Lubbock High 31, Big Spring 20 — Braiden Dunkerson rushed for 204 yards and three scores to lift Lubbock High to a win over Big Spring (0-2).
The Westerners (1-1) broke into the win column with 303 yards in total offense.
Author: Evan Ren
DISTRICT 3-3A DIV. I WEEK 2 REPORT: Jim Ned, Comanche, Sweetwater earn first wins
Jim Ned 42, Lubbock Trinity Christian 12 — Gray Beasley threw for 165 yards and three scores and rushed for 35 yards and another TD to lift the Indians (1-1).
Also having big nights were running backs Aiden Ellis, who rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries and Jaron Pryor (11 carries, 59 yards, one score).
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Eastland scores impressive win at Clyde
CLYDE — Only two games into their foray with the wing-T offense, the Eastland Mavericks could very well be ahead of the learning curve with their new attack.
If Friday’s dominating 35-14 win at Clyde in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week doesn’t provide enough evidence, then their 2-0 record, coupled with the 301 yards rushing they produced at Clyde should send up a red flag.
Kye Herrington threw for 119 yards and one score and rushed for an additional TD to help keep the Mavericks unbeaten while Cayden Alford (102 yards rushing and one score) and Cason Browning (90 yards rushing, two TDs) spearheaded the ground game.
Clyde, which was victimized by Eastland’s 36 minutes of possession time, finished with only two first downs and 35 plays from scrimmage.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Eastland, Clyde square off in Game of the Week (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country Picks)
LAST WEEK: 48-20, .705
SEASON TOTAL: 48-20, .705
I’m not going to deny that I have an endless fascination with old-fashioned offenses. And I’m not going to deny that I’m a bit eager to see Eastland’s jump to the Wing-T after more than a decade of slinging the ball all over the field.
But this has little to do with why Eastland (1-0) and Clyde (1-0) will be hooking up in our Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
The fact that both clubs are coming off quality wins — Clyde beating Cisco 43-42 in OT and Eastland stopping Coleman 21-6 — creates enough intrigue to snag the top spot. Add the fact that you have a modern spread offense going against an attack that was devised more than 70 years ago and you’re looking at a game with potential to get the spotlight.
And courtesy of a beat-up Brownwood team, this contest made the top of our list.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jobe takes first Player of the Week for 2024-25 school year
DE LEON — Entering this football it was expected that De Leon junior quarterback Heston Jobe would be among the top producers in the Big Country.
It took him all of one night to prove it in a 79-43 win over Dublin on Friday.
Jobe, who connected on 13 of 20 throws for 413 yards and four scores, also rushed for 176 yards and four more TDs.
By night’s end, the Bearcats were 1-0 and Jobe had accounted for 589 yards and five touchdowns.
DISTRICT 10-2A DIV. II WEEK 1 REPORT: Goldthwaite falls to improved Junction in opener
Junction 40, Goldthwaite 6 — With every starter back from last year, Junction was expected to take a major step forward this season.
And from the looks of their win over Goldthwaite on Friday, that is apparently the case.
The Eagles (1-0) will play host to an improved San Saba team (1-0) on Friday.
DISTRICT 14-2A DIV. I WEEK 1 REPORT: Mason falls, San Saba victorious in openers
Wall 28, Mason 6 — Landon York threw for 148 yards, and two scores and Hagyn Barbee rushed for 37 yards and a TD to lead Wall to a win in Craig Slaughter’s coaching debut at WHS.
Briggs Jones was the top receiving target for the Hawks (1-0), hauling in three passes for 102 yards and two scores.
Wall (1-0) will face Brownwood (0-0) next Friday at home.
DISTRICT 7-2A DIV. II WEEK 1 REPORT: Miles opens with big win at Sonora; Winters takes home Ice Bowl title
Miles 32, Sonora 14 —Tevin Meade rushed for 145 yards and four TDs to lead Miles to an impressive road win over Sonora.
Cooper Ellison was the top receiver for MHS, reeling in four catches for 96 yards and another score.
DISTRICT 4-2A DIV. I WEEK 1 REPORT: Hawley defeats Roscoe behind big night from Ables
Hawley 49, Roscoe 21 — Keagan Ables threw for 294 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 68 more and another TD to lift Hawley in its opener.
The Bearcats (1-0), who trailed finished with 460 yards in total offense, trailed 14-13 at the break, but took control of the contest with a 36-7 outburst in the second half.
