District 12-4A Division I

NAVASOTA RATTLERS Year2underDacusalreadyhaspromisingfeel

Rattlersranked24thin‘TexasFootball’afterovercomingearlylosingstreaktoopenlastseason

By ROBERT CESSNA robert.cessna@theeagle.com

The Navasota Rattlers have battled through some lean times on the football fieldandnowappearpoised forthegoodtimestoreturn.

The Rattlers went 14-20 over the last three seasons, a big letdown on the heels of the greatest stretch in schoolhistoryas theywent 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 4ADivisionIbyTexasFootball 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 goodplacestartingtheyear 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 neverfelt like we everlostthekids,” Dacussaid. “We justneededsomething good to happen.”

That turned out to be a 41-8 victory over Houston Furr in the District 12-4A DivisionIopenerthatjumpstarteda6-2finish. Therun included a 38-7 bi-district victoryoverLittleCypressMauriceville, earning the program’sfirstgoldfootball inthreeyears. Thatvalidated all the things Dacus and his staffwere doing.

Dacus’ firstfulloffseason back home then included switching the defense from aneventoanoddfront. An

ROSTER

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

Eagle file photo Navasota quarterbackZackDyer,right,hands offto runningbackDarius Randle against Madisonville last season. The Rattlers lost that game 48-14,butitmarked the end ofa four-game losingstreakas theystrung 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 alignmentwillbe305-pound Texas A&M pledg e Jordan Jefferson, who will go both ways after playing only on the offensive line the last two years.

“He’s on the field the wholetime, andwe’regoing 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 to move. He’s explosive.”

Jeffersonis poisedto 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’EricBeasleyjoinsJefferson on the line, and they’re supported by linebacker Cal Acosta, defensive back DarickHendersonandsafety Keith Steptoe.

“We feel like our best players right now [on defense] are our linebackers and DBs,” Dacus said. “We wanttogetasmanyofthose guysonthefieldaswecan.”

Navasota hopes its speed leads to more turnovers, jump-startinganoffenseled 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,” Dacussaid. “He’sgotagood arm. If youwouldrace him in the 40, he would be average. Where he’s really dangerous is when plays break down. Hehastheability, the athleticism, toextendplays. 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

SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Time Aug. 30 at Bellaire Episcopal 7 p.m.

Lastyear: L 34-28 Sept. 6 Sealy 7:30 p.m.

Lastyear: L 38-14 Sept. 13 Rudder 7:30 p.m.

Lastyear: L 27-7 Sept. 20 at Madisonville 7:30 p.m.

Lastyear: L 48-14

District 12-4A Division I Sept. 27 at Houston Furr* 7 p.m.

Lastyear: W41-8 Oct. 4 Houston North Forest^ 7 p.m.

Lastyear: W28-14 Oct. 11 at Houston Worthing+ 7 p.m.

Lastyear: W29-20 Oct. 18 Stafford 7 p.m.

Lastyear: W9-7 Oct. 26 at Houston Yates# 1 p.m.

Lastyear: W47-6 Nov. 1 Houston Wheatley 7 p.m.

Lastyear: L 24-21 *Cowart Stadium ^Homecoming +Butler Stadium #Barnett Stadium

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, whowasoneoffive 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 gainedsincefootballseason 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, averaging24.2yardsacatch with a touchdown.

•

NOTES — Dacus, a former

FACTS

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 Playoffappearances (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 Playoffrecord — 49-32-1

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 gota little beatup and lost a couple pla yers, contributingto the 0-4 start. ... Even though last season ended with a 49- 9 loss to Midlothian Heritage, Dacus said Navasota gained something positive out of the area playoffgame. 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, 2019Thursday, August 29, 2019

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pressive training camp.

Allenacknowledgedthat depth could be an issue for his young team as it looks to replace key players at safety and gain experience at running back, but he thinks both the offensive and defensive lines have potential to mesh well with his veteran skill players.

