overton enters the new season expecting only four
seniors to come out for the team. “Our experience
is way down,” Overton head coach Stephen Dubose
said. “We feel good about our junior class and our
numbers are good, but they are a lot of young kids.”
With the lack of experience, Dubose said there will be
extra emphasis put on the Mustangs’ two scrimmages
and first three non-district games. “The scrimmages
become huge for us,” the Overton head coach said.
“We may have to go for longer sessions and give
different situations to them.”
Dubose said the key for the season is building a strong
offensive and defensive line. “We did not do a good job
on the offensive line last year,” Dubose said.
Overton has only three returning starters on offense
but one of those is high-octane junior Telvin Darden,
who will move from receiver to quarterback. As a
sophomore, Darden was named the district’s top
special teams player. “Telvin is an outstanding athlete
who runs an 11-flat 100 meters,” Dubose said. “He is
fast and strong and teams are going to have to look
out for him.”
The Mustangs return six starters on defense including
defensive linemen Kyle Keren and Josh Moore. Both
players were named to the district’s second team last
year. “These two are big kids who are going to anchor
our defense,” Dubose said.
Players to Watch
Telvin Darden Kyle Kerens Josh Moore Junior Senior Senior QB
DL/OL
DL
Mascot: Mustangs
Enrollment: 160
Superintendent: Jennifer Driver
Head Coach: Stephen Dubose
Assistant Coaches: Terry Lowry, Rodrick Portley,
Travis Jackson, Daniel Kern, Charles Rhoades
10/3
Cayuga*
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/10
Alto*
Away
7:30 p.m.
10/17
Grapeland*
Home
7:30 p.m.
Away
7:30 p.m.
Home
7:30 p.m.
10/24
Carlisle*
10/31
Open
11/7
Cross Roads*
20-A Preseaso n
Coaches’ Pol l
1. Alto
2. Cayuga
3. Grapeland
4. Carlisle
Schedule
8/29
Ore City
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/5
Glade. Union Grove Away
7:30 p.m.
9/12
Big Sandy
Away
7:30 p.m.
9/19
Gilmer Union Hill
Home
7:30 p.m.
9/26
Cushing*
Away
7:30 p.m.
72
5. Cushing
6. Overton
7. Cross Roads

Pigskin Preview 2008 Issue

Transcription

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