DISTRICT 4-3A DIV. II WEEK 1 REPORT: Wall impressive in Slaughter’s debut
Wall 28, Mason 6 — Landon York threw for 148 yards, and two scores and Hagyn Barbee rushed for 37 yards and a TD to lead Wall to a win in Craig Slaughter’s coaching debut at WHS.
Briggs Jones was the top receiving target for the Hawks (1-0), hauling in three passes for 102 yards and two scores.
DISTRICT 3-3A DIV. I WEEK 1 REPORT: Clyde opens with win at Cisco in Big Country thriller
Clyde 43, Cisco 42 — In one of the top games in the area on Friday, Clyde edge Cisco in a shootout, giving the Bulldogs (1-0) the only win of the night for District 3-3A DI.
The Bulldogs overcame a 28-20 deficit heading into the fourth quarter to earn the win.
Clyde will play host to Eastland (1-0) in its home opener next Friday; Cisco will travel to San Angelo TLCA on the same evening.
DISTRICT 4-4A DIV. II WEEK 1 REPORT: Tigers open with easy win over Grandview
Glen Rose 49, Grandview 14 — Canyon Evans threw for 329 yards and five scores to lead Glen Rose to a rout of Grandview at home.
Braylon Reid led the Tigers in rushing with 62 yards and one score on 10 carries.
Glen Rose (1-0) will take on Gatesville (1-0) next Friday on the road.
DISTRICT 4-4A DIV. I WEEK 1 REPORT: Stephenville opens with stunning rout of Heritage; Brownwood game cancelled
Stephenville 38, Midlothian Heritage 3 — Ryan Gafford threw for 242 yards and two scores as the Yellow Jackets dominated Class 5A Heritage.
Tristian Gentry was Gafford’s favorite target, resulting in four receptions for 109 yards and a score. Comanche Transfer Sawyer Wilkerson led the ‘Jackets in rushing with 48 yards on eight carries and one TD.
GAME STORY: Speedy Stamford dominates youthful Albany, 50-6
STAMFORD — The warning signs turned out to be correct.
Throughout the offseason, whenever the subject of the Stamford Bulldog football team came up, overall team speed stood out like a tsunami warning. The Bulldogs were going to have speed all over the field with multiple big-play threats.
The forecast proved accurate on Friday night with an impressive 50-6 win over two-time defending 2A DII state champion Albany in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
Christian Duran rushed for 110 yards and three scores and threw for 221 yards and two more scores to lead Stamford, which coasted to a season-opening win after carrying a 36-6 lead into the break.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Albany travels to Stamford in Game of the Week
LAST WEEK: 0-0, .000
SEASON TOTAL: 00-00, .000
Week 1 is often loaded with difficult picks and 2024 is no exception.
Our first slate of games this year has a number of contests that could have qualified for the Big Country Preps Game of the Week. But we finally settled on Albany at Stamford for the spotlight.
The two-time defending state 2A DII state champions, minus several key players lost to graduation, facing a Stamford club bringing back most of its skill and a ton of speed.
EVAN REN: Top area games worth traveling for in 2024
Ready to take the truck out on one of those farm-to-market roads to watch high school football into the late hours on a Friday night?
You’re not the only one.
And, as always, we’ve come up with a preseason menu of sorts for those of you who will be hitting the trails each week in search of pigskin.
Every week for the next 11 weeks, Big Country Preps will be searching for its Game of the Week, and we’re already looking ahead. The list below represents that work and acts as a framework for the rest of the season. We now share it with you … our preliminary list of Big Country Games worth traveling for in 2024. But keep in mind: the following list is subject to change as surprises and disappointments emerge.
And as we all know, surprises and disappointments will always emerge.
STEPHENVILLE FEATURE: Butchee family’s decision to stay in Stephenville was an easy one
STEPHENVILLE — Just a few months after Stephenville’s Class 3A DI state football championship in 2012, a young coach, Jeremiah Butchee, brought his family to town looking for work.
He found it as an assistant coach under former SHS coach Joe Gillespie. Twelve years later he has remained on staff through the tenures of Greg Windor and now, Sterling Doty with no plans of ever leaving.
After considerable prayer, Jeremiah and his wife, Julie, wanted the decision to come to SHS be an easy one and they wanted the decision to stay to be just as simple.
Both prayers were answered.
