Football season is officially here. No, we're not talking about college football, that doesn't start for another week. And the start of the NFL season is still about two weeks away. Thursday night marks the start of another year of high school football. This weekend begins a run that every team hopes doesn't end until right before Christmas at Cowboys Stadium, the site of most state finals this year. Who are the teams and players to watch? Here's a look at how things might shake out in Class 4A and 5A.
Allen--- The Eagles are pretty much a consensus pick as the top team in 5A to start the year and why wouldn't they be? Coach Tom Westerberg's squad is led by talented signal caller Alec Morris, who threw for 2,534 yards and 32 touchdowns last year. Allen's backfield features Jonathan Williams, a Missouri commit who ran for 2,073 yards and 20 touchdowns. Wideout Andrew Rodriguez figures to be one of Morris' preferred targets through the air while the Eagle defense is led by the versatile Thaddeus LaGrone, who can play linebacker or safety.
Cibolo Steele--- The reigning state champions in 5A Division II, of course will begin life without star running back Malcolm Brown, who's now at Texas. Replacing him in the Steele backfield will be Jordan Sterns and junior Justin Stockton. Under center, last year's starter Tommy Armstrong returns along with receiver Matthew Mayle. But Steele's recipe for success remains the same-run the ball, play solid, hard-hitting defense and win. Again, they figure to do plenty of all three once again this fall.
Coppell--- Coppell finished last year at 13-1, running the table until losing in the playoffs. The good news is that much of that team returns as depth will be one of their biggest strengths in 2011. One new starter will be at quarterback, where Jake Larson takes over. Experienced receivers like Cameron Smith and Jason Lister should help ease his transition. The Coppell defense is led by end William Uneh while the secondary is anchored by David Busby and Jacob Logan. It's hard to call a team that lost only once last year a dark horse but the Cowboys are definitely a team to watch in 5A.
DeSoto--- Even with the loss of talented QB Ryan Polite, who is now at Rice, the Eagles are once again loaded with talent and ready to contend in 5A. Raheem Wilson will be the new man under center while the Eagle backfield will feature the likes of Devon Rushing and Dontre Wilson. Up front, tackle Curtis Riser will deliver more than his share of havoc on opposing defenses as one of the better o-linemen in DFW if not the entire state. DeSoto could also be a dark horse.
Katy--- Like Coppell, Katy finished last year at 13-1 overall. They lost a great deal of their best talent from that team due to graduation. However, standout QB Brooks Haack returns as does talented runner Adam Taylor, who rushed for 1,553 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2010. The Tigers are a perennial contender in 5A and always have a roster stocked with talent. This year figures to be no different as despite heavy losses, they will again be a dangerous team.
Pearland--- They join Cibolo Steele as the other reigning titleholder in 5A. Pearland comes off a 16-0 season but much of their key offensive starters from that undefeated squad have graduated. First order of business is breaking in a new quarterback but running back Jackie Robinson looks like the real deal in the backfield. On defense, the picture is a bit more rosy as standout linebacker Kendall Ehrlich returns to a group also headlined by Dyqan Roberts and Juan Trujillo.
Arlington Martin--- The Warriors' biggest asset sits on defense, where eight starters return. End Devonte Fields and defensive back Eric Amoako are among those holdovers for a team that went 10-3. Brodie Lambert is the new man under center after serving as the back-up QB in 2010.
Denton Guyer--- Guyer seeks redemption after a tough loss to Cibolo Steele in last year's 5A DII final. Jerrod Heard takes over at quarterback for JW Walsh but receiver Connor Crane should help his transition. End Dan Kottman and the versatile Dom Ramacher lead the defense.
Galena Park North Shore--- Just two offensive starters return for the Mustangs, to they'll lean on their defense in the early part of the year. Defensive backs Kevin Alexander and Keon Harvison return along with end Caleb Young and talented linebacker Jarius Moore.
Round Rock Stony Point--- The Tigers have been state semifinalists each of the last three seasons but with only four returning starters, keeping that streak alive could be tough. They are a young but talented team lacking experience. If they gel quickly, they could again contend.
Southlake Carroll--- Hal Wasson's Dragons were 10-4 in 2010 and despite graduating over 40 seniors, plenty of talent remains. On offense, it all starts with the ultra-accurate Kenny Hill under center, and one of his favorite targets figures to be Carroll's best receiver, Peyton Williams.
Aledo--- After leading his team to a 16-0 record, the 4A Division II state title and writing his name all over the record books, what can Aledo's star running back Johnathan Gray do for an encore as a senior? He ran for 3,221 yards and 59 touchdowns, including an eye-popping eight in their state final win over La Marque at Cowboys Stadium back in December. He needs just 12 more touchdowns to set the career state record. But Aledo has other players, including versatile QB Matthew Bishop, who threw for 3,490 yards and 38 touchdowns. Defensively, safety Dayne Davis and linebackers Gunner Johnson and Jace Vincent help make them equally tough on that side of the ball. With Gray, they remain a favorite in Class 4A.
