NAVASOTA RATTLERS
Year 2 under Dacus already has promising feel Rattlers ranked 24th in ‘Texas Football’ after overcoming early losing streak to open last season ROSTER
SCHEDULE
FACTS
1 Keith Steptoe, sr.; 2 La’Darrin Thomas, sr.; 3 Aaron Nichols, jr.; 4 Darick Henderson, sr.; 5 Darius Randle, jr.; 6 Donovan Thomas, sr.; 7 Cal Acosta, sr.; 8 Tavarus Baker, sr.; 9 Truman Garza, sr.; 10 Jamar Jessie, soph.; 11 Terrick Palmer, sr.; 12 Zack Dyer, sr.; 14 Jerald Adams, jr.; 15 Jaboris Mock, jr.; 18 Ja’Eric Beasley, sr.; 20 Jerran Carr, sr.; 21 Joel Castaneda, jr.; 22 Zion Minor, jr.; 23 Nathan Ybarra, sr.; 24 Hayden Woodard, jr.; 25 Logan Arrington, jr.; 29 David Turner, jr.; 36 Ty’Drayvion Hester, jr.; 44 Mark Martinez, sr.; 45 Clayton Oncken, jr.; 48 Kegan Lavander, jr.; 49 Derek Henderson, sr.; 50 Tyler Miller, jr.; 52 Hector Flores, jr.; 54 Alex Santos, soph.; 55 Paul Hamaker, sr.; 57 Xavier Sinegal, sr.; 58 Curtis Hackett, sr.; 60 Aiden Baldobino, Trainers: Ryan Attridge, Alysia Pennartz Student trainers: Cecaly Contreras, Hannah Dimmel, Ivetth Fernandez, Chloe Mittag, Areli Ostigin, Leslee Soto, Evelin Torres Coaches: head coach Casey Dacus, Mike NIchols, Cody Morrison, Donn MIller, Ian Day, Matt Fisher, Isaiah Thompson, Zac Nichols, Chris Randolph, Lee Lipscomb, Dillon Gonzales, D’Ante Meeking, Chase Ganske
Date Opponent Time Aug. 30 at Bellaire Episcopal 7 p.m. Last year: L 34-28 Sept. 6 Sealy 7:30 p.m. Last year: L 38-14 Sept. 13 Rudder 7:30 p.m. Last year: L 27-7 Sept. 20 at Madisonville 7:30 p.m. Last year: L 48-14 District 12-4A Division I Sept. 27 at Houston Furr* 7 p.m. Last year: W 41-8 Oct. 4 Houston North Forest^ 7 p.m. Last year: W 28-14 Oct. 11 at Houston Worthing+ 7 p.m. Last year: W 29-20 Oct. 18 Stafford 7 p.m. Last year: W 9-7 Oct. 26 at Houston Yates# 1 p.m. Last year: W 47-6 Nov. 1 Houston Wheatley 7 p.m. Last year: L 24-21 *Cowart Stadium ^Homecoming +Butler Stadium #Barnett Stadium
Head coach — Casey Dacus (6-6 overall; 6-6 at Navasota) District — 12-4A Division I 2018 record — 6-6 (5-1 in 12-4A Division I) 2018 playoffs — bi-district: def. Little Cypress-Mauriceville 38-7; area: lost to Midlothian Heritage 49-9 Playoff appearances (36) — 1936, 1940-41, 1943, 1948, 1955-56, 1974, 1982-85, 1981-91, 1994-96, 1998, 2002-04, 2007-18 Returning lettermen — 21 (8 offensive, 6 defensive starters) Key returners — OL/DL Jordan Jefferson (12-4A D1 A-D), OL Alfredo Villasenor (A-D), TE Mark Martinez (A-D), RB DJ Randle (A-D), LB Darick Henderson (A-D), K/P Miguel Alvarado (A-D) WR/CB La’Darrin Thomas (2nd A-D), DL Ja’Eric Beasley (2nd A-D), QB Zack Dyer (2nd A-D), LB Cal Acosta (2nd A-D), S Keith Steptoe (2nd A-D) Key newcomers — OL/DL Jaquarian Williams, LB Joel Castaneda, QB Jamar Jesse, WR Orlando Martinez, Ty Hester Key losses — Tyrek Houston (Def. POY), WR Johnny Sweed (A-D), DL Tyrin Preston (A-D), LB Javonzae Jones (A-D), DB Christian Johnson (2nd A-D), DB Ke’Eric Moore (2nd A-D) All-time record — 576-464-23 Playoff record — 49-32-1
By ROBERT CESSNA robert.cessna@theeagle.com
The Navasota Rattlers have battled through some lean times on the football field and now appear poised for the good times to return. The Rattlers went 14-20 over the last three seasons, a big letdown on the heels of the greatest stretch in school history as they went 94-12 and won two state championships over the previous eight years. Navasota is back in the state’s limelight this season, ranked 24th in Class 4A Division I by Texas Football on the strength of 14 returning starters, all but one having earned first- or second-team all-district honors last year. “We feel like we’re in a good place starting the year this year,” coach Casey Dacus said. That wasn’t the case a year ago when Dacus, a former multi-sport standout for the Rattlers, lost his first four games in charge of his alma mater. “We never felt like we ever lost the kids,” Dacus said. “We just needed something good to happen.” That turned out to be a 41-8 victory over Houston Furr in the District 12-4A Division I opener that jumpstarted a 6-2 finish. The run included a 38-7 bi-district victory over Little CypressMauriceville, earning the program’s first gold football in three years. That validated all the things Dacus and his staff were doing. Dacus’ first full offseason back home then included switching the defense from an even to an odd front. An-
