Somerville

Somerville poised for breakthrough year

Yeguas hope to turn last year’s close calls into playoff berth

ROBERT CESSNA

robert.cessna@theeagle.com

The Somerville football program turned the corner last season. Now the Yeguas want to pick up the pace.

Somerville went just 2-6 last season but finished strong, beating Bartlett 34-12 and Milano 62-0 to get in position to make the playoffs.The Yeguas lost to Burton 30-14 in the season finale,capping a stretch of three games in 11 days in a revamped schedule because of COVID-19.

“I thought we had a strong year,” Somerville second-year coach Cal Neatherlin said. “We were just right there. We battled everybody. We lost three games on the final play of the game. Our season could have been big time. We could have had the most wins since 2006, so I believe we have laid the foundation.”

Somerville also won two games in 2019, but the Yeguas often weren’t competitive, ending a 2-7 season with a six-game losing streak in which they were outscored 215-41. Last year, Somerville outscored the opposition 206-198.

“[That] means you’re playing pretty good ball, and our defense was playing well,”Neatherlin said. “We think we’re going to be right there, and we’re going to be battling everybody in every district game. Last year, the only teams that beat us were playoff opponents.”

Somerville had back-to-back road losses to Leon 30-29 and Granger 20-17 in what ended up finishing its nondistrict schedule because of COVID-19. Two weeks later, Somerville opened district

Please see SOMERVILLE, Page H40 CASSIE STRICKER THE EAGLE VerKobe Woodberry is a playmaker for Somerville’s offense and returns for his senior season. 1 WR/DB Herschel Conway, soph.; 2 TE/LB Julian Frayre, sr.; 3 RB/DB Arvis Burns, sr.; 4 QB/DB Johnny Legg, sr.; 5 WR/DB VerKobe Woodberry, sr.; 6 QB/LB Ian Teague, fr.; 7 WR/ DB Kason Rohrbach, fr.; 8 WR/DB Deven Green, jr.; 9 WR/DB Barrett Howe, soph.; 10 WR/DB/PK Isaac Sanchez, sr.; 11 WR/LB Kutter Rohrbach, fr.; 14 WR/DE Caleb Hanks, soph.; 16 WR/DB Gardner Shivers, soph.; 17 WR/DB Aiden Bryant, fr.; 20 RB/LB Evan Garay, sr.; 33 WR/ LB Raijoun Shivers, fr.; 34 RB/DB Emmanuel Chavez, soph.; 44 RB/DB Oscar Rivera-Espinoza, sr.; 45 FB/ DL Ryan Brown, fr.; 50 C/DT Ross Dubois; 53 OL/DE Gavin Williams, fr.; 56 OL/DB Sebastian Vega, sr.; 58 OL/LB Payton Sprouse, sr.; 60 OL/ DL Dakota Gilbert, soph.; 64 OL/ DL Dustin Vess, sr.; 65 OL/DL Jesus Espinoza, jr.; 70 OL/DL MJ Rubio, jr.; 71 OL/DL Jashawn Jones, soph.; 76 OL/DL Cedric Hudgen, sr.; 77 OL/ DL Cullen Sablatura, sr.; 78 OL/DL Alejandro Espinosa, sr.; 79 OL/DL Andrew Vasquez, soph.; 87 TE/DL Caden Espinosa, jr.; 88 WR/DE Victor Orozco

(Last year’s result in parentheses) Aug. 27 at Hull-Daisetta (DNP) 7 p.m. Sept. 3 at Anderson-Shiro (7-34) 7 p.m. Sept. 10 Leon (29-30) 7 p.m. Sept. 17 Alpha Omega Academy (DNP) 7 p.m. Sept. 24 *at Milano (62-0) 7 p.m. Oct. 1 *#Iola (36-42) 7 p.m. Oct. 8 *at Burton (14-30) 7 p.m.

