We prefer to not have the same athlete win our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award in successive weeks, given that it is our aim to share the love. But every now and then, the numbers simply make that impossible.
So here we have it: Haskell’s Haegen Pinkerton has won our accolade twice in as many weeks, and deservedly so after leading the Indians to a 62-44 win at Bangs on Friday.
Goldthwaite 48, Granger 0 — The Eagles (2-0) remained unbeaten with a blowout win at Granger.
Hayess Greenway threw for 261 yards and three TDs and rushed for 115 to lead Goldthwaite, which will face archrival San Saba (1-1) next week.
Granger fell to 1-1.
Forsan 44, Roscoe 19 — Owen Bishop threw for 228 yards and two scores and Ashton Ellis rushed for 168 yards and three TDs to lead Forsan (2-0) over Roscoe.
The Plowboys (0-2) produced 309 total yards, but were crippled by four turnovers.
Haskell 62, Bangs 44 — Haskell’s offensive explosion continued with a road win at Bangs on Friday night. Through two games, the Indians (1-1) have scored 124 points.
Bangs (1-1) was led by Connor Bible, who rushed for 283 yards and three touchdowns.
Hico 31, Cross Plains 14 — Tyler Rainwater threw for 201 yards and rushed for 108 with two TDs to lead Hico (2-0) to a win over Cross Plains (1-1).
The Buffaloes were led by William Albrecht, who passed for 96 yards and rushed for 83.
Jacksboro 48, Boyd 24
Hoytt Wesson threw for 141 yards and rushed for 149 while accounting for four touchdowns to help Jacksboro improve to 2-0.
Boyd was limited to 283 total yards, including only 50 on the ground.
Clyde 55, Tolar 26 — Devan Wright rushed for 127 yards and three scores and threw for 188 yards and two more TDs as Clyde scored an impressive road win at Tolar.
Clyde improved to 2-0 with the win; Tolar dropped to 0-2.
Gatesville 27, Glen Rose 19 — Glen Rose fell unexpectedly to Gatesville on the road as a 17-point favorite.
The Tigers were led by Judd Connally, who rushed for 31 yards and two TDs and threw for 150.
Both teams levelled off at 1-1.
Salado 34, Blanco 14 — Max Gist threw for 168 yards and two TDs and Zack Adcox rushed for 107 yards and two more TDs to lift Salado over Blanco.
SHS (1-1) built a 20-0 first quarter lead and was never threatened after that.
Blanco fell to 1-1.
Waco University 29, China Spring 23 — Ray Brown Jr. rushed for 225 yards and three scores and Cameron Holleman threw for 146 yards and another TD to lift University to a difficult win over an improved China Spring club.
The Trojans improved to 2-0 with the win; China Spring fell to 1-1.
HAMILTON — With two of Big Country Preps’ newcomers going head-to-head in their first BCP Game of the Week, the Mason Punchers and Hamilton Bulldogs put together a legitimate classic on Friday at Kooken Field.
San Saba move-in Luke Tharp rushed for 139 yards and four scores to lead Mason to a 46-44 win in a game that saw four lead changes and two ties before the issue was finally settled after 10 p.m. Tharp added two fourth-quarter TDs to provide the Punchers with the winning edge, improving sixth-ranked 2A DI Mason to 2-0.
Hamilton (0-2), which carried a 37-30 edge into the fourth quarter, was led by Oliver Summers with 352 yards passing and four scores. Madden Weaver was his top target, hauling in nine passes for 235 yards and two TDs.
“We told our kids that we play games like this to see where we’re at,” Mason coach Wade Griffin said. “We play games like this to challenge ourselves and we were definitely challenged tonight by an amazing football team and I’m just glad we found one more play than they did.”
LAST WEEK: 55-19, .743
SEASON TOTAL: 55-19, .743
Our Big Country Preps Game of the Week is as much a welcoming as it is a top matchup.
With 2A DI state champion Hamilton (now in 3A DII) playing host to fourth-ranked 2A DI Mason, much of the state will be interested in the results this produces.
But, with both schools now entering their first season under the Big Country Preps coverage banner, it quickly became an opportunity to roll out the red carpet for both clubs as well.
Hamilton, which is coming off a 26-21 loss to 2A superpower Bremond, will be fired up with the home crowd behind it.