The couple has since raised their three sons, Mason, Jack and Hudson in Stephenville, all three have been standout football players and all three have made considerable contributions to a highly successful 12-year run for the SHS program.
2024 STEPHENVILLE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Top-ranked Yellow Jackets fully loaded, despite loss of more than 30 lettermen
STEPHENVILLE — For your average Class 4A football program, the loss of 32 lettermen to graduation is enough to inspire whispers of “rebuilding year.”
Stephenville, however, isn’t your average Class 4A football program.
In fact, even after the loss of 32 experienced players, the Yellow Jackets still enter the 2024 football season ranked No. 1 in Class 4A DI by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine. To put that into perspective, the remainder of District 4-4A DI (Brownwood, Lampasas, Burnet and Marble Falls) must replace an average of 16 lettermen this year — only half of that lost by the Yellow Jackets.
EVAN REN: Lions knocking on the door of something special. But can BHS make it happen?
BROWNWOOD — Defining a special football accomplishment can depend on what sideline your standing on. By that I mean all things are relative when it comes to stirring the blood of a Texas high school football fan.
A .500 season at La Mesa, for example, will win you the key to the city at a place that hasn’t seen a record like that in 23 years. But good luck winning any popularity contests if you follow Denney Faith at Albany with a 5-5.
That’s the problem with weighing accomplishments when speaking of programs with a storied past. Programs such as Brownwood, which has reached the state championship pinnacle seven times has a different viewpoint on what’s “special.”
2024 BROWNWOOD FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Young Lions could be surprisingly good
BROWNWOOD — With the loss of talented quarterback Ike Hall (Tarleton State), all-Big Country Preps kicker Junior Martinez and offensive lineman Quinton McCarty (Navarro College) among 21 graduated lettermen, one may be expecting a rebuilding phase in Brownwood.
Not just yet.
The Lions, you see, still have 19 lettermen returning from last year’s 12-2 team and several promotees up from a 10-0 JV team. So the mindset at Brownwood is more to reload, rather than rebuild.
“It speaks well of our coaching staff,” coach Sammy Burnett said. “They’re high school coaches, but they coach all levels. … So our kids no how to work hard, they expect to be successful and they’re just thirsting for the opportunity to play on Friday night.
“It’s a big deal in Brownwood, Texas and we’ve got a lot of kids ready to do that.”
GLEN ROSE FEATURE: Glen Rose quarterback hopes to emerge further ahead then where he left off in 2023
Action photos provided by Jay Hinton Photography
GLEN ROSE — In 2023, Glen Rose quarterback Canyon Evans pieced together an eye-popping season, hitting 305 of 485 passes for 4,577 yards and 49 touchdowns.
In the process, he helped the Tigers to a 10-5 record (after a 1-4 start), a District 4-4A DII championship, a Region I-4A DII title and a trip to the state semifinals.
He did, however, have a few things to work on — namely a season interception count of 21 and a notable lack of footspeed that limited the Tigers’ options.
None of this was lost on Evans, a 17-year-old senior who has spent a considerable amount of offseason time working on both issues. And in the view of the Glen Rose staff, he’s nearly got both of them conquered.
“I’m a pocket passer at heart and that’s what I love to do,” Evans said. “But if I can run — and I worked on it during the offseason — maybe we can incorporate that into the game.”
2024 GLEN ROSE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Tigers loaded in 2024
GLEN ROSE — After pushing all the way to the Class 4A DII state semifinals for two straight years, the Glen Rose Tigers and coach Cliff Watkins have set a high standard for themselves.
The good news for the Tigers is that they may have the weapons to meet, or even surpass their recent efforts, which has seen their seasons ended by eventual state champions (Carthage and Gilmer) in back-to-back state semis.
Can they get there in 2024? The numbers would suggest a solid opportunity, with nine offensive and six defensive starters back among 27 lettermen.
BROCK FEATURE: Eagles excited about jump to Class 4A
BROCK — Since beginning their football program in 2012, the Brock Eagles have posted a 138-24 overall record. This includes a 41-9 mark in the playoffs, a Class 3A DI state title in 2015, and 3A DI state title game appearances in 2017, 2021 and 2022.
The numbers don’t end there.
The Eagles are currently on a 10-year streak of double-digit wins, during which time they’ve taken eight district championships. Their lowest season victory total in that span: 11.