“Ultimately,wewanttoget bettereverysingleweek,”Allensaid. “Ifwegetbetterevery week, we give ourselves a chance to be successful.”

ROSTER

2 DB/QB Garrison Weiss, 5-8, 155, sr.; 3 DB/WR Trayveon Britton, 6-1, 175, sr.; 4 DB/RB Trey Lawhun, 5-9, 170, jr.; 5 LB/FB Zyron Smith, 5-8, 190, sr.; 6 QB/WR Alldyn Schroeder, 6-0, 180, sr.; 7 LB/RB Dane Howk, 5-10, 190, sr.; 8 LB/RB Daylonn McCowan, 6-1, 195, sr.; 9 DB/WR Keanu Jones, 5-10, 165, jr.; 10 DB/WR Yann Toussom, 6-3, 180, sr.; 11 DB/WR Javon Dixon, 5-8, 175, soph.; 12 LB/RB Carson Draehn, 5-10, 170, sr.; 13 LB/WR Cole Ragonis, 6-1, 180, sr.; 16 DB/WR Cameron Richardson, 6-0, 190, jr.; 18 DB/WR Lane Perez, 5-8, 150, sr.; 19 DB/WR Dean Rees, 5-10, 155, sr.; 20 DB/WR Eric Hemphill, 5-10, 170, soph.; 21 DB/WR JaQuan Jones, 5-9, 165, jr.; 22 DB/WR Kaden Watts, 5-8, 170, soph.; 23 DB/WR Adan Villatoro, 5-6, 155, soph.; 24 DL/TE Lorenzo Vega, 5-8, 185, jr.; 27 DL/OL Jonteveon Brown, 6-2, 220, sr.; 28 DL/TE Lonnie Brown, 6-2, 220, sr.; 30 DB/WR Alandrick Andrade, 5-6, 155, soph.; 33 LB/RB Hayden DiGregorio, 5-9, 175, jr.; 35 LB/RB Ethan Kuhn, 5-9, 220, jr.; 37 LB/WR Justin Garza, 5-10, 275, soph.; 44 DL/TE Blake Jones, 6-0, 190, soph.; 50 DL/OL Trevieon Phillips, 5-9, 235, soph.; 52 DL/OL Jathynn Bennett, 5-8, 250, soph.; 54 DL/OL Derrick Chovanec, 5-10, 230, jr.; 56 DL/OL Jyron Davis, 5-11, 210, sr.; 58 DL/OL Jared Zwahr, 5-10, 255, jr.; 62 DL/OL Logan Wooten, 5-10, 200, sr.; 64 DL/OL Maysen Fontenot, 6-2, 240, sr.; 70 DL/OL Lee Graves, 6-3, 275, jr.; 71 DL/OL Jorge Villatoro, 5-9, 280, sr.; 72 DL/OL Ta marcus McWilliams, 6-1, 300, sr.; 73 DL/OL Keaton Altman, 6-4, 260, jr.; 74 DL/OL Garrett Wiesepape, 6-2, 310, sr.; 75 DL/OL Willie Pennygraph, 5-11, 320, sr.; 76 DL/OL Lance Maxie, 5-8, 380, soph.; 78 DL/OL Dustin Hunter, 6-4, 340, sr.; 81 DB/WR Jackson Mueller, 5-9, 165, sr.; 82 KVictor Mendoza, 5-10, 155, sr.

Manager: Cameron McWilliams, sr.

RUDDER:MurphyhelpsleadRangerdefense

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and Ayers agree that one of Rudder’s strengths on offense is the depth of its playmakers. The abundance of options should provide plenty of support for whoever starts at quarterback. Competing for the job are junior incumbent Brant Roberts and sophomore transfer EJ Ezar, Eric’s son.

“I feel like they both could go to nearly any school in this area and start,” Eric Ezar said. “Quar terback’s one of those positions that you’re going to have to have two good ones because one might get hurt. We feel like they’re pickingup [the offense]. It’s a blessing to have two good ones.”