Digital photos, prints and keepsakes may be purchased by clicking the link below. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
Continue reading “PHOTO GALLERY: Cisco-Clyde football (15 images)”
Before Haskell senior quarterback Haegen Pinkerton arrived at HHS as a freshman, the name of Pinkerton was something I associated with the famous detective agency.
I now associate it with statistical insanity, and you should associate it with the Big Country Preps Player of the Week.
Pinkerton, who was behind center in Haskell’s 80-62 loss to Stamford, had one of the biggest nights I can recollect in a losing effort, accounting for seven touchdowns on Friday.
Hitting 15 of 22 throws for 193 yards, three of Pinkerton’s deliveries went for scores. But it was on the ground where he did most of his damage, rushing 29 times for 290 yards and four touchdowns to help keep the Indians competitive.
Goldthwaite 59, Junction 27
Goldthwaite dominated Junction, outgaining JHS 502-220, including 283 yards rushing.
Haynes Greenway led GHS, with 219 yards passing and three scores.
Landry Sanderson was the top ground gainer for Goldthwaite with 132 yards and four TDs on 22 carries.
Stamford 80, Haskell 62 — The Bulldogs outlasted Haskell in a shootout for the ages.
Miles Follis threw for 324 yards and four scores and Brenham Walker rushed for 134 yards and a TD to lead Stamford (1-0).
Haskell was led by Haegan Pinkerton with 339 yards rushing and four TDs. He also threw for 176 yards and three more scores.
Colorado City 29, Roscoe 22 (OT) — Ace Mejia threw for 206 yards and two scores and rushed for 173 yards and two more TDs to lift Colorado City to a win in overtime.
Aydin Cruces led Roscoe with 206 yards passing for two scores.
Roscoe will play host to Forsan (1-0) next Friday.
Abilene TLCA 46, Baird 20 — First-year coach Webb Murphy’s Eagles snapped a 28-game losing streak that dated back to Sept. 8 of 2023 with a win over Baird.
BHS took a step up from the six-man ranks to challenge the Eagles but fell victim to QB Tyler Johnston, who hit 10 of 12 throws for 195 yards and three scores. He also rushed 15 times for 62 yards.
Senior Dashawn Polk had a big day as well, catching three passes for 44 yards and two scores and rushing for 124 yards and two TDs.
Idalou 31, Sweetwater 6 — Two fumbles and an interception hurt Sweetwater in its opener with Idalou.
The Mustangs were limited to 245 yards in total offense, with 187 of that coming on the ground.
Mason Blueford was the top gainer for Sweetwater with 61 yards rushing on eight carries.
Idalou (1-0) finished with 389 total yards.
Waco La Vega 42, Franklin 16 — Ben Thompson rushed for 131 yards and two scores and Kourtney Parr threw for 116 yards and rushed for one TD to lift La Vega to a surprisingly easy win over perennial power Franklin.
Leading 14-9 at the break, La Vega pulled away with a 28-7 second half.
Glen Rose 28, Grandview 7 — Thomas Littlejohn rushed for 202 yards on 28 carries to pace Glen Rose to an impressive season-opening win over Grandview.
Jayden Garza led the Glen Rose defensive effort with 11 tackles and one sack. Cash Henrich added an interception.
The Tigers will travel to Gatesville (0-1) next Friday.
Jacksboro 52, Millsap 18 — Ryder Davis rushed for 208 yards and three scores to lead JHS to an impressive win in its opener.
Quarterback Hoytt Wesson was a big contributor as well, rushing for 87 yards and two TDs and throwing for 85.
The Tigers (1-0) will face Boyd (1-0) at home on Friday.
Stephenville 44, Midlothian Heritage 21 — Trot Jordan threw for 378 yards and three scores and Caden Monk caught 11 passes for 242 yards and one score to lead the Yellow Jackets to a win over 5A Heritage.
Leading 24-21 at the break, Stephenville turned up the defensive heat after the break and scored 20 unanswered points to put the game away.
CLYDE — It may have been mistake-filled and a bit sloppy (as many season-openers are). But Friday’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week didn’t fail to entertain those in attendance, with Clyde overcoming Cisco 27-24 in a seesaw battle at Bulldog Stadium.
Devan Wright threw for 196 yards and rushed for 128 while accounting for three touchdowns to lead Clyde (1-0), which overcame a 24-21 deficit when Wright hit Jacob Hernandez with a 5-yard pass over the middle for a go-ahead TD with 5:20 to play. It proved to be the game-winner as the Bulldogs stopped Cisco on its final possession to secure the victory in what has become an intriguing rivalry.
“We always play close games with these guys,” Clyde coach Johnathon Haddock said. “Cisco is a really good football team and I think we have a really good football team too and I think you saw that tonight.
“We were lucky to make some plays in the fourth quarter to put us on top. But there were two very good teams on the field.”
LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL: 0-0, .000
Summer is over (at least as far as the school calendars are concerned).
That means it’s time to lace up the cleats and begin the annual dance otherwise known as the high school football season that some Texans treat with an almost religious enthusiasm.
That also means it’s time for sportswriters across the state to take their weekly stabs at picking the winners of area games — a great source of entertainment for some readers and a great source of frustration for some of us who engage in it.
Nonetheless, it’s time to dive in.
So here we go. I’ll see you on the road.
Every year, one of the things I look forward to most, is mapping out the upcoming football season — charting the games I believe will have the greatest impact.
First and foremost, it’s a preseason menu for area fans who enjoy driving to some of the Big Country’s best football games on a weekly basis. Call it a football roadmap of sorts.
But be advised: This roadmap almost always begins taking some detours by Week 4 or 5 when some of the area’s surprise teams emerge. And make no mistake, there are always surprises.
That’s half the fun.
STEPHENVILLE — If there is anything lacking in the coaching ranks of Texas High School football, in many locations it would be stability.
In an age where fickle fans and capricious school boards can make the thought of leaving some programs quite appealing, Stephenville is showing an uncommon level of stability.
Granted, a high level of success lends itself to a stable coaching climate and under Sterling Doty, who has posted a 76-19 mark and two state titles since 2019, there isn’t a real big push to show him the door. Nonetheless, Doty’s coordinators — Kolt Kittley (offense) and August Dobraski (defense) — have been serving in the same capacity on his staff since his days at Magnolia.
Kittley is entering his 12th season of overseeing Doty’s offense while Dobraski is now in his ninth season of directing Doty’s stop troops. What makes this longevity so exceptional is that both assistants are coveted targets for programs looking for new head coaches.
Both have championship rings and a proven track record on their respective sides of the football. Yet both (at least for now) are happily remaining as key pieces to one of the most stable big-school staffs in the Big Country.
STEPHENVILLE — At first, the numbers, don’t look great. Seven offensive and four defensive starters back with 31 lettermen having received their diplomas.
But if there is any team in the Big Country with a history of overcoming such losses — any team with the resources to keep rolling — it is the top-ranked Stephenville Yellow Jackets.
Coming off a seventh state championship season which saw them post a 16-0 mark, the ‘Jackets have 22 lettermen returning, including several key players, and a gifted 10-0 JV team supplying the new faces. A youthful defense, however, will likely be the critical element to whatever success the ‘Jackets achieve in 2026.
“We only return four players on defense,” coach Sterling Doty said. “But we’ve got some really good players coming back offensively, with our quarterback (Trot Jordan, 3,241 passing yards, 45 TDs), our tailback (Zyler McClendon, 1,702 rushing yards, 28 TDs), some receivers and on our offensive line.”
GAME PHOTOS COURTESY OF GR PRODUCTIONS
BROWNWOOD — He may not fit into the cookie cutter mold of every college football recruiter. But Brownwood coach Jeryl Brixey is firmly convinced that senior safety Wyatt Wolf is going to be a steal for whichever university signs him.
Wolf, a 5-11, 180-pound honor student with an extraordinary football IQ and a penchant for finding the football, is one of those players who can fit into several different roles.
As is, he’s penciled in at high safety, low safety, outside linebacker, backup receiver and emergency quarterback.
BROWNWOOD — Whatever success the Brownwood Lions achieve in 2026 may be less a case of execution than survival. To put it bluntly, Brownwood’s first six games of this season could very well be the toughest row of opponents faced by any Class 4A DII team in Texas.
If the young Lions can come out of their non-district portion reasonably healthy (regardless of record), they could be battle-hardened enough to snag a playoff spot by season’s end.
So how difficult is this slate? How about a road game at Class 5A Wylie (Aug. 28), followed by home dates with state 4A DI state champion Stephenville (Sept. 4) and perennial toughie Springtown (Sept. 11). A road date with 4A regional contender Graham will come on Sept. 18 and a road date at always tough China Spring will follow a week later.
If that isn’t tough enough, the Lions will begin play in District 13-4A DII on Oct. 9 against another perennial power, Waco La Vega, at Gordon Wood Stadium.