So needless to say, when word came down on Snapshot Day back in October that Brock had turned in an enrollment figure of 629 to push the Eagles up to Class 4A DII, nobody in 3A shed a tear. On the contrary, those in 3A DI who had been on the receiving end of one loss to Brock after another, were about to get some welcomed relief.
2024 BROCK FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Eagles to reload again, threaten for 3-4A DII championship
BROCK — Don’t draw early conclusions about the Brock football team having only four offensive and two defensive starters back from a year ago.
Don’t start whispering the word “rebuilding” when you hear that the Eagles have just 14 returning lettermen. And don’t tell yourselves that five players lost to the college ranks is too much talent to replace, or that a jump to Class 4A will be Brock’s Waterloo.
The Eagles, whether you’re in the camp of love, hate or indifference, are going to field another big-time product in 2024.
SNYDER FEATURE: Gonzales adds a taste of New Mexico while rebuilding Snyder
SNYDER — Texas is notoriously difficult for out-of-state coaches to find head coaching jobs, and Lovington, New Mexico’s Anthony Gonzales knew it.
Call it a respect thing.
Texans generally believe (and with some validity) that their high school football is the best in the country. They think their players are the best, their fan support is the best and it only stands to reason that their coaching is the best as well. So why give some upstart from out of state a shot at a Texas job?
2024 SNYDER FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Gonzales takes over with mission to right the Snyder ship
SNYDER —After an eight-year stint as the head football coach in Lovington, N.M., Anthony Gonzales arrives at Snyder with a major rebuilding task in front of him.
With only five starters back on both sides of the football among only eight returning lettermen from a 3-7 team, Gonzales is tasked with setting a foundation and reestablishing a winning culture at a program that lost 24 lettermen to graduation.
On the plus side for Snyder, 2024 presents a solid opportunity for Gonzales to start virtually from scratch. And he has no shortage of enthusiasm while approaching the task.
SWEETWATER FEATURE: Moore spearheads Lucas’ first fourth-year players list with Mustangs
SWEETWATER — If there is one player on the Sweetwater football roster who may best exemplify the long-term growth of coach Russell Lucas’ program, it may very well be senior running back-linebacker Korda Moore.
Moore, who now enters his fourth varsity season, has been through every high and every low of Lucas’ tenure, from the 8-4 in 2021, to the freshman-heavy 1-9 a year later, to last season’s 7-5 mark.
Moore has been in the center of all of it.
“When (Lucas) first got here, everyone was shaky and nervous about it because we had a new coach and a whole new coaching staff,” Moore said. “But once we started to trust what he was saying the program started to change.”
And with Sweetwater expected to be one of the top Class 3A teams in the Big Country this year, Moore begins his final season at SHS as one of the area’s top athletes in Lucas’ first group of fourth-year players.
2024 SWEETWATER FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Mustangs are bigger, faster and more numerous, despite drop to 3A DI
SWEETWATER — There’s plenty of good news in the Sweetwater camp heading into the 2024 season, not the least of which are the nine returning starters on both sides of the ball from last year’s 7-5 playoff team.
Add the fact that starting quarterback Caiden Ortiz is among 23 returning lettermen and that the Mustangs are considerably larger than they’ve been in recent memory and you’ll begin to see why there is a growing optimism at the Mustang Bowl.
A little more? OK.
Now consider that Sweetwater has nearly all of its defense back after dropping from Class 4A DII to 3A DI during the offseason and it’s difficult to not to be curious about this team’s potential.
JIM NED FEATURE: Wishert to lead Indians up front, both ways
TUSCOLA — There are at least two keys for teammates and media to get along with Jim Ned senior lineman Xaden Wishert.
First, show up ready to work. And secondly, don’t confuse him with his older brother, Xavier (now playing at ACU), who starred as a running back-linebacker during Jim Ned’s state title run in 2021.
Xaden, who gets along fine with his sibling, is a different person, playing a completely different set of positions. So comparing the two really isn’t fair to either one of them.
2024 JIM NED FOOTBALL PREVIEW: McClure’s Indians to build around large group of returning lettermen
TUSCOLA — The Johnathon McClure era begins at Jim Ned with respectable numbers.
Back from last year’s 8-3 team are five offensive and seven defensive starters among 21 lettermen, with impact players on both sides of the ball.
The timing of this couldn’t be better from the Jim Ned perspective, given that its traditionally tough district (3-3A DI) got even more difficult following this year’s realignment with the addition of very good teams from Comanche and Sweetwater.
“If you go team-by-team, I could talk at length about each of them,” said McClure about the opposition facing the Indians in district play. “Obviously Sweetwater is an easy one to talk about right now with good reason. But I don’t think there’s enough talk about Comanche. They’re a dangerous crew.”
COMANCHE FEATURE: Five-senior offensive line to be focal point for Indians in 2024
COMANCHE — In a year that will see Comanche have to replace most of its skill personnel, the Indians may have one saving grace that catapults them into the playoffs yet again: a large, experienced offensive line.
Yet “experienced” might be an understatement.
In fact, Comanche’s offensive front is stocked with five seniors — Christian Anaya (5-11, 238), Ethan Dease (5-11, 230), Miles Hatch (5-8, 230), Camilo Sanchez (5-10, 273) and Christian “The Badger” Sanchez (5-10, 195).
2024 COMANCHE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Despite big personnel losses, Indians will contend with influx of young talent
COMANCHE — Big plusses, big minuses and they’re all over the 2024 map for the Comanche Indians who are wondering which factors will have the biggest impact.
To begin with, several key players have graduated from CHS, including standouts Ayden Fishback (TE/DE), Dalton Salinas (OL/DL), Diego Gutierrez (WR/DB), Kyler Beaty (DB/WR) and Layden Welch QB/LB). And to make matters worse, All-Big Country Preps running back Sawyer Wilkerson has moved on to Stephenville.
The Indians, do, however, have possible compensation with 20 returning lettermen. They will also be supplementing their varsity roster with promotions from an excellent 9-1 JV team.
BRECKENRIDGE FEATURE: Top utility man has just seen his role expand
BRECKENRIDGE — If Breckenridge senior utility man Sawyer Wimberley finds time to catch his breath in 2024, he may consider himself fortunate.
Already one of the most versatile players in the Big Country, Wimberley established himself as an effective running back-receiver and a solid place kicker last year.
This season, however, not only will he be getting more touches as the primary weapon in the Breckenridge offense, but he will also expand his game to the defensive side, where he is expected to start at cornerback.
“I definitely think it’s going to be fun,” the 17-year-old said. “I haven’t played defensively since the eighth grade so it’s going to be an experience that I’m not used to.”
2024 BRECKENRIDGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Young Bucks will rely on speed, size while learning the ropes
BRECKENRIDGE — However far the Breckenridge Buckaroos make it in 2024, a large group of juniors and sophomores will have a huge influence on the outcome.
That’s not necessarily a negative.
“We need to find out early what we can do best,” fifth-year coach Casey Pearce said. “In the past we’ve been able to throw the perimeter screen game and get people into space.
“Whether that will be our M.O. this year, I don’t know yet.”
TOLAR FEATURE: Mouser hopes to keep Rattlers in stride
TOLAR — First-year Tolar head football coach Blake Mouser has just been handed the keys to a Ferrari.
Chosen to replace former coach Jeremy Mullins, who took the job at Saginaw Eagle Mountain over the offseason, Mouser inherits a program coming off the best three-year stretch in its history — one which has seen the Rattlers post a combined 37-6 record, culminating in a trip to last year’s Class 2A DI state title game.
Mouser, with his first-ever head-coaching position, has been tasked with the job of keeping the Tolar ship righted, and he has the resumé to do it.
2024 TOLAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Rattlers to remain a regional threat despite jump to Class 3A DI
TOLAR — After consecutive seasons of 10-3, 13-1 and 14-2, including a trip to last year’s Class 2A DI state title game, the Tolar Rattlers may have the tools to remain an area power, despite a move to up to Class 3A DII.
That’s one of the reasons new coach Blake Mouser found Tolar so appealing. The numbers, talent and attitude at THS all remain at high levels heading into the 2024 campaign, giving Mouser a leg up in his first-ever head coaching job.
Aside from seven starters on both sides of the ball coming back, Tolar has 18 lettermen and help on the way from a 7-3 JV team. But more importantly, the Rattlers have several key players back who were responsible for last year’s run through the 2A DI playoff bracket.
The man in charge of keeping the ship righted: First-year head coach Brett Mouser, the former offensive coordinator at Austin Vandegrift, where he helped the Vipers to 106 wins in an 11-year span.
“I went through the roster and saw they had a lot of kids coming back,” said Mouser of the time he spent studying Tolar as a possible destination. “For a first-time head coach, that’s not bad, having a bunch of kids back from a state finalist team.
“There’s a lot of good players back and a good amount of three-year starters too.”
EASTLAND FEATURE: Traditionally High-flying Mavs switching to old-fashioned wing-T
EASTLAND — Every year since 2008, the Eastland Mavericks have been associated with throwing the football and finding people in space. And more often than not, at a quick tempo.
Current Springtown coach Brian Hulett started the trend in his first year at Eastland 16 years ago. The tradition continued after Hulett’s departure under Cliff Watkins (2014-15), James Morton (2016-22) and into last season with Bobby Schuman. This stretch included 14 playoff appearances and five district titles so there wasn’t a great deal of pressure to change things up.
2024 EASTLAND FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Mavs have ample experience heading into Schuman’s second year
EASTLAND — Second-year coach Bobby Schuman will be taking traditionally pass-happy Eastland in an entirely different direction in 2024, switching the Mavericks from a modern spread attack to an old-fashioned wing-T.
Eastland will have five offensive and six defensive starters returning to make it go, including seniors Cason Browning (RB, 6-0, 180), Cayden Alford (switching to RB, 5-11, 200), Eddie Medina (5-11, 175) and Isaac Castro (DE/RB, 5-10, 170).
There will be additional help among 15 returning lettermen and call-ups from a solid 7-3 JV team, leaving Schuman with decent numbers to begin his commitment to an offense that dates back more than 70 years.
DUBLIN FEATURE: Experienced Gaitan returns under center for the Lions
DUBLIN —Kaden Gaitan likes to have the ball in his hands.
That’s why the senior is Dublin’s point guard in basketball and a pitcher on the baseball team.
But before those sports get underway, Gaitan will be the Lions’ quarterback for a third straight year as Dublin looks to bounce back from a 1-9 record last fall.
MERKEL FEATURE: Shorthanded Merkel hoping for shot in the arm from three key move-ins
MERKEL — Sometimes football is all about luck. This can be particularly true during the offseason, when key players quit a team or join a team. Or when important families move away to other schools, or if they move into your district.
Entering the 2024 season, perhaps no area program was more in need of a little offseason luck than the Merkel Badgers,
No area team is shorter on returning help than MHS, which has just four starters back on both sides of the ball among eight returning lettermen from last year’s 6-4 club. And many of the existing vacancies will be filled by players promoted from an 0-10 JV squad.
As luck would have it, however, the Badgers have been on the receiving end of three move-ins who are currently showing the potential to be impact players — Abilene Cooper move-in CJ Guadarrama (RB-LB), Brownwood move-in Waylon Harrington (LB) and Winters move-in Brazos Grun (OL-DL).
2024 MERKEL FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Badgers starting from scratch under new coach
MERKEL — After a five-year tenure at Class 4A Snyder that saw him resign during the offseason with a 21-32 overall record, Wes Wood comes to Merkel with a challenging task ahead of him.
MHS’ varsity numbers are down — way down, with only four starters back on both sides of the ball among eight returning lettermen from last year’s 6-4 team. In the meantime, call-ups from an 0-10 JV squad and a couple of transfers will be counted on to fill the vacancies.
The Badgers are smallish, with at least three potential starters on the offensive line weighing less than 200 pounds. They are also in need of more speed, with only two sub-4.7 players listed on their preseason roster. To matters even more difficult, MHS graduated six varsity players who will be playing collegiately, leaving a sizeable talent void to fill.
From these meager beginnings, Wood will set about installing his system, building confidence in his young team and strengthening his sub-varsity programs.
SAN SABA FEATURE: Final Lackey brother just as smallish, but just as tough as the first two
Photos provided by the San Saba Yearbook class
SAN SABA —If one were to use a cookie cutter to form a prototypical linebacker, the exterior wouldn’t resemble San Saba’s Winton Lackey.
In fact, it wouldn’t be anything close to the senior Armadillo, who stands in at only 5-foot-7 and weighs just 165 pounds.
Lackey’s interior, however, is actually a prototype for what high school coaches are looking for: a non-stop motor, fearlessness, a nose for the football and heart. These ingredients have been dealt to Lackey in such measure, that San Saba coach Andreas Aguirre had no hesitation in allowing him to occupy the heart of his defense.
2024 SAN SABA FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Dillos expect step forward behind solid numbers
SAN SABA — Since a highly successful run from 2018-20 that saw San Saba post a combined 35-5 record, the numbers game hasn’t been kind to the Armadillos.