Brenham--- After being one of the top teams in 4A during the regular season, Brenham's early exit from the 2010 playoffs was more than a bit surprising. Troy Green, who ran for 1,155 yards and 17 scores last year, returns to anchor the offense while Dean Haveman takes over under center after being the back-up last fall. On defense, tackles Malcolm Brown and George Schwanenberg along with linebacker Tim Cole help make this a formidable group.
Cedar Park--- Rebuild and reload is the mantra on offense, where just two starters return from a team that went 13-1 overall and was unbeaten in district play one year ago. However, one of those two starters is offensive focal point Brian Hogan, who is equally potent as a passer as he is as a runner. Fullback Zac Horne is another important offensive holdover for Cedar Park. Over on defense, safeties Zach Espinosa and Travis Reim will make this a tough team to throw against.
Denton Ryan--- Defense will be the key to Ryan's continued success in 2011 and with a guy like Florida State signee Mario Edwards Jr., a standout defensive end, anchoring your group, why wouldn't you be optimistic heading into the season? But as talented as Edwards is, he's far from the only horse in Ryan coach Joey Florence's stable. At linebacker, Alex Delatorre, who is headed to Texas, and Jordan Richmond, a Texas A&M commit, also do their part as does talent safety Trey Mohair.
La Marque--- Plain and simple, La Marque's run to the state final, where they fell to Aledo, was one of the better stories in Class 4A last fall. They made that run despite going just 3-3 in district play. Running back Tim Wright showed the rest of the state why he is one of the more unsung talents in 4A during last year's playoffs. He returns for new head coach Mike Jackson. Under center, the new starter will be Emanuell Williams. The defense is led by middle linebacker Ken Butler, an all-state selection.
Lake Travis--- While Aledo's march to the Division II title was impressive in its own right, Lake Travis won their fourth straight state crown by taking the Division I title to finish 14-2 overall. A young offensive line will again be a weakness but that was also the case in 2010 and things worked out pretty well. Offensively, there will be a new starting QB but talented pass catcher Griffin Gilbert, a TCU commit, is back after racking up 1,197 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010. Seven defensive starters return, including end Tyler Paulsen and linebacker Blake Burdette. Once again, Lake Travis has the makings of a favorite in 4A, which shows their drive for a fifth consecutive title is more than a strong possibility.
Smithson Valley--- Even after going 10-2 and a perfect 6-0 in district play, Smithson Valley might be hard pressed to equal that success in 2011. That's because just 10 total starters return from that talented group. But help is on the way at least on offense as running back Lawrence Mattison looks ready to assume a bigger role and quarterback Parker McKenzie is also back in the fold. This team could struggle early due to so many new faces but if that influx of players meshes, then this could be a playoff team yet again.
Stephenville--- The Yellow Jackets were just 8-6 overall but 4-1 in district last fall. Talented runner Aivion Edwards returns after rushing for 1,744 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2010. Also back to lead the offense is quarterback Connor Washington, who threw for 2,628 yards and 11 touchdowns. But if Stephenville is to improve on last year's record, they will need more from their defense. They expect this year's unit to be much improved, a group led by linebackers Padyn Giebler and Tyler Floyd.
Corpus Christi Calallen--- Calallen finished 13-2 before falling to La Marque in the playoffs. Defensive tackle Michael Wiser is an all-state player and leads the defense, which features an experienced secondary. Offensive players to watch include running back Marcus Price.
Hewitt Midway--- Some 16 starters are gone from last year's team that went 12-1. Offensively, running back BJ Kelly will be the focal point but receivers Hunter Jarmon and Orion Stewart will also make notable contributions. Defensive back Shakiel Randolph is another to watch.
Highland Park--- Randy Allen's Scots will feature talented receivers Dalton Stoger and William Morris plus running back Preston Miller on offense. Under center will be Preston Miller. Expect HP to again score lots of points and win plenty of games. They were 12-1 in 2010.
Humble--- Defense will be this team's biggest strength, specially their d-line. That group, which is regarded as one of the best such groups in the state, is led by tackle Paul Boyette, a Texas signee. Fellow tackle Zorrell Ezell and end Kyndahl Hill are two more players to keep an eye on.
Tyler John Tyler--- After a second straight 12-win season, John Tyler is back for more. However, they lost a lot of talent due to graduation. Among those returning is quarterback Greg Ward and defensive standouts Tyus Bowser, a force at end and lineman Eric Davis.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment