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Allen Academy
Newcomers part of Rams’ path to success in 2021
QB Lucas, seniors Meadows, Lee back to lead Allen Academy
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ABIGAIL OCHOA
abigail.ochoa@theeagle.com
Allen Academy’s motto “Chapter ’21”will serve as a guiding light in what the Rams hope to be a successful season.
The Rams like to pick a motto each season with their most recent being the“Revenge Tour”last year as they reached the TAPPS 6-man Division II state championship game after falling just short of it in 2019.
But this year with plenty of young starters on the team, Allen Academy is looking to the future.
“We’re going to write our own chapter this year,” head coach Adrian Adams said. “So it’s up to them to make it what they want to. It’s the same tradition, same program. We’ve just got a different cast of characters getting ready to step up into the spotlight.”
Luckily for the Rams, the new cast members will have plenty of veterans to learnfrom.Senior wide receiver and defensive lineman LukeMeadows,seniorreceiverJihu Lee and sophomore quarterback Ethan Lucas all return to the team with valuable experience, along with a slew of juniors in Aidan Field, Jackson Petty, Luke Miller, Ryan Lasell and Kyle Dupont.
Meadows and Lee have the most experienceenteringtheseasonand hope to fill the leadership roles left by all-state starters Aaron Boegner,Elias Chapa,Brent Tucker and Ryan Hassell.
EAGLE FILE PHOTO Senior Luke Meadows, center right, is back to help lead the Allen Academy Rams this season.
ROSTER
1 WR/DB Luke Zumwalt, 5-10, 115, fr.; 2 WR/DB Dominic Lampo, 5-10, 160, sr.; 3 QB/DB Ethan Lucas, 5-10, 165, soph.; 6 WR/RB/QB/DB Kyle DuPont, 5-9, 165, jr.; 8 RB/DB Jackson Reece, 5-11, 155, fr.; 10 WR/FS/PK Jihu Lee, 6-2, 180, sr.; 12 HB/DL Luke Meadows, 6-1, 190, sr.; 13 C/DL Jackson Petty, 6-1, 205, jr.; 14 RB/DB/MLB Aidan Field, 6-22, 170, jr.; 21 C/HB/DL Eli Dawson, 6-4, 190, soph.; 22 WR/FS Rusty Ly-McMurry, 5-9, 145, fr.; 23 RB/MLB Ohkyo Kwon 5-11, 75, sr.; 24 WR/FS Dominic Nuscis, 5-8, 140, jr.; 25 HB/ DL Luke Miller, 6-1, 180, jr.; 33 TE/DL Randy Savell, 6-0, 230, sr.; 44 HB/DL Ryan Lasell, 5-11, 180, jr.
The remaining returners have no shortage of talent, but with a core of starters gone, the Rams will be looking for several players to handle larger workloads.
“If you graduate a few allstaters, you got to fill some holes,” Adams said.
Filling those holes shouldn’t be too difficult.
Petty will spend some time at quarterback, and Field will take over at middle linebacker and running back after studying under Tucker the past two years. Miller and Lasell join the offensive line after training under Meadows and Hassell.
Meadows said it’s easy for the youngsters to feel pressure, especially after watching their teammates lead the Rams to state with a 7-4 record last season following a state semifinal run in 2019. But the veteran said he’s not worried about the talent coming up.
“Aidan Field stepping up at running back in replace of Brent [Tucker], he’s every bit as athletic as Brent is,” Meadows said. “He’s gotten a lot bigger, stronger and faster over this offseason. Lee, he was a starter for us last year and had some big games, especially when Aaron [Boegner] was not playing. He’s a big, strong, physical receiver. Physically, this group should be able to take control of a lot of teams.”
One position Allen Academy can find stability in is at quarterback with Lucas. He’s returning after exchanging snaps with Tucker and being key to the Rams’ secondhalf comeback at state during his inaugural season.
“To have Ethan back, I mean that sets the tempo for offense,” Adams said.
Adams said the biggest hurdle for the young team is converting what they’ve learned in practice in past seasons into success on Friday nights.
“If you’re on the scout team and you’re going against [our starters], you’re bound to get better,because other people aren’t practicing against those types of guys,” Adams said. “You know they’re getting it three days a week in practice, and they just didn’t get it on Friday nights against somebody else, so they’re really ahead. They just need that time on the field to learn at the moment.”
The Rams will compete under new lights on new turf at Baker Field, which underwent renovations this summer. The will host BVCHEA, Giddings State, Logos Prep Academy, Katy Faith West, Emery/Weiner and Tyler King’s Academy this season with road games at St. Joseph, Aquila, Faith West Academy, O’Connell and Covenant Christian. (Last year’s result in parentheses) Aug. 26 BVCHEA 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3 o pen Sept. 9 at St. Joseph (44-48) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at Aquilla 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24 *Giddings Lone Star (DNP) 7 p.m. Oct. 1 *#Logos Prep Academy (DNP) 7 p.m. Oct. 8 *Katy Faith West (DNP) 7 p.m. Oct. 16 *Emery/Weiner (60-62 2 OTs) 6 p.m. Oct. 22 Tyler King’s Academy (DNPO) 7 p.m. Oct. 29 *at Galveston O’Connell (64-12) 7 p.m. Nov. 5 *at Covenant Christian (DNP) 7 p.m. *TAPPS D1/DII District 6 games; #Homecoming
FACTS
Head coach — Adrian Adams (93-41 overall, 24-7 at Allen)
Assistant coaches — defensive coordinator Alex Simpson, special teams coordinator Nick Stromyer, Seth Thomas, Michael Bryan
District — TAPPS D1/DII District 6
2020 record — 6-1 (3-0, 1st)
2020 playoffs — area: Cornerstone Christian Academy, 64-14; semifinals: Faith Academy of Marble Falls, 54-22; finals: Lakehill Prep School, 34-42
Playoff appearances — 24
Returning lettermen — 11 (3 offensive, 3 defensive starters)
Key returners — WR Jihu Lee, sr. (A-D); TE/DL Luke Meadows, sr. (A-D at TE, 2nd at DL); QB Ethan Lucas, soph. (2nd A-D); DB Kyle DuPont, jr. (2nd A-D)
Key losses — WR Aaron Boegner (A-D); C/DL Ryan Hassell (A-D both ways); WB/LB Brent Tucker (A-D both ways); DB Elias Chapa (A-D)
Playoff appearances (24) —
11-man: 1974-75, 1979-80, 1998, 2004; 6-man: 1990-91, 1993-97, 2008-15, 2018-20
(Last year’s result in parentheses) Aug. 28 vs. Conroe Covenant (DNP) TBA Sept. 3 Waco Methodist (DNP) 7 p.m Sept. 9 Allen Academy (48-44) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at Westbury Christian (DNP) 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Summit Christian (37-64) 7 p.m. Oct. 1 Lonestar Southeast (DNP) 7 p.m. Oct. 8 Pasadena Baptist (DNP) 7 p.m. Oct. 15 *at Brazosport Christian (55-6) 7 p.m. Oct. 22 open Oct. 29 *Grace Christian (DNP) TBA Nov. 5 *Baytown Christian (47-0) 7 p.m. * TAPPS 6-man Division III District 5 games
FACTS
Head coach — Alec Castilleja (20-20 overall & at St. Joe) Assistant coaches — Marcjavion McGrew, Cameron Cooper, Nathan Jones, Luke Prichard, Christian Serna District — TAPPS 6-man Division III District 5 2020 record — 6-1 (3-0, 1st) 2020 playoffs — area: Bulverde Living Rock (forfeit); regionals: Cedar Park Summit, 37-64 Returning lettermen — 3 (2 offensive, 1 defensive starters) Key returners — OL Gabe Stratta, sr. (A-D); TE/DL Reid Millhollon, sr. (A-D); DL Grayson Glass, sr. (2nd A-D); DB Jackson Carey, soph. (2nd A-D) Key losses — C Evan Lawrence (A-D); QB/DB/P Trace Brightwell (A-D); RB/LB Twister Barrington (A-D); LB Evan Lawrence (A-D); DB Justin Kristynik (A-D); PK/WR Gage Lipscomb (A-D at PK, 2nd at WR); OL Jack Grunkemeyer (2nd A-D); RB/LB Jake Drabek (2nd A-D); TE Joe Tyler Saladiner (2nd A-D) All-time record — 118-127 Playoff record — 5-14 (2-8 in 11man; 3-6 in 6-man)
Playoff appearances (15) —
6-man: 1999-2001; 11-man: 200611, 2013-14, 2018-20
Pair of newcomers bring senior talent to St. Joseph
Eagle basketball standouts Rice, Schumann ready to help on gridiron
TRAVIS L. BROWN
travis.brown@theeagle.com
Returning few starters from last season,St.Joseph head coach Alec Castilleja needed to pillage whatever athletic talent his school had to offer.