Defensi v el y, 6-0, 225-pound senior end Desmond Murphy will be a

ROSTER

2 QB Brant Roberts, jr.; 3 WR/DB Malcolm Manley, sr.; 4 WR/DB Marcus Heard, soph.; 5 WR/DB Keithron Lee, jr.; 6 WR/LB Tre McLenton, soph.; 7 RB/LB James Ayers, sr.; 8 WR/DB Milton Mooring, jr.; 9 WR/DB Jeremiah Johnson, soph.; 10 RB/LB DJ Wallace, jr.; 11 WR/LB Alvin Dunn, sr.; 12 WR/DB Marcus Diles, jr.; 13 QB/DB EJ Ezar, soph.; 14 WR/DB Desnick Williams, jr.; 15 WR/DB RJ Rubio, sr.; 16 WR/DB De’Andre Heard, jr.; 18 WR/DB Nicholas Oliva, soph.; 20 WR/DB Dre’Kavian Minor, soph.; 22 RB/LB La’Montre Newton, hr,l 23 RB/LB JaMarcus Jones, soph.; 24 WR/RB/ LB Jonathan Watkins, jr.; 26 WR/DB Carlos Moreno, sr.; 27 WR/DB Josh Ramirez, sr.; 28 WR/DB Octavious Taylor, jr.; 32 WR/DB Quincy Daniels, jr.; 34 WR/DB Gage Schwartz, jr.; 38 WR/DB Kaleb Martin, sr.; 42 WR/DB Jacob Oliver, sr.; 44 RB/LB Tyreike Nickerson, jr.; 45 RB/LB Kristoffer Kindt, sr.; 5- OL/DL Jalen Thierry, sr.; 51 OL/DL Joseph Ruffino, soph.; 52 OL/DL Desmond Murphy, sr.; 54 OL/DL Stanley Gilbert, jr.; 55 OL/DL Jason Batiste, soph.; 56 OL/DL Colton Stewart, sr.; 58 OL/DL DeQuintus Wilson, sr.; 59 OL/DL CJ Sims, sr.; 60 OL/DL Victor Cabrera, sr.; 65 OL/DL Clayton Sikorski, jr.; 70 OL/DL Lyndon Williams, soph.; 72 OL/DL Tommy Markwadt, soph.; 75 OL/DL Joshua Wilts, jr.; 77 OL/ DL Kevin Kindt, sr.; 80 WR/DB Jaxsen Brown, jr.; 84 WR/DB Terranc e Williams, sr.; 88 WR/DB Devion Howard, soph.

Trainers: Justin Mullinnix, Brian Smith

Graduate assistant trainers: Sarah Tolley, Erin Bradley

Coaches: head coach Eric Ezar, offensive coordinator EdgarVazquez, defensive coordinator Jarry Poth, Matt Garza, Wes McKnight, Shane Fluter, Michael Ibrahim, Jihad Wright, Christopher Hargrove, Stewart Donley, Calvin Hill, Andy Throne, Time George, Eric Jones, Bryan Douglas difficult assignment for opposinglinemen, andhewill receive help at tackle from sophomore Jason Batiste, who willplay on both lines. Sophomore safety Marcus Heard is having a good preseason and is carving out a role in the secondary alongside senior cornerbacks Carlos Moreno and Octavious Taylor. Ezaremphasizes playing fast and aggressive, and he is encouraged by how his young defense has made thatstyle its identityahead of the season. The Rangers are likely to start four sophomores onthatside of the ball, but he sees potential in the group. They’ll need to capitalize on that potential if Rudder is to make its first playoff appearance. “You’re not going to see us in the same thing twice [on defense],” Ezar said. “We’re going to move around a lot. We don’t have a lot of size, wh ich we’re fine with. We’re just going to be fastandquickandput our kids in the right place for those strengths.”

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