GLEN ROSE — With only five starters back offensively, Glen Rose has a bit of retooling to do offensively in 2026. The good news for the Tigers is, their trigger man returns as one of the best in the Big Country Preps coverage area.
Junior quarterback Judd Connally, who is coming off a remarkable sophomore campaign, is back to lead the Glen Rose attack. And if he improves on his numbers from last year, one can expect first-year coach Jeff Pair’s crew to keep the scoreboard operators busy throughout 2026.
“I feel like with an added year, I’ll be able to diagnose the defenses quicker and be able to throw the ball with a lot more accuracy,” Connally said. “I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger since last year, so maybe I can throw with more power and be able to throw it farther downfield.
“Last year, I may not have been able to do that, because I wasn’t as strong.”
GLEN ROSE — As with most high school football teams heading into the season, the Glen Rose Tigers have their share of ifs.
But there is at least two “ifs” that Glen Rose must see answered in the positive if it is to have a deep playoff run and pose a threat to the rest of Region I-4A DII.
“If” the Tigers can retool their offensive line and develop enough additional skill to compliment standout quarterback Judd Connally, by season’s end they will be fielding a team that is no fun to play. In that scenario, a deep playoff run is beyond possible, it is likely.
BROCK — While Brock High School adopted football in 2012 and played an independent schedule in 2013, it is important to note that the Eagles have never won fewer than 11 games in a season since they began playing in UIL districts in 2014.
And all along, there has been a common denominator attached to all those years of success which includes a state title in 2015 — offensive lines that varied between very good and great.
True to form, the sixth-ranked Eagles enter this season as a contender for the 4A DII state championship. In order to achieve that goal, however, Brock must retool its offensive line yet again after being hit hard by graduation. And true to form, a group of seniors — Waylon Winfrey, Brody Riker and Hagan Johnson are ready to carry the torch and keep Brock’s tradition of excellent offensive line play alive.
“I think the biggest thing is culture,” Winfrey said. “At Brock, it’s an expectation that every year we’re going to have a good O-line that is going to go out there and punish people.
“Everybody knows about the expectations and nobody wants to be the first group not to meet those expectations.”
There’s some pressure on this group. In fact, Brock’s ability to reload up front in 2026 may very well be the key to the Eagles’ chances of playing for a state championship.
BROCK — There are certain things one can take for granted during the football season in Central Texas. The sun will rise in the east. It will set in the west. And the Brock Eagles will field a solid football team, regardless of how hard graduation hits them.
That’s not an exaggeration.
In fact, since the school began playing football in 2012, the Eagles have never posted a losing record. And since they’ve been eligible for the playoffs (beginning in 2014), they have never failed to reach postseason play and have never won fewer than 11 games in a season. They won a 3A DI state title in 2015, and finished as state runners-up in 2017, 2021 and 2022.
The point is, just because the Eagles have lost 19 lettermen and return a modest five starters on both sides of the ball, one shouldn’t envision the Eagles taking a step back in 2026. Quite the contrary. The Eagles, in all likelihood, will reload with enough ammo to threaten for another regional title and a possible trip to Arlington.
SNYDER — Anthony Gonzales had already built a struggling program at Lovington N.M. into a three-time state champion. He had things rolling in the Land of Enchantment and as far as many were concerned, he had no reason to leave.
Several calls came in, inviting him to more lucrative settings. But the answer was always “no thank you.”
That is, until Snyder called. The Tigers were struggling, but had demonstrated in the past that they were capable of a high level of success. And to the surprise of many, Gonzales took the gig, accepting the challenges of low numbers, a lack of culture and the Texas pressure cooker all in one fell swoop.
We now converse with Gonzales about his experience thus far in Snyder (1-19 through two seasons) and what he’s hoping to build in this Big Country Preps Q&A.
SNYDER — Two years into the rebuilding project at Snyder, coach Anthony Gonzales and the Tigers are showing signs of setting a firm, lasting foundation.
While the Tigers are 1-19 under Gonzales including a 0-10 mark last year, Snyder was 6-4 at the JV level and its freshman team was 7-3. As those players begin rising through the ranks, they bring with them a culture of winning that the program will need to begin taking a significant step forward.
“They’re starting to figure things out,” Gonzales said. “We’ve got a good group of young kids with a few sophomores who can help us right now and we’ve got some good JV kids who can fill some holes for us.”