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Eagle file photo Navasota quarterback Zack Dyer,right,hands off to running back Darius Randle against Madisonville last season. The Rattlers lost that game 48-14, but it marked the end of a four-game losing streak as they strung together five straight wins en route to a 6-2 finish that included a bidistrict playoff victory over Little Cypress-Mauriceville. choring the revamped 3-5 alignment will be 305-pound Texas A&M pledge Jordan Jefferson, who will go both ways after playing only on the offensive line the last two years. “He’s on the field the whole time, and we’re going to try to take advantage of him,” Dacus said. “We feel like the scheme really fits what he does really well. He’s really big. He’s hard
High School Football 2019
to move. He’s explosive.” Jefferson is poised to end his high school career with a bang after dropping 40 pounds. “He was always fairly agile, but now he’s moving really, really well,” Dacus said. Returning defensive end Ja’Eric Beasley joins Jefferson on the line, and they’re supported by linebacker Cal Acosta, defensive back
Darick Henderson and safety Keith Steptoe. “We feel like our best players right now [on defense] are our linebackers and DBs,” Dacus said. “We want to get as many of those guys on the field as we can.” Navasota hopes its speed leads to more turnovers, jump-starting an offense led by quarterback Zack Dyer, a second-team all-district pick who threw for 1,088 yards and 14 touchdowns in the regular season. He added 280 yards rushing with five touchdowns last year. “Last year was a tough situation for him,” Dacus said. “He moved in [from Iola] really in the summertime. When you’re installing a spread offense, a lot of that is going to hinge on quarterback play. It just always will.” Dyer had a solid season, and the offseason allowed him to gain a better grasp of the offense. “He’s got athleticism,” Dacus said. “He’s got a good arm. If you would race him in the 40, he would be average. Where he’s really dangerous is when plays break down. He has the ability, the athleticism, to extend plays. A lot of times, defenses can cover for 3-4 seconds, but then if the play breaks down and [receivers] get loose, he can really hurt people doing that kind of
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thing.” An experienced offensive line featuring guard Alfredo Villasenor, tight end Mark Martinez and Jefferson should give Dyer more time and open lanes for running back Darius Randle, who was one of five Rattler backs who rushed for at least 100 yards last season. “We didn’t have a true offseason really until this year,” Dacus said. “The amount of strength we’ve gained since football season until now has been terrific, and we feel that’s really going to bode well for us.” Navasota has the speed and quickness to complement the extra muscle on offense. Wide receiver La’Darrin Thomas averaged 24.9 yards on 15 catches with four touchdowns. Randle caught five passes, averaging 24.2 yards a catch with a touchdown. • NOTES — Dacus, a former
offensive coordinator at Graham, had a tough a start to his homecoming last season. Many of his assistants didn’t arrive until late July, and they opened with back-to-back losses to Houston Episcopal and Sealy, which combined for a 19-3-1 record. The Rattlers also got a little beat up and lost a couple players,contributing to the 0-4 start. ... Even though last season ended with a 499 loss to Midlothian Heritage, Dacus said Navasota gained something positive out of the area playoff game. The Rattlers got to play in Baylor’s McLane Stadium, and they competed well after a poor start, laying the foundation for what proved to be a great offseason.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
