After starting with the linemen and linebackers, we turn to the defensive backfield to complete our look at the top defenders in the Big Country.
For the third installment in our eight-part preseason position rankings series, we shift our focus to the secondary, giving our list of the area’s top-10 defensive backs and others to look out for in 2023.
We hope you enjoy our list.
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Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-Wylie football scrimmage (66 images)”
After taking a look at the Big Country’s top defensive linemen last night, it’s now time to examine those who will backing them in 2023.
Continuing with Big Country Preps’ eight-part preseason position rankings series, here’s our top 10 linebackers to watch this fall, as well as a list of the others we’re expecting big things from.
We hope you enjoy our list.
With the start of football season around the corner, it’s time to take a look at the players who will be making the biggest impact in 2023.
For the first installment in an eight-part series that will cover all position groups, we’ll be taking a look at the area’s top defensive linemen, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.
As with any such list, these rankings are subjective. We hope you enjoy reading through them.
The time has arrived for us to make our Big Country predictions, district-by-district.
Several weeks of research and two solid months of summertime labor have gone into this, so we’re more than ready to post it.
With that please dive in and study our take on the upcoming season, along with the more than 80 preseason stories we posted earlier today. Enjoy! We’ll see you on the road!
Every year, for the past 16 years, I have looked ahead at the season schedule to create a menu of sorts — a menu for Big Country football connoisseurs to choose their weekly helping of Friday night pigskin.
History has proven that this isn’t an exact science, and the further out we go from Week 1, the more difficult this endeavor becomes. Nonetheless, I cannot resist a peek at my crystal ball — smudged as it may be.
During his time at Abilene High, Eagles coach Mike Fullen has coached a lot of good players on a lot of successful football teams. So when he says that senior safety Beckham Paul is among the most competitive players he’s ever coached, it means something.
One of just four starters returning for the AHS defense this year, Paul will be leaned to set and maintain the standard expected on that side of the football this season.
And as someone who places a higher value on the quality of Abilene High defense than most, Fullen said that task couldn’t possibly be in better hands.
In the midst of a three-year playoff streak that has seen it reach the third round two of the past three years, the Abilene High football team is working to reestablish itself as a consistent regional threat.
With a good group back from last year’s 6-7 squad, the Eagles will be looking to ride that wave of positive momentum to another strong campaign and deep postseason run in 2023.
AHS returns 36 of 65 lettermen, including eight of 11 starters on the offensive side. And as one of the most experienced teams in District 2-5A DII this year, coach Mike Fullen’s team is setting its goals high.
Last year, the Wylie football team fielded one of its most explosive offenses in years. Fueled by the All-Big Country Preps Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback KJ Long, the Bulldogs averaged 37 points per game on the way to their first district title as a Class 5A program and a 10-4 record overall.
While Long and his 3,855 total yards and 42 total touchdowns are gone, WHS will still boast one of the best and most versatile receiving corps in the Big Country.
And coach Clay Martin is confident that group — led by seniors Braden Regala and Derrick Evans, as well as junior Hunter Hood — will keep the Bulldogs passing game churning right along.
Fresh off their first district championship and multi-round playoff run as a Class 5A program, the Wylie Bulldogs will have a new challenge in 2023. WHS, which went 10-4 on its way to the Region I-5A Division II title game a year ago, will now try to prove that success was just the start of something bigger.
With five offensive and four starters back among their 27 returning lettermen, the Bulldogs will their share of questions to answer this fall if they hope to achieve that goal.
But coach Clay Martin likes the team he’ll take to battle this year, and he’s looking forward to seeing how it will respond to being the team to beat in District 2-5A Division II.
It didn’t take Daniel Bray very long to prove his value to the Cooper football team last year as sophomore.
With track speed, good football instincts and the durability to handle an every-down load, the running back emerged as one of the top playmakers for a veteran Cougars team.
Now a veteran himself on a younger CHS squad, Bray is ready to take on even more as a junior — including adding a some leadership responsibilities to his role.
The Cooper football team isn’t returning a particularly large group from last year’s 6-6 squad, but sixth-year coach Aaron Roan likes the nucleus he has back.
The Cougars’ 21 returning lettermen are the second fewest in District 2-5A Division II, topping only Lubbock High’s 15, but with six starters back on both sides of the ball, Roan and his team feel good about their chances of extending CHS’ playoff streak to a 17th consecutive season.
The Coogs will be leaning on that consistency and program tradition while they work to build depth with call-ups from a 5-5 junior varsity squad. In the meantime, they’ll depend on the experience they do return to carry a heavy load.
STEPHENVILLE — Through seven games a year ago, Stephenville’s Camden McKinney was enjoying a productive junior season — one that may have been good enough to earn him All-Big Country Preps honors as one of the area’s top defensive ends.
Then it happened.
During a crucial district matchup with China Spring, McKinney suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, ending a promising season in an instant while forcing him to undergo surgery and a lengthy rehab process.
STEPHENVILLE — With 19 lettermen, seven defensive starters and a few key offensive returnees, the Stephenville Yellow Jackets should be able to reload in 2023.
Courtesy of an influx of young talent from a 9-1 JV team, SHS will have only one key question mark heading into this fall: its offensive line.
If the ‘Jackets succeed in rebuilding their offensive front, they will have the weapons to score points and the defense to protect them.
BROWNWOOD —Perhaps no one player in entire Big Country has more on his plate coming into the 2023 season than Brownwood senior quarterback Ike Hall.
As the Lions’ only returning offensive starter, Hall will not only be tasked with helping a completely rebuilt offense to jell, but he’ll be heavily leaned on for yardage production and vocal leadership.
“You want to hold the reins back on Ike, because you want him to be available for district,” Brownwood coach Sammy Burnett said. “But it’s hard to hold an athlete like him back. When plays break down, we’re asking him to become an athlete.”
BROWNWOOD — With only offensive starter returning from last season, the one player Brownwood coach Sammy Burnet would hope to have back would be quarterback Ike Hall.
As luck would have it, that is precisely who will return in 2023 to run the Lions’ pistol attack — surrounded by a combo of fresh faces and older players who didn’t start offensively a year ago.
Nonetheless there is plenty of reason for optimism in the Brownwood camp, with nine defensive starters, 17 lettermen and of course, Hall returning from last year’s 10-3 club. The Lions will also have several players from last year’s 9-1 JV squad promoted to add extra depth to what is expected to be a 40-man roster.
In 2022, the Big Spring offense wasn’t very far off from being a truly excellent unit.
The Steers had 3,400-yard passer, a 950-yard rusher and an 1,100-yard receiver, showing the ability to move the ball at will when clicking. Unfortunately for coach Cannon McWilliams’ squad, turnovers and occasional struggles in the red zone limited BSHS to just 24 points per game in a 6-6 campaign.
With nine regulars back from last year’s offense, including almost every key skill position starter, the Steers are hoping to take the next step this fall and turn all those yards into more points and wins on Friday nights.
In his four years at Big Spring, coach Cannon McWilliams has steadily raised the Steers’ profile to a point where reaching the playoffs is the expectation and winning games in the postseason is a possibility.
But entering Year 5 with 17 of 25 letterman back from last year’s 6-6 squad, the Big Spring coach is hungry for more in 2023.
The Steers bring back all but two offensive starters from a year ago, including a 3,400-yard passer, a 975-yard rusher and an 1,100-yard receiver, to pair with a defense that returns seven starters. And if everything goes as planned this season, McWilliams believes his squad has what it takes to challenge for its first district title since 1990.
SWEETWATER — If anyone understands how to cultivate team unity and accountability, it is Sweetwater football coach Russell Lucas, who took over a struggling Hamlin program and guided it to 12 straight playoff appearances between 2009 and 2020.