As fate would have it, San Saba has spent the last three seasons slugging through a combined 11-20 mark with either lower numbers, smaller players and/or less team experience. And at times, it was a combination of all three.
The year 2024, however, seems to be offering the Armadillos a solid opportunity to recapture the momentum it had only four short seasons ago.
DE LEON FEATURE: Cooper preferring the role of utility man as Bearcats enter highly anticipated season
DE LEON — When asked if there was anything that junior utility man Jake Cooper wasn’t good at, De Leon head football coach Jacob Marwitz laughed out loud.
In other words, no.
That’s not difficult to believe, considering his numbers, which saw the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder lead the team in tackling in over half of DHS’ games last year from his safety-linebacker hybrid spot. He also rushed for 972 yards and 14 scores on only 160 carries and caught 45 passes for 435 yards and two more scores.
2024 DE LEON FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Bearcats could field their best team in more than five years
DE LEON — Fourth-year De Leon football coach Jacob Marwitz has taken his share of lumps while rebuilding the DHS program.
But if the rate of improvement shown by the Bearcats is any indicator, the 2024 season could produce the best team De Leon has shown in at least six years.
Marwitz’s teams have posted records of 0-10, 4-6 and 7-5 in succession since he inherited a 1-9 club in 2021. And the numbers have climbed right along with the success rate.
2024 BALLINGER FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Bearcats to improve in 2024, but can they make the playoffs?
Times were tough for Ballinger on the football field last season.
A Murderer’s Row of non-district opponents kept the Bearcats from gaining much traction. It didn’t help that Ballinger was relatively young, either.
But throughout a winless season, coach Ty Lang saw bright spots.
2024 HAWLEY FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Young Bearcats relying on rebuilt O-line, green secondary to keep run of success going
HAWLEY — The word “rebuild” hasn’t been applied much to Hawley over the past decade and with good reason. Through 10 seasons, coach Mitch Ables has posted a 108-25 record (.812) with seven district championships, including a current streak of six straight.
Ables has posted all seven 10-win seasons in Hawley history (including a current streak of six straight) and has never failed to lead the Bearcats into postseason play.
Now you’re beginning to see why “rebuild” has all but left the Hawley lexicon.
HAWLEY FEATURE: Tate Scott recovers from knee injury in time to begin senior season
HAWLEY — In the Region I-2A DI title game with Stratford last December, Hawley’s Tate “Cowboy” Scott was charging downfield on punt coverage when he landed awkwardly, tearing the ACL in his right knee — a diagnosis that threatened the remainder of his football career.
“It was right after halftime on our second drive,” recalled Scott. “I went over a kid to try to tackle someone and I just heard a bunch of pops and that was that.”
Surgery followed in January, after which he was told that he faced approximately six to eight months of rehab before being able to play again — slim timing for him to get the work done and suit up for Hawley’s season opener at Roscoe on Aug. 30.
There were no guarantees, in fact, his doctors were reluctant to release him on time — a decision they eventually reversed. And as it stands right now, “Cowboy” has been suiting up for preseason scrimmages and is expected to start for the Bearcats at Roscoe.
CISCO FEATURE: Loboes are almost out of Gayles
CISCO — There is no arguing that the last 22 years have been the most successful stretch in Cisco football history. In fact, it’s not even close.
Since 2002, the Loboes have won outright or shared 15 district championships, appeared in five state title games and won a state championship in 2013.
The biggest common denominators? Members of the coaching staff, many of whom have stayed with the program through coach Brent West’s retirement from the game in 2019.
Among the players, however, one name has been a constant somewhere in the program for the last 16 years: the name of Gayle — a family that has supplied the CHS athletic department with five brothers and a sister since 2008, a key factor in the two most dynamic decades of CHS sports the school has ever seen.
2024 CISCO FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Loboes should see some improvement in 2024
CISCO — Sooner or later, every high school football program hits a stretch when either numbers, experience or talent are in short supply.
The 2023 season saw perennial power Cisco take its turn in two of these areas when a young, shorthanded group of Loboes posted a 5-7 mark — the first losing campaign for CHS since 2010.
Last year’s struggles snapped a run of four consecutive seasons with double-digit wins for the Loboes, the last three of which were under fifth-year coach Kevin Stennett, who guided Cisco to regional title games in 2020, 2021 and 2023.