But it gets even better than that. Snyder is now welcoming a group of freshmen on campus that lost only two games in two seasons of middle school football. In other words, the Tigers are on the cusp of a talent upswing the likes of which has been unseen in several years at SHS.
If that youthful talent is to have an impact however, the Tigers must quickly develop a new quarterback and running back while playing an extremely difficult non-district schedule. This, with a team featuring only about seven impact seniors, with standout WR/DB Ethan Rios having graduated.
SWEETWATER — The name of Blueford has become nearly synonymous with Sweetwater athletics over the years. And the latest members of that family are currently on the Sweetwater football roster.
Cousins Darwin and Mason Blueford, a pair of SHS receivers, are both second-generations Mustangs whose fathers played for Sweetwater.
But the family tree has deeper roots than that at SHS. In fact, both Darwin and Mason have at least 10 family members, through aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings who have donned the red and white.
And as is the family custom, both cousins are quite athletic.
SWEETWATER — As Year 2 of the Brian Hodnett era begins in Sweetwater, the Mustangs are still in the process of firming up their foundation with 16 lettermen lost to graduation.
At present, seven offensive and six defensive starters are set to return — meaning there is mix of positives and negatives for SHS. Veteran senior quarterback Caden Ortiz (138-of-246, 1,625, 18 TDs) is among the biggest checkmarks on the plus side, now entering his fourth varsity season.
The Mustangs will have a number of capable skill people back among 16 returning lettermen, including senior running back Nick Avila (132 rushes, 730 yards, seven TDs), senior WR Darwin Blueford (48 catches, 532 yards, five TDs), junior WR Mason Blueford, (19 catches, 82 yards, two TDs) and junior WR Cason Fields.
“It’s a situation where we’re trying to turn a negative into a positive,” Hodnett said. “Because of injuries over the last two years we’ve got a lot of guys who will be sophomores and juniors who have had some valuable varsity time because they were forced to play a little early.”
Game photos contributed by TexPix
TUSCOLA — At 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds, Jim Ned’s Cole Chittum doesn’t cast a striking figure.
But at the end of the day, the senior running back/linebacker doesn’t have to.
Bolstered by a low center of gravity, uncommon strength and a fearless approach to contact, the 18-year-old’s performance alone generally makes an impression.
“He’s your typical Jim Ned running back,” Jim Ned coach Johnathon McClure said. “He got significant carries last year (due to) injuries to some of our older guys. … He’s worked really hard in the offseason to improve his overall speed, he has great lateral movement and he’ll be our Day 1 starter at running back.
“He’s a powerful runner for a small guy. He’s hard to bring down and as he gets more and more carries and works with our O-line with his vision, I’m excited to see what he can do.”
TUSCOLA — Two full seasons into his tenure as head football coach at Jim Ned, Johnathon McClure has posted a 20-6 overall record including district and co-district championships.
This year, however, graduation has stripped away much of the talent and experience the Indians had possessed — pushing Jim Ned into one of those youthful phases that all programs face sooner or later.
In total, 21 lettermen from last year’s 11-2 district title team were handed their diplomas, with only 16 experienced players returning. Among them: only one offensive and two defensive starters are back, meaning the Indians have some seasoning to do prior to getting underway in District 2-3A DI.
“We had a great senior class who played for (Jim Ned) for several years and we hated to see those guys go with as much experience as they brought to the table,” McClure said. “But that’s the breaks of the game and everyone is in the same boat. You graduate a group then wait for the next batch.”
HAMILTON — To say that the Hamilton Tigers had very little football history prior to coach Ryan Marwitz taking over in 2022, is an enormous understatement.
Oddly enough, the Tigers have seldom been really bad — floating in a perpetual mediocre range between three and seven wins per year. They’ve had their share of bi-district appearances, but seldom advanced beyond that point.
Their all-time record illustrates their consistent spot in the middle of the pack, with a 506-524-32 overall mark and an all-time playoff record of 21-19, dating back 1914. Again, not horrible, but not exceptional either.
HAMILTON — Less than a year removed from winning the first state football championship in program history, coach Ryan Marwitz and the Hamilton Bulldogs must now face the inevitable questions directed at every first-time state titlist.
Can they maintain this level of success? Can they stay hungry? How can they replace the key personnel that graduated? And so on and so on.
And while it is true that Hamilton has several key players to replace heading into 2026, there is ample reason to believe that Marwitz’s crew can withstand a move up to Class 3A DII and challenge for the District 5 title. How far they get beyond that point will depend on a few key factors.