Now entering his third season at Class 4A Sweetwater, Lucas is adapting to the challenge of uniting a much larger program and he’s doing it by way of a committee — officially named the Leadership Council.
A council of nine players selected by the Sweetwater coaching staff now oversees the task of holding everyone on the roster accountable for their actions. This emphasizes the wide-spread belief that player-led teams are better than coach-led teams, and buys Lucas more time to do his primary task: coaching football.
SWEETWATER — The good news for Sweetwater football fans, is that their beloved Mustangs should field a better product in 2023.
The bad news is, so will everyone else in District 3-4A DII and that’s no exaggeration.
An already tough district will be even more difficult this year. But third-year coach Russell Lucas will have more material to work with across the board in order to face the challenge.
SNYDER — There comes a point in time for every successful football program where you can identify a key turning point. Sometimes it’s one game, a series of games or an entire season.
Oddly enough, a turning point can also be hidden — masked behind a mediocre record that camouflages the achievement. And I can give you an example of it: The 2022 Snyder Tigers.
At first glance, the 4-7 record is uninspiring and not worth a second look. But if you choose to dig a bit deeper, you’ll come to the realization that the Tigers and coach Wes Wood have something noteworthy brewing out west.
The question isn’t whether or not the Snyder Tigers will field a better team in 2023. All of the current indications are that they will.
What everyone is waiting to see, is how the Tigers’ improvement stacks up in a district that will improve across the board this season.
That is the nature of District 3-4A DII in 2023, with every club expecting to field a far better product than they did last season. And on paper, there is ample reason to believe it will happen.
Count Snyder among them, with nine starters back on both sides of the ball, 23 lettermen, an experienced quarterback and a nice blend of offensive weapons.
BROCK — He doesn’t fit into the cookie cutter mold for running backs.
But there are two things Brock senior Brett Tutter does possess that will make virtually any college recruiter stand up and take notice: blinding speed and exceptional toughness.
The numbers don’t lie.
BROCK — For two consecutive years, the Brock Eagles and coach Billy Mathis have reached the doorstep of a Class 3A DI state championship, only to be turned away — falling 35-18 to Lorena in 2021 and 17-14 to Franklin last year.
The Eagles, however, might be in an even better position to take their first state championship since 2015 with seven starters returning on both sides of the ball among 24 lettermen and additional reinforcements from a 9-1 JV team.
TUSCOLA — At no point since Jim Ned began playing football in 1957, have the Indians had a better six-year run than they are currently enjoying, with a combined 59-16 record, including a 3A DI state title in 2020.
And all along, the Indians have been propelled by one solid offensive line after another, with no fewer than nine of their linemen going on to play collegiately. It has, in a short period of time, become a trademark of sorts. And at least on paper, it appears to be a Jim Ned strength again in 2023.
TUSCOLA —One year ago, a Jim Ned team that would eventually finish 8-4, struggled out of the gate with an 0-3 start, missing several starters due to injuries.
A year later, that difficult stretch is paying some dividends in the form of uncommon depth and experience.
Entering 2023 Jim Ned not only brings back eight offensive and seven defensive starters, but 23 letterman from last year’s club which went two rounds deep in the Class 3A DI playoffs. Further, the Indians are expected to suit up as many as 38 varsity players in what is looking like a season of promise.
After racing out to a fast start, Clyde quarterback Blake Carr saw his junior season come to an abrupt end in 2022.
A broken thumb on his throwing hand cost him the second half of that campaign, derailing a potential breakout season for both the signal caller and his team.
But if you expect Carr to be bitter or crestfallen about the opportunities missed last fall, you might be surprised by his response to the injury. Instead of feeling anger or sadness at the thought of missing out on four-plus games and a chance to lead the Bulldogs to a playoff berth, the senior said he’s grateful for the experience and the lessons it taught him.