Oct. 15

*Snook (7-30) 7 p.m. Oct. 22 open Oct. 29 *at Bartlett (34-12) 7 p.m. Nov. 5 *Granger (17-20) 7 p.m. *District 13-2A Division II; #Homecoming

FACTS

Head coach — Cal Neatherlin (4-14 overall and at Somerville) Assistant coaches — Steve Puckett, Ethan Watson, Chris Martin, Josh Vela, Noah Leist District — 13-2A Division II 2020 record — 2-6 (2-4, 5th) Returning lettermen — 25 (7 offensive starters, 7 defensive starters) Key returners — WR/DB VerKobe Woodberry, sr. (A-D both ways); S/QB Johnny Legg, sr. (AD at S, 2nd at QB); DL Cedric Hudgen, sr. (2nd A-D); OL/DL Jesus Espinoza, jr. (HM A-D); OL/DL Alejandro Espinoza, sr. (HM A-D); WR/CB Herschel Conway, soph. (HM A-D); LB Oscar Rivera-Espinoza, sr. (HM A-D) Key losses — RB Jeremiah Teague (Co-13-2A Off MVP); OL Riley Eldridge (A-D); PK Said Reyna (2nd A-D); LB Jesus Gomez (2nd A-D); FB/DL Jayden Vilanova (HM A-D) All-time record — 321-536-24

Playoff appearances/record —

9 (4-9) Playoff appearances — (9) 1939, 1960, 1965, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1990, 2006, 2017 Somerville quarterback Johnny Legg will man the position for the third straight year for the Yeguas.

Somerville

From H39

with a 42-36 loss at Iola.

“We had some bad bounces, but our kids competed and they battled the whole time,” Neatherlin said.“Even in previous years when I watched film of them, they were giving up rather quickly, but now they feel confident in what we’re doing. They believe in what we’re doing and the system they’ve had more experience in. Even after we had three heartbreaking losses in a row,Isaid,‘Hey,let’sjustkeepputting ourselves out there,’ and they battled.”

Somerville’sonlylopsidedlosses were to Class 3A playoff teams Anderson-Shiro 34-7 and District 13-2A Division II champion Snook 30-7. Both were on the road.

“We worked harder,andwe were more prepared,” Somerville senior wide receiver/defensive back VerKobe Woodberry said. “Come game time [this year], we’ll be able to finish games.”

Woodberry,who has been timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, had 34 receptions last year for 562 yards and six touchdowns. He added 91 yards rushing on eight carries.

“I think he’s the best receiver in the league, the most explosive,” Neatherlin said.

Somerville lost running back Jeremiah Teague, who was the district’s co-most valuable player along with all-district lineman Riley Eldridge. The Yeguas won’t abandon the run, but they could rely more on the pass.

“We had a good offseason,” Neatherlin said. “We’ve had a really good, strong strength and conditioning offseason, and we’ve also played 7-on-7 where our kids are staying active and being a part of it.”

The 7-on-7 experience was invaluable as Somerville played in a league with Anderson-Shiro,

CASSIE STRICKER THE EAGLE Somerville senior Julian Frayre returns to play tight end and linebacker for the Yeguas this season.

Bryan, Hearne and Rudder.

“We were real competitive and wonseveralgames,sowe feelreally good about our skills,” Neatherlin said. “Right now, it’ll be hard for people to match up with our skill guys, and with our quarterback’s accuracy, I think we’ll be able to make a lot of plays.”

SeniorquarterbackJohnnyLegg, a three-year starter,is a dual threat who missed the last half of his sophomore season after breaking his wrist. Legg is fully recovered and said team chemistry has been the key to the program’s growth.

“We just need to keep bonding together,” he said. “We can’t let the emotions get the best of us and throw us out of games.”

Multiple linemen return led by senior Cedric Hudgen, a secondteam all-district pick on defense.

“He’s just a bulldozer,” Neatherlin said, adding that the Yeguas have good depth in the trenches.

Somerville has all the ingredients to make the playoffs for only the second time in 15 years if it can perform under pressure in the big games.

“The big thing will be to execute when we need to,” Neatherlin said. “In two of [last year’s] losses, we had fumbles at the 1-yard line ... just crazy things. We’ve got to be able to overcome the mistakes and finallypushthrough,andthenonce we do that,I think it’ll be like a waterfall.”

Neatherlin inherited mostly underclassmen.

“Most of them have been with me two years now,” he said. “They are getting stronger, bigger and faster. So we should expect to be better.” „ NOTES — Dave Campbell’s Texas Football picks Somerville to make the playoffs as the fourthplace team in 13-2A-II behind Snook, Granger and Burton. ... Somerville last won more than two games in 2011, going 4-6 that season. The Yeguas are 1177 since.