After suffering through an 0-10 campaign in his debut as Eastland’s head football coach last season, Matt Landers has kept is nose to the grindstone. His effort to rebuild a winning culture at EHS remains unchanged, though his offense will in 2026.
A devoted option fan, Landers is shifting the Mavericks to a run-first spread attack this year in the belief that it is a better fit and can help the Mavericks pick up their production.
Landers now sits with Evan Ren for a brief chat about his ongoing efforts to revitalize Eastland football, his offensive switch and the reaction of the players in this Big Country Preps Q&A.
EASTLAND — The Mavericks had a rough go of it in 2025, posting a 0-10 mark through multiple injuries while a young group of replacements did their best to keep the ship afloat.
The good news for Eastland is, a large amount of experience returns with nine starters back on both sides of the ball among 18 lettermen.
Despite all the familiar faces, however, there will be some noticeable differences in how second-year coach Matt Landers will be running things in 2026.
Gone will be the flexbone option offense the Mavericks were using a year ago — replaced by a spread look to help the Mavs open things up a bit. Gone will be the even fronts often shown by the Eastland defense last year. Instead, the Mavericks will commit to an aggressive 3-3 stack full-time — a look they had experimented with some last year.
COMANCHE — Call it an investment. Call it public service. Call it what you will. Both are correct.
At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what you call the Comanche football program’s efforts to clean up its community in the summer and spread some Christmas cheer each December. The town benefits from it, and so do many people who are less fortunate than others.
The brainchild of sixth-year football coach Jake Escobar, the program involves roaming groups of Comanche football players who search out various locations that may need some clean up.
“People will message me saying ‘I’ve got some things I need to clean up,” Escobar said. “Do you have a couple of kids who can come help?
“Because they know that if they post that an area needs to be cleaned up our kids are always willing to help — always.”
COMANCHE— After battling through a tough schedule with a young team last season, the Comanche Indians are poised for a step forward from their 5-5 record of 2025.
The numbers at CHS are a source of great optimism in the Indian camp and frankly, they should be.
Aside from seven starters returning on both sides of the football, the Indians will have 25 returning lettermen after losing only eight. They will so be getting help and added depth from players promoted from an 8-2 JV team, bolstering their expected roster size to around 35 players.
“I’m not going to sugar coat it,” Comanche coach Jake Escobar said. “I feel like we’re going to be pretty good. We’ve had a good off-season and I think our summer workouts have been really good. … That’s going to lead up to a good season, I hope.”
MERKEL — When one sees Merkel’s Easton “Moose” Malone standing on the sidelines for the first time, they may assume he’s an offensive or defensive lineman. At 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds, he’s certainly big enough to take on both challenges.
Well, he is neither.
In fact, Malone is so athletic, that he is the Badgers’ starting quarterback — with equally dangerous abilities to pass and run. And when he’s not behind center, he’s occupying the middle of the Merkel defense, as a sure-footed, quick, sound-tacking middle linebacker.
Since his freshman year, he’s gone from a ninth-grader seeking respect to an upper classman whose name precedes him. And he has a level of confidence to illustrate it.
MERKEL — When examining the 2026 Merkel football team two things become apparent: First, the Badgers will have their share of skill, including one of the area’s most athletic quarterbacks in junior Easton “Moose” Malone.
But secondly, Merkel will be smallish up front defensively, making the Badgers a target for teams that like to pound the football. And solving this potential dilemma could be the key for MHS to have a successful campaign.
In the meantime, the numbers are far from terrible. Third-year coach Wes Wood returns seven offensive and five defensive starters from last year’s 7-5 club that pushed two rounds deep into the playoffs. A modest 13 lettermen are back on a roster that is expected to be around 24 players, with incoming help from a solid 6-3-1 JV team.
BRECKENRIDGE — As he walks through the hallways at Breckenridge High School, senior offensive linemen Joacim Fernandez maintains a soft-spoken, friendly demeanor.
Once he puts on a helmet and steps onto a football field, however, Mr. Nice Guy does a vanishing act. And in his stead, Joacim (pronounced Joe-Seem) becomes one of the most intimidating and aggressive players in the Big Country.
Now beginning his third and final varsity season, Fernandez has added an additional 17 pounds to his frame via fanatical effort in the weight room and will enter this season as a 6-foot-1, 265-pound offensive line that the Buckaroos are looking at as a leader up front.