Last fall, the Clyde football team made some positive strides in coach Danny Dudgeon’s second season, but an 0-5 finish left the Bulldogs at home for the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
With 25 lettermen back from that 4-6 team, including standout quarterback Blake Carr, who missed most of the second half of last season with a broken thumb, CHS is determined to end that drought in 2023.
Boasting a roster that features seven returning starters on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs have good reason to be optimistic. But competing in a deep and talented District 3-3A Division I, Dudgeon knows his team will have to stay healthy and play well to reach its goals.
BRECKENRIDGE — From 1972-1974, the Miami Dolphins and their “No-Name” defense reached three straight Super Bowls, winning the latter two. Their nickname, derived from a comment made by Dallas coach Tom Landry, was a suitable fit for a defense that played well, despite having no house
Some 50 years later, the nickname has resurfaced at the high school level in Breckenridge, where the Buckaroos are hoping that an unsung group of young players can offset heavy graduation losses in time to push the team into the playoffs.
BRECKENRIDGE — Rebuild or reload?
The Breckenridge Buckaroos have reached that important stage with fourth-year coach Casey Pearce, returning a modest five starters on both sides of the ball among 17 lettermen.
Only 11 lettermen were lost, but most of them played a key role in last year’s 8-3 mark before earning their diplomas in the spring.
So the question is, do the Buckaroos have enough young talent coming up to keep the program moving forward? They believe they do, courtesy of an abundance of speed, experience at quarterback, capable skill people and a 10-0 JV team adding an influx of young talent to the mix.
MERKEL — He is better known as one of the area’s most athletic wide receivers.
Yet as his senior season approaches, Merkel’s Maddox O’Malley will be largely positioned behind center, directing the Badger offense from a position that will most enable him to use his athleticism to make plays.
And it is the intention of coach Will Kates to give his new quarterback the green light to do precisely that, make plays — an ability he has demonstrated in a variety of ways.
MERKEL — Since his arrival in Merkel two years ago, MHS football coach Will Kates has been fighting an uphill battle with inexperience and lack of depth.
The net result has been a 7-14 overall record with one playoff appearance. But Kates understood the challenge when he inherited an MHS team that had posted just one winning season since 2012.
There is, however, some light developing at the end of the tunnel. The Badgers, though still suffering from a depth problem, are loaded with seniors heading into the 2023 season.
EASTLAND — First-year Eastland coach Bobby Schuman didn’t accept the EHS job because he wanted to turn the program upside down.
Quite the contrary. Schuman, a long-time assistant at Eastland under former head coach James Morton, has something much more practical in mind.
Rather than tearing the system apart, Schuman will write off a 1-9 2022 season as a youthful and temporary downturn for an otherwise very successful program.
EASTLAND — There are several reasons for optimism in the Eastland camp heading into first-year coach Bobby Schuman’s inaugural season.
To begin with, the Mavs have eight starters on both sides of the ball coming back from last year’s 1-9 club, 18 returning lettermen and a healthy varsity roster of around 30 players.
Most of Eastland’s skill is back, including an experienced quarterback in Isaiah Hays (1,840 yards passing, 16 TDs), one of the area’s top receivers in Jay Oznick (36 catches, 657 yards) and a huge overall increase in team maturity.
DUBLIN — A veteran, cohesive offensive line can cure a lot of ills on a football field. And in the case of a youthful, confidence-seeking team from Dublin, the Lions may go as far as their offensive front can take them in 2023.
Coming off a 2-8 campaign that saw the Lions fielding as many as 10 sophomores due to injuries, DHS has now taken a step up on the maturity ladder. But most importantly, Dublin will start five players along its offensive line who started a year ago, which on paper, translates into fewer mistakes, fewer penalties, better pass protection and a better push up front.
If all of this holds true, the Lions will have a shot a taking a step forward this fall.
DUBLIN — After slugging their way through an injury-plagued 2-8 record last season, the Dublin Lions are hoping that experience will pay dividends in 2023.