So when Eagle running back and safety Jackson Carey first saw newcomers Levi Rice and Luke Schumann practice, he wondered why the pair of basketball standouts hadn’t played football their first three years of high school.
“It’s really good,” Carey said of having Rice and Schumann on the team. “We’ve been trying to get them for several years now, but finally they are wanting to play.”
Rice and Schumann represent two of five seniors on a underclassman-heavy squad the Eagles bring to the gridiron this fall.
For Castilleja, the unknown can be a strength.
“No one really knows what’s coming,” he said.“In the last three or four years, you kind of knew what was coming. You knew what we had. You could brace yourself for it. This year, we’re kind of that question mark. We’re going to come in, and [opponents will] be like, ‘What are they going to be strong in?’”
Among the 11 seniors lost from last season are All-Brazos Valley honorees quarterback Trace Brightwell and running back Twister Barrington. Brightwell passed for 941 yards and 20 touchdowns,while rushing for 386 yards and five touchdowns. On defense he recorded 27 tackles and five interceptions.Barrington rushed for
MICHAEL MILLER, THE EAGLE
The St. Joseph Eagles went 3-0 in district play and 6-1 overall last season.
ROSTER
3 Marc Mishler, soph.; 4 Jackson Carey; 6 Noah Umanzor, fr.; 8 Liam Killbride, jr; 10 Reid Millhollon, sr.; 11 Luke Schumann, sr.; 12 Charlie Weise, fr.; 15 Levi Rice, sr.; 16 Ben Curtis, soph.; 18 Bryant Hutka, soph.; 20 Lucas Ramirez, fr.; 22 Peter Najvar, fr.; 23 Victor Perez, soph.; 24 Gabe Stratta, sr.; 25 Grayson Glass, sr.; 32 Luke Johnson, jr.; 34 Paul Johnson, fr. 35 Walker West, fr.
605 yards and nine touchdowns and collected 28 tackles and two sacks on defense.
One piece is certain, the Eagles’ returning two-way starter Reid Millhollon. The wide receiver and defensive lineman earned all-state honors as a junior last year,helping the Eagles post a 6-1 record overall and 3-0 in TAPPS 6-man District III-5 play as they advanced to the regional quarterfinals.
Millhollon will transition to quarterback this season.
“He’s definitely going to be the centerpiece for our team,” Castilleja said.
Alongside Millhollon, the Eagle leadership corps includes center and defensive lineman Gabe Stratta and Carey. It’s a new task for Stratta,who said he is prepared for it.
“It’s a different kind of feeling whenever you’re a team leader and not just a smaller player on the team anymore,” Stratta said.
While this year’s squad is unproven compared to the successful teams of the last several seasons, Castilleja knows he has the foundations of the program firmly in place and depth to fill voids. About 90% of St. Joseph’s athletes are tri-sport participants with some playing on even more teams than that, he said. Getting kids interested in playing football has become an easier sell recently.
“We know we’ve been successful,” Castilleja said. “We’ve seen success. Let’s just keep going and take one step at a time. We don’t have to take big leaps, because we know what it’s going to take to be successful. If we keep moving forward, we’re going to keep seeing success. If we step backwards, we’re going to stop the growth.”
Bringing Schumann and Rice into the football fold may prove key this season. Rice was an AllBrazos Valley selection in basketball, averaging 15 points and 11.7 rebounds per game for the Eagles.
“Now that everyone’s on board, seeing the program being successful and seeing the good things that are coming out of the football program — not just the wins and the ability to play, but the growth as a person — that is what we really push for,” Castilleja said.
Therealsell,however,camefrom Millhollon, who laid down an ultimatum according to Stratta: Play football or the quarterback would forgo his final basketball season.
“I think it was our quarterback just smooth talking them — or he threatened them at least,” Stratta said with a laugh. “I think he just said he wasn’t going to play basketball. I think that finally swooned them over.”