Though the Dublin club is still relatively young, with several juniors expected to see playing time, DHS returns 18 lettermen with seven offensive and six defensive starters among them.
“We had about 10 sophomores who got a lot of playing time last year,” Dublin coach Greg Hardcastle said. “So now they’re juniors and they’re a year older and we’re expecting them to improve, as well as some of those seniors who played a bunch as juniors last year.”
Continue reading “2023 DUBLIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Young Lions hoping to spring a surprise”
COMANCHE — In Class 3A Division II, one can count themselves as fortunate if they can suit up 60+ players in the entirety of their high school football program. Many do not have the numbers to field a freshman team and 10-15 seniors are the norm.
Yet somehow, the norm isn’t applicable in Comanche. At least, not lately.
There, where coach Jake Escobar enters his third season with the Indians, an astonishing level of participation has suddenly pushed CHS’ overall numbers to nearly 80 total players, with 19 of them being seniors on a varsity roster of nearly 40.
Continue reading “EVAN REN: Overwhelming participation rates are pushing Comanche out of the norm”
COMANCHE — On paper, the initial numbers released by Comanche football looked good, with seven starters on both sides of the ball among 16 lettermen from last year’s 10-2 team and an expected roster of 28 players.
What the Big Country is about to find out, however, is that the Indians are in even better shape than what the media is reporting.
With an unexpected spike in participation, Comanche will not only have roughly 80 players in its program, but will carry nearly 40 players on its varsity roster, giving third-year coach Jake Escobar plenty of support around a nucleus of 19 seniors.
Since he arrived at Coahoma in 2018, it’s been Chris Joslin’s goal to have a balanced offensive attack with a variety of weapons he can throw at opposing defenses.
He’s long believed that when opponents can’t key on one or two individuals and must account for both the run and pass, that makes his offense harder to prepare for and defend.
After making strides in this area last season, the Bulldogs will field their deepest skill group yet this fall. And if things go according to plan, particularly where rebuilding the offensive line is concerned, Joslin believes this could be one of his most explosive offenses as well.
Last year, the Coahoma Bulldogs bounced back from a rocky 2021 season to reach the playoffs for the sixth time since 2016. With the bulk of their talent back from that 7-4 squad, coach Chris Joslin and his players are hoping for an even stronger showing in 2023.
The Bulldogs bring back 20 of 30 lettermen from last year’s group, including seven offensive and five starters. And that nucleus of players, which is heavy on speed and playmaking ability, has CHS excited about its chances of competing in a tough District 4-3A Division II.
In his 16 years as Wall’s head coach, the Hawks have become known for the crisp execution of their patented option offense.
This year, in particular, WHS’ flexbone attack might be better described as an “options” offense because of the embarassment of riches the team boasts at its skill positions.
Starting in the backfield, where both junior quarterback Gunnar Dillard and senior fullback Nathan Pepper return, and moving outside to both the slotback and receiver positions, the Hawks will have more dynamic playmakers than they can get on the field at a given time. That’s a nice problem to have for a Hawks offensive unit that will be looking to improve upon the 29.8 points per game it averaged a year ago on its way to a 12-2 record.
Houston Guy has coached a lot of good football teams at Wall. His 16-year tenure as the school’s head coach has rendered a 156-46 record, including 10 double digit-win seasons and a state championship game appearance in 2013.
So when the veteran coach expresses more than the usual excitement about a team, fans and opposing coaches would be wise to take notice.
That’s the case this season, which will see WHS return 26 of 36 lettermen (including eight offensive and nine defensive starters) from last year’s 12-2 squad. And after watching many of these players help the Hawks outscore their opponents 417-122 a season ago, Guy is embracing the high expectations being placed on this group.
A year ago, Griffin Cheslock was one of the Big Country’s breakout stars.
After transferring to Early from Brock, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound running back exploded for 1,183 yards and 11 touchdowns on 151 carries as a junior, helping the Longhorns to a 7-5 record in the process.
Now entering his senior year for EHS, which graduated a three-year starter at quarterback (Jaxyn Price) and its top four receiving targets, Cheslock will be asked to carry an even bigger load for the Longhorns in 2023. And coach Daniel Price is excited to see what his workhorse back has in store for his final high school campaign.
The 2023 season will serve as a measuring stick for the Early football team. After following an 11-year playoff drought with three consecutive trips to the postseason, the Longhorns will have a chance to find out just where they stand as a program this fall.
EHS graduated a sizeable senior class that was pivotal in the Longhorns’ turnaround the past three years under coach Daniel Price. And now it’s time to find out if a team with a new set of leaders can pick up where the last group left off.
With just 12 of 26 lettermen back from last year’s 7-5 squad, Early will need some young and unproven players to shine if it hopes to maintain its recent success. But Price is excited to see how his youthful squad will attack that challenge.
Jaron Roberts’ philosophy as a head coach is a pretty simple one. And it’s not unlike that of a lot of other successful mentors.
Roberts, who will be taking over at Brady this season, wants the Bulldogs to be the toughest, most physical and most aggressive team on the field each and every time they step on it.
Those adjectives could be used to describe all of the most successful teams he helped lead as an assistant at Wellington, Falls City, Merkel and Stamford, and as a head coach for the first time in his career, he wants them to be defining attributes of his program now.
The Brady football team will have a new coach and a total of 13 first-year starters when it opens its season against Comanche on Aug. 25. But don’t expect that to change expectations for the Bulldogs, who have reached the playoffs each of the past four seasons.
Jaron Roberts, who was hired to replace Shay Easterwood in June, will inherit a roster that returns just 12 of 28 lettermen from last year’s 5-6 squad. But the first-time head coach, who previously served as an assistant at Wellington, Falls City, Merkel and Stamford, feels this group will be ready and able to compete in District 2-3A Division II.
BALLINGER — I never understood how or why we began judging high school coaches on wins alone. It’s as if that mindset gradually trickled down from the pro ranks (where it’s justifiable) to college athletics (where I grudgingly understand it) to secondary school, where it starts to look silly.
That’s right, silly.
Nonetheless, since my arrival in the Big Country in 2006, I’ve seen good coaches let go, because someone didn’t think they had won enough. I’ve seen coaches earn the first playoff wins at their schools in decades, only to be shown the door when someone thought the bar had been raised. And in many cases, I’ve seen the purpose of high school athletics forgotten entirely.
Let’s hope the community of Ballinger escapes all of the above.
BALLINGER — The good news for Ballinger in 2023, is that the Bearcats have 7 starters back on both sides of the ball among 17 lettermen and a roster approaching 30 players — far better numbers than a year ago.
The bad news is, their schedule is something you may expect to see for a defending regional champion, rather than a young, rebuilding program coming off a 1-9 season.
SAN SABA — The San Saba coaching staff believes that he can play virtually any position on the football field and he’s already played several.
The 2023 season, however, will see junior Levi Glover holding down two primary positions — wide receiver and free safety — as the Armadillos approach their first game, though it is subject to change as the season progresses.
Glover, who will be shifting from cornerback to free safety, was already a valuable utility man as a 14-year-old sophomore last season. Despite his youth, the 10th grader hauled in 11 catches for 155 yards and two scores to go with 39 tackles, two forced fumbles and eight pass breakups as a cornerback.
SAN SABA — With modest numbers across the board, the San Saba Armadillos and coach Andreas Aguirre are falling back on the one thing they believe in most to get them through 2023: hard work.
That may be the only practical approach given that the ‘Dillos return six starters on both sides of the ball from last year’s 6-4 team with only 12 lettermen back and an expected roster size of 24.
So while the cupboard isn’t exactly empty in San Saba, numbers are an issue. Aguirre’s approach to it is straight forward: stay positive, love the players and work as hard as possible.